Kiwi cultivation at home Image Credit source: Getty Images
Kiwi is a fruit which is rich in nutrition. Vitamin C, Vitamin K, fiber, potassium and folate are found in it. The amount of calories and fat in it is also very low. However, this fruit is sold a little expensive in the market, due to which it is not possible to eat it generally. But what if you plant it in the garden of your home itself? Nowadays, people are moving towards gardening a lot. Some are cultivating fruits, flowers and vegetables on their terrace and some in the balcony or courtyard of their house. With this you get organic fruits and vegetables. Besides, the air in the house is also pure and greenery is seen everywhere.
If you also want to grow Kiwi at home then this article is for you. Here we will tell you some easy tips to grow kiwi in your home garden. First of all, let us tell you that Kiwi is not a tree or plant. Rather, it has vines which are planted in large fields. But there are some easy methods too, with the help of which you can easily install them even in small spaces. So let us know easy tips to cultivate kiwi at home.
Also read: Doing these yoga asanas will give strength to the body, Baba Ramdev told.
Important things to know before growing kiwi
There are many varieties of kiwi, the most popular of which are Hayward (green kiwi) and golden kiwi. After planting the kiwi vine, it takes at least 2 to 4 years for it to bear fruit. At the same time, cutting or grafted plants often start bearing fruits in 1.5-3 years. Kiwi has separate male and female plants, so both are needed for fruiting. Male plants have male flowers that produce pollen, while female plants have female flowers that produce fruits. In such a situation, to give fruits, at least one male kiwi should be planted with every 6-8 female plants.
How to plant kiwi plant
There are 3 options for growing kiwi such as seeds, cuttings, grafted plants. If you plant seeds it takes longer to grow. At the same time, if you plant cuttings then it grows faster and there is a possibility of getting fruits soon. Apart from this, grafted plants can be brought from the nursery and planted. It gives results quickly and is a reliable option. Let us tell you how to apply them.
How to plant seeds: You will easily get Kiwi seeds in the market. There are black and small ones in between. Take most of the seeds and clean the seeds and separate its pulp. Lightly dry and pat dry. After this, wrap the seeds in a moist paper towel, keep them in a plastic bag and keep them in the refrigerator for 4-6 weeks to germinate. After 1 week, take out the seeds and freeze them in a pot. For this, prepare the soil by mixing potting soil-rate. Keep in mind that the soil in the pot should be slightly moist. Now when small plants emerge, transfer them to another pot.
How to grow from cuttings: To plant kiwi vine from cuttings, bring cuttings from the nursery. Its length should be 1525 cm. After bringing it, first remove the lower leaves. Apply rooting hormone powder to the lower end of the cutting. This helps in taking root. To plant it in a pot, sow the cutting in potting mixture (peat/cocopeat + perlite/sand). Plant it in such a way that 23 nodes remain underground. Keep the pot at a place where there is no direct sunlight. Root formation starts at 48 weeks.
What kind of soil and pot should be?
Kiwi’s roots spread. Therefore, use a big pot or growing bag to grow it. In the beginning a container of 12 to 20 liters is suitable. Talking about soil, it is best if 2 parts garden soil, 1 part cow dung manure or organic compost, 1 part river sand or perlite (for drainage), pH of the soil is between 5.5-7.0.
Proper water, sunlight and care tips
Kiwi vine needs 68 hours of sunlight. In very hot and scorching heat the leaves may turn yellow or scorch. In such a situation, keep the Kiwi plant at a place where sunlight comes but is not very strong. For this, the east direction of balcony, terrace or open courtyard is best. Do not water the Kiwi plant too much. In summer season, water once every 2-3 days when the soil dries. At the same time, watering once during the winter season is sufficient. Water only when you see that the leaves are turning yellow or have started drooping.
Keep these things in mind also
Add a little organic fertilizer (compost, vermicompost or bonemeal) every 4050 days. Give more Nitrogen (N) in spring and summer so that the vine becomes strong. When the kiwi vine starts growing, support it with a trellis or wire. Prune old, dry or entangled branches every winter. This will give rise to new branches which bear fruit.
Also read: This Pahadi Dishbari and Gahat Ka Fanu will keep the body warm in winter, here is the recipe