Actinidia: description, planting, cultivation, care

Actinidia plant: photo of a shrub

Shrub Actinidia is an exotic plant for our latitudes. The birthplace of actinidia is the island of Java. It has adapted to cold snaps and can grow in the temperate latitudes of Russia.

Actinidia: a description of the shrub

Actinidia plant: photo of a shrub

Actinidia is a perennial deciduous vine. It has green, heart-shaped leaves. In some species of actinidia, the tips of the leaves are painted white, which makes them noticeably more beautiful. Actinidia creeper blooms in April. Its flowers are white with a pale pink tint, for the most part they are odorless, but there are varieties whose flowers have a pleasant aroma.

Actinidia fruits are edible. They are small in size, oblong in shape, sometimes covered with fluff. The pulp of the actinidia fruit is juicy, sweet and sour in taste, with a pleasant aroma. There are varieties of actinidia, the fruits of which have a strawberry or pineapple aroma. The fruits of actinidia are eaten fresh, they are used to prepare jam, compotes, wine, and they are dried. When dried, they are very similar to raisins.

Actinidia fruits are very beneficial. They contain a lot of vitamin C, in its content they can compete with rose hips, black currants and citrus fruits. The bark, leaves and flowers of actinidia have medicinal properties, they are used to treat many diseases.

Actinidia: varieties

Actinidia: video about growing vines

Small-fruited varieties are considered easier to breed. The fruits of these varieties are very similar to gooseberries. Actinidia is used not only as a fruit plant; due to its attractive appearance, this vine has found wide application in landscape design. There are many varieties of actinidia.

• Actinidia Arguta refers to tall vines. As it grows, it wraps around the trunk of a tree and rises higher and higher. From the crown of one tree, she washes to move to another. Actinidia variety Arguta has fruits with pineapple aroma.
• Actinidia Giraldi can grow up to 25 meters in height. It grows rapidly, with its help all kinds of structures are often landscaped. The fruits of this variety of actinidia are relatively large.
• Actinidia Kolomikta most suitable for the climate of the middle zone of our country. Compared to other varieties, this is a relatively low liana up to 7 meters high. The fruits of the actinidia Kolomikta variety are small, only about 2 centimeters, they have a pleasant smell.

Polygamous actinidia is the shortest, only up to 5 meters in height. The fruits of this variety are similar to those of the kolomikta, but until ripe they have a pungent, pungent taste.

Growing and care

Growing actinidia is not difficult at all. The most important thing in growing this vine is to choose the right variety and place for planting it.

Caring for actinidia is also not difficult, it is very similar to caring for fruit trees. The main components of care are pruning, pest control, and disease control.

Actinidia is planted in the ground in spring or autumn. Loamy and sandy loamy acidic or slightly acidic soil is well suited for planting. This vine does not like excessively moist and dense soils. So that the water in the roots does not stagnate, at the bottom of the hole in which the actinidia will be planted, it is necessary to put pebbles or expanded clay for drainage. Actinidia is planted in the spring, around May. In order for the vine to grow normally, it needs supports or some kind of frame. Actinidia has no aerial roots, which indicates its inability to harm buildings.It can be planted near the walls of buildings. Due to the decorative properties of actinidia, it is often planted near gazebos. Experienced gardeners use arches and pergolas as supports.

In hot weather, the actinidia shrub requires watering, otherwise it begins to shed its leaves. Watering actinidia is necessary in the morning or in the evening once a week. One bush needs about 60 liters of water. Do not forget about top dressing and weed control. Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers will help to significantly increase the frost resistance and fertility of the vines.

When choosing a site for actinidia, it must be remembered that actinidia is not planted after actinidia. Also, this liana does not like to coexist with apple trees.

To get fruit, you must have male and female plants. You can distinguish between a male and a female plant only at the time when they bloom. The male flower does not have a bud and pistil, but there are many stamens. The plant can be pollinated by bees, and also when the wind carries the pollen.

Actinidia gives its first fruits at the age of 3-4 years, but a good harvest should be expected no earlier than it reaches 7 years of age. Actinidia is capable of bearing fruit for more than 40 years. If you properly care for this vine, you can get about 50 kg of berries from each bush.

Actinidia needs to be trimmed from time to time. When the stems of actinidia begin to grow too actively, this becomes the reason for the thickening of the crown and a decrease in frost resistance. Therefore, pruning is very important. You can prune plants that have reached the age of 3-4 years. Formative pruning lasts the entire summer. In order for the shoots of actinidia to harden before winter, their tips need to be pinched.

Reproduction of actinidia

Actinidia can be propagated in several ways. You can do this with cuttings and layering, you can use seeds. After planting the seeds in the ground, you need to wait for the emergence of seedlings within two weeks. In the first year after planting, actinidia will grow very slowly; it does not need feeding at this time.

It is easier to propagate actinidia by cuttings than by seeds. Cuttings with 3-4 leaves are planted in a mixture of peat and sand. They are regularly watered and sheltered from direct sunlight until they take root. It usually takes about three weeks to root. Saplings must be covered for the winter to protect them from frost.

Propagating actinidia by layering is also not difficult. To do this, her shoot must be pressed to the ground and covered with earth. After a year, a new healthy plant can be obtained in this way.

Diseases of actinidia

Actinidia is very rarely sick. Sometimes it can be struck by phyllostictosis, brown spots begin to appear on its leaves. Actinidia berries can be attacked by fruit rot. All affected parts of the plant must be removed. Actinidia is very fond of cats, they often gnaw young shoots of vines, they can spoil the roots or harm the plant in some other way. Therefore, actinidia often has to be fenced off from these pets.

Actinidia: photo of creepers