Mini kiwi - growing in a pot on the balcony

Mini kiwiis a decorative climber that produces small, tasty fruit. Mini kiwi species are suitable for pot cultivation on a balcony in our climate: Kiwi Berry and Actinidia Kiwi. To enjoy your own tasty mini kiwi fruit, you should provide plants with large pots and solid supports. We explain all the details ofgrowing a mini kiwi in a poton the balcony.

Mini kiwi - Actinidia kolomikta
Fig. depositphotos.com

What does a mini kiwi look like?

Traditional kiwi (Actinidia chinensis), producing large fruit with brown skin covered with hairs, is unfortunately not suitable for cultivation in our climate, because it is not frost-resistant enough. Thereforefor cultivation on the balcony we have to choose one of the species of mini kiwi
Actinidia species,popularly known as mini kiwi , belong to the actinidia family (Actinidiaceae) and are native to East Asia: China, Korea and Japan. These climbers grow quickly to form strong, long shoots.

ShootsActinidia arguta (Actinidia arguta) can reach a length of up to 20 m. They are overgrown with heart-shaped, green leaves, which turn golden with the arrival of autumn. Actinidia kolomiktana
(Actinidia kolomikta) does not grow so strongly, and its shoots grow only up to 6 m. pink.

Discoloration of mini kiwi leaves - Actinidia kolomikta
Fig. depositphotos.com

Mini kiwi blooms in late spring , in late May / early June. The small, white or pale yellow flowers, however, do not have much decorative value.
The fruit of the mini kiwiis a small berry that can be eaten with the peel. Mini kiwi fruit in the 3-4th year after planting. The fruits of the spotted actinidia appear in August and September, and the fruits of the spicy moth in September and October.

Are mini kiwi fruit edible?

SmallMini kiwi fruit is not only edible, but also very tasty and he althyIt is best eaten raw, but can also be processed. They can be used to make delicious juices, preserves and tinctures. After harvesting, the fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
It is worth knowing thatmini kiwi fruit does not need to be peeledand can be eaten whole.This is what distinguishes them from the traditional, large kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis), which are much larger, but require laborious peeling.

Mini kiwi fruit and ordinary kiwi fruit
Fig. depositphotos.com

Is the mini kiwi self-pollinating?

Mini kiwi is generally a dioecious speciesTo enjoy good fruit, we need to plant at least 2 plants next to each other - one female and one male.
And what to do, if we don't have space to plant 2 plants? Fortunately, owners of small terraces or balconies who can only plant one climber can choose from a handful ofself-pollinating mini kiwi varietiessuch as Actinidia 'Issai' or Actinidia 'Hokey Pokey'® .

Mini kiwi on the balcony - what variety?

For balcony cultivation, it is best to chooseself-pollinating mini kiwi variety , with the lowest possible growth force.
TheActinidia 'Issai' , which is self-fertile and grows up to 6 m in length, is available for sale. The Polish parthenocarpic varietymini kiwi 'Hokey Pokey'® looks interesting. The slender shoots of this actinidia grow up to 4 m in length, and the leaves growing on them are green with a lemon border. In autumn they turn gold.
On the balcony, a mini kiwi will also work asActinidia spiny 'dr Szymanowski'growing up to 3-4 m in length. It is a female variety with features of bisexuality - apart from female, it also produces a few male flowers.

Mini kiwi - Actinidia arguta
Fig. depositphotos.com

Growing a mini kiwi in the Polish climate

Mini kiwifruit is generally frost-resistant , while the spotted actinidia is slightly more durable than the kiwifruit and tolerates temperature drops as low as -40 ° C. Kiwi Berry is included in the frost hardiness zone of plants 4, while Kiwi Berry is included in the 5A zone.
As you can see both speciesmini kiwi can be grown in the Polish climateTraditional kiwi fruit, Actinidia chinensis, which unfortunately will be in our country, is not suitable for such cultivation. freeze in the climate.

Mini kiwi on the balcony - growing position

Mini kiwi is not particularly demandingor difficult to grow. It is also disease and pest resistant and tolerates polluted city air well. Requires a quiet and sunny position, preferably with a west or south-west exposure. The plant forms a large green mass, its shoots grow up to 2-3 m per year. So, when deciding tobalcony cultivation of mini kiwi , be sure to install really strong supports for the climbers. Preferably steel.

How to plant a mini kiwi?

Mini kiwis are planted in a large pot or box , filled with a fertile, permeable substrate with a slightly acidic pH (pH 5.5-6.5).Alkaline soils cause chlorosis of the leaves.
Therefore,mini kiwi soilshould be mixed with acid peat or used for azaleas and rhododendrons. Mini kiwi fruit should be planted on the target site to the depth at which the plant grew in the pot.

Mini kiwi - Actinidia kolomikta
Fig. pixabay.com

Mini kiwi on the balcony - care

Mini kiwi grown in a pot on the balconyrequires regular watering, especially in summer, with high temperatures. We start fertilizing the plants from the second year of cultivation, using 2-3 doses of multi-component fertilizers during the growing season (e.g. in May and June).

How to trim a mini kiwi?

Due to its vigorous growth,mini kiwi requires an annualvigorous pruning and shaping. We make the main cut at the end of February. We shorten about half of the 2-3 year old shoots on which fruit has already appeared.New, fruiting shoots will grow out of them. In summer, when the plants bloom, we can also shorten the remaining, longer shoots and remove those excessively thickening the shrub.Cutting mini kiwi fruitreduces the growth force of the plant, facilitates light access to the fruit and reduces the risk of disease.

Mini kiwi on the balcony - wintering

Althoughmini kiwi is resistant to low temperatures , however, spring frosts often destroy young shoots that appear in early April. Therefore, it is worth mulching the plants in autumn with a thick layer of bark or cover them with agrotextile. It is also good to protect the pot by wrapping it with insulating material, and to separate it from the ground, e.g. by placing it on a polystyrene pad.

MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak