Miracle actinidia berry: beneficial properties and preparations for the winter. What can be prepared from actinidia

Having planted the exotic perennial actinidia vine on their plot for the first time, as winter approaches, gardeners begin to worry about its safety. Their worries are completely justified: the plant migrated to our region from Southeast Asia, where the climate is significantly different from the conditions of the middle zone. Therefore, in order for the vine to bloom in the spring, autumn care and preparation for winter must be done especially carefully.

Features of preparing actinidia for winter - general tips and recommendations

Whether the area will be decorated with openwork weaving of thin stems depends on whether the autumn care of actinidia is carried out correctly. To protect actinidia from its inherent diseases and prepare the plant for the arrival of cold weather, you need to perform the following actions.

Watering. It is necessary to moisten the climbing plant only in case of a long absence of rain. About 6-8 buckets of water are poured under the root of one plant.

Feeding. In the fall, organic matter or phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied under the exotic vine, and then the trunk circle is dug shallowly. To fertilize 1 sq.m, it will be enough to add 2-3 kg of rotted mullein or horse manure, 50 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium salt into the soil.

Instead of phosphate and salt, you can use multi-component mineral fertilizers, which contain phosphorus and potassium and lack nitrogen. Actinidia can be fed with compost at the rate of 2-3 buckets per plant.

Important! The roots of the vine are located close to the surface, therefore, in order not to damage them, the turning depth should be less than 30 cm.

Trimming. During pruning, it is important not only to follow the manipulation technology, but also to take into account the characteristics of the cultivated variety. For example, actinidia arguta sets fruit exclusively on short branches, so to increase productivity, the vine needs to regularly shorten its shoots and thin out the crown more intensively.

You can pinch kolomikta branches only when the plant reaches the age of 7-10 years. Instead of pruning, the old vine is replaced with a young one.

Polygamy sets berries on shortened branches, so even cutting them off a little entails a decrease in yield.

Mulching. Since the roots of the climbing plant are shallow, the soil around the perimeter of the rhizome is covered with a layer of dry organic materials. You should start laying out peat or dry leaves immediately after the onset of constant cold weather.

Shelter. Three varieties of actinidia have gained popularity in our country: kolomikta, acute, polygamous. If the first variety is able to withstand temperatures down to -35C and winters well without shelter, then the other two need careful insulation.

Video: preparing actinidia for winter in the fall.

Pruning in autumn

The peculiarity of actinidia pruning lies in the structure of the vine. The plant consists of 3 types of branches:

1. Growth or vegetative. Such branches do not bear fruit.
2. Vegetative-generative. Fruits are formed only at the top and bottom of the branch.
3. Generative. Side shoots, on which the bulk of the fruits are formed.

When determining which species a shoot belongs to, you need to take into account the fact that the vine forms fruits only on the branches of the growing year.

Why trim

As cold weather approaches, gardeners are thinking about the advisability of removing branches. Due to ignorance of the intricacies of growing actinidia, many summer residents do not prune the plant, which has a very detrimental effect on the vine.

Pruning should be done in order to:

• prevent excessive crown density;
• increase resistance to diseases;
• activate the growth of new branches;
• increase the volume of the harvest and its quality;
• give the vine the desired shape.

Judging by this number positive properties, which the autumn pruning of actinidia carries with it, manipulation is necessary for the exotic plant for further development.

When is it better to prune - in spring or autumn?

The optimal time for pruning actinidia is coming in early spring, when the plant has not yet woken up and in late autumn, after shedding its leaves.

You should not delay the spring trimming: if you carry out the manipulation in April, when sap flow begins, the plant will secrete sap for a long time in the cut areas. Poorly healed wounds can cause the death of the vine.

Timing for pruning in autumn

As soon as stable conditions are established at night subzero temperatures, and the vine will drop all its leaves, you can start autumn pruning. Depending on the weather climate zone where actinidia is grown, the branches are removed in October-November.

Important! It is impossible to prune the vine before the specified time - due to the removal of branches when the sap flow has not yet ended, the plant will bleed sap for a long time, as a result of which it will become very weak and die.

How to properly prune actinidia in the fall - instructions and diagram

Due to the fact that actinidia grows shoots very quickly, in order to prevent the crown from becoming too thick, the vine must be pruned regularly. Proper pruning not only increases immunity to disease and improves productivity, but also makes actinidia more resistant to cold, which is very important when growing relatively heat-loving specimens.

The sequence of autumn pruning of actinidia is as follows:

1. Remove dried, diseased, mechanically damaged or too sagging branches until the second living bud.
2. One or two fruit-bearing branches for 3 years are replaced by young ones. The age of a branch is determined by the color of the bark and its thickness.
3. Growth branches are shortened, leaving a shoot at least 50 cm long at the base.
4. Mixed shoots are shortened to a length of 30-40 cm.
5. Old, poorly fruiting branches are cut off to form a ring.
6. Pruning in subsequent years comes down to thinning the crown and cutting off dried branches.

As a result of carefully following the instructions for autumn pruning of actinidia, which even beginners in gardening can handle, you can achieve abundant fruiting and maximum decorativeness.

Video: pruning actinidia in the fall for beginners.

Care after pruning

After finishing work in the area where actinidia grows, they rake up fallen leaves and cut off shoots, put them in heaps, and then take them out of the area and burn them.

After pruning, fertilizing is not applied to the vine. After all unnecessary branches are removed and productive ones are shortened, actinidia begins to be prepared for shelter.

Shelter for the winter

The vast majority of species have very low cold resistance - when the temperature drops to -10C, the plant freezes completely. The remaining varieties, among which the most popular are Kolomikta and Geneva, are able to withstand temperatures dropping from -23 to -35 C.

Video: features of actinidia shelter for the winter.

Is it necessary to cover actinidia for the winter?

Whether or not to cover a vine for the winter depends on the variety and age of the plant. Species that do not have high frost resistance must be covered, otherwise heat-loving vines will freeze out in the middle of winter. Even if actinidia manages to survive extreme wintering, it will bear fruit poorly.

Regardless of the variety, vines planted this fall need insulation. Representatives of cold-resistant species can winter without shelter at all.

How to properly cover for the winter

To protect actinidia from the cold, the tree trunk circle is mulched with a layer of peat, straw, sawdust or spruce branches 5-10 cm thick. Then the plant is untied from the supports and carefully laid on the litter. The shoots are covered with a thick layer of mulch on top, and to prevent it from being blown away by gusty winter winds, they are applied with spruce branches. If the winter turns out to be little snow, snow is regularly added over the shelter throughout the winter.

Less frost-resistant varieties, such as actinidia polygamous and actinidia acute, are prepared for winter in the same way as grapes. Depending on weather conditions, the vine is covered partially or completely. In the first case, the lower part of the vine is spudded, and the upper part is wrapped in dense material. Complete cover of actinidia for the winter is carried out as follows:

• The branches of the vine are collected into a loose bundle, and then bent to the ground.
• A layer of rags is placed on top, which is covered with polyethylene.
• The shelter is sprinkled with a 20 cm layer of soil.

Attention! If there is a prolonged thaw in winter, the shelter must be opened slightly so that the vine does not dry out.

A cover clause would be incomplete without mention of threat. spring frosts. In most cases winter shelter They shoot in April, but often the weather presents unpleasant surprises in the form of May frosts, which can destroy the awakened buds. To prevent freezing, the vine is wrapped in lutrasil or spunbond.

Video: actinidia shelter for the winter.

What are the features of preparing for winter in the regions?

Depending on the variety and weather of the growing region, “kiwi” (as actinidia is popularly called) is covered in different ways. In order for the plant to overwinter well, you need to correctly determine the method of shelter, comparing the characteristics of the variety and environmental conditions.

In the middle lane

Adult actinidia kolomikta (garden) grown in this region overwinters without shelter. Actinidia acute and polygamous in the Moscow region are covered for the winter with mulch, which is applied with branches.

In the Volga region

Heat-loving varieties of actinidia are insulated from below and above with a layer of mulch, which is covered with building materials. To prevent mice from settling inside the shelter, rodent poison is placed near the branches.

In the Urals and Siberia

Due to the harsh climate in Siberia and the Urals, actinidia is insulated for the winter using the full cover method, which is described in detail above.

Typical mistakes in autumn care and preparation for winter

To avoid illness and death of the plant caused by incorrect actions during preparation for winter, below are the most common mistakes in caring for actinidia in the fall.

• All varieties are pruned according to the same pattern. When removing branches, you need to take into account the characteristics of the variety being grown, since their representatives may react differently to the same action.
• They do not comply with shelter deadlines. Warming too early ends in the death of the vine.
• The liana is pruned during active sap flow. Wounds after untimely pruning do not heal, and the vine slowly bleeds juice and dies.

To keep actinidia on your site until the next season, you need to properly care for it in the fall - trim it in a timely manner and properly cover it for the winter. The care provided will be rewarded with beautiful decoration of the site throughout the summer and a bountiful harvest useful fruits.

IN garden stores Actinidia is becoming increasingly popular, the cultivation and care of which is very simple, and the result is pleasant. From the bush you can collect at least 20 kg of tasty fruits, depending on age. What is this? In order not to be verbose, let's say that one of the varieties of this plant is kiwi. So how should you care for your miracle relative to get a big harvest?

Brief information about actinidia

Actinidia is an ornamental and medicinal shrub vine that brings a bountiful harvest every year. The homeland of the plant is China. In the Primorsky Territory of the Far East you can often find wild actinidia, on the basis of which many winter-hardy varieties, capable of growing and bearing fruit in our conditions. Most often, we encounter the plant not in the form of a bush, but in the form of fruits, which include kiwi.

Due to their variegated leaves, actinidia are often planted in the garden for vertical gardening verandas, houses, gazebos, pergolas, fences, trellises. The plant is especially beautiful during the period when many buds bloom (early June). In August-September, they appear in their place large fruits weighing 13-18 g.

Fruits can be eaten as fresh, and prepare jam, compote, marmalade, pastille from them, or add them to baked goods. Sun-dried fruits taste somewhat like raisins.

Preparing for landing

Growing and caring for actinidia requires a number of manipulations on which the proper development of the plant depends. Due to the vulnerability of the root system, those seedlings that have it covered are purchased.

You should buy seedlings that are three years old or older. Moreover, these should be both male and female specimens in a ratio of 1-2:5, respectively, since actinidia is a dioecious plant and cross-pollination is possible only between plants of the same species.

The sex of the plant is determined by the structure of the flowers during the first bloom. The male specimen has buds with many stamens, but they lack a pistil. In addition, the flowers form inflorescences of 6 or more buds. Male plants are characterized by a dark green color on the upper side of the foliage, which during the summer becomes white with pubescence, and then pink-red.

The female plant has both stamens and a pistil, but the former do not participate at all in pollination. Flowers receive pollen from the wind, bees and bumblebees. Unlike the male plant, the buds here are single. As for the color of the foliage, by autumn the female bushes change it to brownish.

The buds are laid in the axils of the leaves on the branches of the current year. The duration of flowering is 10 days, after which ovaries form in place of the buds on the female plants, from which fruits of a light orange or yellow-green hue develop.

Selecting a location

Actinidia is a climbing plant, so it is often planted along the walls of a house, hedges, gazebos and other buildings. In addition, this arrangement protects the plant in winter period, and it rarely freezes.

In their natural environment, actinidia prefer the “openwork” penumbra of sparse forests, so when growing plants in the garden, it is advisable to choose a place with identical conditions and protect them from direct sunlight.

Actinidia does not like places where for a long time Water stagnates, so it is not recommended to plant it under drains and in tree trunks.

Correct fit

Caring for actinidia in spring involves correct landing. The plant is undemanding to soil. In its natural environment, it grows in soil with a low content of phosphorus and nitrogen. Alkaline and clay soils are completely unsuitable. Sour, slightly acidic, or at worst neutral are preferred. This explains the impossibility of using lime as a fertilizer. It is preferable to plant plants in the spring, but it is also possible autumn time 2-3 weeks before frost.

Autumn planting is carried out only for plants of the 2nd-3rd age.

For planting, dig holes 60*60 cm, putting 10-15 cm of drainage in them (pebbles, expanded clay, crushed stone). Add rich soil to each hole by mixing 2-3 tbsp. wood ash, 10 kg of humus and 0.15 kg of superphosphate.

As soon as the earth settles, they begin to plant the plants, having first poured a hill of soil that does not contain fertilizer into the hole, on which the seedling is placed. There should be a distance of 1.5-2.5 m between the bushes. After planting, the seedlings are watered (about 2-3 buckets per unit), the soil is lightly pressed down so that the root collar is level with the ground. The top is mulched with peat, sawdust, compost, and pine bark.

Supporting the plant vertically

After planting, it is immediately necessary to install supports for actinidia (frames, trellises) - two-meter concrete or wooden, between which wire is stretched in 3-4 rows. Orient the support frame from east to west. The plants are placed on the south side, forming them on a support in the form of a ridge or fan.

Actinidia care

Care includes watering, fertilizing, mulching and pruning. To moisten the plants, they should be sprayed well in the morning and evening. It is especially necessary to carry out the procedure in hot weather.

Growing and caring for actinidia during a long drought is as follows. To prevent the plant from losing its foliage, it is watered every week with 6-8 buckets of water per unit. Otherwise, after dropping leaves, the plant cannot grow new ones and will freeze in winter.

The procedure of tree-trunk loosening is carried out frequently, while simultaneously weeding, but not very deeply, so as not to damage the root system.

It is important for actinidia to receive fertilizers, as this increases its frost resistance, stimulates the growth of young shoots and helps increase productivity. The question of how to feed actinidia in the spring is resolved quickly.

In early spring, phosphate-, nitrogen- and potassium-containing fertilizers are applied in a ratio of 20:35:20 g per 1 m². When the fruits begin to set, a second “feeding” is performed, applying similar fertilizers, but in a ratio of 10-12/15-20/10-12 g per 1 m². The last feeding is carried out in mid-September, when the harvest is harvested, using a mixture of phosphorus and potassium, 20 g each. The fertilizer should be evenly distributed over the soil, and then dug to a depth of 10-12 cm and water each bush generously.

Trimming

To prevent thickening of the crown, pruning is carried out.

The procedure is performed only for actinidia that have reached 3-4 years of age.

Manipulations are carried out throughout the summer, after which the branches are placed on the actinidia support in the desired direction. They also do pinching, which stops the growth of branches.

To rejuvenate 8-10 year old plants, old skeletal branches are pruned, leaving only a stump of 30-40 cm from the vine.

Actinidia are not pruned in spring and autumn due to strong sap flow. Otherwise, the plant will die.

With the onset of autumn, young 2-3 year old vines are removed from their supports and covered with peat, dry leaves, spruce branches, at least 20 cm deep, after putting poison for rodents so that they do not dig nests. Adult actinidia do not need to be covered.

Reproduction

If you start growing a plant, then sooner or later you will be interested in how to propagate actinidia. The propagation process is quite simple, so a gardener can independently grow both male and female specimens. In this case, the gender and characteristics of the variety are inherited from the parent to the child (except for the use of the seed method).

Arc layering method

At the end of the spring sap flow and the blooming of young foliage, the longest and most well-developed growth shoot is selected, tilted downwards with the tip and attached to the ground, sprinkling the pinning area with a 10-15-centimeter layer of soil. The hill should be watered and mulched with sawdust or humus.

In the fall or spring of next year, the cuttings and the mother bush are separated, and the baby is transplanted to permanent place location.

Cuttings

Gardeners are often interested in how to propagate actinidia from cuttings in the spring. This is done in two ways.

Cuttings from green shoots

With the onset of June, several strong annual branches 0.5-1 m long are selected, cut in the morning and immediately placed in a jar of water to prevent wilting. Each twig is divided into fragments of 10-15 cm and planted in soil (slightly acidic or neutral), into which humus and river sand are previously added in a ratio of 1:2, as well as mineral complex fertilizer that does not contain chlorine (100 g is enough for 1 m²) .

Planting is carried out at an angle of 60º, maintaining a distance of 5 cm between cuttings and 10 cm between rows. In this case, the middle bud on the branch should be located at soil level. The soil around the cutting is compacted, watered, and a two-layer gauze is placed on top, which is removed after 2 weeks.

Before the onset of winter, the cuttings are hidden under fallen leaves, and in the spring, before the foliage blooms, they are transplanted to a permanent place of growth.

Lignified cuttings method

According to this method, actinidia propagation is carried out as follows. Lignified cuttings are cut in late autumn, tied into bunches and stored vertically until spring in a box filled with sand at a maximum temperature of 1-5 ºC. Planting is carried out in a greenhouse and watered once every two days. They are cared for like green cuttings.

Seed method

After mashing the ripest whole fruits and then washing them, the resulting seeds are dried on paper in the shade. Then, in the first ten days of December, they are soaked for 4 days, filled with 2 cm of water, stratified and sown 0.5 cm deep in containers filled with the mixture turf soil And river sand.

Seedlings should be sprayed and protected from direct sunlight. After 3-4 leaves appear, the young plants are transplanted into a greenhouse. Flowering occurs upon reaching 3-5 years of age, after which the plant is transplanted to a permanent place in the ground.

Diseases and pests

Plants are quite resistant to diseases and are rarely attacked by pests. If the rules of care are followed when growing actinidia, the bushes become practically invulnerable.

Among the diseases, the plant can be affected by phylostyctosis, fruit rot, powdery mildew, green or gray mold, and fungal diseases that cause spots on the foliage. If problems arise, the diseased parts of the plant are removed. For preventive purposes, plants are treated with Bordeaux mixture (1%) immediately after the appearance of buds. The procedure is repeated again after 2 weeks. To combat powdery mildew, double treatment is carried out (with a break of 10 days) baking soda(0.5% solution).

Among insects, leaf beetles and their larvae, which eat buds, foliage and fruits, as well as lacewings, caterpillars of the sultana moth, and bark beetles cause great harm to the plant. Spring brings relief autumn processing soil and the entire plant with Bordeaux mixture, which kills wintering or wintering pests and their larvae.

Oddly enough,…cats are also considered pests. After the snow melts, animals dig up the roots, thereby damaging them, and also eat young shoots. Therefore, as soon as the plants have been planted, they must be protected with a wire fence, buried 10 cm into the ground and making some kind of cover so that cats cannot penetrate through the top of the tree.

Proper care of actinidia will help to grow a healthy shrub, which will subsequently generously reward you with a large harvest of delicious fruits.

Video about growing actinidia

Actinidia kolomikta- a plant that is a tree-like deciduous vine. It looks impressive and unusual, as it tends to wrap around a nearby support. But this does not mean that actinidia can be used only for decorative purposes. garden plot, it is used and how fruit and berry crop. This publication will discuss methods of planting and caring for actinidia kolomikta.

Description

Effective, convenient and sooooo fast. When you need to lose 3-4 kilograms in a week. Read more here...

Actinidia kolomikta wraps around the support only counterclockwise. Bark coffee color, the trunk is smooth and without flaws. The initial height of the support wrapping is from 30 to 100 cm.

Actinidia kolomikta and polygamous are low plants, therefore their height rarely exceeds 2-5 m. They have a large number of skeletal branches, at the base from 2 to 6 cm in thickness. Shoots of any species of this plant are:

• Vegetative;
• Mixed;
• Fruit.

Actinidia bears fruit on the last two. The buds on annual growths are hardly noticeable because they are almost entirely located in the shoot tissue. The leaves are predominantly green, often variegated with specks, alternate, rounded, pointed and evenly serrated at the edges, large 10-15 cm in length and 5-7 in width.

Actinidia grows faster when supported. The annual growth of shoots is from 1.5 to 2 meters. The root system is highly branched; the bulk of the roots are located at a distance of 20-35 cm deep into the ground. Other roots go deep down to 120 cm.

At the end of May, actinidia begins to bloom. A delightful smell appears in the air, similar to the smell of lemon and lily of the valley. Usually there are 5 petals on a flower; plants with numerous petals are rare; there are only a few of them. Actinidia kolomikta is pollinated by bees. They increase fruit set, which is 40-70% from unhindered pollination. Actinidia begins to bear fruit after planting after 3-4 years.

Winter hardiness

Frosts pose a great threat to actinidia. spring period during shoot development and flowering. The plant itself can withstand frosts down to -45C. With a slight frost down to -2 degrees, the leaves begin to wither, but this passes quickly. At -4 C, the leaves already darken and die, open flowers die, and shoots wither. At -8C, frost can cause shoots to die.

Actinidia with small flowers 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter, axillary, paired or single. The flowers are beige with dull yellow anthers. Flowering occurs in late May - early June.

Female and male actinidia

This plant culture is dioecious, therefore, in order to grow a crop in the garden plot, there must be female and male actinidia. The sex of the flower is determined by its structure:

• In female actinidia there is a thick pistil, surrounded on the sides by stamens with pollen;
• The male ones do not have a pistil, but have many stamens.

Thanks to wind and insects, pollen moves from male flowers to female ones.

Watch the video! How to distinguish female actenidia from male

Varieties

This crop can be cultivated in the garden for two purposes:

1. fruit and berry crops;
2. beautiful detail for spectacular landscape design garden plot.

Breeders have developed numerous varieties of actinidia. Below are the most popular ones.

Queen of the Garden

It reaches a height of 7-8 m. It ripens early and is resistant to various pests and diseases. The berries weigh 3.4 g, olive-green in color, with a sweet and sour taste. The plant is almost not damaged by frost. Rather, it germinates in the shade and with ample soil moisture. During flowering, the leaves turn pink.

Magpie

Has good winter hardiness. On bushes of normal size, you can harvest up to 1 kg.

The berries are cylindrical in shape, weighing 2.5-3 g, sweet in taste, not bitter. The fruits of this variety have a large amount of vitamin C and smell like apples.

Waffle

Average yield, up to 1 kg of yield per bush. Fruits until autumn.

Berries have round shape, weight up to 3.5 g, taste sour-sweet. The color of the fruit is matte.

Gourmand

Several times during the season the plant changes its color and golden-green fruits appear closer to autumn.

The shape of the berries is close to a cylinder. The fruit tastes like pineapple and is very sweet. The smell is reminiscent of apples and strawberries. The plant is moderately resistant to frost.

Large-fruited

The bushes grow quickly and bear fruit early. The berries are cylindrical in shape and weigh 4.5g. Fruits with kiwi flavor.

Berries are rich in vitamins. They are collected from mid to late September. Actinidia large-fruited is resistant to insects and diseases.

Commander

It is resistant to diseases and has average winter hardiness. The leaves are medium in size and green in color.

Inflorescences with 1-3 flowers. There is no fertility, as it is a male pollinator species.

Adam

Actinidia kolomikta Adam is perennial variety. The liana grows up to four meters. The male shrub is a pollinator. During the season, the leaves with an unusual structure change three colors: green, white, pink. The flowers themselves white and large, 3-5 in inflorescence. Average resistance to frost and disease.

September

September actinidia is popular among gardeners due to its healing and taste qualities. Its fruits contain a considerable amount of vitamin C. Having tried one berry, you can immediately replenish the norm for ascorbic acid consumption. The berries are dark green in color and have a sweet and sour taste. Fruiting continues for 30 years.

Doctor Szymanovsky

A shrub of this variety will make more beautiful than anyone garden due to its interesting, bright foliage. The liana grows up to 2 meters.

This is a female plant variety that is resistant to cold weather. Actinidia berries appear in August, have a green color and a sweet and sour taste.

Actinidia kolomikta: planting and care

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, varieties of Actinidia kolomikta have appeared that take root and bear fruit in such harsh regions as the Urals, Siberia and the Moscow region.

Step by step planting process

The following methods of planting can be distinguished:

• planting actinidia in the spring, before sap flow begins;
• at the end of April - beginning of June, after flowering;
• autumn months, 2-3 weeks before frost.

It is important to know! Without transplants, actinidia can grow up to 50 years.

There is no need to plant this plant very close to buildings. One meter will be enough. The gap between the actinidia themselves should be 1-1.5 m.

The optimal hole for a seedling will be 60 cm wide and 50 cm deep. Drainage must be made in it from broken bricks, pebbles or gravel.

Fertilizers must be used. Add:

• 8-10 kg of humus;
• 150-200 g of superphosphate;
• 70-80 g calcium chloride;
• 40-50 g ammonium nitrate;
• 300-400 g of wood ash;
• on heavy soils - 1-2 buckets of sand.

Everything is thoroughly mixed with the top fertile layer.

Then the fertilizer layer should be sprinkled with a small layer of soil to protect the bush from burns. Next, the seedling is placed there so that root system evenly placed in the pit. Then you need to pour earth on top. Having compacted the soil, water the planted plant with 1-1.5 buckets of water and mulch the ground around it with sand, fallen leaves or peat.

Care

Caring for this shrub is similar to caring for other crops. But in this matter there are small nuances that should not be missed.

Watering

It is necessary to water actinidia only in particularly hot, dry weather, about once a week, one bucket of water for each bush. The plant will benefit from both morning and evening spraying. If such procedures are not carried out, actinidia will not survive.

Mulching

To retain moisture and provide good conditions plant growth, in a good way the soil around the bush will be mulched with peat or old leaves. The mulch layer needs to be updated every few months and replaced with a new one once every six months. This method helps preserve nutrients in the soil when fertilizing; it serves as a kind of protection against the evaporation of moisture from the soil in hot weather.

Support

Actinidia requires support. A height of 2-2.5 meters on the ground is suitable. It is recommended to bend the support with a visor, approximately at the height of a person. Then the stems of the bush will grow and continue to curl at an angle to the existing support.

Trimming

In order to get rid of excess density, which leads to poor yields, plants are pruned.

In early September, you need to prune, shortening the shoots by a third of their length. This type of pruning is called sanitary pruning.

When the bush is 3-4 years old, in the summer it is necessary to carry out formative pruning of the vine. A two-arm cordon is formed along a horizontal trellis: in different sides two shoots of the same level are directed and fixed, other shoots are cut off. In the coming season, second-order shoots will form on them, on which berries will grow; they need to be tied to a vertical guide.

When the bush is 8-10 years old summer period You need to do anti-aging pruning. You need to cut off the shoots, keeping the stump 30-40 cm high.

In the spring, there is no need to prune due to sap flow.

Preparing for winter

When preparing for winter, many gardeners advise removing the shrub from its support and placing it in a plastic bag. But, if the winter period in the region is favorable, then you do not need to resort to this method.

Methods of propagation of actinidia

Actinidia can reproduce vegetatively and by seeds. When the shrub originates from seeds, it is more hardy, but the sex of the plant can only be determined in the seventh year of cultivation. When breeding vegetative way the bush will bloom for 3-4 years.

Watch the video! Actenidium cuttings

By layering

An easy method of propagating a bush by layering:

• in spring it is necessary to choose a developed, tall shoot;
• bend it to the ground, pin it and sprinkle it with earth at a level of 10 cm, the top of the shoot should remain above the soil;
• This is followed by mulching with sawdust or humus;
• then you need to water it in a timely manner, spray the shoot and weed it;
• in autumn or spring, the sprout can be detached from the main plant and planted in a permanent place.

Actinidia propagation using cuttings

Green cuttings

In order to propagate actinidia with green cuttings you need:

• In June, select several annual branches and cut them into pieces of 10-15 cm. All cuttings should have 3 buds for growth and 2 internodes.
• The cut under the lower bud should be at an angle of 45 degrees, the upper one - 4-5 cm above the bud - straight.
• The leaves from below should be removed along with the petioles, the top ones should be cut to 1⁄2 lengths.
• Root anywhere, right in the garden, in a greenhouse, or in water.
• Place the cutting at an angle of 60 degrees. The middle bud will be level with the ground. After compacting the soil, water it abundantly.
• In winter, cover with fallen leaves. In the spring you need to transplant the actinidia to a permanent place.

Lignified cuttings

Woody cuttings can be rooted. In November, they need to be cut and formed into bunches, placed vertically in a container and stored until spring at a temperature of 1-5 degrees. It is necessary to plant in the spring for rooting.

Conclusion

We hope that this article will help you find answers to all questions related to Actinidia kolomikta. By properly caring for the plants in your garden plot, you can get a bountiful harvest.

Watch the video! How to plant actinidia correctly

We will help you learn in detail how to properly care for actinidia, what is best to do and when.

Agricultural technology for growing actinidia involves the following care points:

• watering and spraying,
• feeding,
• pruning,
• protection from diseases and pests,
• mulching.

Moisturizing and watering

Actinidia needs both soil moisture and air, or rather atmospheric, moisture. During periods of dry weather, dry air can cause leaf loss mid-season. In this case, young leaves begin to grow, which do not have time to grow by autumn, and freeze. At the same time, a deficiency of photosynthesis products can also negatively affect the winter hardiness of the entire plant.

To provide actinidia with moisture, the following care is needed:

should be watered weekly, pouring 6-8 buckets of water under each plant;

Spray the leaves with water in the morning and evening after hot weather.

Feeding

Actinidia flower buds are formed on the shoots of the current year. Therefore, yield depends on the availability of food in spring and summer. When caring for actinidia, feed it the first time in spring, the second time in summer and the third time in autumn.

Spring feeding

There are recommendations for “early spring” application of fertilizers. This concept is imprecise. After all most calendar spring, in central Russia and part of Belarus, there is snow in areas. In most regions, care for actinidia by spring feeding, it is advisable not earlier than the third ten days of April. From an ecological and physiological point of view, it is better to synchronize fertilizing with the period of active absorption of water and nutrition by plants.

As a modern agronomist, I believe that it is most effective to carry out the first feeding of actinidia when shoots begin to grow.

Some agronomists suggest applying the first fertilizing before the start of the growing season, that is, before buds open. However, in this case, some of the fertilizer may be washed out into groundwater. Feeding at this time should be comprehensive in terms of nutritional content. Optimal ratio nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium 2:3.5:2.

When caring for actinidia, apply in terms of per square meter. meter - 12 grams of urea, 10 grams of double superphosphate and 10 grams of potassium sulfate.

Foliar feeding

However, at that dose of nitrogen, nitrogen fixation by soil microflora can be suppressed. And if you add ammonium nitrate instead of urea, then excess nitrates may accumulate in plants. Therefore, it is better to apply part of the nitrogen dose in the form of foliar feeding - 0.3% urea solution. Microfertilizers can be added to the solution; Uniflor-micro, Aquadon-micro, immunostimulant - Immunophytophyte.

Often, foliar feeding can be combined with disease protection.

But only after a preliminary successful compatibility check. In addition, superphosphate may contain heavy metals, including lead and cadmium. In the author’s opinion, it is better to apply phosphorus as part of AVA fertilizer or potassium monophosphate. When using potassium monophosphate when caring for actinidia, you can feed it in liquid form.

The spring share of fertilizers can be divided into 2 parts. The first one should be applied before the buds open, and the second one should be applied after the end of frost, in May.

Summer feeding

Also in the summer, when caring for actinidia, during fruit set or growth, fertilize. It can be arranged in mid or late summer. It all depends on the climate zone and botanical species, as well as ripening time selection variety actinidia.

The composition of fertilizers is approximately the same. To make maintenance easier, some gardeners replace the fertilizer mixture with complex fertilizers, such as nitrophoska, which needs 30-40 grams per square meter.

I note that if AVA fertilizer was applied during planting, then for the first 2 years after planting you can do without phosphorus-containing fertilizer.

Autumn feeding

In central Russia, such a care event as autumn feeding I recommend doing it after picking the berries, in mid-September. The composition of the fertilizer should be phosphorus-potassium. 20 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate per actinidia plant. On acidic soils, do not forget to add ash.

Trimming

Pruning is also one of the types of actinidia care. It is required for:

• optimization of the number of shoots in plants,
• regulation of kidney awakening,
• enhancing the decorative effect.

In the third year, pluck out some of the buds. But do not touch the actinidia buds located on the side shoots and in places where the location of future shoots will be convenient. Starting from the 5th year, when caring for the vine, it is recommended to shorten the fruit branches, retreating 5 buds above the top berry.

When, when caring for actinidia, it is necessary to rejuvenate 8-10 year-old plants, it is proposed to cut off the old skeletal branches, leaving stumps 30-40 cm long.

For pruning there are general rules and varietal and species characteristics.

General rules

• Perform pruning after the end of leaf fall, in the fall. It is impossible to prune in spring due to strong sap flow, and in summer due to the possibility of premature bud germination.
• During annual care, be sure to cut out dry, dried out, thin shoots that thicken the crown and short shoots.
• In the third year, shoots of the second order appear from the skeletal branches of actinidia. During the summer, select the strongest ones from them and tie them to trellises. Use wire or wire as a trellis wooden sticks, located horizontally or obliquely. Direct second-order shoots in different directions.

Specific features of fruiting and pruning

Kolomikta and polygamous tend to form flower buds on short and long branches. By shortening individual branches, you can increase the number of flower buds and, as a result, the harvest. In actinidia kolomikta plants, shorten the shoots starting at 7 years of age or even 10 years of age.

Arguta bears fruit on short branches. Therefore, for plants of this species, a combination of short pruning with thinning and careful pinching is recommended.

Protection from diseases

Actinidia plants are relatively resistant to diseases. But if there was improper care or unfavorable conditions:

• excessive shading;
• unbalanced diet;

plants can be affected by certain diseases: phylosticosis, powdery mildew, fruit rot, mold fungi.

Phyllosticosis

A fungal disease caused by fungi of the genera Phyllosticta and Mycosferella. The disease manifests itself in the form of brown or light yellow spots with a dark border. The spots often have black dots. The development of the disease causes premature yellowing and death of leaves.

Control measures

Apply several fungicide applications.

• The first treatment is in the green cone phase - when the buds begin to bloom. Suitable medications include Skor, Horus, and 1% Bordeaux mixture.
• Repeated treatments are recommended before flowering. This type of care is best done during the pink bud phase and immediately after it. I recommend using the following drugs: Skor, Horus, Topaz, Rayok.
• At autumn care, after the leaves have fallen, spray the fallen leaves with a 3% Bordeaux mixture or a 7% solution of urea or ammonium nitrate.

Powdery mildew

It appears as a powdery coating on the leaves.

Folk remedies, special fungicides and other means are suitable for control. From folk remedies Most often, a solution of soda and soap is used. Topaz and Topsin-M are suitable chemical fungicides. Of the biological fungicides, Baktofit is the most effective. To reliably suppress infection, this drug should be sprayed three times.

Alirin-B can inhibit the development of the disease if used in high concentrations. A solution of the drug Farmayod gives a good effect, especially at a concentration of 2 ml per 1 liter of water. It is classified as a disinfectant and is not officially listed as a plant protection product. Therefore, few people suggest caring for actinidia to combat diseases. However, in practice it performed well in various types plants.

Pests

Some insects can damage actinidia plants:

• leaf beetles along with larvae,
• caterpillars of the raisin moth,
• bark beetles,
• cats.

Use the following medications against leaf beetle larvae:
biological - Fitoverm, Bitoxibacillin;

chemical - Kinmiks, Karate, Spark.

To combat caterpillars use:

biological products - Lepidocid, Fitoverm;

chemicals: Fufanon, Alatar, Actellik. But better chemicals Do not use when caring for actinidia.

Preparing for winter

Care activities carried out to prepare actinidia for winter. After pruning, to prevent freezing, remove young vines from the trellis and cover them non-woven material, and the trunk circles - spruce branches. Mature vines usually do not need shelter, except for some varieties and species with weak winter hardiness for your area.

Now you know how to care for actinidia. She will reward you with a generous harvest and receive proper care in a timely manner.

Alexander Zharavin, scientist agronomist

Western and Central China gave the world an amazing fruit-bearing vine - actinidia. Its other name is the most famous, on everyone’s lips – kiwi (Actinidia sinensis).

Describing the juicy fruit of the Actinidia family, we can safely call it “ vitamin bomb", which is not an exaggeration, since 100 grams of pulp contains 1400 mg of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) - a competitor to citrus fruits. And also vitamins:

• B1 and B2;
• Q (ubiquinone).

In addition, the sweet, slightly sour berry is rich in microelements: magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and sodium.

Russia should be grateful to the unforgettable Ivan Michurin, who collected a unique collection of actinidia from various Far Eastern regions. The perspicacious scientist predicted great popularity for the plant and was not mistaken.

With him light hand The four most famous species grow in the Far East:

1. Actinidia kolomikta;
2. Actinidia acute;
3. Actinidia is polygamous;
4. Actinidia Giralda.

There is no need to tell you what actinidia chinensis (kiwi) looks like. Supermarkets and smaller stores offer an abundance of these slightly fuzzy khaki-colored fruits. Actinidia kolomikta is a frost-resistant vine that produces berries of a different appearance. Dark green oblong fruits with stripes are different small size, only about 2 centimeters. Delicate taste, juicy, exude a pleasant aroma.

Useful properties of actinidia

Thanks to its frost resistance, the Kolomikta variety has firmly won its place in the sun. It can be grown everywhere - from the Far East to western borders Russia. Actinidia is valued not only for its external attractiveness (the vine decorates the area well, grows about 2 meters and feels confident on supports), but also for the healing qualities it brings to humanity. Moreover, not only the fruits, but also the flowers (small, white, odorless), leaves and bark have beneficial properties.

1. A huge amount of vitamin C and the presence of other important vitamins are, first of all, indispensable for vitamin deficiency, anemia, and when restoring the body after surgery.
2. High potassium content has a beneficial effect on work of cardio-vascular system. The consumption of berries is indicated during recovery after a heart attack and stroke.
3. The presence of carotene makes it beneficial to eat if you have impaired vision.
4. Fiber helps normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
5. For external use, actinidia berry is used in the form of masks - they tone the skin.

Regular consumption of fruits improves immunity, which protects against colds and also prevents vascular diseases.

Use in cooking

The pleasant taste of actinidia, reminiscent of gooseberries, allows it to be used in the preparation of many dessert dishes:

• fruit salad;
• jam;
• syrup;
• marmalade;
• wine;
• pureed with sugar;
• dried (in medicinal purposes and for cooking compote);
• filling for pastries.

Actinidia look beautiful as cake decorations. The bouquet of flavor aromas inherent in the fruits makes them a welcome addition when cooking meat and fish.

Contraindications

Like any other product, actinidia is not useful for everyone. Use is not indicated for:

• allergies;
• thrombophlebitis;
• dilation of veins;
• stomach or duodenal ulcer;
• pregnancy.

People not included in these groups should eat berries within reasonable limits, as overeating can lead to stomach upset.

Preparation and storage

Actinidia fruits are consumed fresh during the ripening season. Having reached full maturity, they fall off. Therefore, it is better to harvest while the berries are hanging on the branches. Even if they are not all of the same ripeness. In a couple of days, the unripe ones will arrive on their own; just spread them out in one layer.

Fresh fruits are well preserved in the refrigerator, in a designated container for vegetables and fruits. The rest of the harvest will have to be processed. Firstly, in winter, which is not rich in vitamins, to have a “home pharmacy”; secondly, to delight the family with the preparation of their jars, pampering them with pies and jelly, jam or homemade wine.

Dried

For one kilogram of berries - 300 grams of granulated sugar. Wash and dry ripened but not overripe fruits. Then sprinkle with sugar and leave for a day. The next day, boil the syrup (add a cup of water to the sugar), pour it into the berries and simmer over low heat (no more than 5 minutes). Remove the berries with a slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet and place in the oven. First, set the temperature to 80-90 degrees (a quarter of an hour), then reduce the temperature to 70 degrees (for half an hour) and complete cooking at 30 degrees, but keep the berries in the oven for 3 hours.

Place the finished product in cardboard boxes lined with parchment. After preparing the dried actinidia, syrup remained - a valuable product. It should be boiled and placed in a glass container.

Dried

Select small fruits, wash and dry. After this, place them in soda solution(a large spoon of soda per liter of water). Then place on a baking sheet and place in the oven, preheated to 70 degrees C. After a few hours, the berries are ready. They are placed in fabric bags and stored cool.

Frozen

Washed and dried berries are scattered on a tray and frozen at a temperature of -19 degrees C. Then they are laid out in plastic bags and put into the freezer for storage.

Jam

For 1 kg of fruit take 2 kg of granulated sugar. The berries are covered with sand and left for several days, after which they begin cooking. Jam does not require adding water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook until tender.

Compote

Fill the jar with washed berries and pour hot syrup (300 grams of granulated sugar per 1 liter of water). Pasteurize for 15 minutes, close the jars with lids. This compote is stored in a dark and cool place.

Jam

For three kilograms of fruit, take two lemons and 500 grams of granulated sugar. Heat the berries over low heat until the juice appears, then crush them with a wooden masher and add finely chopped lemons. Cook until fully cooked, stirring constantly.

Juice

Leave the collected fruits for a day in a cold room, then wash and dry. After grinding, squeeze out the juice (it is better not to use a juicer to prevent the product from coming into contact with metal parts, to avoid the destruction of vitamins). Heat the resulting juice to 90 degrees, add sugar to it (optional), and boil for a few more minutes. Then pour into bottles and seal.

Wine

Chop the ripe berries (1 kg) and transfer them to a container in which the wine will ferment. Add 300 grams of granulated sugar, add water (3 liters). Place the container in a dark place for 10 days. Don't forget to shake daily. Then add another 300 grams of sugar. After 10 days, 300 grams of sand are added again. After fermentation is complete, the wine is poured into clean bottles and sealed. Wine is stored in a cool place.

Use in folk medicine

• The fruits of actinidia, which is also called Amur gooseberry or northern kiwi, are used for medicinal purposes in alternative medicine.
• Juice from freshly picked actinidia is drunk to improve immunity. For the same purposes, a decoction of dried fruits is prepared. Also, drinks improve your health during the rehabilitation period.
• A decoction of leaves and flowers helps with heart pain and rheumatism. Preparation is not difficult - one spoon of dry mixture per one cup of boiling water. Drink like regular tea. Several times a day.
• Fresh berries poured with boiling water (a large spoonful of fruit per cup of water) help with cerebral circulation problems.
• Brewed vine bark, which contains tannins, helps with inflammatory processes in the mouth, cures scurvy, and in the form of douching relieves inflammation in the vagina.
• The presence of Ubiquinone (vitamin Q) in berries suppresses cancer cells. For these purposes, it is best to use fresh or frozen fruits.
• Juice is used in the form of lotions to heal wounds.

IN Middle lane Actinidia is not such a frequent visitor to Russia compared to the Far East. But in last years, gardeners are increasingly turning to nurseries where they can buy seedlings for their summer cottage.

Of course, you can easily buy several kilograms of kiwi in the store, but growing exotic plant in your garden, harvesting and benefiting your family and friends is a worthy and noble activity.

The genus actinidia belongs to the actinidiaceae family and is a lignified deciduous vine. The foliage of the plant is main reason for growing it: it has an interesting variegated color. The flowers, usually white in color, form in groups of 3; in most species they are not scented, but some actinidia have a pleasant scent.

Since actinidia is a dioecious flower, its propagation requires two plants of different sexes. You can understand what gender your flower is by examining it - females have a large pistil in the middle of the flower, but males do not. Actinidia bears fruits that are suitable for human consumption.

Varieties and types

Among the many species of this plant, three are cultivated. Stand alone interspecific actinidia , polygamous And hybrids .

In the wild it grows to enormous sizes of a couple of tens of meters. At home it is much smaller. It has oval, pointed foliage and white, pleasantly scented flowers. The fruits are edible, but have mild laxative properties.

The most popular varieties: Actinidia self-fertile , seaside , large-fruited .

Tolerates better than all other types winter cold. The foliage is round, variegated, and changes color as it develops. The flowers of males are united in inflorescences, while those of females are single.

Varieties: Pineapple , Doctor Szymanowski , Gourmand .

Reminds me of a type of kolomikta. The foliage is oval, oblong, covered with white spots. Sometimes there are hermaphrodite individuals with bisexual flowers.

Varieties: apricot , gorgeous , patterned .

Grows and develops well in the shade. Rarely grown here due to poor susceptibility to frost.

Appeared by crossing Actinidia arguta with Actinidia purpurea. Thanks to this process, varieties were created that bear fruit well and are resistant to cold.

Varieties: Kyiv large-fruited , candy , souvenir .

Actinidia planting and care in open ground

Actinidia should be planted at the beginning of spring or autumn. Since this plant lives for a very long time, it needs to choose right place growing. This vine grows well in the shade, but its fruits can only ripen when exposed to sunlight. Therefore, you need to select an area that will be illuminated until noon and be in the shade during the midday heat.

You cannot plant actinidia next to apple trees, since such proximity has a bad effect on it. This plant does not grow well clay soil. For it you need to select loose soil with good drainage, it is also impossible for it to be alkaline.

It is best to plant actinidia on a hill or slope, as otherwise the roots of the plant will rot due to stagnation of liquid.

Planting in the spring should be done before the sap begins to move. Individuals need to be planted at least a meter apart from each other. If planting is carried out near a wall, then specimens can be placed at a distance of 50 cm.

Before planting, the roots of the plant are inspected and cleaned of rot and dried parts. Next they are placed in a clay mash.

Planting actinidia

15 days before planting, you need to prepare the site. Half-meter holes are dug and drainage is placed in them (any kind, except for materials containing lime, since it extinguishes the soil). Next, the hole is filled with soil mixed with peat and mineral fertilizers (120 grams of ammonium nitrate, 250 grams of superphosphate and 35 grams of wood ash).

In this case, you cannot use fertilizers with chlorine. After two weeks, the soil will settle, and it will be necessary to pour soil on top without fertilizers. Now you can plant actinidia; it is placed so that the root collar is at the level of the top of the soil, and then the roots are filled in so that the hole becomes full.

After planting the plants, they are watered, and the area is covered with 4 cm of peat mulch. It is also advisable to make a fence so that cats do not get to the planting, since the smell of actinidia attracts them.

In autumn, the flower is planted 15-20 days before the arrival of frost. There is a condition for planting at this time - only young plants can be planted, no older than three years. Anemones can be safely planted near houses and gazebos, since they do not have aerial roots.

If you do not provide support for the vines, they will become tangled and difficult to look after, and the number of fruits will decrease. As the plant grows and develops, it will need to be tied to a support so that it can continue to curl.

Water actinidia better way spraying, doing this in the morning and evening. Around the plants you need to loosen the soil shallowly and destroy weeds.

Feeding actinidia

The vine should be fertilized minerals, which will help enhance the growth of stems, help endure the winter and increase the harvest. With the arrival of spring, you need to add 35 grams of nitrogen and 20 grams of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers per square meter of land.

The second time you will have to fertilize the flower during the formation of the ovaries. You should add 20 grams of nitrogen and 10 grams of potassium and phosphorus per square meter.

In the second half of September, the third fertilization is carried out. This time, apply 20 grams of potassium-phosphorus fertilizer per square meter. After fertilizing, plants should be watered well.

Actinidia pruning

To ensure that the stems do not produce unnecessary branches, and those that exist grow more actively, they should be subjected to formative pruning. Please note that only adult vines that have reached 4 years of age can be pruned in this way.

The procedure should be carried out throughout the summer, after which the stems are distributed over the support. Pinching the ends of the stems also has a good effect on the plant.

When the actinidia turn eight years old, it is worth giving them anti-aging pruning - this means that only a 40 cm stump will remain from the plant.

Do not prune in spring or early autumn. This is fraught with the death of the plant due to loss of juices.

After mid-September, trim the stems by half and trim off the branches. This is done for sanitary purposes. If the crown is too large, the plant does not tolerate winter well. Upon reaching 3-4 years of age, actinidia will begin to bear fruit.

Actinidia preparation for winter

For the winter, young plants need to be removed from their supports and insulated with foliage. Prepare an impressive ball of insulation - about 20 cm. It is also advisable to add mouse poison under it. Old actinidia do not need to be covered for the winter.

Reproduction of actinidia

It is not difficult to propagate actinidia. The main thing is to remember that vegetative methods transmit sexual characteristics hereditarily.

The seed method is bad because when it is used, varietal characteristics are lost, and it is also impossible to determine what gender the plant will be. But propagation by seeds has an advantage: plants obtained this way are much more hardy.

Actinidia fruits obtained vegetatively appear in the third year, and seed fruits in the fifth or seventh year.

Actinidia propagation by layering

Reproduction of actinidia by arc layering is probably the easiest and most reliable way getting a new plant. When the spring flow of juices ends and young leaves appear, take a strong stem and attach it to the ground.

Next, sprinkle the shoot with soil, forming a mound above it, but make sure that the tip of the stem remains open. Next, try to water the cuttings and clear the area around it of weeds, and by autumn the young plant will be ready for replanting.

Actinidia propagation by cuttings

Cuttings are the fastest way to propagate actinidia. The procedure is performed in early summer, when the stems turn brown.

To propagate actinidia by cuttings, cut off a couple of young branches, no older than one year, before noon. Next, they are divided into 10 cm parts so that each of them has 3 buds and 2 internodes. The bottom cut is made at an angle. The lower foliage is removed, and the upper foliage is made half as long.

After this, the material is planted in a greenhouse in soil with weak acidity (2 shares), mixed with humus (2 shares) and river sand (1 share), as well as complex mineral fertilizer without chlorine.

The cuttings are planted at an angle of 60°, maintaining 6 cm between individuals and 10 between rows. After this, the material is watered, the soil is pressed down a little and watered again, and then the seedlings are covered with double-folded gauze.

Until rooting is complete, the cuttings will need to be watered up to five times a day, by spraying, or you can do this simply through a shelter. After 15 days, the gauze is removed. The material is insulated for the winter, and in the spring it can be planted in a new area.

Actinidia propagation by stems

Actinidia can also be propagated from woody stems.

To do this, they need to be cut at the end autumn period, tie and hold vertically in sand at a maximum temperature of 5°C.

The material is planted in a greenhouse and watered every couple of days. And then caring for seedlings is no different from caring for green cuttings.

Actinidia from seeds

To take advantage seed propagation, you need to collect seeds from ripened fruits. They are placed in gauze, kneaded and washed. After this, the seeds are selected and dried on paper in the shade.

At the beginning of December, the seeds are placed in water for 4 days, so that the liquid covers them only a couple of centimeters. In this case, the water must be replaced every day.

After this, the material is wrapped in nylon fabric and stored in a container with damp sand at a temperature of 19°C. Every 7 days, the fabric needs to be taken out and ventilated for 5 minutes, after which the seeds are washed, wrapped again in fabric and placed in sand. The most important thing is that the material is always damp.

In the middle of winter, a container with sand and seeds can be placed in a snowdrift. If the winter is not snowy, then the box is placed in the refrigerator in the vegetable compartment. After 60 days, the container with the seeds is placed in a room with a temperature around 11°C.

As before cooling, the seeds need to be washed every 7 days, and if germination is detected, they are sown in soil made from river sand and turf soil. The landing is carried out at 5 mm.

The container with the planted plants is placed in partial shade; it also needs to be constantly sprayed. When the plants have three true leaves, they are planted in a greenhouse. The first flowering will not happen soon, and accordingly, you will not be able to determine the sex of the plant until then.

Diseases and pests

• From powdery mildew get rid of with a weak solution of soda ash. The rest of the diseases mentioned are combated by pruning the infected parts, as well as preventive treatment with Bordeaux mixture after bud formation and another 15 days after the first time.

Among the pests, leaf beetles that destroy the buds most often stick to actinidia. Damage by bark beetles and lacewings is also common.

Actinidia is a perennial vine native to Southeast Asia. In terms of vitamin C concentration, actinidia surpasses even everyone’s favorite citrus fruits. However, with the approach of cold weather, gardeners are wondering whether it is necessary to cover actinidia for the winter. You will find out the answer by reading our article.

This heat-loving plant, which means caring for actinidia in the fall should be thorough. After all, not only its appearance, but also productivity.

Watering and fertilizing the soil

Liana is a moisture-loving shrub, so you need to make sure that the soil is not too dry. However, stagnant water will be no less destructive. To prevent them, you should take care of drainage in advance. It is necessary to water the plant in the fall in case of a long absence of rain. 5–8 buckets of water are poured under the root. Mineral or organic fertilizers are used for feeding.

The soil around the trunk is dug up shallowly, then horse manure or mullein is added. For 1 sq. m requires about 3–4 kg of manure. You can also use superphosphate, potassium salt or ready-made multicomponent fertilizers. The vine is often fed garden compost. One bush requires 3 buckets of fertilizer.

How to trim correctly

You need to start pruning the bush when it has shed all its leaves. It is during this period that the sap flow slows down and the procedure for shortening the shoots will be painless. Actinidia has several types, and for each of them the pruning technology will be different. Let's say a polygamous vine sets fruit on short branches, so cutting them off can significantly reduce the yield level.

Pruning should begin in the fourth year of the bush’s life. If the branches grow too dense, the plant is thinned out. Next, dry and deformed shoots are removed. Branches that bear fruit for several years are replaced by young ones. In late autumn, anti-aging pruning is carried out. To do this, the branches are shortened so that only parts of the growths measuring 50 cm from the ground remain.

Less frost-resistant species of actinidia are covered more thoroughly for the winter. To begin with, the branches are collected into a kind of bundle and laid on the ground. Next comes thick layer thermal insulation fabric, and behind it - polyethylene. The top of the shelter is sprinkled with a 30 cm layer of earth. The vine is opened when the temperature has more or less stabilized, most often this happens in April.

However, we should not forget about the possible spring frosts. Otherwise, the barely awakened vine buds may die. To prevent this, actinidia is wrapped in spunbond or lutrasil. These are special covering materials that retain heat well, thereby protecting plants from frost. The characteristics of these fabrics are largely similar, but spunbond has a wider range of applications. In addition, it contains a substance that blocks the rays of the sun.

The most common mistakes gardeners make when preparing vines for winter are:

1. Pruning during sap flow. The wounds remaining on the trunk do not heal, and the bush gradually dies.
2. Template pruning of all types of actinidia. The characteristics of each variety are individual, so before the procedure it is necessary to take these features into account.
3. Hiding too early. When the air temperature is not low enough, the wrapped vine ends up in a so-called greenhouse. Poor air circulation provokes rotting of the shoots and root system with subsequent death of the bush.

Actinidia is an exotic plant with useful fruits from South-East Asia, however, this does not prevent him from feeling great in our area.

With proper and timely care, the shrub will thank the gardener in full - not only with its exotic appearance, but also with an abundant harvest of berries.

Actinidia is not the most popular plant in our area, and is rarely used in recipes. However, actinidia is suitable for winter preparations, jam or compotes. What recipes can be prepared from actinidia?

Recipe for dried actinidia

The sorted fruits are dried on baking sheets in an oven, oven or electric dryer at a temperature of 50-60°C. The dried fruits are left on an absorbent layer of paper in mild heat for 2-3 hours, dried and then placed in cardboard containers or linen bags and stored in a dry place. Compotes are made from dried berries, they are used to decorate confectionery products, and bake muffins and pies. Dried fruits are a ready-made vitamin pill - you need to eat 6-8 of them a day.

Actinidia compote recipe

Place the berries in clean steamed jars to a third of their volume, add granulated sugar at the rate of 100 g per 1 liter of compote and pour three times, each time boiling the drained syrup. After the third filling of berries, the jars are rolled up, turned upside down and allowed to cool, after which they are removed and stored at room temperature, but in the dark.

Actinidia jam recipe

Ripe soft berries are sprinkled with granulated sugar in layers in a cooking basin and allowed to stand for a day. Heat carefully until the sugar dissolves and leave in the syrup for 10-12 hours. Then cook until tender or roll up tightly after boiling for 20 minutes. For 1 kg of fruit take 1.5 kg of sugar. Store in a dark place at room temperature. 4. Grated actinidia berries Fresh berries are crushed with a blender (but not in a meat grinder with an iron knife!) or rubbed through a colander and mixed with sugar in the proportion of 1 kg of berries and 1.5 kg of sugar. Make a sugar cap on top and close it tightly. Store only in a cool, dark place.

Recipe for buns with dried actinidia berries

Knead yeast dough: 0.5 kg flour, 10 g dry yeast, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. salt, 4 tbsp. l. sugar, 100 g margarine or butter, 200 g water or milk. Knead in a bread machine or by hand and let rise for 2 hours. Divide the dough ball on a floured table into pieces the size of an egg, roll with a rolling pin into flat cakes the diameter of a small saucer, place dried actinidia fruits in the middle and sprinkle them with 1 tsp sugar. per serving. Pinch into a round ball and place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Apply a beaten egg on top with a brush and bake at 220°C for 20-25 minutes.

Recipe for porridge “Our Health” with actinidia berries

Cook porridge from 0.5 cups of rice (preferably brown) and 0.5 cups of millet. Place the well-washed cereal in a cast iron pot, add 5 glasses of milk, 100 g of sugar, 1 tsp. salt and 20 dried actinidia berries. Place the container in the oven, or on low heat, or in a heated oven for 4-5 hours, tightly closing the lid. Place the finished porridge into plates and pour the grated berries on top.

Summer birthday cake recipe with actinidia berries

Mix 1 cup flour, 2 tbsp. l. sugar, 1 yolk and 100 g margarine. Cut the dough into shape with your hands and bake the cakes at a temperature of 180-200°C, and remove it as soon as it is slightly browned. The cakes are placed on the bottom of the mold (transparent cake lids will do) and filled with the following mixture: package (30 g) gelatin, 1 cup cold water or actinidia compote. When the gelatin swells, heat it until completely dissolved and then cool until room temperature. Beat 200 g of fat sour cream, 0.5 kg of dietary cottage cheese (in plastic tubes), 1.5 cups of actinidia pureed with sugar and finally add gelatin solution. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Decorate with berries on top or pour sweet jelly from any berries over the frozen surface. When the cake hardens, it is served cold.