Content
Planting and caring for actinidia in open ground requires compliance with certain rules. It is necessary to adhere to the optimal timing of sowing seeds and create comfortable conditions for their development.
Where does actinidia grow in Russia?
Actinidia is a woody vine of the Actinidia family with entire alternate leaves and white, golden or orange flowers. Bears oblong yellow-green or brownish fruits. The berries of many species can be eaten.
The culture is represented by several dozen species. It can be found in natural conditions mainly in Southeast Asia and the Himalayas. The plant is also common in Russia in the Far East and on the Black Sea coast in the Caucasus.
Landing dates
To grow actinidia from seeds, sowing should be done in late winter or early March. In this case, with proper care, the seedlings will have time to become sufficiently strong before being transferred to open ground.
In most regions, it is recommended to move the plant into the garden in the spring.Typically, planting for subsequent care is carried out from late April to late May, depending on the climate. In the southern regions and middle zone, the procedure is prescribed early; in the Urals and Siberia it is performed closer to summer. It is necessary to wait until the soil thaws and the air temperature rises to at least 15 °C.
In temperate climates, actinidia can also be planted in the ground in the fall, about a month before the cold weather. In the Siberian region, postponing the procedure to the end of the season is not recommended, since the first frosts occur quite early.
It is not advisable to plant actinidia in the ground in the summer - it will take root slowly and reluctantly
How to plant actinidia in open ground
The agricultural technology for growing actinidia is quite simple. It is important to choose a suitable place for the crop on the site and create comfortable conditions for care.
Where to plant actinidia
The sun or shade is better for actinidia when planting - a controversial issue. Liana does not like direct ultraviolet rays, but during the period of fruit ripening it needs a lot of light. Typically, bushes for growing and caring are placed in open areas, which fall into light openwork shade in the afternoon.
Actinidia is planted at a distance of about 50 cm from the support. A liana-like crop needs to climb a trellis, arch or fence. When choosing a support, you need to take into account that harvesting will be inconvenient if the shoots of the plant are located too high.
Soil for actinidia
When choosing a site for planting, it is very important to pay attention to the soil.The culture develops best on fertile and loose soil with good breathability and moderate humidity. The acidity of the soil for actinidia should be in the range of 5.5-6.5 pH. The plant does not tolerate overly acidic and highly alkaline soil.
For planting bushes, it is advisable to choose an easy hill. The crop is not placed in lowlands due to the risk of soil waterlogging. The liana is not suitable for heavy clay soil that does not allow air to pass through well.
Before planting, the selected area must be carefully dug up. It is recommended to add humus and compost to the soil, as well as add sand to increase looseness. Fresh manure for actinidia is not used either before planting or during care.
Landing algorithm
To successfully grow actinidia, or mini-kiwi, it is necessary to plant the crop correctly. The algorithm looks like this:
- Several holes up to 60 cm deep are dug in the area.
- A drainage layer of pebbles, broken bricks or coarse river sand is laid at the bottom.
- The hole is filled halfway with a nutrient substrate with the addition of humus and wood ash.
- The soil is shed generously with water and left for two weeks so that it settles slightly.
- On the day chosen for planting, the seedlings are lowered in the center of the recesses and the roots are straightened to the sides.
- The voids are filled with the remains of the substrate and abundant watering is carried out.
After planting, the root collar of the vine should remain flush with the ground surface. To ensure that moisture from the soil evaporates more slowly during maintenance, the tree trunk circle can be mulched with sawdust or wood chips.
When planting several seedlings at once, it is important to provide sufficient free space between them. The gaps should be 1.5-2 m.
To quickly engraft the culture, you can add a little superphosphate to the wells before planting.
How to care for actinidia
Growing and caring for actinidia in open ground is not the most difficult task. It is necessary to pay attention to simple events.
Watering
One of the main conditions when growing actinidia is sufficient moisture during the care process. The culture does not respond well to prolonged drought, but at the same time does not tolerate waterlogging.
Watering is carried out as the soil dries. In the presence of natural precipitation, it is allowed to refuse additional moisture. But during a period of prolonged drought, watering as part of maintenance is carried out at least twice a week. One adult plant consumes up to 80 liters of water.
How to feed actinidia
The bushes do not require heavy feeding when caring, but they still need moderate fertilization. At the beginning of the season, nitrogen minerals are added to the soil or the plant is watered with mullein solution.
During the period of fruit formation, it is necessary to fertilize actinidia with phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen is also allowed, but in minimal quantities. After harvesting, before wintering, the vine is once again fed with potassium-phosphorus preparations. Nitrogen, which stimulates the development of green mass, should be abandoned at the end of the season.
Actinidia pruning
In the process of growing and caring for a crop, it is important to pay attention to pruning. Without it, the vine quickly thickens, blooms worse and sets fewer fruits.
Haircuts are performed three times during the season:
- in early spring - the crown is thinned out and diseased, broken and thickening shoots are removed;
- in summer - vines are pinched to prevent excessive growth;
- in the fall - sanitary pruning is performed for the crop and all damaged shoots are removed.
For mature plants over ten years old, it is recommended from time to time to carry out a rejuvenating haircut as part of their care. All shoots are shortened to 30 cm a couple of weeks before the onset of cold weather. In the spring, actinidia will produce new vines and begin to bloom and bear fruit better.
Rejuvenation when caring for actinidia is recommended to be performed every 4-5 years
Trellis
A climbing vine requires support when grown in a garden. You can do without a trellis only for the first couple of years, but it is better to install support for the plant immediately after planting.
Most often, actinidia is placed next to fences, gratings, and balustrades. In this case, the shoots receive natural support and perform decorative functions. You can also place special vertical elements next to the vine when planting.
It must be taken into account that the plant does not cling to the support, but wraps around it in a spiral. Therefore, simply planting actinidia next to a blank fence or facade without windows will not work. You will still need to dig in thick wooden planks a few centimeters from the wall.
How actinidia overwinters
In the southern regions, it is not necessary to cover actinidia for the winter if we are talking about a plant older than three years. The liana tolerates moderate frosts well.
When growing crops in the Urals and Siberia, it is necessary to build a winter shelter for actinidia. With the onset of the first cold weather, the vines are removed from the trellis, placed on a bed of dry leaves, and then densely mulched with organic material with a layer of at least 10 cm.A shelter made of spunbond is built on top and the entire structure is covered with spruce branches.
Actinidia under three years old must be insulated with the onset of autumn even in the southern regions
Transplanting actinidia to a new place
Planting in a new location is recommended mainly for young plants whose root system has not had time to grow much. The procedure is resorted to if the place for cultivation and care was initially chosen incorrectly. For example, it makes sense to move actinidia to a new area if the soil is very swampy or there is a lack of sunlight.
Planting in another place is carried out in the spring before sap flow begins. For the vine, a hole is prepared and a nutrient substrate is poured into it, and then the plant is dug out of the soil with great care, trying not to damage the roots. When planting in a new place, the earthen ball should be preserved if possible. It is best to dig around the bush in a circle with a distance of about 30-40 cm from the trunk and carefully pry it from below with a shovel.
After transplantation, actinidia is watered abundantly and shaded from the bright sun for several days. When the liana takes root in a new place, it is provided with standard care.
If you want to plant an adult plant in another area, you should use the method of dividing the bush. The algorithm looks like this:
- Actinidia is dug up and the remaining soil is carefully removed from its roots.
- Underground shoots are carefully inspected and damaged areas are trimmed.
- The plant is cut into 2-3 parts along the rhizome with a sharp instrument.
- The resulting cuttings are treated against rotting with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and clay mash.
- Plants are planted in individual holes.
Bush care is provided as standard.After planting, the cuttings need to be moistened and protected from direct sunlight.
Diseases and pests of actinidia
A description of actinidia diseases and their treatment reports that in general the culture rarely suffers from fungi and insects. But if the rules of care are violated, the vine can be affected by:
- powdery mildew - the fungus appears as a whitish dry coating on the leaves;
Powdery mildew affects actinidia mainly in cold rainy weather
- fruit rot - dark spots and mold appear on the berries of the crop and green parts;
Fruit rot can lead to complete loss of crops
- leaf beetle - beetle larvae eat actinidia plates down to the very veins;
The leaf beetle appears on actinidia in early summer
- moth - the insect gnaws large holes in the leaves of the vine.
The moth reduces the decorative effect of actinidia and slows down its development
If there are symptoms of fungal diseases, it is recommended to treat the plant with Bordeaux mixture or soda ash, as well as with the drug Fitosporin. All affected parts must be removed immediately. Soap solution and insecticides Aktara and Iskra help well against pests.
Why doesn't actinidia bloom?
Some gardeners are faced with the fact that actinidia refuses to bloom and does not set fruit. The problem can be caused by several reasons:
- Lack of pollination. Liana belongs to the category of dioecious plants. For good flowering and harvest, you need to plant several bushes on the site. A single female or male plant will not be able to produce buds, much less form an ovary.
- Excess nitrogen in the soil. Improper care often leads to deterioration in flowering. If there is an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, the vine will actively grow greenery, but will stop producing flowers.
- General weakening. Inaccurate loosening of the soil, neglect of fertilizing and untimely pruning lead to the fact that the plant begins to hurt and wither. Usually actinidia not only stops flowering, but also generally loses its decorative effect.
In most cases, it is enough to reconsider the care of the crop so that buds begin to appear on the shoots again. If the vine does not bloom due to lack of pollination, you need to plant several more specimens of the plant nearby, including at least one male bush.
Why does actinidia dry out?
If actinidia does not grow well, the reason most often lies in the freezing of the vine. After a cold winter with little snow, it can be difficult for a culture to recover. As part of the care, it is recommended to add succinic acid to the water for irrigation in a volume of 2 g per bucket of water. This feeding will strengthen the crop and stimulate further growth.
Actinidia can also dry out and lose leaves due to lack of moisture. The problem appears during dry periods in summer; the plates first turn yellow and lose their elasticity, and then fall off. Correcting mistakes made during care is very simple - you need to increase the intensity of watering.
If actinidia dries with good care, it is necessary to inspect it for pests and signs of fungi
Conclusion
Planting and caring for actinidia in open ground requires compliance with certain rules. The liana has good endurance, but requires regular moistening and periodic pruning.
