Actinidia delicioua
Family: Actinidiaceae
Common Name: Chinese Gooseberry

Native to China and widely grown in the North Island of New Zealand, this twining, deciduous vine is a vigorous grower and needs a strong trellis for support and ease of harvesting. Unrelated to the English gooseberry, the fruit does have a similar, appealing taste and is now marketed to countries around the world. It is delicious raw and is also used in sweets, jams and pickles.

Varieties

Some good cultivars include 'Chico', 'Hayward', 'Tomuri' (often used to pollinate 'Vincent'), and 'Vincent' which is suitable for milder winter climates.

Cultivation

This dioecious plant needs one male plant to pollinate up to ten female plants. It can be propagated from seed, though it is not possi­ble to distinguish the male and female seedlings until they flower. The fruit types from the female seedlings can also be very variable. A better method is to graft a scion from proven stock onto a seedling root stock, about 8 cm (3 in) long. Plant the stock about 5 cm (2 in) deep, and stake and protect from winds. Plant out at any time during the dormant season near a trellis or pergola. It needs a light, well-drained soil with added organic matter and some liquid fertilizer, as the plant is a heavy feeder. As the plant has a shallow root system, the soil must not be allowed to dry out. Mulching around the vines helps retain moisture and aids weed control which is essential. Train and prune reg­ularly to prevent unmanageable growth and to improve fruit size and quality. In winter, prune established plants by thinning out congested growth. Also prune some of the three-year-old lateral growths to within one bud of the main sterns, and reduce others to several buds. The crop is harvested in mid-autumn when the fruit is firm enough to handle, but not hard. At this stage, the flesh is green to whitish, reasonably firm and juicy, and the flavor is fully developed. It can be stored in a cool location without refrig­eration for up to eight weeks. Kiwi fruit appears to be relatively pest- and disease-free.

Climate

Zone 8.