Growing and caring for actinidia in Siberia, description of the best varieties of kiwi

Actinidia is common in Siberia and is grown using special methods. The berries have a unique taste and are rich in essential minerals, including vitamin C. The harvest can be stored without reducing its characteristics.

Is it possible to grow actinidia in Siberia?

The plant is famous for its taste and attractive appearance of the shrub, which is often used as a decorative garden decoration. For regions such as Siberia, frost-resistant varieties are suitable. The plant is heat-loving, so many people believe that it is impossible to grow actinidia in Siberia. In the summer, the air temperature in the Siberian regions warms up to +27, so growing the crop is possible, but to obtain a harvest, care must be taken.

Suitable varieties

Actinidia berries are small in size and taste like kiwi, and have a high level of preservation after harvest. The following varieties can be used for cultivation in Siberia:

1. Doctor Szymanowski. The hybrid has an attractive shrub appearance and is often used for landscaping gardens. The bush must be planted near fences or buildings; the berries are yellow and fall off after ripening.
2. Adam. The appearance of the crop is distinguished by white and pink leaves among the green massif. The liana quickly increases in length. The berries are green and oblong in shape.
3. Queen of the Garden. It differs in the size of the fruits, which reach up to 4 grams. The bushes grow up to two meters. Branches weave along the fences.
4. Waffle. This variety of crop is distinguished by the taste characteristics of fruits with a high presence of sugar. The fruit weighs up to 3.5 grams. The bushes are tall, sometimes reaching a height of 5 meters.
5. Folk. This variety has brown berries and is resistant to diseases, as well as the presence of strawberry notes in the taste.
6. Hope. The variety is characterized by immunity and early ripening of fruits.

When choosing a variety, it is necessary to take into account the type of soil and features of plant care.

Features of growing plants in this region

The Siberian region is distinguished by its climate and soil, so when growing, it is necessary to observe certain features for the development of the plant and obtaining the required yield.

Site selection and soil composition

The plant is a perennial, so when choosing soil it is necessary to take into account all the features, otherwise actinidia may die.

The soil must meet the following requirements:

• neutral acidity;
• preference is given to loamy fertile soils;
• the amount of moisture is moderate; the accumulation of liquid can lead to rot in the root area.

When choosing a location, it is necessary to give preference to sunny areas, mainly on a hill. Since the shoots of the bush have the appearance of a vine, it is necessary to provide a fence along which the branches will curl in the future. The bush should have a large amount of space; an area with a large number of trees is not suitable for planting.

When to plant

Actinidia is planted in the Urals in the spring. In autumn, the crop may not have time to get stronger before the first frost. In spring, planting material is planted in early May, when the air warms up.

If there are still slight frosts, the plant can cope on its own without harm to the roots and shoots.

Important. To protect the seedling from possible low temperatures, it is necessary to use a plastic bag in the first few weeks after planting to cover the crop at night.

How to choose the right seedling

When choosing planting material, the following features must be taken into account:

• The roots of the crop must be closed, as they can often be damaged during transportation.
• There should be no seals or damage on the cuttings.
• The cuttings should be no more than 1 year old. Such planting material quickly adapts to a new growth location.
• It is necessary to purchase seedlings in specialized places. When purchasing, you must check the availability of both male and female seedlings.

Seedlings cannot be stored for a long time. Therefore, after purchasing, it is recommended to immediately plant the plant in the soil, otherwise the cutting will weaken.

Landing

During the planting process, the following rules must be observed:

• Clear the planting site of vegetation. Dig a hole 40 cm deep.
• A layer of drainage is placed at the bottom of the hole.
• The soil that was removed from the hole must be mixed in equal proportions with humus, a glass of superphosphate and 50 grams of potassium fertilizer.
• A quarter of the hole is filled with a nutrient composition, forming a mound.
• The cutting is freed from the film that preserves the integrity of the lump on the roots, and the free shoots of the root on the mound are carefully straightened. The remaining nutrient mixture is poured into the hole and compacted.
• A pole is installed near the cutting to support the plant during growth.
• Water the hole with plenty of warm water.

When planting crops, it is necessary to maintain a distance between holes of at least 60 cm.

Subtleties of caring for actinidia in Siberia

Actinidia is often used as decoration, but in order to get a harvest, you must follow the rules of caring for the plant.

Watering

The plant does not like overly moist soil, which can lead to diseases. The culture is moistened as needed. On average, watering is carried out every 3 days. In the place where the crop is planted, it is necessary to make drainage to drain excess liquid.

Trimming

Pruning of the plant begins in the second year of growth. When you first prune, you need to remove all shoots except 2-3 strong vines. In the following year, a few more shoots are left to form a bush. The remaining shoots must be tied to a support so that they can curl in a vertical direction.

Every year it is necessary to remove damaged branches and the top of the vines by several buds. In the third year of growth, it is necessary to thin out the bush, removing broken branches and shortening the shoots on which fruits are formed.

Trellis

In order for actinidia not to damage the shoots and form a bush, it is necessary to make a special support called a trellis. It can be made using the following algorithm:

• prepare branches with a diameter of 1 cm in the amount of 20-30 pieces;
• dig the required number of branches at the same distance;
• tie branches horizontally to dug-in specimens, forming a network at equal distances;
• in places where diamonds are formed, it is necessary to additionally attach wire to strengthen the structure;
• protruding branches are cut off to form a section;
• the number of such sections depends on the number of bushes.

Trellis can be made from any material. This type of support is installed in the second year of plant development.

Important. In order not to use support, the crop can be planted near a building on which a mesh is previously installed from wire.

Top dressing

Fertilizers are applied according to the following scheme:

Timely feeding will stimulate the crop to develop and form fruits.

Pest and disease control

Actinidia has strong immunity to diseases, but the following types of problems may arise:

• Phyllosticosis is a fungal type of disease. More often it affects adult types of crops and manifests itself in the form of spots on leaves and trunks. To eliminate the disease, it is necessary to spray with Bordeaux mixture.
• Ramularia - manifests itself in the form of white spots on the leaves. To eliminate pathology, damaged shoots are removed. The bush is treated with Bordeaux mixture.
• Powdery mildew - manifests itself in the form of plaque on the leaves. To remove it, it is necessary to spray with a solution of soda ash.

Among the pests that can occur on actinidia, it is necessary to highlight:

• leaf beetle - damages leaves and young shoots, causing the plant to wither;
• mealybug - affects the shoots and fruits of the crop.

To remove, you can use Bordeaux mixture or a light solution of copper sulfate. In difficult cases, it is necessary to use chemicals against pests.

Breeding culture

Actinidia is propagated in the following ways:

1. The use of arc layers is carried out in the spring. One young shoot is selected, sprinkled with soil and left until roots appear. After a year, the shoot is separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a new location.
2. Cuttings. For propagation, it is necessary to cut off an annual shoot and divide it into several parts. Each segment should have 3 buds. Place the cuttings in water. Then plant it in the ground and cover it with film or a glass jar.
3. Seeds.To obtain seedlings, you need to take a ripe fruit and mash it with a fork. The resulting pulp is washed with plenty of water, the seeds are dried and stored in a fabric bag until planting. Seeds are planted for seedlings in February; special containers for seedlings are used for this.

Propagation by cuttings is the method used. Such plants adapt more quickly to a new place and tolerate diseases more easily.

Actinidia harvest in Siberia

The harvest time of the crop depends on the variety. Actinidia in Siberia ripens in early August, late varieties ripen in mid-September. Berries can be picked ahead of time for further storage. To do this, they need to be spread in a thin layer on the windowsill and stirred regularly to ripen on all sides.

Growing crops in Siberia does not require complex care. To obtain a harvest, it is necessary to choose varieties that can withstand low temperatures and adapt to sudden temperature changes. The berries are used for fresh consumption and also as preparations for the winter.