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Kiwis of the wild

 
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Having read that kiwis come from China (chinese gooseberry), I'm wondering what they look like in the wild. Imagining they climb trees, but what sort of trees? Does anyone have information on the natural state of kiwis?
I've been reading through the posts in this forum and noticing several people have planted their kiwis to grow up trees as trellis, which seems interesting to me. I've got lots of young wild persimmon trees here, many males, and wonder if this could be a compatible trellis tree for hardy kiwis. The persimmons leaf out pretty late in the Spring.
Any advice? My first time planting kiwis.
Thanks!
 
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I would be slightly cautious about this, depending on how much you value your persimmons and how vigorously kiwis grow in your climate. I have seen kiwi vines completely overwhelm trees in SW England, they can grow 6ft easily in a year once they are happy, although can take a few years to get established.
I've heard of someone pollarding tree and kiwi in one to keep them in harvesting reach, although I'm not sure what the scaffold tree was they used, and whether this worked longer term.
 
Rachel McCarty
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Nancy Reading wrote:I would be slightly cautious about this, depending on how much you value your persimmons and how vigorously kiwis grow in your climate. I have seen kiwi vines completely overwhelm trees in SW England, they can grow 6ft easily in a year once they are happy, although can take a few years to get established.
I've heard of someone pollarding tree and kiwi in one to keep them in harvesting reach, although I'm not sure what the scaffold tree was they used, and whether this worked longer term.



Nancy,
I'm unsure about the size of the kiwi vine, too. Seems wiser to make an arbor structure and grow the kiwis up it for shade, but I have limited building skills. Maybe I'll try anyway...
As far as persimmons go, there are hundreds here. They repopulate disturbed pasture land, and there and many more male trees than female it seems. It would be alright to take over a few for kiwis probably.
 
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I think it also depends what kiwi species you grow. We're aspiring to grow kiwi in the future, and settled on Actinidia kolomikta rather than A. arguta because the kolomikta doesn't grow as tall and is apparently less (or not at all) invasive. I imagine it's hard(er) for a vine that doesn't grow to more than ten meters in length to overtake and smother a mature tree...
 
Rachel McCarty
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I've got the Arctic kind, which I believe is A. Arguta. Didn't realize it was that vigorous of a grower, so I appreciate the warning from these posts! I'll be more mindful of planting
 
Eino Kenttä
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I think the one commonly called arctic kiwi is Actinidia kolomikta. A. arguta is simply called hardy kiwi, I believe. Do some of the leaves look like they were dipped in paint? White and pink to about half the length of the leaf? If so, it's a kolomikta.
 
Rachel McCarty
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I'm not sure yet as they are fresh from the nursery. Just green leaves so far. Isaai is the one and I also have Anna and Meader to plant
 
Eino Kenttä
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Issai is arguta. Don't know about the others.
 
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