Actinidia

Actinidia has many species. One of the actinidia is called kiwi. All the fruits of this vine are now well known. Kiwi in Russia does not grow, even in the south. Kiwi grows much to the south. So do not try to plant kiwi - you will not succeed. This hybrid liana is bred in Australia and is named after the exclusively inhabiting kiwi bird that is the symbol of this country.

Vertical landscaping are lianas. Lianas are special plants, they have a very long, fast growing trunk, but it is so long and weak that it can not hold either itself or the mass of green foliage that the liana carries. She definitely needs support. In nature, lianas grow, embracing other trees. They gradually suffocate them, and when the tree dies and falls, the strangled liana falls with it. In our gardens, vines are most often used as decorative plants that adorn our garden. Among the lianas there are also edible. Let's start with them first.

To get started, general information about vines. First, they need support. Secondly, when we decorate a house or other extensions with lianas, they can be planted no closer than 75-80 cm from the foundation of the house, because the powerful roots of the lianas can destroy the foundation. Thirdly, they do not need to be planted under trees, otherwise they will suffocate them, unless they use a dying tree, for example, a drying apple tree. Plant the vine next to it, it will surround the apple tree and will beautifully decorate this dying, and then the withered tree. Fourthly, the lianas are very hygrophilous, this is their peculiarity, they need to be watered or provide a place where there is enough moisture, but they can not be put into the water. It should not be allowed that the place where the creeper is planted is filled with water for a long time, and it is also impossible to plant them where there is near groundwater. With a close standing of groundwater, drainage should be provided, and then poured into the row and planted a liana on it. The main thing is to make sure that it does not dry out and that there is enough moisture, that is, constantly watering it, then the liana will feel good and make you happy.

There are three edible vines. In fact, there are two of them, and in the North-West, there is only one.

There is a liana with smaller fruits, similar in taste and appearance, like kiwi, but much less - actinidia of the argument. It does not grow with us, either. But actinidium colomict, it is also called variegated liana, not only grows in us, but also fructifies, however, there are some difficulties in its cultivation.

This wonderful vineyard was studied by a remarkable breeder, Professor FK Teterev. He adapted for our North-West region several varieties of these actinides, which we bear fruit. They can be purchased at the VIR cattery in Pavlovsk.

Colomicta is a dioecious plant, that is, there are male specimens of this plant and female ones. They can be distinguished only when they enter the fruiting phase, at the time of flowering. Female flowers - white bells, not very large, single-sided at 5-7 cm along the entire length of the creeper. Men are exactly the same, but they blossom in a group, from 3 to 15 at once in one bundle. Without the male, the female lianas, naturally, will be barren, and you will not get any harvest from them.

Kolomikta has a very strange feature: it produces the pigment athetsian, and it happens at any time of the summer. For example, red-painted shoots of peonies, freshly emerging tulips, new shoots of the rose are red only in the spring. Actinidia also has the ability to color its leaves in different colors at any time during the summer. It can whiten tips, do not be afraid - this is not a lack of nutrition, not a disease, but just a feature of it. In addition, she may have silver strips in the middle of the leaf - also a feature of this creeper. This variety of colors makes the liana very elegant, which is why it is called a variegated liana.

Note to the

Actinidia are very fond of cats, oh, because when you plant a young plant, it must be protected from cats with a metal net, otherwise cats will dig up and eat up the root of the creeper. When the vine is 3-4 years old, the net can be removed, since it has a rhizome and the beginning of the trunk lignified, and the cats will lose interest in it.

add to Wishlist

And actinidia is also a plant of polygam, used only for decorative purposes. In the North-West it freezes in winter.

On the cultivation of actinidia, we discussed in detail in the section "Garden Plants".