Are you looking for tropical fruit trees for sale? If yes, Kiwi is one option you would surely love to have in your garden. If you live in Florida and want to grow plants right here, this post is meant for you. First things first- it is possible to grow a Kiwi plant at home in Florida.
If you want to grow kiwi fruits in Florida, then you should know a few things in advance.. While kiwi plants can be found flourishing in some sections of Florida, they may not yield as well as they would in other states. Despite the fact that Florida is mostly at or below sea level, kiwi fruits usually grow well in elevations ranging from 2,000 to 6,500 feet above sea level. This simply means that the altitude in Florida is not appropriate for kiwi fruits.
However, if you want to follow your passion, do ensure that you follow the right technique to make plants grow. Here are some tips that can help you get the best results.
- Choose the right variety
A majority of kiwi cultivars are hardy in USDA zones 5-9, but if you live in a region that gets severely cold in the winter, there are several other variants of Kiwi that can be the best choice for you. These varieties are known to thrive down to -35 degrees Fahrenheit! These varieties produce high-quality, sweet-flavored fruits with reddish-plum-colored skin that you would love to savor.
- Only female vines yield fruits
Hardy kiwis tend to be dioecious, which means that male and female flowers grow on different plants. Plant one male vine for every eight or nine female vines if you want to cultivate kiwi fruit. Because vines are vegetatively propagated, they will be "sexed" when you buy them.
- Kiwi fruits tend to be smaller than fuzzy kiwis
Kiwi green fruits areslightly bigger than a grape, but they are abundant. Within three or four years of planting, expect dozens of one to two-inch-long fruits. The vines produce the most when they are about eight years old, and they can be expected to produce for forty years or more.
- Kiwi has pretty flowers with a sweet aroma
Growing kiwi plants in Florida may not provide tasty fruits, but they will certainly bring color to your landscape. Kiwi plants often produce lovely blooms with a delightful aroma that attracts insects, facilitating pollination.
If pollination is successful, the kiwi fruits will grow and mature over the summer and can be picked in the fall before the first frost.
- Pruning is a prerequisite
Pruning is the most difficult duty for many individuals who produce kiwi fruit. When the vines are dormant in the winter, they must be trimmed using a sharp pair of high-quality pruners, and then twice or three times throughout the summer. Remove any branches that bore fruit the previous season, as well as any dead or crossed branches, in the winter. The one-year-old branches bear the most fruit, so leave them alone. Instead, cut them back to the eighth node up from the plant's base (the nodes look like little nubs along the branch). In the spring, these nodes will produce new fruiting spurs. Summer pruning entails cutting down any long, arching vines that grow past the maturing fruits.
- Kiwi prefers acidic soil
Kiwifruit vines like acidic soil with a pH between 5.0 and 6.8. The vine isn't particular about soil composition, but it thrives in a mix that's healthy, wet, and well-draining. Plant your vines around 10 feet apart to provide them plenty of opportunities to develop and thrive.
- It needs consistent watering
Your kiwifruit plants will require continuous irrigation and are not drought resistant. As a result, you should never let their soil dry up. However, they dislike damp feet, therefore well-draining soil is very important. Browning or drooping leaves on the vine are typically an indication that your plant needs more water.