Mini or grape kiwifruit grow very strongly and must be properly routed from the beginning so that there is no impenetrable tangle of shoots. Here we show how it's done and introduce some new varieties.
Mini or grape kiwifruit survive frosts down to minus 30 degrees and even exceed the less cold-resistant, large-fruited Deliciosa kiwifruit in terms of vitamin C content many times over. New are ‘Fresh Jumbo’ with oval, apple-green fruits, ‘Super Jumbo’ with cylindrical, yellow-green berries and ‘Red Jumbo’ with red skin and red meat. You should plant at least two mini kiwis, because like all fruit-bearing, purely female kiwi varieties, these cultivars also require a male pollinator variety. The ‘Romeo’ variety, for example, is recommended as a pollen donor.
It is best to pull the twists like the strongly growing, thornless blackberry varieties on a sturdy wire frame (see drawing). To do this, put a sturdy post in the ground at a distance of 1.5 to 2 meters and attach several horizontal tension wires to it at a distance of 50 to 70 centimeters. A kiwi plant is placed in front of each post and its main shoot is attached to it with suitable binding material (e.g. tubular tape).
Important: Make sure that the main shoot is growing straight and does not curl around the post, otherwise the flow of sap and growth will be inhibited. Then select three to four strong side shoots and remove all others at the base. You can simply wind the side shoots around the tensioning wires or attach them to them with plastic clips. In order for them to branch well, they are previously shortened to about 60 centimeters in length - six to eight buds.
Mini kiwis Super Jumbo ’(left) and‘ Fresh Jumbo ’