Kiwi.

15 comments

With this dry weather my Kiwi has been on the search for some hydration, lifting the drive block pavers in its efforts.
So…I’ v taken out my supposedly self fertile Kiwi plant. Shame, but after 20 odd years of grown, at least 15 ft of growth to the left and to right at carport roof level it’s gone, except the root. I’m sad to see it go, it added a tropical feel to the carport along with the ornamental Ginger, which unfortunately didn’t succomb to last winter’s cold. The lady who gave me the Ginger didn’t want it back, although hers died.
The Kiwi, never produced any fruit despite producing over 200 flowers each year, but only lasting 2 weeks at most.
The flowers then dropped to the ground leaving all the pedicels.hanging down.

Bees loved the flowers

I toyed with the idea of getting a partner, even cutting the flower in half to see if I could decide if it was a male or female plant, but another monster, I thought better of that idea.

Anyway, all the leaves have been chopped and put on the compost heap, the smaller woody stems are to be chomped with the garden shredder and the big woody pieces are put aside for drying and burning in a wood burner.
I did threaten the Kiwi a couple of years ago with a Fig if it didn’t flower! Ps, the Fig is in a pot.

All that remains is for me to get some retail plant therapy after this loss.

6 Jul, 2018
6 likes

Comments

Cottagekaren

Enjoy your 'therapy'! I remember doing the same in my first garden, only to discover right at the top, fruits! But they are far too vigorous really for gardens aren't they. We had a couple in the glasshouses at Glamis, grown as standards, with huge canopies, but even in there they didn't seem to ripen well. I don't recall ever eating one.

6 Jul, 2018

Eirlys

How big are the flowers, Siris? They look enormous. Very pretty!

6 Jul, 2018

Steragram

Interesting tat the ginger flowers somehow look gingery - so delicate and lovely. Were they scented? I hope you find something else beautiful to plant in its place.

6 Jul, 2018

Siris

That's interesting Karen, I spoke to a proffesional garden at an open garden and he said he had only once seen a Kiwi with fruit. I've see edible fruit at a friend's in the Loire, France.
Homebird, can't put anything in the same place, the stump is still there, although the roots were just on the surface directly under the block pavers.
Eirlys, the flowers were about 2" across, but tend to be in clusters, so look much bigger.
Stera, the Ginger was in a tub under the carport, but reached the roof, so got bent over and hence the flower was all squashed. I removed it in the spring, cause it was all squidgy, cut most of the root away, then thought poor thing, so repotted the remainder.
Therapy....I've got my eye on another Sarracenia, but H.C. plants is at Hampton Court this week, so can't go into the nursery to buy (by appointment only)

7 Jul, 2018

Cottagekaren

I was gutted!

7 Jul, 2018

Thrupennybit

Such a shame fir you Siris. If you drill holes in the stump of tree stumps and fill the holes with baking soda it will get rid of the stump.

7 Jul, 2018

Siris

Not surprised, Karen.
Thanks 3pb, stem is now out.

7 Jul, 2018

Seaburngirl

it is such a shame but just think what else you can grow instead. the anthers in the flower are the male parts so if you didn't grow a self-fertile one then this is a male plant and you wouldn't get fruit anyway.

8 Jul, 2018

Siris

Yes, I the saw the anthers and they are/were covered in pollen. There was no large stigma so I cut a flower in half to see if the mound in the centre was an ovary, but I've thought for a while it was a male.

8 Jul, 2018