The variety ‘Jenny’ is tried and tested as one of the best performers in UK gardens and is 100% self-fertile. This gets around the problem most people have had, as you typically needed a male and female variety to get crops, and then some bees to pollinate too. That, however, is now in the past. Grow against a sunny, south-facing wall, ‘Jenny’ is quite vigorous, and can reach 3-4M in 5 years if not trained or pruned. The good news is it responds well to trimming and shaping, and should produce fruit in 2-3 years reliably, and heavy crops beyond that, surprisingly easily. Juicy, fresh and rich in Vitamin C, the fruits can be picked in Autumn, and are delicious eaten fresh - quite different to supermarket fruits chilled and transported across the globe. Specifications Availability: September to May Planting time: September to June Flowering time: April Fruiting time: September to October Supplied as an established Kiwi plant in 2L pot, approx. 30-40cm tall, plant out all year Top Tips Kiwi fruit should be picked before the first frosts and left in a bowl with ripe bananas, to encourage ripening which may take several weeks. Care Information Planting Advice: Plant in a sheltered sunny position, preferably against a south or west-facing wall, in organic-rich, fertile, well-drained soil - this will promote the best fruit formation. Protect new shoots from frost with horticultural fleece to prevent frost damage.Kiwis need a lot of room, so plant 3-4.5m (10-15ft) apart, while the soil is still warm. Before planting soak container-grown plants thoroughly and allow to drain.Dig a planting hole 3 x wider than the roots of the shrub you’re planting and mix some well-rotted compost or manure with the soil from the hole and use this to re-fill one the shrub is in place. Remove the plant from its pot and tease out a few of the roots Add Mycorrhizal fungi to the roots when planting to help plants establish quicker.Place your kiwi in the hole at the same level at the potRefill the hole with the earth removed (backfilling) and firm in the soil with your heel, avoiding the root ballWater well and mulch around the base of the plant with a collar, compost, gravel, bark etcIf you’re planting into pots, place some old rocks, stones or gravel in the bottom of the pot for drainage and ballast. Use the best compost you can buy and some sand or grit for drainage. Aftercare Advice: After planting, mulch around the base of the plant with well-rotted manure in late winter, avoid contact with the stem as this may cause rotting. Apply a general-purpose fertiliser such as Fish Blood & Bone when growth starts in the spring. Pruning Advice: For best results, tie the vine to a post and keep it growing straight upward. Don’t allow it to twirl around the post. Remove all side branches until the vine reaches the top of the post then cut out the top of the vine so that it’s just below the top of the post. This will encourage side shoots which can be then be tied on to horizontal wires. Prune out any dead, damaged or misplaces branches in winter.
