Issai Hardy Kiwi Plant

Hi Team

Kiwi Issai is a new variety to me... I do have Kiwi Jenny which I have manged to get it to flower on several occasions but alas no fruit even though its meant to be self fertile.

... sooooo my Question is has any one had any luck producing fruit from this variety

"Issai"

Thank you in advance

Spruce

 

I was looking into planting Kiwi fruit last year, but finally decided the spot I wanted to plant them wasn't really suitable.
I think that is a hardier variety than the usual ones you come across so could be worth a go.

As I understand it the more usual ones are pretty hardy, I grew some seed grown plants many years ago and cant remember them ever being damaged by frost, but maybe its more to do with fruit ripening rather than plant hardiness.

Do you try to hand pollinate your Kiwi Jenny?

 

I did Pete and the bumble bees loved the flowers but I dont no anyone who has had fruit from Jenny ...

I have order one from Suttons 2lte pot as its free p&p plus I have new sunny fence just the right spot for it

Spruce

 

Let us know how you get on with it, guessing you cant expect much fruit for a couple of years.

 

thats about correct

 

Actinidia arguta Issai is a very predictable plant and a consistent cropper.

Here is my harvest from last year, 5th October 2020.







I purchased my Issai online as a seedling 15cm tall in a small 9cm pot.

It was then transferred directly into a 110L pot (aka a large plastic bin with drainage holes) and trained up five bamboo poles.

There is a three inch layer of gravel at the bottom of the pot for drainage and to act as balast. The growing medium is 1:8 ratio sharp sand and spent multipurpose compost which had been used for growing potatoes.

The plant took about two years to establish, and properly produced fruit in the third year after planting.

The flowers appear from late May to July in London weather.



The flowers will drop if there is an extended period of cold winds and rain in the month of June. The fruits that do form will then be from flowers that develop afterwards. So, in a perfect summer, the harvest would be full to the brim.

 

Issai is best planted in a sheltered sunny spot.

If planted directly in the ground, Issai prefers a moisture retentive, well drained soil mix. Line the bottom of the planting hole with a good layer of grit if the soil is something like heavy clay.

Feed the plant using fertiliser two to three times a year - I use Fish, Blood & Bone fertiliser.

Water well and regularly during the flowering and fruit setting period. At other times you can be less diligent and water just enough to keep it ticking along.

From November to late March, I don't water my Issai at all as the rain will take care of that.

 

Hi @misterQ that's an impressive harvest! Are they edible at that size? (The coin looks like a 20p.) I assume you don't peel them!

 

@CarolineL

Yes, indeed they are!

And, yes, a 20p coin was used for scale.

The mini kiwis are edible and tasty. They are eaten whole just like a seedless grape.

They are crunchy with a slight hint of kiwi when unripe. But once they become squidgy to the touch, they become honey sweet (like a ripe Indian mango) with a rounded kiwi flavour.

 

Prune Issai in spring after the last expected frost and maybe in mid to late summer if the plant gets out of control.

Issai produces fruit on the current season's branch growth so once you have trained the plant to your desired structure, keep pruning back to this structure leaving one or two new shoots to develop on as a backup.

Prune dead and inwards growing branches to let in air and light.

 

Issai will strike as cuttings but I find that air layering to be a more reliable way of propagating them even without using rooting hormone.

The air layering was done on 25th June 2020.


Severed on 13th September 2020.










My success rate with cuttings is 1 in 5.

But, with air layering, 7 out of 7!

 

That's good going! You have almost convinced me to get one - apart from lack of space...

 

Great reply .... any pruning tips would be useful

Thanks again

Spruce

 

missed that part ... thank you