'lo all, as the title might suggest, we have a Kiwi that was grown from a 'commercial fruit' by my Father, yes, the fuzzy kind. It started in a greenhouse but has long since escaped its boundaries and seems set on colonising the entire garden (except for the Laurel hedge, doesen't seem to agree with that). This plant seems to be the 'shark of the plant kingdom' but in fairness, it yields copious amounts of fruit....... My questions are these; can I 'cut it back' severely without risking it's demise? How long do they live (I'd guess this one 15-20 yrs old)? Are there any good recipes for Kiwi wine? We get such a crop that we can't really give enough away. Finally, what is the best time to harvest the fruit? (Our experiences have varied and as the plant is so widespread, I'm sure the fruits are also)...my thinking is to wait for the first frost of winter, Dad's thinking is to bring in before the cold then store until ripe (which variously means a degree of softness, in his book..). I temper these musings with the fact that the last two years have been extremely wet and lacking in sunshine......this one sunny and wet so far.... Sorry if this lacks the thrust of a 'professionally qualified researcher', it does however, carry the weight of one very large (and expanding) Kiwi...... I'd be greatful for any guidance or even a humerous reply, regards, the grey one.
I'm not a expert.. but I don't think you can kill them.. but I can tell you my issue.. we had a set of fuzzy kiwi vines in our yard that were atleast 10-15+ years old.. the main trunks of the vines were a good 8inchs + in diameter. in the spring of 2007 my wife decided it had to go.. in all it was taking up a space around 15feet by 15feet.. and she wanted her yard back.. summer of 2007 was good.. spring of 2008 I could see shoots of kiwi vine poping up where the old roots that I couldn't get at were(grew under a cement slab) now it's july 2009.. and I've giving in to the kiwi vines.. built them a new tressel to grow on out of a old bunk bed frame.. which they are taking to very quickly.. now for my question.. anyone know how long till I will start seeing fruit? I'm quite positive that both the male and the female are growing.. the vines so far are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch in size.. with leaves 4-6 inchs accross..
Hi Charger, I kinda guessed they are near indestructable and I can only say that our one started yielding copious amounts of fruit 'bout year 10 but who can say how your re-incarnated Kiwi will perform? What puzzles me is that ours is a single plant? Maybe the colony of wild bees that live in our garage are dutifully travelling far and wide to locate a suitable kiwi 'partner'? These plants are hardly indigenous to Ireland but I have noted of late that one gardening centre has them (in fact, they were proud to inform me that they had a fruiting plant in their own private greenhouse), I couldn't resist explaining that ours is running amok outdoors and that any seasonal visitor is forcefully provided with large plastic bags full of it's fruit ........ none of this is of any help to you, I know but I just wanted to reply and thank you for the post. I wonder if I could make 'kiwi beer'? Cheers, the grey one........
You can make kiwi-flavoured beer, the same way you'd make a raspberry stout or an apricot lager. Add the fruit at the fermentation stage. Kiwi doesn't have enough tannin for wine, though - you might be able to do cordials, but I'd watch the acidity if I were you.
Thank you Iorax, sounds like you know what you're doing.....(I hate to draw unfavourable parallels, but I surely don't!). I know, in principal only, how wines/beer/hooch is made and I should mention at this time that we have a 'long established' vine which yields lovely small, sweet, red grapes.........perhaps I should just 'have a go' but I'd be seriously worried about poisoning my friends and/or the occasional transient relation.......(he he) hmm, think I'll ponder on that and think theres only one way to find out.......there's no culture in New Zealand of manufacturing Licquers etc but I can probably apply similar techniques.............. thank you for the post, one bottle of kiwi/grape/goosberry 'thingy' due to you next year............... Regards, the grey one.
Oof, good luck getting in past customs! Anything even remotly tasty that anybody sends me down here gets confiscated for their personal enjoyment... Beer is much easier to make than wine, in my experience... However, there's no worry about poisoning your friends if you invest in a Brix Refractometer - then you can determine exactly what the alcohol content of your brews is. The internets is full of good advice on how to brew your own beer - I'd do it in the shed, though, because some parts of the process are pretty stinky. How To Brew.com has excellent instructions. Sweet grapes won't be quite as good for wine as bitter ones - wine grapes are a) normally not all that palatable, and b) black or green. However, best of luck! With red grapes you'll likely get a natural rosee type wine. Gooseberries are an excellent addition to red grapes, since when they're ripe they add a lot of tannin. - Lorax
Sage advise, Lorax, don't worry about customs (did I mention 'tasty'?......) they'll probably take pity and donate a bottle of local brew..... Will check out the site you mention, many thanks. the Grey One.
