This is a self-fertile variety that produces both male and female creamy-white flowers, so it does not need a pollinating partner to produce delicious, greenish-brown kiwi fruit - perfect if there is only enough space for one fruiting plant. It is a vigorous, deciduous climber, which is best suited for training as an espalier against a warm, sheltered wall in a sunny spot, where it will start producing fruit around 3 years after planting.
How to care for Actinidia deliciosa Jenny:
Provide good support with a network of horizontal galvanised wires spaced at 30cm intervals and using raffia or garden twine tie in the plant, first vertically up a bamboo cane and then laterally, along the wires as it grows. It produces fruit on one year old wood, so you should aim to train pairs of lateral stems to develop permanent fruiting stems. When these exceed the alloted space, pinch out the tips and train a new leading shoot. It may take 3 or 4 years to start to producing fruits.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Eventual height:
6m
Eventual spread:
4m
Rate of growth:
Fast-growing
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness:
Borderline hardy (will need protection in winter in colder areas)
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This plant is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.