The yellowish-white kiwi flowers open at the end of May. They are about 5 cm tall and fragrant. The flowers of the male and female plants look different. Fruit can only develop from female flowers.
pollination
The numerous flowers only promise a good yield if a male plant grows close to the female plant. This is required for fertilization because kiwis are dioecious plants. A male plant can fertilize multiple female plants. Breedings with hermaphrodite flowers, on which male and female organs unite in one flower, do not need a pollinator.
How do you recognize male and female flowers?
If you are not sure whether you have planted a male or a female plant, you can tell by the flower. The female flowers have a white style in the middle, around which yellow stamens are arranged. In the middle of the male flower, on the other hand, there are only yellow stamens.
flowering and fruiting
With the self-grown kiwi plants, it often takes ten years or more until the first blossom. The grafted kiwi bushes from the specialist trade already bloom in their 3rd year. At the beginning of June, the kiwi bush is in full bloom. Fruit formation is influenced by various factors:
- nutrient and water supply,
- site and soil conditions,
- cutting measures,
- weather conditions.
Depending on the variety, the fruits are about 5-10 cm long, elongated and initially have a smooth and later hairy skin. They ripen in late autumn, are harvested immature in October/November and continue to ripen during storage.
tips and tricks
With favorable climatic conditions, one can harvest about 1 kg of fruit per vine of kiwis.