The kiwi plants are propagated by offshoots, cuttings or seeds. Propagation by offshoots is easy and promising. Plants propagated by seed can take a long time to flower.
Propagation by sinkers
A patient hobby gardener grows the new kiwi plants himself from seeds or cuttings. The easiest way, however, is the propagation through the offshoots, strictly speaking through the so-called sinkers. These can be grown from long shoots throughout the growing season. To do this, proceed as follows:
- lay young lower shoots on the ground,
- cut slightly if necessary,
- Cover flat with soil, leaving a shoot tip on the surface,
- keep the earth moist
after rooting, separate the daughter plants from the mother plant and transplant them.
Propagation by cuttings
The cuttings, about 10-15 cm long, are cut in early spring before they sprout or in late autumn (woody cuttings). In any case, the leaves should be removed except for a few. The cuttings are placed in potting soil or in a sand-peat mixture, placed in the shade and sheltered from the wind and kept evenly moist, but not too wet. If the cuttings sprout again, rooting is complete.
Propagation by seeds
The kiwi seeds should be watered before sowing to completely remove the pulp. The seeds are pressed lightly into the peaty soil (do not cover, as light germinates!). Uniformly warm temperatures and sufficient humidity favor germination. A greenhouse or a cover made of transparent film may be helpful. The germination time is 2-3 weeks. However, it can take ten years or more for a self-grown kiwifruit from seed to flower. Another disadvantage: you can only tell if you have a male or a female plant when it flowers.
tips and tricks
In your own propagation attempts, make sure that the variety is not protected under commercial law and therefore may not be propagated further.