PLANT KIWI FRUIT

Try a mini variety to grow up a trellis in a sunny spot

Ialways think if you’re going to grow something to eat you should try to grow things that are either difficult to buy or best harvested fresh from the garden. Of course, you should also grow things you enjoy eating so, although I live a short walk from a strawberry farm, I’ve still planted strawberries!

I’ve planted lots of fruits in the garden and the latest is mini kiwi. I don’t think regular kiwi fruit are that exciting, though I’m sure they taste be er when picked from your own garden. Mini kiwi fruits (Actinidia arguta), are eaten skin and all. They’re usually either male or female but a few, such as ‘Issai’, are self-fertile, so you only have to plant one, which is useful as they can be vigorous climbers and need a support such as trellis or horizontal wires for their main framework of stems.

But, being one of the more compact kinds, ‘Issai’ can be planted in a container on a sunny patio and trained up a trellis on the wall or up an obelisk. If planting in pots, use a lime-free (ericaceous) compost. Mini kiwis aren’t fussy about soil type but don’t grow too well in alkaline or chalky soils. They’ll be easier to look after and keep healthy if the soil you use is neutral or slightly acid. 4

If growing in a pot, choose one with straight sides, about 30cm (1ft) deep and wide. The plant will need to be moved to a large pot in two years.