Tree of Kiwi: description and interesting facts

Kiwi is an exotic green fruit with a unique sweet and sour taste. What is kiwi? The bush, the tree, the grass? Let's find out where this plant came from. What conditions does it love? And how to grow it in your own house?

Which tree grows kiwi?

Exotic fruit comes from the genus Actinidia, which translates as "ray". All representatives of the genus have a characteristic radial arrangement of the ovary columns (this is clearly seen if you cut the kiwi across). There are about 75 species. They are mainly distributed in Southeast Asia, 4 species can be found in the Far East of Russia.

Where kiwi grows - on a tree or a bush, it is sometimes difficult to answer. Actinidia are considered to be woody lianas, but sometimes they are also called shrubby lianas. However, regardless of whether the kiwi is a tree or a bush, its fruit is a berry. It combines several tastes, sweet and sour at the same time.

Outside, the berries are unsightly, like potatoes covered with villi. The average size of ripe kiwi is 100 grams. Inside, it usually has a saturated green color. There is a "golden" variety of this plant (Gold kiwi), whose fruits have a yellow color.

How did we learn about kiwi fruit?

It is believed that the origin of kiwi people owe New Zealand. This is completely wrong, although the catchy and short name of the tree was due to enterprising New Zealand merchants. The plant was named after a small bird that looks like its fruit.

The real home of the "shaggy" berry is China. Up to XX in New Zealand and did not suspect what a kiwi tree looks like. Three hundred years it grew in the East and North China in the wild, until a friend of Alexander Ellison brought him a gift of several seeds of an unknown fruit.

Allison began to cultivate the kiwi tree, calling it "Chinese gooseberry". The wild fruit was much smaller and harder than the modern one. To make it tasty and attractive, Alexander Ellison spent a lot of energy and more than 30 years of life, however, only the close gardener knew about it.

The world of kiwis was discovered by Ellison's neighbor James McClocklin, turning the cultivation of a vine into a gold vein. In the 1960s he acquired a whole plant of miracle berries, selling them abroad. Now New Zealand is one of the largest suppliers of kiwi. It is grown in Japan, Greece, Chile, Iran, Italy and other countries, but mainly for the domestic market.

Beneficial features

Kiwi is an incredibly useful product. One berry replenishes the body with a daily norm of vitamin C, which is responsible for tissue growth, iron absorption, resistance to infections. It also contains an antioxidant vitamin E, folic acid and vitamin B6. In addition, the berry is rich in sodium, magnesium, fiber, zinc, chrome, potassium, calcium and iron.

Using kiwi, you can increase stress resistance, improve digestion. Berry will help prevent cardiovascular diseases, the appearance of premature gray hair, save from hair loss, improve immunity in general.

"Chinese gooseberry" contains a lot of potassium and is able to remove excess cholesterol. Kiwi is used for iodine deficiency, hypertension, for the prevention of cancer and rheumatism. He is good for losing weight, because he burns fats perfectly. The crushed pulp is used for cosmetic purposes to nourish and moisturize the skin.

Kiwi rarely causes allergic reactions, so it is often recommended for children. Fruits have strong restorative and toning properties. Effectively affect the body after the disease, with general weakness. They are advised also for general prophylaxis.

Seed Kiwi

Grow Asian berry right on your windowsill is possible. It is easier to make it out of seeds. Sprouting the kiwi tree will last longer than grown from the cuttings, but will become more resistant to diseases and external conditions. The seeds should be extracted from a ripe fruit, otherwise they may not germinate at all.

Seeds should be carefully extracted from the berries, washed with the help of a sieve or gauze from the remains of the pulp. For planting it is better to choose several seeds to increase the chances of germination. Put them in a small container, fill with water and leave in a warm place. Water is periodically worth changing. Germination of seeds will begin within a week, after which they can be planted.

For each plant, it is advisable to choose a separate container with peat. Sprouts are put on the surface of the earth, slightly sprinkled on top. The container should be placed in a well-lit warm place, you can make a hotbed of film stretched from above. In the absence of a greenhouse, sprouts are sprayed with water daily.

Kiwi care

The tree at home starts to grow quickly. When there are several pairs of leaves, you can plant in permanent pots. The bottom of the pot is laid with drainage. In order for the plant to receive a maximum of nutrients, it is important to choose the right soil. It should contain an admixture of sand, peat, preferably turf and humus.

Homemade kiwi tree develops rapidly, so immediately it is recommended to install supports. To the liana does not grow excessively, the top is regularly plucked. Transplant the plant should be every spring, and in winter it is better to use additional lighting.

The kiwi tree loves humidity. Periodically it needs to be sprayed. Adult plants water slightly less often than young plants. At home, water is defended, so that chlorine evaporates. When growing a vine in the garden, abundant watering is required during the dry season. In spring, the plant is watered only after the end of the threat of frost, watered several times a month in the winter.

The leaves of the plants are quite large and shade the sunlight to neighboring individuals as they grow. In the garden, the trees are planted several meters apart. It is advisable to orient the pole from north to south. So kiwi will have more access to lighting.

Features of the plant

Kiwi is a dioecious plant, for its pollination requires male and female plants. The method of planting from seeds is usually more affordable. However, in this way 70% of individuals will be male. It can be checked only after flowering - for the third or fourth year.

To obtain fruits on three women's trees, it is enough to have one male. They are distinguished by their flowers, the female pestle will be larger in female plants. In order not to be mistaken in the experiment, you can buy ready-made cuttings for planting. Then the result will be predictable.

Until the age of 10 years, the kiwi tree increases yields every year. Berries are often plucked green, leaving ripening. To remain in this form fruits are capable of up to six months in conditions from 0 to 6 degrees.

The plant loves warmth. In open areas of the earth it must be closed from frost. Despite this, varieties capable of withstanding the harsh climate of Russia have been bred. Fruit they are no worse than "southern relatives".

Kiwi in cooking

The taste of this berry is difficult to describe. It is acidic, like gooseberry, but at the same time it looks like strawberries, apple, pineapple and even banana. However, all have different descriptions. There is it well after a dense dinner of meat, fish, dairy products, as the berry improves digestion and helps the body to process proteins.

Prepare from kiwi anything. It is used to make jams, jams, grinding with sugar and mixing with other berries or fruits. Of ripe green fruits make compotes and fresh juices. They perfectly emphasize the taste of meat and fish dishes without interrupting the basic taste.

By ignorance, difficulties can arise with the preparation of jelly. The fact is that the kiwi juice contains a substance that does not allow gelatin to solidify. In order to avoid this, the flesh of the berries must be doused with boiling water.

Beauty Berry

If you stay and do not eat juicy kiwi, you can use it for masks. The fruit is incredibly useful for the skin of the face. Numerous vitamins and microelements in its composition improve blood circulation in cells, promote skin healing, enrich it with oxygen.

Kiwi nourishes and tightens the skin, makes it supple, elastic. After such masks the face acquires a lighter and healthier shade. Combined with other ingredients, kiwi is suitable for all skin types. For problematic skin, the berry is used together with poppy seeds. For greasy mix with lemon, horseradish or clay.

The flesh of the fetus is used for sensitive skin types, although one should be more careful here. Saturated juice can cause irritation. Before making various manipulations with kiwi, it is worth checking how the body will treat it. To do this, you can put a little mixture on a small patch of skin.

Interesting Facts

Because of the large size of the berries, many mistakenly call kiwi fruit. There are other interesting information about the exotic plant:

• In ancient times, Chinese rulers used the fruits of kiwi as an aphrodisiac.
• The tree is less susceptible to disease, and insects practically do not overeat it.
• Because of the hairy skin, kiwi in China is called "monkey peach".
• Wild plant is extremely rare. Dimensions of his fruit reach only 35 grams, cultivated kiwi can grow to 110.
• The plant lives on average 40 years.

• Vitamin C in this berry contains more than in citrus fruits, but less than in red bell pepper and parsley.
• The kiwi skin is also useful. It is believed that it contains a lot of fiber and has antioxidant properties. True, it can have a laxative effect, so you need to be more careful.

Conclusion

Kiwi is a unique berry brought from China to New Zealand at the beginning of the 20th century. If it were not for the painstaking work and persistence of Alexander Ellison, we would not even know about it. In the wild, the berry is not particularly noticeable and small, but its cultural variety is very popular.

Kiwi contains fiber, various trace elements, vitamins, due to which the fruit is called a "vitamin bomb". It is an excellent tool that increases the resistance of the body and restores its strength. Berries are widely used in cooking and cosmetology.

Kiwi grows liana, which grows to seven meters in height. Grow the plant can be at home, and at the cottage, closing for a time of severe cold. The kiwi tree is not too whimsical. Great difficulties with its departure does not arise, but the number of berries on the vine will increase every year.