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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: OllieC on May 08, 2008, 18:52:59

Title: Woohoo!! Flowers on my boy Kiwi!
Post by: OllieC on May 08, 2008, 18:52:59

My 3 year old male kiwi has finally decided to flower! The girlie has about 30 flowers, the boy has 4 but we might eat kiwi this year! Well, I'm excited!

Title: Re: Woohoo!! Flowers on my boy Kiwi!
Post by: OllieC on May 08, 2008, 21:27:49

Well I thought it was exciting!

Title: Re: Woohoo!! Flowers on my boy Kiwi!
Post by: betula on May 08, 2008, 21:33:45

I would be excited too.It is an achievement. :)

Title: Re: Woohoo!! Flowers on my boy Kiwi!
Post by: star on May 08, 2008, 22:08:52

Best of luck Ollie, I hope they do good for you. Keep us posted on they're progress ;)

Title: Re: Woohoo!! Flowers on my boy Kiwi!
Post by: tonybloke on May 08, 2008, 22:16:12

well done! hope they pollinate well for you.

Title: Re: Woohoo!! Flowers on my boy Kiwi!
Post by: ivorjen on May 08, 2008, 22:46:02

well done !

you may want to manually pollinate to guarantee fruit.
It may be Worth collecting stamen's/pollen from mail flower and store then in some way to pollinate next year just in case. I'm not shore if you can but it would be worth looking into it to guarantee nice fruit every year.
 
I know some Pollen can be stored in air tight containers but not sure how long before it degrades or it may be able to be frozen or just kept cool.
I'm sure one of the great adviser's on this board will be able to help with specifics on pollen storage.

Title: Re: Woohoo!! Flowers on my boy Kiwi!
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on May 09, 2008, 07:41:24

I doubt whether pollen can be kept viable for that long. As bee fodder, it degrades after a couple of years in the freezer, but that has nothing to do with viability.

Title: Re: Woohoo!! Flowers on my boy Kiwi!
Post by: Ishard on May 09, 2008, 07:45:18

Next year withold any plant food for the male that contains much nitrogen as this encourages leaf growth and lack of nitrogen encourages flowers :)

Title: Re: Woohoo!! Flowers on my boy Kiwi!
Post by: manicscousers on May 09, 2008, 08:14:47

congratulations, ollie..our jenny's never given us fruit, 3 years so far but it was moved 2 years ago..ever hopeful though  ;D