And no, I’m not talking about New Zealanders although I would have been more apt to think of them over the fruit when someone mentioned the word “kiwi” in reference to Boise, but recently friend Krista Grisel dropped off two plants for me and since I’m almost always up for a gardening challenge, game on!
The sheet that came with them tells me that the variety is Arctic Beauty Kiwi (actinidia kolomikta for you Latin types) and up until now, I have to admit, I haven’t given much thought to kiwis or how they grow. Did I think they grew on a tree? A bush? My instructions tell me that they are a vigorous growers in need of a sturdy trellis 6-7′ tall and that they can grow 10-20′ wide. There were two plants in the bag because it’s necessary to have both a male and female plant (how you check such things I don’t know), only the latter of which will bear fruit.
Hardy to -40°F – a temperature we never even get close to here – I just wonder why I haven’t seen other people growing them, or have I and I just didn’t recognize what they were?
It’s a no lose situation. If the plants die, at least I tired. If they flourish, I’ll be harvesting in two to three seasons and looking for lots of new recipes that call for kiwis.
