Prune Kiwis: [Importance, Season, Tools, Considerations and Steps]
Having kiwis in the garden is one of the most beautiful (and delicious) experiences that exist, but you should know that pruning kiwis will be part of your care routine.
It is not that you should do it every day, but it will be part of the mandatory actions that you will have to take so that the tree is in optimal conditions.
This of course will result in larger and more exquisite fruits that will be the envy of all those who try them. Without more to say in this introduction and with the emotion focused on this task, we are going to see right now how to prune kiwis and not die trying.
Why prune the kiwi tree?
Pruning kiwis is one of the mandatory tasks that must be applied to make the tree healthy, since it allows you to get rid of shoots. Although it is true that it is a species that normally grows without difficulties, the branches that do not contribute anything must be identified and eliminated.
The same happens in the case of parts that are affected in health, as in the case of leaves. All this has a very negative impact on the internal distribution of nutrients and, therefore, on the performance of your tree, something that you cannot afford.
When is it better to carry out pruning of kiwis?
Kiwi pruning is different from that of other species in many aspects and one of them is the time in which it is carried out.
In this case, it must be applied both in winter and in summer, executing a set of different actions in each one.
What tools should we use when pruning kiwis?
You can apply the pruning of the kiwi with two-handed scissors and the use of a hand saw for those thicker branches.
It is important that these tools are well sharpened and disinfected so that there are no problems due to the development of diseases.
What considerations should we take into account when pruning kiwis?
The main consideration that you must have when pruning kiwi has to do with the fact that male and female specimens are worked in different ways. This means that you will have to handle full security with respect to the gender that you have in your garden.
In addition, you must pay close attention to the structure, know your copy, so that you have greater ease when applying the steps that we will give you.
How to prune kiwis without damaging the tree?
Kiwi pruning is carried out in different ways depending on the age of the specimen. In addition, the gender of each one must be taken into account.
Kiwi training pruning
The first pruning is training and is applied in both cases with the same procedure, starting in the winter after one year of life.
The idea here is to foster the main structure of the tree which will be based on a defined trunk from which the secondary branches will grow.
It is important that this trunk is chosen from those that grow during the first year and to ensure that it appears vigorous and with a more or less straight direction.
You will have to cut this main branch on a bud, when it has an appropriate height, so that it begins to develop the lateral branches. Later, when summer arrives, you will have to sprout the lateral branches to favor the buds.
In this phase, any regrowth that appears at the base of the kiwi must be eliminated.
Pruning fruiting and rejuvenation of kiwi
The kiwi works according to new branches to flower and bear fruit, so its continuous renewal is what will ensure a good harvest.
Similarly, in this pruning it is essential to rinse the crown correctly to prevent it from being fluffy and the passage of light and air from being interrupted.
In the case of female specimens, the following points must be taken into account:
- In the summer: eliminate all parts that do not fulfill any function, such as suckers. In the same way the branches that intersect or collide. The branches that bear fruit will have to tip to leave 6 leaves after the last fruit.
- In winter: cut the twigs that produced fruit, thus making it easier to clear the glass.
In the case of kiwi trees that are male, the pruning work will be:
- In the summer: remove the suckers and any branch that is presented in the wrong direction, is brittle or colliding with another. The lateral branches will also have to be pruned so that they all have an identical structure of five buds.
- In winter: trim all the branches that are in a bad position, both within its structure and in the environment with the female tree. The branches that were not worked in the summer must also be trimmed.
Following these steps to the letter, the work of pruning kiwi will not involve major complications and will provide many benefits.
Maybe you are also interested in:
- How often and how to water my kiwis?
- 21 Most Famous and Delicious Kiwi Types and Varieties
- How to Fertilize Kiwi: The Complete Guide – Sembrar100
- Kiwi Care: [Soil, Humidity, Pruning and Problems]
- Kiwi Cuttings: [Grafts, Time, Rooting and Planting]
- Kiwi blooms
- Kiwi Pests and Diseases: [Detection, Causes and Solutions]
- pick the kiwis