Starting Kiwi!

Kiwi Explosion
Originally uploaded by OddBall7

Last night I saved the seeds from a kiwi and I've decided to try my hand at sprouting them.I've read that it doesn't always work out well in my area, but some people have great luck with them. So, I figured it was better to try than to not try. -lol- I took pictures along the way of course!


I decided to start the seeds in an old recycled egg carton. This way, when it is time to re-plant them, I can just stick the entire carton into the ground or pot, and it will decompose naturally. I don't risk killing the sprouts this way, since they don't usually take to being uprooted very well.

Then I added some basic, all-purpose potting soil - just a little. I put the seeds into the carton (4-6 in each cup) and covered them with more soil.

I then needed to put the carton into a plastic bag to trap humidity near the seeds. Since the carton wouldn't fit long-ways, I cut it down the middle. This would have been easier to do at the beginning, so if you try it, make that your first step. -lol-

This morning I realized that the top of the carton also needs to come off to allow the seeds to get sunlight. So, I cut that off too! The bag is sitting on a south-east facing window (where I get the most sun) and will be misted every day to every other day, depending on how much moisture is there. I'll be checking it daily for mold, and moving it away from the window sill and closer to the snakes so the seeds can stay warm during the night. Then, in the morning, they'll go back out again.

Kiwi will usually take something close to a month before they begin to sprout. Once they have been established, it will take 2-3 years before the male and female flowers develop. At that point, I need to make sure I have both males and females. If I do, I'll keep them together, and I should have fruit in about 7 years. Yes, 7 years. -lol- Kiwis are a very long-lived plant. If they are well taken care of, they can live to be 50 years old. So when you really think about it, have kids at the age of 7 is still pretty early! -lol-

Anyway, I don't mind the wait. The kiwi plant itself is very pretty, and I can continue to buy kiwi at the market. Then, 7-10 years from now, all the hard work will have paid off and I can enjoy my own kiwi. :)

This is a picture of an adult kiwi plant in bloom:


Kiwi plants, if not pruned regularly, can grow up to 60 feet tall! They are more like a vine than anything, and can be trained to climb a trellis, tree, fence, the roof of your house! The possibilities are endless. What about a living gazebo? Ooh, that would be so nice. Yay! I'm happy thinking about it. Maybe I'll Reiki the little seeds for a while tonight. Want to give them happy thoughts to know it's ok to come out into this world! -lol-