Growing exotic fruits in a greenhouse or at home on a windowsill in Russia will surprise no one. But that in an ordinary garden, and even almost on an industrial scale, is a wonder
An enthusiastic biologist from Uzhgorod, Henrikh Straton, managed to develop a new kiwi variety that can survive the most severe winters. This year, he received about a ton of "vitamin bomb" berries from his site.
- Kiwis were bred by New Zealand breeders from actinidia (woody liana), which grew in the Far East, where there are severe frosts. So the ability to survive the cold is genetically inherent in this fruit, - says Genrikh Straton, who graduated from the biological faculty of Uzhgorod State University. - My father and I bought fruits in stores, chose seeds and, with our own methods, stimulated their mutation processes. They were sown on the site and left without insulation for the winter. The first year, out of hundreds of thousands of seedlings, several dozen survived, the second - even less. As a result, one plant remained, which bloomed and bore fruit in the fourth year. From it we have developed a new kiwi variety, which we are now patenting.
Photo: Credit unknown / eg.ru
And jam and liqueur
At first, the neighbors of the five-story building, where Heinrich lives, laughed at the biologist who broke the experimental site near the house. And when the bushes began to bear fruit, envious people appeared. It got to the point that one night someone cut down the plantation at the root - Straton restored the seedlings from the stumps and planted them on the plot with relatives. The variety he bred is really unique: in the harsh winter, when the vineyards were massively frozen in Transcarpathia at a 30-degree frost, even thin branches of kiwi did not suffer. The breeder believes that his variety can withstand lower temperatures. Confirmation will be received in a couple of years, as soon as the seedlings transferred to Russia bear fruit. Another advantage of its "mutant" is the ability to self-pollinate, while the bulk of the known varieties provide for the planting of "male" and "female" plants.
- Kiwi blooms in April, - says Heinrich. - Large beige flowers with white pollen. The honey turns out to be bright lemon in color with a very rich taste.
- What kind of care does Kiwi need? - I'm interested in Henry.
- Firstly, there is no need for pesticides, since we have neither pests nor diseases that are characteristic of this plant. I also do not use mineral fertilizers: the plant feels great in ordinary soil. True, clay soil is not very suitable for kiwi - peat will have to be added to it. In spring, the bushes need to be thinned with pruning, during a drought - watered. The fruits ripen in late September - early October.
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Photo: Credit unknown / eg.ru
What are you doing with the harvest?
- Every year I collect 500-700 kg. fruit, this turned out to be about a ton. I distribute them to friends and acquaintances. My wife prepares jam and jam, and I make the liqueur: pour the sliced kiwi with alcohol, add sugar - it turns out a very interesting female drink. I save part of the harvest for the winter. I collect almost ripe fruits, pack them in boxes and store them in an earthen cellar. They persist calmly until spring.
Several decades ago, kiwi varieties developed by New Zealand breeders and exported around the world helped the country's economy emerge from a deep economic crisis. Heinrich is sure that his plant will also come in handy at home. However, domestic farmers are not interested in exotic culture. Probably because the seedlings give the first harvest in the fourth year, while everyone today wants instant returns and earnings.