Jenny Kiwi flowers

[Dobdave]

Hi All

New member here, have been lurking for some time..

For several years I have been attempting to grow kiwi vines (without much success). Our soil is quite chalky, which has made things difficult. I have a total of 7 vines varying in age from newly planted to 5 years old.

I've put a lot of effort in this year with mulching and feeding etc and thought I'd cracked it, my 5 year old jenny vine has grown huge, and is absolutely covered in flower buds, that have started to open today. It did have a few flowers last year but never set fruit, which I didn't really think much of.

Having looked at the flowers and comparing them to images on the Internet, the flowers don't look like female one's, they look more male to me.

Does anyone have a jenny flowering at the minute that they could post photos of the flower so I can compare? I'd be extremely grateful. The Internet photos aren't much help as most of them look to be stock photos of kiwi flowers.
I'll be so dissapointed if it is a male as it's in the sunniest spot in the garden!

[Jay-ell]

I have Solo which, like Jenny, is supposed to be self fertile. At the moment the buds aren't open but there's a couple with tantalising hints of white showing. Once they do open I'll post a picture.

VC may be along soon.

[Dobdave]

Thanks very much, I'd appreciate it. Fingers crossed mines not a male, as if it is it'll be getting dug up in winter and moved!

I've got a solo and a solissimo, but neither have ever really done much. The solissimo leafs up every year but doesn't get much bigger (although this year is the healthiest it's ever looked, which I'm putting down to my new mulching and feeding regime).

I've also got several hardy kiwis, that are growing like mad, but the only one with flowers on is the Issai (but they've not opened yet).

Thanks!

[Jay-ell]

Can you please post some photos of your flowers and, if you can, the unopened flower buds.

My solo has been in for about 3 years now pruned heavily to get the form.

I've just got an Issai so I have to figure out where to put it (apart from the kiwi my vertical spaces are full of 4 grape vines, cordon trained gooseberries & redcurrants and a hops squeezed in for good measure with a back fence earmarked for the tayberries).

[Dobdave]

Sorry, just spent ages reading through posts on how to post photos etc, but I can't seem to figure it out.

[Jay-ell]

Sorry, just spent ages reading through posts on how to post photos etc, but I can't seem to figure it out.

read this one if you're posting from your phone
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ml#post1546451

but you might have to resize them first as most camera phones filesizes are larger than the max upload size.
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ml#post1546447

or look at the app here
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ml#post1602652

[veggiechicken]

I had a Jenny - it was a nightmare - outgrew its space so its been cut down. The flowers were lovely and just like the ones in https://www.chrisbowers.co.uk/articl...ide-kiw-fruit/

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...highlight=kiwi

I also have an Issai (I think) - the buds are just opening. They are much smaller than Jenny's and look paler.

[Brack]

I'm quite tempted to plant a Jenny in the woods that border my garden (but not that near my fence)

[SarrissUK]

Dobdave, I have a feeling you can't post photos because you're new to the forum and have only posted three times. The image upload feature doesn't let too new members post pics.
I'll take pics of my suspected issai's flowers tomorrow

[Dobdave]

Veggiechicken- thanks very much, my flowers on the Jenny look exactly the same as those on the webite you linked to, so that's given me some more confidence it is a jenny!

This autumn I was going to buy a male plant (probably tomuri ) and plant that nearby, just to ensure fertilisation.

My Issai hasn't flowered yet either, hopefully soon by the look of it, has about 30 buds.
I've also got a ken's red, weiki and jumbo growing over a large pergola, but they were only planted this year, so will probably take a few years to get going.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Dave, I never spotted any male flowers on Jenny but it did take a few years before it fruited. The flowers were beautiful, scented. If it hadn't been such a big beast in the wrong place (or if I'd known more about pruning it), I would have kept it.
It was very sappy, so when pruned at the wrong time it leaked everywhere!
My Issai flowers are open now. Its still in a pot as I can't decide where to plant it out of the way!

[Jay-ell]

My Issai flowers are open now. Its still in a pot as I can't decide where to plant it out of the way!

You could plant it in the woods at the back of Bracks garden.

I've the frames for the 8x6 and 6x6 greenhouses in the New territories that I've been using for cucurbits and runner beans, but I can always find space for them else were next year. I may have to sacrifice one squash and a few runners to plant out the Issai this year.

VC - what happened to the one you grew from seed?

Jenny, Solo, Solisimo, Boskoop and Issai are all self fertile rather than self pollinating - this means that they should only have female flowers and can produce fruit without being pollinated

[veggiechicken]

I'm sorry to have to bring you some sad news - the kiwiberry from seed didn't make it through the winter. Nothing to do with the cold weather - I forgot to water it.
Took me a while to remember what the bundle of twiggy viney bits was, when I found it in a forgotten corner of the garden.

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...rry_63702.html

Must look out for some more fruit in the shops and have another go.

[Brack]

You could plant it in the woods at the back of Bracks garden.

I've already got two Issais,one in the ground part trained along wires on the fence (need some new twining leaders, but it just wants to grow side shoots/leaves as the tips of the leaders got a bit cold and dead in winter). The other one is in a big 2' diameter tub as I haven't decided where to shove it. It's quite big...

[Jay-ell]

I have Solo which, like Jenny, is supposed to be self fertile. At the moment the buds aren't open but there's a couple with tantalising hints of white showing. Once they do open I'll post a picture.

VC may be along soon.

OK They're Open. This is the variety Solo but I suspect thet Jenny will have the same flowers as they should all have female flowers.

I've already got two Issais,one in the ground part trained along wires on the fence (need some new twining leaders, but it just wants to grow side shoots/leaves as the tips of the leaders got a bit cold and dead in winter). The other one is in a big 2' diameter tub as I haven't decided where to shove it. It's quite big...

Prune the leaders back to the closest side shoots and use them as your new leader. I haven't allowed mine to twine itself because as it thickens each year the wire could end up cutting into it in a number of years time. I much prefer to tie the arms on as these can be adjusted regularly to stop constriction.