Grow Your Own Magazine

I quite fancy giving growing a kiwi tree a shot, trouble is living in Manchester, UK means that the winters can be both very wet and very cold and some fruit bushes/trees can fail. Before I take the plunge I would welcome any and all advice.

__________________
--
http://gardenfan.blogspot.com

Hi Gardenfan, Ilive in Manchester too & think it would be highly unlikely that you would get any fruit up here. I think it's difficult to get them to set fruit anyway & it is a bit too wet & cold here. The plant catalogues show them bursting with fruit but I think you need male & females to cross pollinate & warm, sunny weather. I grow passionflower plants but they have always flowered beautifully but never set fruit although I have seen them covered with fruit down south in London & Bath so I think it's probably the climate in the north that doesn't suit. You could always give it a go though for the decorative appeal or maybe try them in a conservatory.

__________________
Into every life a little rain must fall.

Hi SueA,

I have spotted a self pollinate type but I think your right that it would struggle with the conditions here in Manchester. Out of interest what do you grow fruit wise?

__________________
--
http://gardenfan.blogspot.com

Nothing really exotic Gardenfan, but I do have a grapevine over an arch which produces lots of lovely black grapes, don't know what variety it is though as I lost the label after I bought it & can't remember. I have thought of trying to make grape jelly or juice from them as they are a bit small for eaters but the birds usually get to them before I do! I also grow apples in containers but have never had more than 2 or 3 apples on each. I used to grow redcurrants which were very successful & gooseberries but gave up after they kept getting stripped by gooseberry sawfly larvae but am trying them again this year.I have a cordon pear tree which has only ever had one small pear on but is still quite young & keeps getting attacked by weevils & grow lots of strawberries. I have a couple of small blueberry plants in containers but they are new & haven't produced any fruit yet, a blackcurrant bush & a patio lemon in a pot which hasn't done anything yet ( I bring it in for winter).Also have an olive tree which has it's own thread on here & has never even flowered but this may be because I 'mollycoddle' it too much, but they are difficult to get to fruit.Oh & some autumn raspberry canes which are just coming into fruit now.I only have a tiny garden so just tend to have one of everything mostly in pots but that way it's not so bad if they don't survive up here.

__________________
Into every life a little rain must fall.