Kiwai and Feijoas

[bertiefox]

I have a kiwai, a hybrid of actinidia arguta called 'Issai'. It is supposed to be self fertile and produce tiny kiwi type fruit where you eat the whole thing. Last spring it flowered well and set fruit but they all fell off a few weeks later.
I'd love to hear from anyone who has grown this particular variety.

I got (from the same company) a variety of Feijoa (or Acca) which is similarly supposed to be self fertile. It's flowered for the last three years and is a four foot bush now but never sets fruit, even when I've hand pollinated the flowers.
Again, if people have experience with this fruit I'd be pleased to hear from you as I'm suspecting this isn't self fertile at all and will never set fruit. Or could it just be it's too small?

[atash]

Claims of self-fertility often get exaggerated for promotional purposes. Both plants bear better with pollinators.

I think male Kolomitkas will pollinate an arguta. Those are fairly common because of their attractive foliage.

The Feijoa just needs to be an unrelated seedling. Can't be a clone.

Bonne chance!

[ottawagardener]

I have the same one and it flowered well for me but didn't set fruit. I plan on planting another type this year for fertilization and because I now have room. Sometimes, the season, here isn't long enough to ripen the fruit.

[iva]

I have Kiwai and it did set fruit for me although I don't have a pollinator planted. But my neighbor has plenty of Kiwis , so I presume, that has something to do with it.
Oh, the fruits are really small (like a raspberry) and not hairy and you eat them skin and all. They tend to fall of the vine when ripe, so it is good to keep checking for ripeness. They ripen in late September, early October, so that is much sooner than normal Kiwis...

I also have Feijoa for ornamental purposes (it has the most beautiful flowers ever), but I don't expect fruits as I don't have a pollinator (and, yes, it needs one!)...

[bertiefox]

Thanks for the information. It sounds like the kiwai should be successful in the longer term as I have several kiwis from seed growing around the place, though they would need to flower at the same time. I'd come to the conclusion that the self fertile information on my feijoa was wrong so it's good to have it confirmed. I've got some seed I collected from a botanical garden in Spain in November so I'll make some more plants from that but it will be a very long wait before they flower! If I bought another bush of the same variety from the seed dealer should that be able to pollinate my original bush?

[atash]

If I bought another bush of the same variety from the seed dealer should that be able to pollinate my original bush?

No, that won't work. Has to have different genetics. Can't be the same clone. Your seedlings would work when they get old enough, or someone else's seed-grown plant.

[bertiefox]

Hurrah! My Feijoa seed from Gijon in Spain has started to germinate. Just seven or eight years to go and I should have some flowering shrubs with which to pollinate my existing Feijoa tree!
I may just be still young enough to enjoy the fruit!

[ottawagardener]

:-D

To paraphrase a well worn expression: "The best time to plant a tree (vine/shrub) is 20(or 3 or 7) years ago. The second best time is now"

Yeah, I have a couple fruit seeds which I see as an investment in the future.

[atash]

To paraphrase a well worn expression: "The best time to plant a tree (vine/shrub) is 20(or 3 or 7) years ago. The second best time is now"

Good one. I'll remember that. Makes a good metaphor too.

[bertiefox]

A garden 'guru' here says that God will always let you live long enough to harvest fruit from any tree you plant! As long as that isn't the 'limit' then it sounds quite encouraging!

[steev]

What's the guru say about the tree you plant that promptly croaks?

[ottawagardener]

Best to plant many trees in that case and opt for the tree that fruits latest or perhaps fail to plant it's pollinator.