North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Hal Love" <lovehd@comcast.net>]

A while back I came across a couple of web sites mentioning Actinidia
deliciosa cultivars, 'Summertime Boy' and 'Summertime Girl", which are
claimed to be quite cold hardy for the species. They seem to only be offered
locally at a few garden centers along the mid east coast. Here are excerpts.



>From The Behnke GardeNews, March 1998;



"Now, plants for your taste buds! Just in are the first kiwi plants that are
both proven cold hardy and every bit as big, juicy and tasty as the New
Zealand kiwis you buy at the grocery store. Ask for Actinidia 'Summertime
Boy' and 'Summertime Girl'."





>From Hampton Roads Gardening, May 2001;



"SUMMERTIME KIWI. Hardy to minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit, the Summertime Boy
and Summertime Girl Kiwi produces fruit on fast-growing, deciduous vines
with egg size, very sweet fruit. The plants bear fruit in great profusion.
They are best planted in full sun to half shade for optimum fruit set.
Summertime Boy is the pollinator for Summertime Girl. Fruit ripens on the
vine early fall; harvest fruits before first heavy frost. Produced by Hines
Horticulture; available at McDonald Garden Center."





These seem quite interesting if the hardiness claims are true. Does anyone
know anything about the history of these cultivars or grown them? Are they
really this hardy?



Thanks,



Hal

zone 6b, TN