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[Dan Nave <nave1@comcast.net>]

I have some Kolomiktas that are growing across horizontal trellis wires.  
They seem to want to wrap
themselves tightly around the wires with many turns.  Is this a problem or 
should I try to
straighten them out?

Dan


On 7/2/2014 9:04 PM, mIEKAL aND wrote:
> The first patch of argots I planted broke the trellis they were on and 
> attached themselves to an ash tree, which each year they pull over more and 
> more.  I still have to use an 8 foot step ladder to harvest the top part but 
> it works good.  I think if you were ahead of the ballgame you could train the 
> tree/trellis  by anchoring the leader.
>
> With kolomiktas I like to use old metal bedsprings sideways and u-bolted to 
> t-posts.  I do a couple in a row and it helps create a hedge about 4 feet 
> high.
>
> I do almost no pruning whatsoever.
>
> ~mIEKAL
>
>
> On Jul 2, 2014, at 8:45 PM, Devin Smith via nafex wrote:
>
> > Maybe its because my kiwis are just starting to bear, but I'm so far 
> > convinced that I can't have too many hardy kiwis. The only problem is that 
> > trellises require time and money to build, and intensive management to boot. 
> > I have several kiwis on an rustic locust overhead t-bar trellis that I built, 
> > and that is well and good, but I'm out of room and would like to plant more 
> > varieties. So I've been thinking off and on about trellis alternatives. Two 
> > ideas seem like workable compromises to me:
> >
> > 1. Allow them to ramble up a large shrub or small tree. Big trees are out of 
> > the question because, among other things, fruit will be out of reach. Not 
> > going there. But a small fast growing spherical formed tree seems promising. 
> > I came home from a scion swap with boku cuttings of amazing fantail willow. 
> > It seems to meet all of the necessary criteria I can envision, growing 
> > quickly to a height and breadth of 12 ft. or so (I think), perhaps less so 
> > when doing battle with vigorous arguta vines. Growing quickly and easily from 
> > cuttings means I needn't put around with establishment, at which point I 
> > might as well go ahead and build a trellis. I have need of a windbreak, and 
> > intend to test this theoretical system there. If it works as well as I 
> > imagine it (on the best days that is) the kiwis will fruit out the perimeter 
> > of the fantail willow with minimal fussing, and if nothing else, the dense 
> > tangled growth will make a much better windbreak.
> >
> >
> > 2. The second idea is actually stolen-- I saw this being done (though 
> > accidentally) at a local orchard. The aforementioned orchard put in a 
> > sizeable arguta kiwi patch, but neglected to build trellises for many years. 
> > Most rambled along the ground, clambering up brambles that grew in the rows. 
> > In short, it was a total mess. But one happened to have been planted next to 
> > a single pole perhaps 8 ft. tall. This one vine, as you might imagine, 
> > climbed the pole, but having reached the top assumed a round form almost like 
> > a pom pom. It was probably 8 ft in diameter, tendrils reaching nearly to the 
> > ground, and was absolutely festooned with fruit. These fruits occurred only 
> > on the very outside of the sphere, mind you, but there were an unbelievable 
> > number of them. I was saddened to learn upon returning a couple years hence 
> > that the entire planting had been removed to make way for more apples. I 
> > guess it had been planted in a frost pocket and so frequently failed
> > to produce. Still the image of that one perfect kiwi covered pom pom has 
> > stuck with me.
> >
> > I understand that there are several disadvantages to doing things this way. 
> > Pruning will be made much more difficult, and picking somewhat more so. The 
> > leaves of the fantail willow may nearly preclude fruiting altogether, though 
> > maybe less so with a kolomikta. I think the pole idea has real merit, and 
> > though I've yet to hear of anyone actually doing it on purpose, I know that 
> > it can work. The key with the pole idea, it seems to me, is to make sure that 
> > they are spaced widely enough and far enough from things to potentially 
> > climb, that they instead just make a big messy ball. Any thoughts or 
> > experiences.
> >
> > -Devin Smith
> > Rockingham, VT
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