The Arctic kiwi ‘September Sun’ (Actinidia kolomikta), of Russian origin and subarctic hardiness, is chosen for its attractive variegated coloring, with touches of cream then pink appearing in summer in lush foliage, at its best if it passes into the shade during the hot hours, a situation allowing to maintain the humidity that the plant needs to irrigate its fruits, also hoping to delay its spring awakening, jeopardizing a sometimes rushed foliage and flowering. This flowering in meringues with the scent of lemon pie lasts about twenty days. Female variety pollinated by the male ‘Pasha‘. 1 male pollinates 4 females of the same row, the furthest at 5 meters maximum.

It is the Arctic kiwi ‘September Sun’, from the second year, which will bear the fruits and drop them when fully ripe. Harvest them a little before maturity if you fear thieves and ripen them out of sight. Refrigerated, they will ripen slowly, for a long time. Dehydrated, they reach an unreasonable sugar level. But you will have a hard time not savoring fresh and whole, like big green grapes with smooth skin, these juicy candies that melt in a syrupy mouth, breaking records of vitamin C. After guiding it towards a support around which to wrap itself, production pruning is the only intervention necessary to optimize the production of kiwis, the kiwi fearing no disease. Having made its way through coniferous forests, it can grow in the shade, comfortable in acidic soils along damp banks.

Less prolific than the Siberian kiwi (Actinidia arguta), the Arctic kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta) nevertheless wins the competition in terms of harvest precocity (in the 2nd year instead of the 7th), for its magnificent three-color coloring, for its superior and legendary hardiness (surviving winters in the top of a plant column exposed to winds without snow cover), for its reduced vigor requiring less pruning, as well as for its ability to fruit in partial shade. For all these reasons, the Arctic kiwi seems more interesting for your edible landscaping than the Siberian kiwi. However, if you have commercial aims, patience (7 years is sometimes a long time) and an advantageous climate, note that the Siberian kiwi can produce up to 10 times more. Longevity: 100 years.