While many people think of kiwis as tropical plants, hardy kiwis make a great addition to many temperate gardens. Join plant expert Briana Yablonski as she shares how to plant, care for, and harvest for this unique vining plant. The first time I tried a hardy kiwi fruit, my world turned upside down. I was browsing a booth at a Washington DC farmers market when I spotted a quart box filled with small red and green fruits. They certainly weren’t apples, and although they slightly resembled grapes, they had thicker and less shiny skin. That’s when I saw the sign proclaiming, “hardy kiwi fruits, no need to peel.” I quickly bought a box and popped one of the kiwis into my mouth. The juicy fruit exploded with a flavor that was sweeter and more intense than the typical kiwi. Why hadn’t I seen or tried this fruit before? Since then, I’ve learned that the fruit’s poor shelf life limits its commercial sales. However, these plants are great fruiting vines to add to your garden if you live in growing zones 3 through 8. By planting and caring for a hardy kiwi vine, you can enjoy delicious kiwi berries for years to come. What is Hardy Kiwi? You’re probably familiar with the fuzzy kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) found in grocery stores nationwide. While the hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta) tastes a lot like this common fruit, it is smaller in size and lacks the namesake brown, fuzzy fibers. Instead, its smooth green or red fruits are about the size of a large grape, which makes them the perfect bite-sized snack. Due to the hardy kiwi’s short shelf life, it’s difficult to find these fruits in the United States. You may be able to snag a pint or quart of the kiwiberries at farmers’ markets, but the best way to enjoy these sweet and juicy fruits is to grow a plant at home. The perennial plants are woody twisting vines that grow between 10-20 feet each year. The plants begin bearing fruits in their third to fifth year and can continue producing kiwis over the next 20+ years. Characteristics The hardy kiwi, otherwise known as the kiwiberry, grape berry, or arctic berry, is a long-lived perennial vine that thrives in temperate environments. Since the plants are deciduous, they lose their leaves in the fall and regrow new foliage in the spring. Most vines grow anywhere from 10-20 feet each year and thrive on arbors and types of trellises. However, they can quickly develop into unruly plants if you forgo pruning and trellising. The plants produce flowers on new shoots in the spring. Most varieties are dioecious, which means male and female flowers occur on different plants. Only the female flowers can produce fruit, but each flower needs to be pollinated with pollen from a male flower. The clusters of kiwis ripen sometime in late summer or early fall, and a single, healthy plant can produce up to 100 pounds of fruit. Native Area The hardy kiwi originated in East Asia, in areas including Japan, Korea, northern China, and northeast Russia. While the plants can tolerate cold temperatures, they need to grow in a location with at least 200 frost-free days to produce fruit. Planting The best way to plant hardy kiwi is to transplant small seedlings after the last spring frost. Since most varieties produce male and female flowers on separate plants, make sure to plant at least one male plant for every eight female plants. Reputable plant nurseries will label male and female plants, making it easy to purchase the plants you need. The vines are susceptible to wind damage, so plant them in a slightly sheltered location. Make sure the location receives at least eight hours of daily light and has good drainage. Space individual plants ten feet apart and provide them with a supporting trellis. Once the plants begin to grow, select one to two shoots to train as stems. Loosely tie these shoots to a stake to prevent them from twisting and encourage them to grow straight up.

Cherry trees are surprisingly easy to grow for a home gardener and lovely trees to have as ornamental plants. In summer, your reward is the glistening, dark red fruits forming in clusters on long stalks. The fruit is sweet, firm, and ready to eat straight off the tree or harvested and baked into a cherry pie. In this article, gardening expert Wendy Moulton gives you tips on growing ‘Lapins’ cherry trees! Cherry blossoms on a spring day are a beautiful sight in any garden. The ‘Lapins’ cherry tree is ideal for its flowers, sweet fruit, and autumn foliage. Trim it for a compact tree that’s perfect for small gardens. Unlike many fruit trees, it’s self-pollinating. You only need one to grow delicious fruit! ‘Lapins’ cherries make excellent medium-sized trees for pots and containers, too. In this article, we break down the necessary planting and care notes. Then, all you need is the tree! What Is It? Prunus avium ‘Lapins’ is a hybrid cherry developed to increase the number of self-fertile hybrids on the market. It was named for and developed by Karlis Lapins, an immigrant from Latvia. While working at the Summerland Research Center in British Columbia, Canada, he developed the cherry into a late-maturing cross of ‘Van’, a hardy variety and prolific bearer of fruit, and ‘Stella,’ a cultivar used as a universal pollinator of other cherry trees. It was developed in 1971, but only released in 1983 after Lapins’ retirement. The tree, named in his honor, is more productive than many other commercial cultivars. Native Area Prunus avium, often called wild cherry, sweet cherry, or bird cherry, originated in Europe, Asia, and North Africa and became naturalized in North America. The ‘Lapins’ cherry was developed in an agricultural research center in British Columbia. You can also find it under the label ‘Cherokee’. Characteristics ‘Lapins’ is a vigorous grower and a productive tree that makes sweet, even-colored red cherries immune to splitting. The fruit has a mild, sweet taste that is good for fresh eating and cooking for jams and sauces. At the height of the harvesting season, the trees can produce 15-20 gallons of fruit. In spring, it further enhances the garden with fragrant white blossoms. This cherry was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Award of Garden Merit, one of only eight cultivars of cherries that have had the honor for their hardiness and general excellence in a fruit tree. This low-maintenance plant tolerates temperatures to -10°F (-23°C), and is considered hardy, and once established, is quite drought-tolerant. This tree is self-pollinating and doesn’t require any other cherry trees to set fruit. However, more than one cherry tree will increase yields. Planting Set your cherry trees into the garden in either autumn to set it up before spring or in spring to get a harvest the following season. Choose a position with enough space for the cherry to grow. It will grow up to 40 feet high if it is not pruned down to keep it compact, but in general, it will grow 15-20 feet high with a spread of 10-15 feet wide. Make sure that there are no other competing trees or buildings that will confine the space. The fruit will need sunlight in all parts of the tree to produce the best fruit. Dig a hole at least twice the width and at the same depth as the root ball. Enrich the dug-out soil with a load of compost mixed in. Plant the tree so the graft union is 2-3 inches above the soil and backfill with the enriched soil. As you add the soil, press the soil firmly down to remove any air pockets. This helps prevent any bacterial infections from getting to the roots. Make a basin around the tree to help direct water to the roots where needed most. Give the tree a good watering after planting before adding a layer of mulch to the area, making sure not to touch the tree trunk, which could cause infections.

‘Allstar’ is a highly productive, low-maintenance strawberry variety that backyard gardeners love. Its delicious berries and resistance to common strawberry diseases make it an easy pick to add to your garden wishlist every season. Join organic farmer Jenna Rich as she shows us how to plant, grow, and care for ‘Allstar’ June-bearing strawberries. Summer is almost upon us, and for me, nothing signals summer quite like strawberry plants beginning to blossom and set fruit. A summer day isn’t complete until I’ve picked and consumed a handful of fresh berries! ‘Allstar’ strawberry plants are vigorous and wildly productive, so I recommend this variety if you want to work berries into your everyday snacks like I do. They can grow in containers, raised beds, or ground. Get your jam and pie recipes ready; you’ll need them! Let’s talk about one of my, and so many other gardeners’, favorite strawberry varieties, the June-bearing ‘Allstar’. What Are ‘Allstar’ June-bearing Strawberries? ‘Allstar’ might as well come with a home gardening gold star. It’s beloved for its low-maintenance attitude, classic strawberry flavor, and high yields. Plus, it’s virtually disease-free! Fruits are big and juicy and ripen in early summer. Its thin skins make it perfect for fresh eating, desserts, and preserves. Unlike ever-bearing varieties that supply small to medium-sized fruits all season, ‘Allstar’ is June-bearing. This type of strawberry produces a main flush of large berries in peak summer, around June and July. They require a period of dormancy and grow well across zones. Appearance The plant features dense, medium to dark green, glossy foliage and grows to about nine inches tall and 12 inches wide. The flowers are white and five-petaled with yellow centers. The berries are bright orangeish-red, large, and plentiful. How to Grow ‘Allstar’ is relatively low-maintenance, but to be rewarded with delicious, large berries, the plants require a few basics. Sunlight Strawberry plants require full sun to grow properly, and yields will be best when they receive six to ten hours daily. Less sunlight may result in leaf drop and a decrease in productivity. Plants will appreciate some afternoon shade. Consider using shade cloth during periods of prolonged, harsh sunlight. Water The soil should be consistently moist but not waterlogged, and plants should receive at least an inch of water weekly. Root rot and disease spread quickly in soggy soil. Add compost to adjust soil consistency and help with drainage. Soil ‘Allstar’ strawberries require well-draining, loamy, and fertile soil. They’ll appreciate a healthy application of well-aged, organic compost worked in before planting. Plants can adapt to various soil types. Amend the soil until the pH is between 6 and 6.5. Mulch Mulch around your plants to reduce weed pressure, help retain soil moisture, and protect the crown from cool temperatures. If rainfall has been ample and the soil is exceptionally moist, hold off on mulching during the summer, as this could cause root and crown rot. Add several layers of organic straw mulch before the first fall frost heading into winter to protect plants from frost damage and cold temperatures. Remove any mulch put over the plants for winter protection to fertilize and clean up winter debris. Some gardeners choose to reapply mulch for the season, but it’s a personal preference. Climate and Temperature Requirements Before planting out, temperatures should be comfortably between 50°F (10°C) and 80°F (27°C). Excess humidity can cause disease, and cold temperatures may cause damage. If temperatures dip below 50°F (10°C) for a prolonged period, cover plants with row cover. The foliage of ‘Allstar’ is hardy enough to stick around into winter, creating a ground cover. Fertilizing Prepare the soil by mixing lots of well-aged compost and a potassium-rich fertilizer, spreading about ⅓ cup around each area where a plant will grow. Use a high-quality, all-purpose, well-balanced (10-10-10-) fertilizer on your strawberry plants. Feed new plants every two weeks with slow-release fertilizer. Follow the instructions and dosages as per the package instructions. Harvesting When berries begin ripening, get your harvest buckets ready in late spring to early summer. Harvest often to keep berries from spoiling and avoid picking early. Strawberries won’t ripen once off the vine. Pruning Pruning is unnecessary for strawberries; monitoring and removing runners will help control their spread. Runners will begin to appear in the spring as the day length increases. In year one, removing runners allows the plant to focus energy on establishing a solid root system. Propagation Propagating strawberry plants is fun and easy. Purchase bare roots from reputable sources, plugs, or plants at your local nursery, or create new plants by potting up runners you removed from established plants. You can even start them from seed!