2024 Kiwiberry Installation 3 - Planting

Kiwiberry Installation - Variety Selection

Kiwiberry varieties were selected in conversation with Danny Hartmann (Hartmann's Plant Company) and Iago Hale (Hale Lab, University of New Hampshire, UNH).  They both strongly recommended Geneva 3 as the likeliest variety for this area.  They also mentioned Hardy Red as a red variety of note.  Also available (and planted for the sake of comparison and testing) were Ken's Red, Cheng Bai Mountain, and Anna (MSU was not chosen for this study because it was not available at the time of original planting).  These were all female plants, and male pollenizers needed to be chosen per the recommendations published by Nor-east Kiwiberries, an excellent and thorough production guide from the Hale lab at UNH that can be found here <https://www.noreastkiwiberries.com/production-guide/>.  We selected Optiz, Fairchild, Meader, and Clark for genetic variety.  The final plant trial layout is shown below.

There are 4 rows (KA-KD) of 9 plants each.  Male varieties are highlighted for reference.  Row KA is the southernmost row, with rows running west to east.  Black lines represent the inline trellis post placement.  Rows will be numbered 1-9 from left to right (west to east).

6 males and 30 females were planted (to maintain the1:6 ratio recommended by UNH for optimal pollen availability).  We tried to randomize the variety placement so that location effect could be minimized.  This UNH thesis suggests the following layout for male and female plants in Figure 19 (Hastings, W., "Growing Kiwiberries in New England: A Guide for Regional Producers", Master's Degree Thesis, University of New Hampshire, 2018).

The planting site is a north-facing slope with the two Anna's in KA at the highest end of the slope and the two Geneva's in KD at the lowest end of the 7-8 ft total elevation change (per county topographic maps, shown with the apple trees that were removed from the site in order to plant the kiwiberries).

A topographic map of the ~100 foot by 40 foot planting site is in the black rectangle.

Modified Hügelkultur Approach

It is worth noting that site preparation after the removal of an orchard normally involves the uprooting of existing trees (physically removing the roots from the ground by pushing the trees over and then burning the roots).  At this site, in order to minimize soil disturbance and add carbon to the soil, we decided to grind the stumps to below ground level.  It should be noted that the stump sites during year one did send up shoots that were continually mowed down with a conventional mower during normal maintenance.  We will record notes about how well this works going forward, especially as regards apple shoot control via mowing.

Hügelkultur is a German practice that involves mounding soil on top of large pieces of wood to support fungal dominance in the soil.  Our approach is modified because instead of mounding soil for a raised bed garden, the existing apple tree roots will die and leave behind woody residue in situ.