Kiwi Flowers

Day 263: I'll admit my memory isn't as sharp as it was when I was in my thirties, and that's one of the reasons I maintain my blog, specifically as a handy reference for plant phenology. My head was telling me the kiwi vines were blooming late, but according to my records, they're right on time. I'm not seeing as many flowers as I think I should, but whether that is due to the odd too-hot-today, too-cold-tomorrow weather we've had all spring or to my radical pruning of the vines last fall can only be conjectured. It's possible there are more buds still to come. Today I clipped out the long, thick, non-productive canes to open the tangle to more sunlight, crucial for ripening the fruit if and when it sets. I'm still in the learning phases of hardy kiwi horticulture, and it seems every YouTube video suggests a different method to achieve the best crop.