Hardy Kiwi / Kiwi Berry 15+ Seeds Edible Fruit Vine

Growing Hardy Kiwi / Kiwi Berries

You need a heavy duty, well-anchored trellis.  These fast growers can grow 50cm a year and can bear 20+ kilograms of fruit per plant. Proper pruning in winter can increase your harvest, while summer pruning keeps the vine size under control.

Space plants 1.5 meters apart. You want no more than 6 females per male vine to ensure good pollination. Fruiting starts about 3-5 years after planting.

Sun exposure recommendations are confusing. Commercial growers plant cold hardy kiwi like grapes in a vineyard in full sun in open fields. The University of Minnesota, however, advises placing them on the north side or east side of a building or group of trees where they will have afternoon shade and protection from winter sunshine. In the home garden in zones 4-5, I would follow the universitys direction for best fruit production in a small space.

Kiwi vines need good air circulation and loose, humus-rich, well-drained soil with 5.5-7.5 pH and excellent moisture retention. Make sure the roots dont dry out drought-stress causes undersized fruit and berry drop and makes them prone to winter injury. Mulching them with 10cm of wood chips helps maintain consistent moisture.

While not prone to insect damage, you will need to protect your kiwi berries from rabbits from late fall through spring when their food sources are scarce. Some 10cm tall woven wire fencing secured to step-posts is a great seasonal protector. They are also pretty disease free unless your soil has poor drainage or you water them too much, which causes root rot issues.

Hardy Kiwis are famed for there health benefits and are an easy to grow fruit tree that is an asset to any large sized garden.