Kiwi

January

Kiwi Vine Cut back females to 6' and males to 7', and remove all but 2 or 4 of the strongest stems for each. The second winter, head back female growth to 8-10 buds, and males to 1/2 that length (4-5).

February

March

Kiwi Vine - The buds, young shoots, and fruit of all species are very frost tender and need to be protected when temperatures fall below 30-degrees F for any length of time, in spring or fall. Cover at night to protect from frost damage, or use overhead sprinkling until temperatures surmount 32-degrees F. Frost-damaged fruit emit ethylene gas in storage, thereby hastening the softening of other fruit.

April

Kiwi Vine - Plant new Kiwi Vine seedlings purchased at the garden center or nursery, as soon as danger of frost is past and the soil is warm. You need a male and a female plant if you wish to get fruit.

On planting, prune the main stem back to 4-5 buds. The first summer allow the vine to grow freely. 

May

Kiwi Vine – If Kiwi Vines are growing in good soil containing lots of organic material, they need no feeding in the spring when the seedlings start growing.  In poor soils use a one cup of slow-release granular fertilizer per plant.

Optional task – Kiwi Vines grow best when mulched.  As soon as the Kiwi Vine seedlings are tall enough, spread a 2 or 3 inch layer of some organic material such as chopped leaves, dried grass or wood chips on the soil around the plants. 

June

Kiwi Vine - Kiwi vines can bear for 40-50 years. Yield and fruit size are optimized by light pruning and fruit thinning. Thin before flowers open to about 60 fruit/square yard.

July

Kiwi – Because this plant is so tender, it is difficult to get fruit for eating much north of zone 7.  In zone 6 this vine is an ornamental vine that will die back to the ground each year but keeping coming back; just no fruit since fruit grows on last year’s wood.

August

Kiwi Vine - Plant new Kiwi Vine seedlings purchased at the garden center or nursery anytime in September or October.

September

Kiwi Vine – Allow fruit to ripen on the vine until the first signs of softening; it should give with a little finger pressure. Clip hardy kiwi with some stem. Snap off fuzzy kiwi, leaving the stem on the vine. Even minor damage causes ethylene production. In dry climates, you can let the kiwi dry on the vine; they will become intensely sweet and keep about 6 weeks.

Fall is the best time to fertilize Kiwi Vine.  Give each plant about one cup of slow-release granular fertilizer, sprinkled around the base of the plant. 

October

Kiwi Vine - The buds, young shoots, and fruit of all species are very frost tender and need to be protected when temperatures fall below 30-degrees F for any length of time, in spring or fall. Cover at night to protect from frost damage, or use overhead sprinkling until temperatures surmount 32-degrees F. Frost-damaged fruit emit ethylene gas in storage, thereby hastening the softening of other fruit.

November

December