The hardy kiwi vine is a relative of the cold-pressed vine that produces the familiar kiwi fruit (about the size of a large grape) sold in grocery stores.
Like its warm-weather cousin, the hardy kiwi produces sweet, edible fruits that are smaller than a traditional kiwi and can be eaten whole, unpeeled.
The vigorous kiwi appears in landscapes primarily for its attractive, heart-shaped leaves. It grows well on trellises, fences, pergolas, and other structures.
Hardy kiwis should be planted in the spring after all danger of frost has passed. It will create a visual impact in its first season; However, you need to wait at least three years before a vigorous kiwi produces fruit to harvest.
Hardy Kiwi Fine Care The vigorous kiwi vine is native to East Asia but will grow well just about anywhere with proper care and plenty of sun.
When growing this plant for foliage, shade, or fruit (or all three), train the vine on a sturdy support structure, such as a trellis, arbor, pergola, or fence.
It can be manipulated to form a broad canopy or branched out horizontally in an expressive form.
When growing kiwi vines for fruit, be sure to plant both male and female plants (you need at least one male for every eight female plants) or choose a self-pollinating variety.
Keep in mind that the vine usually does not bear fruit for at least three years, and sometimes, depending on your circumstances, five to nine years.
This hardy, fast-growing vine is rarely invasive, yet it can dominate shrubs and young trees if left unchecked.
the light The vigorous kiwi vine can tolerate a wide range of light conditions from sun to shade, but to produce flowers and fruit, this plant needs full sun conditions. In varieties with variegated leaves, the full sun also produces excellent color results.
water Keep the soil around the newly planted kiwi constantly moist until it holds together.
Hardy kiwis depend on at least an inch of rain every 10 days, especially soon after planting. If your climate provides for it, supplemental water is usually not necessary. Weekly watering is recommended during periods of dry or dry weather.
About a gallon of water per plant, delivered via drip irrigation, should do the trick. Soil Plant kiwi vines in a rich, well-drained, loamy soil. While some experts recommend planting in poor soil to control overgrowth, most vines do best in garden beds amended with organic matter, such as compost or manure.
Hardy kiwis do best in the soil where the pH is around 6.5. temperature and humidity Unlike its warm-weather cousin, the hardy kiwi can survive winter in most areas but is susceptible to early-season frost damage.
For this reason, choose a planting site that is not in a frost pocket or exposed to very cold winds in the spring. However, once it reaches dormancy, the plant can tolerate temperatures as low as -25 degrees Fahrenheit.
On the other hand, temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit or higher can cause leaf burns and heat stress. Fertilizer This powerful vine requires little to no feeding.
Three inches of compost each spring to the base of the plant provides all the nutrients needed for the season. You can choose from a variety of products suitable to give the fruiting plant what it needs, such as aged mushroom compost, aged compost, or a mixture of decaying pine bark and aged compost.
Hardy kiwi varieties Any variety of vigorous kiwi vine will make your landscape efforts pop, but choosing the right variety for you depends on your growth goals, and your desired aesthetic.
Choose a self-pollinating variety if the fruit is your main focus or a variety with variegated foliage to blend in with other perennials.
Actinidia purpurea x Melanandra 'Kins Red' is a late woody cultivar that, unlike other cultivars, produces red-purple fruit. It is hardy in USDA zone 4. Once the plant is mature, it can produce 100 kiwis in one season.
pruning It is best to prune kiwi vines in winter to encourage fruit production. In the first year after planting, select the strongest and strongest variety, considering it the perennial stem.
Cut other branches to encourage strength in the stem. Prune as needed during the summer to remove very long shoots or overgrown sections. Before winter, prune the stems, leaving only 8 to 10 knots in each.
Promotion of hardy kiwi wine Vigorous kiwi propagation from cuttings is the preferred method, as the cuttings produce offspring of the same sex as the parent plant.
Gardeners who grow kiwi for fruit can easily choose the male and female cuttings if they already know the gender of the parent.
Here's how to propagate a hardy kiwi vine from cuttings: Combine gloves, gardening shears, and a 4-inch pot with a mixture of potting soil, vermiculite, and rooting hormone powder.
During typical summer pruning, select cuttings of softwood 5 to 8 inches long, 1/2 inch in diameter, and snip them just below the leaf node. Remove the leaves from the bottom of the clip, leaving only one bunch on top.
Make a hole in the center of the pot. Dip the cutting in rooting powder and put an inch of it in the hole; Reload it to set. Water the pot and let it drain completely, then move it to a warm, sunny indoor location (preferably a greenhouse). Rooting should occur within six to eight weeks.
Plant your cutting outside when it is 4 feet tall. How to grow a hardy kiwi vine from seed Most gardeners choose not to grow kiwi vines from seed, especially if they are expecting fruit.
Growing from seed does not guarantee the sex of the new plant, and it is disappointing to end up with plants of only one sex.
However, you can still grow a self-pollinating variety from seed if you are willing to mimic the conditions necessary for stratification. To do this, remove the seeds from the fruit, rinse the pulp and dry it on paper towels for two days.
Next, place the seeds in a resealable plastic bag with a moist seed starting mixture, and refrigerate for up to four months, mixing in the mixture as needed.
In the spring, plant the seeds in a seed tray filled with moist soil and place them in a sunny window until they sprout. Thin seedlings, then continue to mulch the soil and grow the strongest plants until the last frost has passed. At this point, you can plant them outside in a prepared garden bed.
