Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa)
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Kiwifruit is a large, frost-sensitive, temperate zone vine that requires plenty of heat to mature the fruit properly. Kiwifruit do well when grown in warm sites on a trellis or arbor protected from the wind. Soil must be well drained but kept moist at all times. Kiwis can tolerate temperatures as low as 10°F in January but only if hardened off properly. Late spring frosts and especially early fall frosts in November will kill vines. Overhead frost protection is desirable. As noted below, fuzzy varieties are not as cold hardy as smooth skin varieties. Plant kiwis about 15 to 20 ft. apart. Kiwis are functionally dioecious. Successful fruit production requires a female cultivar and a male with viable pollen when the female is receptive. Vines leaf out in March, bloom occurs in May, and fruits are harvested in October and November.
Resources
- Kiwi Links, UC Fruit and Nut RIC
- [PDF] Kiwifruit Varieties for Planting in the Home Garden, Paul Vossen, Sonoma and Marin Co. UCCE
- Kiwifruit, California Rare Fruit Growers
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Last updated April 30, 2007