How to Grow Kiwi Plants

Choose Your Kiwi Variety. Growing kiwi from seeds is an enjoyable activity and can result in a beautiful ornamental kiwi plant. However, a plant grown from seed may not always produce fruit identical to that of the parent plant. If you’re aiming to grow edible fruit, it’s recommended to purchase a grafted kiwi plant from a nursery. The main kiwi varieties include:

• Green Kiwi – This variety, known scientifically as Actinidia deliciosa, is commonly sold in supermarkets. The fruit is brown with a thick, fuzzy skin, and its flesh is bright green. To grow well, the plant needs to spend one month in cool temperatures ranging from -1 to 7°C. Green kiwi thrives in USDA hardiness zones 7 to 9.
• Yellow Kiwi – Another popular variety, the yellow kiwi (Actinidia chinensis) is sweeter and milder in flavor compared to the green kiwi. This variety is closely related to the green kiwi but has a smoother texture and yellow flesh. Yellow kiwi grows best in regions with cold winters, with temperatures between -12 to 1°C.
• Wild Kiwi – The term 'wild kiwi' refers to two different species: the hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta) and the extremely hardy kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta). The fruits of these plants are much smaller than both the green and yellow varieties. As their name suggests, wild kiwis are excellent at withstanding cold temperatures and can be grown in areas with harsh winters. These varieties sometimes produce fruit in just one growing season, unlike most other varieties that take several years to mature.

To obtain kiwi seeds, if you're planting the green variety, you only need to buy a kiwi from the supermarket. Some gardeners suggest that seeds from organically grown kiwis are more likely to sprout and the plants will be stronger. If you're interested in rare kiwi varieties, you can easily purchase seeds online from retailers at an affordable price.

• To extract seeds from a fresh kiwi, simply cut the fruit in half and scoop out the seeds using your hands or a spoon. Place the seeds in a small bowl or cup and rinse them to remove the fruit pulp. Stir the water in the bowl and strain it several times to collect the seeds.
• It's important to note that most people who grow kiwi purchase young plants from nurseries rather than starting from seeds. This is because nursery-grown plants tend to have more stable traits over generations. Additionally, most kiwi varieties require both a male and a female plant to produce fruit. Since it's difficult to differentiate male from female plants until they bloom – and that usually takes three or more years – it can be challenging to space the plants correctly for optimal pollination and fruiting.

To sow kiwi seeds, place them in a resealable plastic bag with a damp paper towel. Seal the bag and store it in a warm spot. Check the seeds daily until you see them begin to sprout.

• If the paper towel dries out before the seeds germinate, re-moisten it. The seeds need a humid environment to sprout successfully.

Once the seeds have sprouted, prepare a few pots with a damp planting mix suitable for newly sprouted seeds. Place 3 or 4 seeds per pot. Tear off a piece of paper towel with 3-4 sprouted seeds still attached, and bury the towel and seeds in the soil. Repeat the process for the remaining seeds.

Place the pots in a location where they will receive plenty of light. A windowsill is usually the best option, unless you have a basement with grow lights.

• Seedlings are particularly sensitive to the cold temperatures of winter, so many gardeners keep their kiwi plants indoors for the first two years.
• If the plants start outgrowing their pots, be sure to transfer them to larger containers. At this stage, you should also begin supplementing with a general-purpose fertilizer for young plants.

Find a good spot in the garden to plant your kiwi. Be sure to choose an area that offers the best growing conditions for the plant.

• Make sure there's enough space for the plant to grow.
• Kiwi plants thrive best under full sunlight or partial shade.
• Kiwi generally prefers slightly acidic soil with a pH range of 6.0 to 6.5. If your soil is alkaline, you can increase the acidity to create a more suitable environment for the kiwi plant.
• The soil should be moist but well-drained.

Build a sturdy trellis for the kiwi plant. Kiwi is a climbing vine that can grow up to 10 meters and is quite heavy. Like other climbing plants, kiwi thrives best on a trellis with vertical supports to help the plant grow and access more light.

• The vines of the kiwi plant can grow on most types of trellises, arbors, or fences.
• Kiwi growers typically use a wire trellis that stands about 2 meters tall, with T-shaped posts spaced 3-4 meters apart.

Plant the young kiwi plants. Planting kiwi is similar to other types of plants. The main difference is that each plant should be placed next to its own support post. Dig a hole for each plant that's slightly larger than the pot it's in. Gently lift each plant with its root ball and place it in the hole. Fill in the hole with loose, well-drained soil.

• Try not to disturb the roots too much to avoid shocking the plant.
• If you plan to grow fruiting plants, make the most of the space by planting as many as you can. When the plants flower – which could take up to 5 years – you’ll be able to identify the male and female plants and remove any excess plants.

Protect your kiwi plants from pests. Even if all other conditions are ideal, your kiwi plant may still be vulnerable to various pests. Kiwi plants, in particular, are highly susceptible while they are still young and not fully mature.

• The leaves of the kiwi plant can be very attractive to deer. Prevent deer from entering your garden by building a fence around the area or using a mesh fence around each plant.
• Cats also love kiwi leaves just like they love catnip. If you’ve ever grown catnip, you know how cats can wreak havoc on the plant. If there are many stray cats around your home, take steps to keep the cats out of your garden. Methods might include installing a fence, using wire mesh around each plant, or spraying a repellent.
• Unlike many fruit plants, kiwi plants are not prone to many pests, so pesticide spraying is usually unnecessary.

Tie the vine tendrils to the supporting posts. As your kiwi plant grows, the vines will stretch out. You need to train the vines to grow along the trellis by securing them to the structure. This step ensures that the plant will develop a strong "stem".

Prune the plant regularly. It's a good idea to trim your kiwi plant once a year. Remove any excess branches (vines with bark-like skin) and any lateral shoots that aren't supported by the trellis. Lateral shoots are branches that grow sideways. Kiwi vines won't be able to bear the weight of these shoots until they've reached the top of the trellis (especially with T-post systems). Once the vines reach the top, they can spread horizontally across the trellis.

• The best time to prune female kiwi plants is in late winter when the plant is dormant.
• You can prune male plants earlier, right after they bloom.

Thin out the male plants. Kiwi plants usually start flowering 4-5 years after planting. When they bloom, you can identify the male plants by their bright yellow flowers with pollen-filled anthers in the center. Female kiwi plants have sticky pistils (the stigma) in the center of the flower, with a white ovary at the flower's base. Since only female plants bear fruit, you only need one male plant to pollinate 8-9 female plants, rather than having an equal number of male and female plants. Remove the excess male plants and space out the remaining ones evenly.

Harvest the kiwi when the fruit is ripe. After a few years (or even within the same year for wild kiwi varieties), your kiwi plants will start producing fruit. At first, you may only harvest a small amount, but production will increase each year as the plants mature.

• Kiwi fruit typically ripens in September and October. If your region experiences frost after this period, you'll need to harvest early and allow the fruit to ripen in the fridge.
• Pick the kiwi by cutting the stem when the skin starts to change color (brown for green kiwi). Another way to check for ripeness is to harvest one fruit, cut it open, and check the seeds; if the seeds are black, the fruit is ripe.

• All types of kiwi generally require a climate with cool winters and warm summers.