Commonly known as kiwi or Chinese gooseberry, and native to certain areas of China, kiwi needs a long growing season of at least 240 frost-free days and winter temperatures no lower than 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Kiwi plants need to acclimate to cold slowly because sudden temperature drops can split its bark while late freezes cause damage to buds, according to the California Rare Fruit Growers. Moreover, kiwifruit varieties have different requirements of chill days, or total hours between 32 and 45 degrees F.
Purchase a pair of kiwi plants from a local nursery. Kiwi plants require cross fertilization, so be sure to buy at least one male and one female plant. If you want more than two, plant at a ratio of 8 females to 1 male to ensure adequate cross-pollination and fruit set.
- Purchase as many pairs of cedar posts as you have plants. Also acquire as many 8-foot lengths of garden wire as you have plants.
- Pick a sunny location, protected from strong winds, where the kiwi plants have space to grow across a trellis system. Kiwi prefers well-drained, slightly acid soil with a pH of 5.0 to 6.0 that is rich in organic material.
- Build two single wire trellis systems by digging two pairs of 3-foot-deep holes 8 feet apart to hold the redwood posts for each plant. Mix the cement and water in the wheelbarrow, according to the directions on the bag, and pour it into the holes. Place a redwood post in each hole and let the cement harden. Run wire across each pair of posts and anchor to the posts with fence staples.
- Dig holes for the kiwi plants, making sure to dig each hole large enough to avoid bending the roots but no deeper than needed. Mix mulch into the soil, but do not add fertilizer as the roots are sensitive to fertilizer burn.
- Plant the kiwifruit and cover with soil. Do not mound the soil up around the kiwi plant. Water the plants well and keep the soil around the plants moist but not soggy to avoid root rot.Prune shoots to train the kiwi vine.
- Apply nitrogen-rich fertilizer during the first half of the growing season.
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