Vines perform best in full sun, but on such sites they tend to break dormancy too early in the spring, when late frosts can damage new growth. Planting them with a northern exposure delays early growth and minimizes this risk. Early fall frosts can also cause damage, so avoid planting in frost pockets. Plants usually regrow if damaged by spring frost, but this will delay fruit development. The succulent growth is also susceptible to wind damage and hot, dry conditions. Protected, moderate microclimates are best, as kiwi also do not like sudden changes in temperatures.
Planting
Plant kiwifruit 10 feet apart in mid-May, or after the danger of frost is past. Plant one male for every nine females. Plants require frequent watering from the time they are transplanted. It is important to select one or two new canes and train them to grow vertically. Do not allow them to twist around the support pole or wire.
Trellising
Kiwifruit require a trellis or other support structure. Set trellis posts 10 feet apart. Trellis wire should have 300 pounds of tension. Kiwifruit trellises are usually in the shape of a T, with the cross-arm about 7 ft. off the ground, and about 7 wires across the 5-foot-long crossarm. Train the main cane up the pole to the height of the cross-arm, then train arms along the center wire. Laterals grow from these arms and can be tied to the outside wires. (Fastening them can help keep them from breaking off, especially on windy sites.) The fruit hang down through the trellis wires where they are easy to harvest.
Pruning and mulching
Pruning is necessary both during the dormant
season and during the growing season. Two or three times during summer, cut non-flowering laterals back to the outside wire on the trellis. Trim flowering shoots back to 4 to 6 leaves beyond the last flower. In the dormant -season, remove canes that fruited last season, as well as dead, diseased or tangled cane. Keep the best one-year-old lateral canes that haven't fruited, spaced about a foot apart along the arms. Trim them back to about eight buds. Plants benefit from a thick layer of organic mulch, which helps control weeds, adds organic matter to the soil, and aids in moisture retention. Protect the trunks of young vines from cracking in cold temperatures by wrapping them with cloth or painting them with white latex paint.
Fertilization
Do not fertilize kiwifruit the year of planting. In early spring of the second year, spinkle 2 ounces of 10-10-10 around each plant. Increase this amount by 2 ounces each year until the plants are receiving 8 ounces, then do not exceed this amount.
Harvest
Kiwifruit will not reach maturity and flower until about their fifth year. Fruit matures in October, which is -after the date of the first frost in many northern regions. For this reason it is difficult to harvest vine-ripened fruit. Fruits will ripen in the refrigerator, but their storage life is much shorter than that of the commercially available kiwifruit. Flavor is better, however, in the fuzzless hardy kiwifruit. For more information, see Oregon State University's Kiwifruit Production page.
Last updated 10/20/2015 10:15:04 © Copyright, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University.
For more information contact Roger at [email protected] or call me at 607-535-7161