Skip to content 
Table of Contents
How to grow kiwi plant ?/how to plant kiwi fruit in India
To grow a kiwi plant firstly choose a well-grafted variety of kiwi fruit plants or you can grow kiwi from seed too. Variety is either male, female, or self-pollination. For 8-9 female plants required 1 male plant that helps in pollination. You can read in-depth about Kiwi fruit pollination. after that selecting a suitable site for the plantation, requires well-drained soil and full sunlight.
You can plant kiwi in late winter to early spring. Soil should be rich in organic matter and maintain a pH level between 5.5 to 7.0. Kiwi are vigorous climbing vines that require support and cover large spaces. provide support to climb the vines such as fence or trellis.
Water regularly to maintain the moisture level. Don’t waterlog the soil. You can use balanced fertilizer during the growing season. Kiwi plants are vigorous climbing vines so they require pruning to manage the growth and fruiting of the plant. With proper care, the kiwi plant will produce fruit after 3-4 years.
How to plant kiwi fruit from seeds
Select a well-ripened kiwi fruit. One kiwi can have an average of 1000-2000 seeds. Extract the seeds from the kiwi. Remove the pulp and extra residue on the seeds. Kiwi seeds have a hard outer coat which prevents them from early germination. You can scarify the seed with the help of sandpaper. Select the healthy seeds and soak them for 24 hours to increase the rate of germination.
Take a pot or seeds tray and fill it with loam soil or well-drained soil. Place the kiwi seeds on the soil, spacing them from each other, and cover these seeds with a thin layer of soil but don’t bury them too in depth. Maintained the moisture level of the soil but didn’t water-logged the soil.
Keep the pot or seed tray in a warm and bright location. Kiwi seeds take a week to several months for germination. so keep patient and maintain the moisture level of the soil in the meantime. after sprouting of seeds into 2-3 leaves transplant the kiwi plant into a large pot or the garden.
What does a kiwi plant look like /how does kiwi plant look like
The kiwi fruit plant is a vigorous vine plant or climbing shrub. it can climb up to 15.30 feet and it can go up to 5-10 feet long. Kiwi vin have large-hearted-shaped leaves with vibrant green color. Kiwi vines have novel shapes brown color green pulp and have back seeds.
Kiwi plants are dioecious which means kiwi have male and female plants. Male Kiwi flowers are small in size and creamy white and the center of the flower is yellowish due to yellow pollen grains.
What is root rot: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention
Female kiwi flowers are generally larger as compared to male flowers, they have a creamy white flower color and greenish hue. The bark of the kiwi vine is smooth and brownish-gray in color.
can kiwi plants be grown in pots?
Yes, we can grow kiwi plants in a big size pot filled with well-drained soil with having pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Place the pot in that location which receives 5-6 hrs of sunlight. Kiwi vines require support like a trellis or other support structure. Maintain the moisture content in the pot by regularly watering the plant but don’t overwater. So yes we can grow kiwi plants in the pot with proper care.
can kiwi plants survive winter?
Yes, kiwis survive the winter season. It varies from variety to variety and location to location. Generally, kiwi requires a warm temperature below 95°F/35°C from bloom to harvest time. but in the winter time, kiwi requires a certain number of chilling hrs (depending on the type of variety) to break their dormancy .arguta variety can survive up to -25 degrees F. (-30 °C ) but kolomikta variety of kiwi can withstand the temperatures up to -40 degrees F. (-40 °C ).
can you grow a kiwi plant indoors?
Yes, we can grow a kiwi plant indoors by following the steps mentioned below:-
- Select the larger size of the pot which has a depth of more than 2 feet and a diameter above one and a half feet.
- Kiwi vines are vigorous so choose a less vigorous variety. Or you can maintain the height and length of kiwi vines by pruning them.
- Kiwi vines require support to climb or travel in length. You have to build a support system as per your space available.
- Place the pot in a warm area where the temperature is between 10°C to 29°C. Place the pot in a location that receives plenty of sunlight. Generally, kiwis thrive for 6-8 hrs of sunlight for their growth.
- Maintain the moisture content. You can give the fertilization to the kiwi plant in late winter or early springtime.
do kiwi plants need full sun?
Yes, kiwis thrive in the full sun, kiwi need warm climates from bloom to harvest. Kiwi can withstand temperatures up to 5°F/35°C. Generally, kiwis prefer warm temperatures so yes kiwis need full sun.
how much sun does a kiwi plant need
Kiwis need daily 6-8 hours of sunlight for their vigorous growth and to produce the fruit. Without proper sunlight, it can’t produce much fruit and develop vigorously. In hotter regions, partial shade can be helpful for the plant to prevent stress on the plant.
how tall does a kiwi plant grow
Kiwi is a vigorous shrub or vine. it can climb up to 15.30 feet and it can go up to 5-10 feet long.
Are kiwi self-pollinating
No, generally kiwi are not self-pollinating. Kiwi requires both male and female plants to produce fruit because they are dioecious. However, there are some self-pollinating parties like Issai Self Fertile Hardy Kiwi and Actinidia deliciosa Jenny.
Where to buy kiwi fruit plants
You can get various varieties of kiwi fruit plants like Abbott, Allison, Bruno, Hayward, Monty, and Tomuri from your local nursery. Various online platforms can provide the plant to your home. It varies from location to location.
so you have to find out the local nursery provider number or you can google the platform that can deliver the plant to your home as per your preferences.
How often to water kiwi plants
Generally, kiwi plants require moist soil. Watering the kiwi plant depends on various factors as mentioned below
- Watering depends on the type of soil. Kiwi plants don’t like waterlogged soil. Allow a few inches of soil to dry out between watering to prevent the plant from root rot.
- During hot weather, kiwi plants may require frequent watering to prevent dehydration.
- Newly planted vines of kiwi plants require frequent water to establish roots. Mature kiwis plants are more drought-resistant.
- a layer of mulch around the base of the kiwi plant can maintain the moisture content and that plant requires less watering.
How to make kiwi plant at home
You can make a kiwi plant at home by extracting seeds from the ripe kiwi various steps to be followed as mentioned below :
- Select a healthy ripened kiwi fruit and extract the healthy seeds
- Remove the pulp and extra residue on the seeds and wash it thoroughly
- The outer layer of seeds is very hard which delays the process of germination. So Soak the seed for 24 hrs.
- Take pot or seed trays filled with loam soil or well-drained soil.
- Place the seed on the soil surface, and keep the seeds individually from each other to maintain the distance from each other.
- Pour a thin layer of soil to cover the seed and maintain the moisture level of the soil by watering it softly.
- Seeds take time to germinate between a week to several months.
- After germination and development of healthy 2-3 leaves transplant the plant into a larger pot or in the garden.
After following these set you can grow a kiwi plant at home.
Do male kiwi plants produce fruit?
No, male plants don’t produce fruit only female plants produce fruit. Male plants produce pollen that has pollen grains which help the female flower to be fertile. When the pollen grains of a male plant flower come in contact with the female stigma this process is called pollination and will help in producing fruits in the female kiwi plant. 6-8 female kiwi plants required one male plant to produce fruit.
How to pollinate kiwi plants
- General insect-like honey bees play an important role in pollination as an agent to transfer pollen grains from male flower to female stigma. But kiwi flowers do not have much nectar so bees don’t attract much. So this method of pollination generally does not follow.
- The second method is the transfer of pollen through wind which also is not an efficient way of pollination.
- The third and most effective way of pollination is hand pollination or artificial pollination.
How to manually pollinate kiwi?
Artificial pollination like hand pollination is more efficient. Here is a method to do this type of pollination as mentioned below:-
- During bloom time identify the male and female flowers.
- Male flowers have pollen grains. Collect these pollen grains in a container with the help of suction equipment, by gently shaking the flower, use a brush or cotton swab to collect the pollen
- Transfer these pollen grains to the stigma of the female flower by brushing this pollen on the stigma, sprinkling or spraying this pollen to the stigma of the female flower. So that pollen can come in contact with the female stigma.
- You have to repeat this process for several days so that every female flower can come in contact with male pollen so that the fertilization process can be done and that results in the production of fruit.
Do kiwi plants need a pollinator?
Yes, kiwi plants need a pollinator. kiwi plants are dioecious which means they have separate male and female plants. For the fertilization process, the male flower pollen grain is required to come into contact with the female flower stigma. So this pollen transfer process happens by wind, by insects, and by human intervention like hand pollination as mentioned above.
How long do kiwi plants take to fruit?
On seed grown plant it requires 3-7 years to produce fruit. It takes more time for the seed to grow, to develop the root, and to reach the maturity of the plant. Generally, seed-growing plants take more time as compared to grafted plants. Grafted on rootstock can take 2 to 5 years to produce fruits, it also depends on the variety of grafted plants, the age of the graft, and growing conditions.
How to tell male and female kiwi plants apart
The most reliable method for the identification of male and female plants is by examining the flowers. you can distinguish the male and female plants through various aspects . as mentioned below:-
Trifolium repens or White clover: How to grow & health benefits
- Male kiwi flowers have thin stamens topped with pollen grains of yellow color while female kiwi flowers have peripheral stamens but they are sterile and don’t produce pollen. Female flowers have stigmas projecting outward beyond the stamens.
- Male plants produce more flowers as compared to female kiwi flowers.
- Male kiwi vines are vigorous in nature as compared to female kiwi vines but this identification method is less reliable.
- When the kiwi plant starts to produce fruit you can identify the male and female plants because male plants don’t produce fruit only female plants produce it.
when do kiwi plants flower
Generally, kiwi flowers bloom in late spring to early summer depending on the specific variety and climate conditions. When the temperature warms up and the day length increases during that time the kiwi plant begins to bloom.
If you are interested in reading more about the kiwi male and female kiwi flowers and pollination in kiwi, you can read this article Kiwi fruit pollination.
can we plant kiwi in India?
Yes in India we can grow kiwi plants if the mean sea level of the planting site is between 900 to 1600 meters and can experience 700-800 chilling hrs. The fruit is successfully growing in the states of Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, and the hills of Tripura.
Growing of kiwi can be affected in warmer areas where temperatures can go above 35 degrees Celsius. Kiwi required various climate conditions as discussed briefly below.
how far apart should Kiwi be planted?
how far apart to plant kiwi vines? Kiwi is a vigorous vine plant and it requires the center-to-center distance between plants to be about 10-12 feet (3-3.5 meters). This spacing is adequate for spreading out of vines as they are vigorous. Proper space is required for easy access to maintenance pruning pest control harvesting and other activities. Tight spacing can cause a lack of nutrients and lack of sunlight to the plants.
What are the climatic conditions to grow kiwi fruit plants?
Kiwi fruit can grown in those areas that experience a certain number of chilling hrs (at or below 7 degrees Celsius temperature in wintertime) depending on varieties to varties. 150 cm/year Rainfall is sufficient or kiwi fruit. Kiwi are vine plants and cannot withstand strong wind and frost in growing periods.
Kiwi plants prefer fully sunny locations. Don’t go for shady areas. It prefers warm and humid climates. The ideal temperature for growing kiwi is between 50°F/10°C to 86°F/30°C. Temperature during summer time more than 95°F/35°C can cause leaves to scorch or sunburn.
Air Layering Fruit Trees | Clone a fruit tree by Air Layering method
Higher temperatures can create a problem for growing kiwi plants in those areas where the temperature can go above 95°F/35°C in summer. Kiwi plants require well-drained soil or prefer loam soil ideally for cultivation, having pH values between 5.5 to 7.0.
When to plant kiwi/When to sow kiwi plant
We can sow kiwi plants in the month of late January to March which means late winter to early spring. It also depends on your local climate condition. In winter time kiwi plants are in dormant stages and they start their new growth in early springtime.
Kiwi seed can be sown from late January to March month (Late winter to early spring). This timing is suitable for the seed to germinate to form a plant.
do kiwi plants lose leaves in winter?
Yes, kiwi plant shed their leaves in winter. It’s a natural process of many temperate fruit trees and plants, in the autumn season as the temperature drops kiwis prepare for dormancy by dropping the leaves . In the dormant period, plants save their energy and go through a sleep phase until conditions become favorable for newer growth in the springtime.
do you need 2 kiwi plants to get fruit?
Generally, most of the kiwi varieties are dioecious means they have male and female plant. Male plants play an important role in pollination. So yes we need one male plant for 6-8 female plants. However, some varieties do not require male plants they are self-fertile varieties.
how big does a kiwi plant get
Kiwi is a vigorous shrub or vine. it can climb up to 15.30 feet and it can go up to 5-10 feet long.
how to care for kiwi plant
To care for kiwi plants, plant kiwi in well-drained soil, provide full sunlight, and maintain moisture content. Prune annually to maintain shape and control its vigorous size to promote fruit production. Protect it from frost in early spring and provide fertilizer in the springtime. Train the vines according to your support structure . Provide safety from pests and disease.
how to fertilize kiwi plants
Provide balanced fertilizer to the kiwi plant in early spring before new growth starts. Fertilizer should be provided around the plant. Avoid direct contact of fertilizer to the plant. Water thoroughly to spread the nutrients.
are kiwi plants toxic to dogs?
It is better to keep the kiwi plant away from the dogs and other pets because the presence of a substance called actinidin, can cause digestion upset, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain to the dog if ingested in large amounts.
Top 10 health benefits of dragon fruit?
