How to grow Kiwi Fruit

A comprehensive guide to growing this delicious fruit, including sun requirements, planting times, feeding, harvesting and troubleshooting tips.

Kiwi Fruit requires rich, well draining soil with plenty of compost and well rotted manure mixed in.

Plant Kiwi Fruit in a sunny position, sheltered from harsh winds. 

Whilst Kiwi Fruit is tolerant of frost, new growth is vulnerable to frost damage in spring and may require protection.

Plant Kiwi vines roughly 3-4m apart.

Late autumn or early spring is the best time to transplant most dormant plants. Plants, with the exception of bare-root, can be transplanted at anytime between when the ground thaws and when it freezes (so anytime if you are in a frost free climate). However, if transplanting in the heat of summer, you'll need to be diligent in watering and provide extra shade for your plant in the first few weeks after transplanting. 

Dig a hole 2-3 times the width of the root ball. The hole should allow the plant to sit at the same level in the soil as it was previously. Fill the hole with soil ensuring the crown of the plant, where roots and stem meet, is level with the soil surface. 

Plant out in the early morning or evening and/or on an overcast day. Avoid planting at peak sun times or on windy days, this will allow your plants to settle in comfortably and protect them from windburn and sunburn.  

Top-dress the soil around the base of the vine each spring and apply an organic fertiliser throughout the season.  

Add a 2 inch layer of mulch around the vine to retain soil moisture. 

Kiwi Fruit vines can take 2 or 3 years to produce their first fruit. Kiwi fruits are ripe when the fruit has reached full size and the seeds inside are black. If you are planning on storing your kiwi fruit, harvest while they are still firm as they will continue to soften off the vine.  

Pests that affect Kiwi Fruit include: Leaf Rollers, Spider Mites, Thrips, Boxelder Bugs, Nematodes, Japanese Beetles. 

Diseases that affect Kiwi Fruit include: Armillaria Root Rot, Bacterial Blight, Bleeding Canker, Crown Gall, Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot, Botrytis Fruit Rot. 

Kiwifruit Vines are dioecious, meaning a plant is either male or female. The male plants have flowers that produce pollen, while the females receive the pollen to fertilise and grow fruit. Two plants are needed for successful fruit set, one male and one female.

Some varieties such as the Kiwi Berry (a berry sized Kiwi Fruit) are self fertile, so only one plant is needed for successful fruit set. Check the plant labels before purchase to make sure.