How to Plant Kiwi Fruit

Kiwis are an exotic fruit that are also nutritious.

The perennial kiwi fruit, otherwise known as Actinidia deliciosa, is native to parts of China and New Zealand, but can usually grow wherever citrus trees thrive. After creamy white flowers bloom the green fruit matures, and is sweet, sour and a source of potassium and vitamins C, A and E. The fruit's seeds are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. The healthiest outdoor kiwi fruit plants grow hardy to zone 5. Since kiwi fruit seeds must have almost a year with no frost, it is easiest to obtain a kiwi fruit transplant from a reputable nursery to transplant outdoors in the spring, rather than grow from seeds.

Things You'll Need

• Kiwi fruit transplants in 5-gallon container
• Shovel
• Water
• Trellis
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Obtain kiwi fruit transplants from a nursery that are in a 5-gallon container for its first season. Keep the plant indoors until you plant them outdoors in the spring season, if you have temperatures at all that drop below freezing. Keep the kiwi fruit in partial to full sunlight, and keep the soil regularly moist, but never soaked.

2. Choose a planting site in spring season in a sunny area with partial shade. Dig a hole that is twice as wide as the root ball, but just as deep. The soil needs to be well-draining and rich, with an ideal pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Add a layer of rich compost in the bottom of the hole. For multiple plants, space 4 to 5 feet apart.

3. Slide the kiwi fruit transplant carefully out of the 5-gallon container and shake off excess soil. Place it in the hole. Backfill the soil around the base, tamping it down firmly.

4. Prune the stem back after planting two buds. In the future, you will choose the larger of the two to be the main trunk that will be secured to a trellis.

5. Water the kiwi fruit so it is regularly moist, but not excessively. For dry, hot conditions, you may need to water daily. It is important that during the first year the roots never dry out.

6. Stake the kiwi fruit plant after it has become established, late in the first year of transplanting. Loosely tie the main stem to the pole, as the vines need to have support for optimum growth.

7. Mulch around the base to help retain moisture in the warmer months.

References

• California Rare Fruit Growers: Kiwifruit Facts
• USAGardener.com: Growing Kiwi
• Kiwi-Fruit.info