Kiwi vine: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar

Plant your kiwi vine in spring when the soil is warming and easy to work. Choose a sunny position sheltered from wind, away from hollows where cold air collects. Young shoots are vulnerable to late frost. Allow several metres of space for this vigorous climber and install a strong pergola or securely anchored wires from the start.

Check the plant label before buying. A female plant usually needs a compatible male pollinator of the same species with an overlapping flowering period. A male plant alone does not produce fruit. If you only have room for one plant, choose a variety explicitly described as self-fertile rather than assuming all kiwi vines are.

Prepare fertile soil that drains freely. Moisten the root ball, dig a hole wide enough to accommodate it and set it at its original depth without burying the base of the stem. Backfill with soil, firm gently and water to settle the soil around the roots.

Tie the first shoots to the support with soft, loose ties. Mulch around the plant while keeping the stem clear. Monitor moisture as it establishes and protect young shoots if frost is forecast.

Before cutting, identify the trunk, permanent arms and younger shoots. Also check whether your kiwi vine is male, female or self-fertile: a male supplies pollen but does not bear fruit. On a young plant, concentrate on establishing this framework and tie the selected shoots to their support without constricting them.

On an established female or self-fertile vine, prune during dormancy, before growth resumes. Remove dead wood and crossing shoots. Gradually renew some of the older laterals that have fruited, while retaining well-positioned shoots from the previous year. Fruit develops on new shoots arising from that wood, so cutting everything back would remove part of the potential crop. Keep the trunk and main arms.

During active growth, shorten fruiting shoots to leave four or five leaves beyond the last fruit. Cut non-fruiting laterals back to about five leaves, except those selected to replace a branch. Avoid suddenly stripping away the foliage around the fruit.

For a male vine, wait until flowering has finished before substantially reducing its growth: cutting earlier would remove flowers needed for pollination. Thin older branches and retain young shoots to renew the wood that will flower later. Use clean, sharp secateurs to make your cuts.

Harvest fuzzy kiwifruit when they reach harvest maturity, usually in autumn depending on the variety and climate. They may still be firm, as softening continues after picking. Skin colour alone is not enough to decide. Cut a representative fruit to check that the seeds have turned black, then consider your variety’s harvest guidance and the weather.

Wait as long as conditions allow so the fruit can develop, but pick before a hard frost. Fruit picked too early may remain poor in quality even if they soften later. These guidelines apply to large, fuzzy kiwifruit; do not automatically use them for small, smooth-skinned kiwiberries.

Pick in dry weather, holding each fruit without squeezing and detaching it gently. Place kiwifruit in clean containers without throwing or crushing them. Sort the fruit and separate any that are injured or starting to decay from the batch intended for storage.

Keep firm fruit cool and check them regularly. To ripen a small batch, leave it at room temperature; placing an apple nearby can speed up the process. A kiwi ready to eat yields slightly to gentle pressure. Avoid ripening the whole harvest together if you want to spread out consumption.