How to Grow Kiwis: A Complete Guide for Home Gardeners

Kiwi is a vine fruit you can grow at home with the right variety, a sturdy support, and both a male and a female plant for pollination. It belongs to the genus Actinidia (family Actinidiaceae), which contains 36 species spread across the Himalayas, Eastern Asia and South-East Asia. Some species also grow on Sakhalin, in the Primorye region and on the southern Kuril Islands.

Where does kiwi come from and how was it named?

Kiwi is a relatively new crop, developed by plant breeders in New Zealand from the wild species Actinidia chinensis (Chinese gooseberry). The original breeding material — seed collected from natural thickets — was brought from China, the plant's true place of origin in Eastern Asia. New Zealanders liked the exotic fruit so much that they named it "kiwi" after their beloved national bird, which is found only in New Zealand. The name was a marketing decision that helped the fruit succeed worldwide.

The kiwi is not only a fruiting plant but also an attractive ornamental vine. It carries large reddish-green leaves 6–17 cm long and 5–15 cm wide, and white, golden-yellow or orange flowers 4–6 cm across. The plant is a climbing vine rather than a tree, which is why it must be trained on a trellis like a grapevine.

What kiwi varieties and species can you grow?

Kiwi varieties fall into three main botanical groups within the genus Actinidia, each with different fruit size and cold tolerance. Choosing the right one for your climate is the single most important decision before planting.

• Fuzzy kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa): the familiar supermarket fruit with brown, hairy skin. Its fruit is large — depending on the cultivar, individual fruits weigh from 40–60 g up to 120–150 g — and the stems, leaves and fruit are covered in a rusty down. Fuzzy kiwi suits mild regions and is grown commercially in New Zealand, Italy, Chile, California and the Pacific Northwest. Leading cultivars include Hayward, a late-ripening, large-fruited standard, along with Abbott, Allison, Bruno and Monty.
• Hardy kiwi / kiwiberry (Actinidia arguta): grape-sized, smooth-skinned fruit eaten whole, far more cold-tolerant than fuzzy kiwi. Cultivars include Issai (a partly self-fertile hardy kiwi), Jenny, Ken's Red and Weiki.
• Arctic kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta): the toughest species, surviving very cold winters and prized for variegated foliage as well as small, sweet fruit.

The seed of all these species is extremely fine: 1,000 seeds weigh only 1–1.5 g, which is why most growers buy named, grafted plants rather than starting from seed.

What climate and USDA hardiness zones does kiwi need?

Kiwi is a moisture-loving and warmth-loving crop that is very sensitive to spring and autumn frosts, although during dormancy it tolerates temperatures down to about −10 to −15 °C. Fuzzy kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) is best suited to roughly USDA hardiness zones 7–9, while hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta) and arctic kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta) extend cultivation into colder zones — hardy kiwi to about zone 4 and arctic kiwi colder still.

Most kiwi require a period of winter chilling — a set number of hours below about 7 °C, known as chill hours — to break dormancy and fruit well; fuzzy kiwi typically needs several hundred chill hours. Late spring frosts are the main danger because they damage tender new growth and open flowers, so frost protection — choosing a sheltered, well-drained site, avoiding frost pockets, and covering young vines on cold nights — is essential where late frosts occur.

Do you need both male and female kiwi plants?

Kiwi plants are dioecious, meaning each vine is either male or female, so you generally need both to get fruit. Only female vines produce fruit, but they must be pollinated by a nearby male. A common ratio is one male for every six to eight females. For fuzzy kiwi, the male cultivar Tormuri (Tomuri) is the standard pollinator for the female Hayward; named pairings such as a Tomuri male kiwi vine with a Vincent female kiwi vine are sold for this purpose. Male and female flowers can be distinguished on close inspection: male flowers carry prominent pollen-bearing stamens, while female flowers have a sticky central ovary surrounded by white, often non-functional stamens. Self-fertile cultivars such as Issai can set some fruit alone but crop more heavily with a male present.

How do you propagate kiwi from seed or cuttings?

Kiwi can be propagated by grafting, by green or hardwood cuttings, and by seed, with cuttings being the most reliable way to keep a known variety. Vegetatively propagated plants begin to fruit at about 4 years old, while seedlings do not fruit until the 6th or 7th year — and seedlings are an unknown mix of male and female.

To grow kiwi from seed, scoop the tiny black seeds from a ripe fruit, rinse off the pulp and dry them. Because the seed needs stratification at alternating temperatures, sow it in moist sand first at 18–20 °C for about two months, then move it to 1–3 °C for a further two months before sprouting it in a warm, bright spot — a small covered tray or mini greenhouse keeps humidity high during germination. Use a light, free-draining potting mix and keep seedlings evenly moist but never waterlogged.

What soil and site does kiwi prefer?

Kiwi grows and fruits well on loose, well-drained soils that are rich in organic matter and acidic, with a pH of about 4.5–6.0. It will not tolerate standing water around its roots, so good drainage and a sunny, sheltered position are critical. Test your soil before planting and amend the pH downward with elemental sulfur or acidic organic matter if it is too alkaline.

Dig generous planting holes: on light soils about 50 × 60 cm, and on heavy soils 80 × 100 cm. Into each hole work 10–12 kg of well-rotted humus, 100–150 g of superphosphate, 100 g of ammonium nitrate and 60–75 g of potassium salt. Depending on the training system, between 400 and 1,500 plants are set per hectare, which on a home scale translates to spacing vines roughly 3–5 m apart along the row.

What support structure do kiwi vines need?

Kiwi is grown on supports, exactly like a grapevine, because a mature vine is heavy and vigorous. Sink wooden, concrete or metal posts about 5 m apart and string wires at heights of roughly 30, 130 and 180 cm — or 100, 200 and 300 cm — above the ground. The vine is trained as a permanent trunk with horizontal cordons (lateral arms) along the top wire, from which fruiting canes hang. Where space is tight, an espalier against a warm wall works well, and the same principle scales down to a stout trellis in a home garden.

How do you prune and train kiwi vines?

Kiwi must be pruned regularly to balance growth and fruiting, because fruiting shoots form on two-year-old wood. The framework is built over the first few years: train a single leader up to the top wire, then develop two permanent cordons along it and select well-spaced lateral arms.

• Young vine training: tie the strongest shoot to a cane and remove competing growth so a single straight trunk forms.
• Winter (dormant) pruning: while the vine is leafless, cut back fruited canes and select fresh one-year-old canes positioned along the cordons to fruit the coming season.
• Spring and summer pruning: shorten over-long fruiting shoots a few leaves beyond the last flower, and remove tangled, non-fruiting growth to let in light and air.

Vines remain productive for 20–40 years, and by the 7th or 8th year a single bush can yield 30–50 kg of fruit.

How do you water and feed kiwi?

Fruiting kiwi vines need steady moisture and annual feeding, since they are shallow-rooted and thirsty. Water deeply and consistently, especially during fruit development, but never let water stagnate around the crown. Each year apply, per plant, about 100–150 g of nitrogen, 50–60 g of phosphorus and 70–80 g of potassium on an active-ingredient basis. Acidic fertilizers — ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate — are preferable because they help maintain the low soil pH kiwi needs. Organic growers can supplement with seaweed feeds such as liquid kelp to correct minor nutrient deficiencies and support tissue growth.

Because the root system sits near the surface, cultivate the soil under the vines carefully. Two to three years after planting it is best to establish a grass sward — sow grass between the rows and mow it periodically, leaving the clippings in place as a mulch that conserves moisture, suppresses weeds and feeds the soil.

How do you protect kiwi from pests and disease?

The most serious threats to kiwi are root and crown diseases that thrive in wet, poorly drained soil. Phytophthora crown rot and Verticillium wilt both attack stressed or waterlogged vines, so the best defence is excellent drainage, correct planting depth and avoiding standing water. Manage Verticillium wilt by removing affected wood, not planting kiwi where susceptible crops have recently failed, and keeping vines vigorous. Compared with many fruit crops, kiwi has relatively few insect pests, but young vines should be protected from wind damage and rodents.

When and how do you harvest and store kiwi?

Kiwi is harvested in autumn while still firm and ripens off the vine. Fruit picked when the seeds have turned black but the flesh is still hard will soften to ripeness in storage. Stored in a refrigerator, kiwi keeps for up to 5–6 months, which is why it travels and sells so well. To ripen fruit for eating, bring it to room temperature, optionally alongside an apple or banana, until it yields to gentle pressure.

Kiwi is not only eaten fresh — it is made into jam, a wide range of confectionery, juice and syrup, and natural aromatic compounds are extracted from it for the food and perfume industries.

What are the health benefits of kiwi?

Kiwi fruit is exceptionally rich in biologically active compounds. It contains 126–238 mg% of vitamin C — considerably more than lemons — along with vitamins A, B and B2, plus pectin (which helps clear harmful substances from the body), citric acid, and the minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron; potassium content alone reaches about 3,300 mg%. Kiwi also contains a specific substance that acts much like the enzyme papain.

Eating kiwi improves the working of the gastrointestinal tract, aids the digestion and absorption of meat-based meals, helps strengthen muscles and repair tissue, raises the haemoglobin content of the blood, and increases the body's resistance to influenza and to various pollutants in the environment.

Kiwi juice is a very valuable food for small children: it does not cause allergies and is especially useful after a course of antibiotics, because it counteracts their negative after-effects.

Can you grow kiwi indoors or in containers?

Kiwi can also be grown in greenhouses or in a room with sufficient light and air that is not too dry, as well as in large containers. For container growing, choose a deep, wide pot with drainage holes, fill it with a light, slightly acidic potting mix, and provide a small trellis or stake for support. Give the plant the brightest position available, keep the soil evenly moist, and repot or pot up into a larger container as the vine grows. By following this kiwi-growing method you can produce a fruit that is genuinely valuable for your health.

For more practical guides, browse our Agriculture section.