Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa)
Originating in Southern China, the Kiwi fruit we enjoy today was introduced to Europeans in 1897 by the Royal Horticultural Society of London where it languished as a curiosity until Hayward Wright of Avondale, New Zealand developed Actinida delicosa ‘Hayward’ and began mass cultivation in 1924.   Kiwifruit requires a male and female for fruit production, one male can generally fertilize up to three females.  Vines can reach 40ft. and fruit bears on 1 year old canes, so a pruning regimen is required to maximize fruit production.  Remember that canes bear at one year of age and cane production maximizes at three years.  So, every three years prune back vines heavily!  Kiwi’s bear fruit for ten years and then decline, so plan on two or three major pruning jobs during the productive lifetime of your plant.

That said, Kiwi’s are remarkably amendable to neglect.  If you are not trying to ‘maximize production of fruit’ you can let your Kiwis grow without pruning and still expect a decent crop on a surprisingly drought tolerant vine.

Pollination can be difficult as bees do not find Kiwi flowers particularly attractive.  If you’d like to help the process, try blowing your specimens with a fan, or taking a fine horse hair paint brush and doing the deed yourself.  As Kiwi come in male and female versions, it couldn’t hurt to play a little romantic violin music and lay out some cheese and chocolate.

You can buy five gallon specimens of Hayward Kiwi for $32.99 at Ploughshares Nursery this August.