Kiwi, hardy |
| General |
| Common Name | Kiwi, hardy |
| Latin Name | Actinidia arguta |
| Category | Fruits |
| Family | |
| Variety | Ananasnaja, Geneva, Meader, MSU, and 74 series |
| Visual Traits |
| Flower | small, white, dioecious |
| Fruit | greenish-yellow, summer to fall, ripen late season |
| Height | 40 ft (length of perennial vine) |
| Other valued traits | bright red viney stems |
| Spread | vine |
| Cultivation |
| Cultivation and Mulching | thick layer organic mulch; wrap trunks of young vines |
| Field preparation and planting | mid-May or after last frost; incorporate organic matter |
| Field spacing / planting depth | 10ft spacing |
| Hardwood Cuttings | Cut after plant receives 500h of chilling |
| Harvest | Year 5; October |
| Pollination | purchase 1 male plant for every 9 female plants to ensure fruit set; performance of hermaphroditic plants is poor. |
| Propagation method | cuttings, seeds, layering |
| Pruning | once during dormant season; 2-3 times during growing season |
| Seed harvest | from mature fruit, late fall |
| Seed treatment and storage | dry 2days; cold stratification in moist perlite, 40degrees F for 4 months |
| Seedling treatment | transplant to individual pots when seedlings have 4 true leaves |
| Softwood cuttings | July |
| Sowing seed | seed in trays; 1/8 |
| Training / Trellising | train 1-2 vines vertically; require trellising |
| Transplant | transplant to site when plants reach several inches |
| Watering guidelines | frequent watering from time of transplant and throughout growing season |
| Critters |
| Insect and invertebrate pests | spidermite, leaf roller, Japanese beetles, root knot nematodes |
| Pathogens | Verticillum wilt, Phytophthora crown root rot, Botrytis rot, Sclerotinia blight, Armilllaria oak root fungus |
| Wildlife Pests | deer browse, domestic cats |
| Soils |
| Fertility / quality | heavy N feeder |
| Minerals | N-deficient in very basic soils |
| Moisture and drainage | moist soils; intolerant to poorly-drained conditions |
| Salt tolerance | intolerant |
| Growth Pattern |
| Fruit bearing age / full crop load | 4y / 8y |
| Longevity | 50y |
| Habitat and Climate |
| Exposure | Prefer protected microclimates; Northern exposures protect against early spring frost damage |
| Frost-free days (FFD) | 150 |
| Hardiness Zone | 4 |
| Native Range | northeast Asia |
| Rainfall / humidity | require large volumes of water during entire season; very drought intolerant |
| Wind / ice / frost susceptibility | susceptible to early spring and early fall frosts, delays fruiting; Succulent growth very susceptible to hot and cold wind damage |
| Light |
| Light recommendation | full sun |
| Shade tolerance | moderately tolerant |