arctic kiwi vine

I bought and planted several arctic kiwi plants approximately 5 years ago or so and they finally developed flowers this year and are now bearing fruit.

What I would like to know is, when is the best time to cultivate these fruits and how do I keep the plants under control?

Right now the plants (approximately 3 male and 3 female) are growing around a harbor and the vines are growing into a nearby olive tree. Should I leave it be, or prune it come the fall?

I would appreciate any information anyone can give me on how to continue caring for this beautiful vine. thank you Thumbelina

 

How about some pictures of the Kiwi and Olive Tree. Most interesting considering the Ottawa climate.

http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html

 

Hi Durgan, thanks for getting back to me. I will take some photographs of the kiwi vine and my tree for you within the next couple of days.

I'm really excited that my vine is actually going to bear fruit this year. My husband was thinking of leveling our backyard (that used to be a garden at one point) and just having a lawn. I've been sort of promising cleaning up the whole lot and making it better but just haven't had time to do it.

The harbor that my vine is growing on was actually the entrance of a rock garden that I started and then nature overtook it as I was not fast enough to do all the work involved in it. So, I transplanted most of my plants from that bed and let the prairie garden take over.

Anyway, my vine has been growing steadily over the past five years or so and I was about to give up thinking I would have fruit. I bought these plants at White Rose (when it existed) and wasn't sure if I had male and female plants. Some of the plants didn't have tags on them and I took a chance hoping they were companions and they would (propogate)? So voilà, that is my story right now.

The fruit is about the size of the tip of my baby finger including down to the bottom of my fingernail. Shaped like a cute little kiwi fruit. It's so neat to watch it mature into what is supposed to be an edible kiwi grape.

Anyway, I'll get back to you with those pictures. I need to borrow my husband's digital to take some photographs and then I will send that off to you. Your posts seem interesting and I will take a look at some of your information when I get a chance.

Thanks again and talk to you soon. Hope you get this letter okay. Thumbelina

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the olive being refered to is Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) not the culinary olive (Olea europaea). Good for you with the Kiwi....I assume you have Actinidia kolomikta and not the also very hardy A. arguta?

Check out Cornell - Kiwi crop factsheet for more info on growing Kiwi for fruit production. One thing is clear from the literature, you could do away with 2 of the 3 males and, given their vigour, have just the right number on the arbour if your goal is fruit prodcution.

 

My Arctic Kiwi vine is growing crazy too. I prune mine all the time. Other wise it would be everywhere. I think I prune it every two weeks. Being very careful not to cut vines off that have fruit on them.
This is also my 2 year for fruit. The first time it bloomed and the fruit was the size of
a grape the squirrels ( bless them) picked them off and disposed of them on the ground.
But this year... the fruit is much larger and I have 22 kiwi's growing.

I'm wondering when to pick the fruit. I've never eaten or seen a hairless kiwi before.
so I'm going to wait and pick it until it seem slightly soft on the vine. Kiwi's in the store are always hard and only get better when slighlty soft.

I've read that you should only prune the Kiwi vine in winter. Like an apple tree.

Here is a picture of some of my fruit.

 

Hi there kiwi growers! I am in BC and have a fence of four vines that are about 10 years old. The rule of thumb is to pick the fruit right after the first frost, or leading up to. I have a few years ago determined an adverse reaction to eating too many of these fruits with the skin on. Something like an allergic reaction. So Im finding pressing them for juice is good with the excess amounts harvested. I usually sort out the biggest ones for eating and sharing with others. I find the growth spurts in late spring and summer require management pruning, but have pruned hard on old wood last year in late fall with good results. So advocate the grape pruning method. Not alot of tips on growing these kiwis online Ive found.

ps I am familiar with Ottawa as Ive lived there.

Bye for now

 

Ok I re read you post, so additonally Ive heard it said that you would not need to keep the male plants very large. Just enough for the bees to take pollen. And only one male plant is usually needed. These kiwis grow up to 20 feet a year so with that kind of propensity for crowding the males may just end up occupying too much space.
The variety of arctic kiwi in my picture is called Isiaah or something like that and it is self pollinating.


Those average winter temps of -20C are good proof that the arctic kiwi is cold tolerant.

Bye again

 

kiwi vines grow very successfully in pei too.... I have 3 or 4 growing over the past 3 years on my front porch.

 

I also have an arctic kiwi. We bought our house 12 years ago, and if it wasn't for the note the seller left behind, I wouldn't have known it. The plants were about 5 years old.
in the note it explained that the vines need to be pruned often over the summer. From the new growth end, prune back after about 6 leaves. Then again after a week or two.
I pruned it the first few years, and cut it back quite a bit in the fall, and now I get fruit every year.

I just want to try an relocate these vines as they do grow into other trees or bushes you have near by and almost choke them.

Not sure about olive tree, but would keep an eye on your kiwi vines growing around them.

Happy pruning, and enjoy the fruit when you get them!