My wife planted a kiwi seed about 18 years ago from a kiwi fruit purchased from a local store and started it in a pot and then located outside. It grew rapidly for years but never produced fruit. After about 10 years we started to get the small blossom then for the last 5 years we have had about 15 kg of fruits every season. The size varies from about 1.5 inch diameter to about 3 inch diameter and the fruit is perfect with a good sweet/sour taste when left to full maturity in about October. We are located in England UK and the plant is subjected to a minimum temp of about minus 5C during the winter. It is growing in a shady location over the top of a garden shed and onto a car-port at the side of the house. Our problem today is that we recently had some work done on the side of the house and some branches were broken during the work. We have noticed that the broken branches are bleeding sap quite copiously. I have today bound the branches with sticky tape to try to seal the damage but the sap is still leaking through. Will this cause any damage to the tree and does anyone know how to treat this damage? Will it slowly heal itself? It has been bleeding for about 10 days. Any advice welcome.
My experience with the vines is that they will bleed profusely in the spring if they are cut but should be just fine. I know its a bit disconcerting seeing how much sap drains out but it will be fine. It should stop soon. I assume this is the fuzzy type of kiwi (hayward or something similar??). I'm curious how it is producing fruit if there is only 1 vine? Do you have neighbours that have kiwi vines also that might be pollinating yours?? Kiwis need both male and female vines to produce fruit with the exception of one hardy variety.
Hi Tylerj, Thanks for your reply and reassuring advice. The breaks are still dripping through my binding but it seems to have slowed a bit so should be OK. Yes, the fruit is the fuzzy type but we don't know the variety. The seeds were taken from a fruit purchased in a local shop. There is another Kiwi vine in the vicinity - about 100 yards away - but as far as we know it has never produced fruit. It blossoms but have never seen fruit on it. We are very happy with the fruit produced on our vine and have realised that we have to leave it on the vine until about October to get the best taste and ripeness. We don't feed anything just let it grow freely and are hoping to train it along the top of the car-port to the front of the house. Are Kiwis very common in Canada? How much friut do you get? Do you feed the plant at all? What is your season?
Also once known as Chinese goosberry http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/kiwifruit.html Looks like the one near by is a male. I have grown them in thepast and definatly had to have a male and female vine. Liz
Liz, sorry, forgot to thank you for the URL attached - very informative and will be useful. Thanks again. Roger.
Hi Roger. The fuzzy kiwis aren't adapted to the Canadian climate with the exception of the west coast I believe. Although I do have some 3 year old vines that saw their first winter outside and waiting to see if they survived. I am growing the Hardy Kiwi variety which are smaller and smoothed skinned. You eat them like grapes.. skin and all.
