Looking for gold kiwi plants

Discussion in 'HortForum' started by pmurphy, Aug 7, 2013.

  1. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    Does anyone know where I can get gold kiwi plants (actinidia chinensis) in Canada? I have tried growing from seeds (both fresh and purchased seeds) but so far no luck.
    Thanks
     
  2. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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    I was in Gardenworks in Burnaby recently and noticed that they still have a fairly large selection of kiwi plants. I didn't notice if they carried the golden type, but you could give them a call.
     
  3. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    Thanks but unfortunately this is not a plant that will be found in garden centers.....trust me I have looked.
    I have attempted to grow them from fresh seeds (bought the fruit at a local market) and my last attempt was seeds purchased from Portugual but I just can't seem to get them to germinate. I did find one place in California that carries them but they only have males right now.
     
  4. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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    It's probably a good thing that your seeds did not germinate. Planting seeds from commercial varieties of fruits normally results in fruit that is very different from the source. It would take many years for such plants to start producing fruit that is likely to be very disappointing.

    I didn't know that this type of kiwi plant is difficult to find here. If you are willing to try a U.S. source, here is some information from a Website: For information on purchasing AU-patented kiwifruit vines, contact Gold Kiwi Group at info(at)goldkiwigroup.com or 1-800-288-4291. This source is in Alabama, but there may be others.
     
  5. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    Thank you! I will try contacting them.
     
  6. woodschmoe

    woodschmoe Active Member 10 Years

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    Monrovia supplies this plant, 'Tomuri' in particular, and you can search the Monrovia website for retailers: enter the plant name, and it will come up with retailers near you. Lists "Garden in Gardens Nursery" in Richmond, and Dinter's Nursery in Duncan as retailers who received shipments of these kiwis this year.
     
  7. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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  8. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    Thanks, I looked at their website but the plants did not look like golds......however I did send them an email asking if they do have access to.
     
  9. woodschmoe

    woodschmoe Active Member 10 Years

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    Wasn't clear that the orginal query was for a yellow fruited variety in particular, as the poster only mentions actinidia chinensis (to which the name "Golden Kiwi" seems to generically apply) which Monrovia has. Variety "Vincent" isn't bright yellow, so not technically one of the yellow fruited kiwis being grown commercially, but is more yellow than green.
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2013
  10. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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  11. woodschmoe

    woodschmoe Active Member 10 Years

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    I suppose the confusion (from my end) is due to Monrovia's (now apparently outdated) broad use of chinensis where deliciosa now applies.
     
  12. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    I should have been more specific in saying I was looking for YELLOW fruited kiwi vines.
    The fruit that you can purchase in the supermarkets is labeled as "Zespri Gold New Zealand" but is often very limited and hard to find; sporatically found available between early summer and fall and only in Costco and Real Canadian Superstore (sometimes) that I have found. I have tried to germinate seeds from this purchased fruit but without luck......from what I have read they are zone 7 and up so should survive here without issue.
    FYI, if you haven't tried gold kiwi you are missing out as they are very different from the green fruited ones.....very sweet and tasty, and entirely edible (skin and all) :)
     
  13. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    It seems the 'Hort 16A' fruits have not been present at outlets I used to see them at here for awhile now - maybe as long as 3 years. I liked their non-acid flavor also.
     
  14. sean86114

    sean86114 Member

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    Hey Pmurphy!!!
    any luck? I think we are at the same boat, I tried to grow from seed (purchased from Portugal also lol) no luck. anyone?
     
  15. Teri B

    Teri B New Member

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    In 2012 I bought two hardy yellow kiwi at the Garden Works in Burnaby.
    I was pleased and surprised to see them there, as I had been attempting to source them in Canada through mail order with no luck.
    That Gardenworks has an excellent selection of kiwi. I bought a red hardy kiwi there in 2011, and I saw a couple of weeks ago that they have two different kinds of red now. I wasn't paying attention to see if they had the yellow in stock.

    Also note that you will *not* be able to buy the variety of plant that produces the commerically sold gold kiwi. That industry jealously gaurds it's IP and destroys cuttings so they cannot be used. As a previous poster mentioned, the seeds will not give you the same kiwi; those kiwis are cloned from one plant chosen from breeding thousands or tens of thousands of plants over the course of years.
     
  16. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    Thanks,
    Garden Works - and just about every other garden center - now carries a nice variety of kiwis including variegated a. pilosula and silver vine a. polygama which are more ornamental so they don't usually distinguish male and female.
    But I was able to source AU golds and now have 3 growing nicely in the back yard; 1 male ('tiger') and 2 female ('sunshine').
     
  17. blueberry

    blueberry Member

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    Can I ask where you were able to source your gold kiwis?
     
  18. sean86114

    sean86114 Member

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    I got mine from the states
     
  19. HeyJudy

    HeyJudy New Member

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    Hello all,

    I was just on the Zespri website (Zespri Kiwifruit). It looks like their new Sungold variety is resistant to Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae. Has anyone yet sourced these in Canada? Thank you!
     
  20. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    As mentioned upthread fruit industry owned cultivars may not be getting shared with the gardening public anytime soon. Other than as finished fruits shipped to grocery outlets.
     
  21. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    They are not available in Canada; I know of only one other person who has golds but they were also imported.
    (I just took this photo of mine flowering - should have lots of fruit this year)

    IMG_0119.JPG
     
  22. sean86114

    sean86114 Member

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    Hi pmurphy,
    After 6 years my 6” “Sunshine” finally started to take off. I still don’t see any flower yet. Hopefully next year. I couldn’t get the “tiger” (male) as is still out of stock. I planted a regular green fuzzy kiwi, hope this still work as they are both fuzzy. Picture below (right) male (left) female.
     

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  23. B.C.

    B.C. New Member

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    Kiwis are not grown in cold climates unless you go with an Actinidia arguta or an Actinidia kolomikta. The most common yellow fruit Kiwi that comes to mind is Bingo. This is a "late-season" plant harvesting in October. You can purchase Bingo when is in stock from:

    https://www.bambooplants.ca/product/tara-vine-plant-actinidia-arguta-bingo/

    Bambooplants is one mail-order company located in Ontario.

    For more information on Actinidia arguta & Actinidia kolomikta Kiwis, refer to these helpful videos from Youtube:





     
  24. pmurphy

    pmurphy Contributor 10 Years

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    Actinidia chinensis - Golden kiwi - will grow nicely here in Vancouver as it is listed to zone 6, but the problem is they are not available for purchase anywhere in Canada (I brought mine in from the US mid-west).
    These are a larger, smooth skinned fruit with a mild tasting yellow flesh. And in the second image you can see the size my fruit currently is and it still has about a month and a half before harvest.
     

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  25. B.C.

    B.C. New Member

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    Well, that's you. I am in Toronto. For me it makes no sense for me to buy something expensive and difficult to get and take the risk of it dying. There are a number of combination factors for selection. Maybe you want a yellow Kiwi because not many people have, earning you bragging rights. For me, color is secondary. I place other factors hardiness, taste, availability/cost, time of harvest, size reliability etc. and evaluate as a package.

    Viktor is a female, and difficult to find Kiwi was available from whiffletreefarmandnursery in Ontario. I like Viktor Kiwi because of its hardiness and large size for an Actinidia kolomikta, and early harvest in August underlapping harvesting for other Kiwis, but there isn't that many selections for this group. If I want something in the Actinidia arguta group, then I would need another male and I don't have the real estate. So I rejected Viktor and went with more selections from the Actinidia arguta group.

    Taste is an unknown factor. I am relying on the experience of others (see previous Youtube videos). I brought Royalty raspberry because it was a crossbreed producing purple raspberries. I waited a few years before the first harvest. When the moment of truth came, I was totally disappointed at the taste.

    I used to have close to 100 roses. I brought many based on American rose ratings. However, no one told me they are not hardy enough for the Canadian climate, especially the hybrid teas. Moving forward, any roses dying in my garden, I would only replace with Canadian hardy roses.
     

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