I have an orchard of productive & mature Kiwi trees which have not been pruned in 4 years ! They have grown into an uncontrollable maze of too tall vines. They have now grown to heights of 14 to 16 feet high and can't be reached for pruning or picking. My question is: how far back can I prune them to regain control ? I have been told they can (should) be cut to the ground and they will regenerate. Will they live if I do that ? Would it be as effective to cut them to 3 or 4 feet tall ? I hate the idea of trashing the orchard as it has a productive and colorful history for the previous owner, who died. I also wonder if fruit trees surrounding the kiwi trees add anything to the kiwi production ? and, Is it absolutely necessary to have bee hives nearby for kiwis to produce ? Any ideas from you kiwi lovers ?
Kiwi vines tolerate being cut back by any amount very well. I have an old vine that I cut back to the ground and replaced it with another one, but it still sends up new shoots from the roots. Nevertheless, if your vines have any parts that will be useful, why not keep those parts and remove all the rest. You can do the pruning at any time except during the spring when the sap is running strongly. The vines will bleed excessively at that time. If the fruit trees shade the Kiwi vines, they will reduce fruit production. In excessive shade, the vines usually don't even produce flowers. Also, there are lots of wild bees that can pollinate Kiwi vines; so you don't need bee hives at all. I've been growing Kiwis in an urban environment for over 25 years without any nearby bee hives, and practically every female blossom gets pollinated and produces fruit every year.
