Everyone loves the sweet tangy flavor of kiwi; but did you know you can grow it right where you live? Whether you live in Maine or Miami, ALL 50 states have a Kiwi variety that thrives in their climate! Kiwis develop on an ultra-hardy vine, making them one of the easiest fruits to grow.
The Types Of Kiwi
There are two types of kiwis, hardy kiwis, and fuzzy kiwis. All kiwis have that delicious tropical flavor, but they do differ on some other characteristics. Hardy kiwis are the size of grapes (making them wonderful for snacking) and have a smooth outside. Fuzzy Kiwis are large, almost the size of plums, and are covered in a unique fuzz.
Health Benefits
Most people don’t know this… Kiwi is one of the healthiest fruits on the planet.
It Has:
A single serving of kiwi supplies 230% of your daily vitamin C. Give your immune system a boost!
Kiwis are a good source of vitamin E, an antioxidant known to protect skin from the aging effects of Sun damage.
Kiwi also supports weight loss with its low glycemic index and high fiber content. This means it will not create a strong insulin rush like other fruit with high sugar contents thus the body will not respond by storing the sugars as fat. This also makes the fruit great for diabetics!
Planting
Site Selection
Kiwi love full sun but can tolerate partial. If you live in the southern united states I recommend using shade cloth to reduce transplant shock during the summer months.
Soil Condition
Kiwi hate soggy roots! Make sure you have well-draining slightly acidic soil. Kiwi are fond of a little pine bark and perlite being added to your preferred media. The pine bark will lower the PH as it decomposes while also improving drainage.
Growing
It can be grown organically with ease. Little to no disease problems in the United States. The texture of the leaves also makes them slightly deer resistant!
Pollination Chart
I made the following pollinator chart for my favorite Kiwi varieties. Each Kiwi is paired with the very best match for optimum flavor and yield.
| ——————— | Fuzzy | Anna | ISSAI | Meader |
| fuzzy |  * | |||
| Anna | * |  * | ||
| ISSAI | Self Fertile | |||
| Meader | * | * |
How to Trellis a Kiwi
Being a vine, Kiwis need some kind of support. Anything can become a kiwi trellis with a little bit of creativity. Use an existing: fence, porch, deck, gazebo, latticework, garden arch, arbor, etc. to provide support. If those are not available, or if you are growing a large number of kiwis, you can always use a T-bar trellis. A T-bar trellis is quite simple to make, see the diagram below:
How to Prune / Train a Kiwi
Pruning a kiwi is done in two phases:
Phase 1: For the first year encourage your kiwi to grow vertically. Continue to tie your kiwi to your chosen support every couple of feet until you get near the top of the post or reach the wire trellis. It is helpful during this phase to remove the side branches to encourage vertical growth. Once it reaches the desired height, encourage the side shoots to spread laterally.
Phase 2: For the second year and beyond, continue to train the vine laterally along the fence, rail, or wire. Every 2 feet fasten the vine’s horizontal arms to your support. If you need to prune any stray vines from this point forward, the ideal time to do so is in winter. Keep in mind, kiwi’s form on the new growth that comes off of one-year-old vines.