Growing northern Kiwis

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Have any of you tried growing any of the Kiwis offered for Northern gardeners? The plants would have to endure cold, windy winters and hot, dry, windy summers. While they would be fun and different to grow, I don't want to spend the money on them if they don't want to grow under the conditions here, or if they don't taste good. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), February 26, 2000

Answers

Gerbil, I have seen kiwis in catalogs that are different than the fuzzy brown ones in the produce section, and claiming to be hardy to zone 3. I am in the same boat as you; recalling the Niagra grapes that couldn't hack it in Minnesota. I do remember that the kiwis were smaller, but more prolific, and that the vines that you would want to plant were male (?). They were all green at maturity, also.

Like you, I would appreciate hearing how other's kiwis are doing!

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), February 26, 2000.


I read that the fuzzy kiwis that you find in stores require 50 to 100 gallons of water per plant per day do the northern Kiwis also require this much water?

-- Rich (pntbeldyk@wirefire.com), February 28, 2000.

I have no clue how thirsty these plants would be. I'd like to know. Also since they are so expensive, and I would need both male and female plants, does one male plant produce sufficient pollen for more than one female plant? Guerney's sells 3 different northern Kiwis. Are they related closely enough that a male plant of one type could fertilize the female plants of the other types? Is there enough pollen? When do they bloom? Would it be possible to get a pair of type A, a pair of type B, and then just a female type C to be fertilized by the end of the flowering period of type A and the beginning of the flowering period of type B, assuming that one male plant can't be used for all the female plants. And how long does it take for them to come into production?

If they did grow for me, I'm thinking they'd be a whole lot easier to give away than zuchinni. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), February 28, 2000.


I'd love to know how well they do too. According to Miller Nurserys, they wont produce for 5 to 7 years, a real downfall for me.

-- Julie (juliecapasso@aol.com), February 28, 2000.

There is a kiwi website at that may be helpful. The hardy "kiwi fruit" are not as big as what you get at the store, mnore like grapes, and you need females for fruit and males for pollination.

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), February 29, 2000.


I guess it didn't like the way I typed the website for kiwi fruit. It is kiwiberry.com

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), February 29, 2000.

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