How to grow... Kiwi
Rocket Growing Guides
Kiwis are a vigorous climbing fruit that will need plenty of space and be sure to plant them in a sunny sheltered spot. They will need a bit of pruning to keep them under control but will produce delicious ‘exotic’ tasting fruit that will ripen indoors once harvested.
- Kiwi Growing Guide
How to Plant Kiwi
- Kiwis prefer to be grown in full sun in a sheltered spot out of the wind, ideally against a trellis or trained over an arch.
- A fertile, slightly acidic soil is best.
- Plant 3m apart. When planting, add plenty of organic matter.
How to Grow Kiwi
- Keep well watered throughout the summer.
- Apply a mulch every winter.
- Cut all stems back to 30cm above ground at planting time. Tie the leading stem to an upright bar on the trellis. Tie side shoots to horizontal bars on the trellis. Pinch out these shoots once they’ve got 5 leaves on them. Fruit will grow the following year.
- In winter, cut back any new shoots to about 15cm and remove any unproductive, older shoots.
- During the summer, once fruit starts to appear, cut back the fruiting vines where possible to leave 6 leaves past the kiwifruit.
How to Harvest Kiwi
- Harvest by snapping the stem at the base of the fruit in October. The fruits may not be fully ripe, but you should harvest them before the first frosts and ripen them indoors (just pop them in the fruit bowl and wait!!)
- Once ripe, fruits will have a brown tinge to the skin and once cut open the seeds will be black.