skip to main content

Fruit & Orchards

Kiwi pruning advice - vines have yet to fruit

13 years ago

I have 5 hardy kiwis that are about 3 or 4 years old. All of my females flowered for the first time last year but my male hasn't flowered yet. All of my previous pruning efforts have been to establish the main vine going up to the top wire and then to make two cordons on either side. I got a lot of perpendictular growth last year coming from the 2 cordons and extending across the other top wires.

My question is what should I do this year in regards to pruning? Everything I've read talks about removing old wood that flowered and fruited the previous year. My confusion is that I'm somewhere in the middle. I have wood from last year that has flowered, but none of it has fruited. In fact, I think all of my wood off the main cordons is from last year.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Bart

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

alan haigh
13 years ago
When I prune mature kiwis I just try to leave plenty of the knotty small wood and remove all the big vegetative wood. I also remove the thin long tangling pieces that tend to strangle wood they wrap around. That works well enough to where my plants are solid flowers in spring.
bart1
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks H-Man!
Related Discussions
Pruning arctic kiwi
Q
Comments (1)
I would suggest you leave it as a bush form for now and just let it get more established. When it gets more mature, it will eventually send up much more vigorous shoots from the crown and along the trunk. Choose the most vigorous one (from the crown if possible) and train it up to be a nice straight new trunk. Once the new trunk is well established, you can then remove the lower bushy part. Kolomiktas are not very vigorous, so I'm not sure how long this may take. I grow mine as small bushes in containers, since this is how they seem to want to grow naturally. ~kiwinut
...See More
Mid Atlantic Fuzzy Kiwi waking up yet? (Also figs)
Q
Comments (6)
My figs did weird things - some branches died back to the ground while one or two only died back to around 4 feet. Some have only now started sprouting leaves while other (branches) have good sized fruit. Black Mission completely died back except for one small branch. Kadota completely died back but is sprouting at soil level. Celeste only lost the tips of its longest branches, it has leafed out and has fruit on most branches. Texas Everbearing lost most of its branches but has sprouted from the base and every other bush has at least one branch that survived and has fruit.
...See More
2 Year Old Grape Vine - fruiting and pruning?
Q
Comments (3)
I seem to recall reading somewhere that a bunch of grapes requires 10-12 mature leaves to feed it enough to ripen successfully. So, count up your leaves, and divide by 12. That should be your upper same maximum number of bunches to leave on.
...See More
My Kiwi Vine is Bleeding
Q
Comments (3)
peek under the leaves. Actually there is no way of telling until the plant blooms. I've got 2 in a big pot that I grew from seed, its been 3 years and I still don't know. ~Chills
...See More

Related Stories

LANDSCAPE DESIGN See 5 Unexpected Ways to Use Vines

By Falon Mihalic

Vines can grow over slopes, trail off pergolas and add seasonal color to the garden

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow 10 Favorite Fruit Trees at Home

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant a mini orchard in fall, winter or early spring to enjoy fresh-off-the-tree fruit the following year

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Grow Blueberries for Their Fruit and More

By Ellen Sousa/Turkey Hill Brook Farm

Eastern gardeners should consider growing blueberry plants for their delicious fruits, bee-friendly spring blooms and brilliant fall foliage

GARDENING GUIDES Pacific Northwest Gardener: What to Do in June

By Genevieve Schmidt

Now's the time to prune pines and vines, prevent pests and buy June-blooming plants to keep your garden healthy and beautiful

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Passiflora Incarnata

By Ginny Stibolt

Enjoy the amazing flowers and edible fruit of U.S. native Passiflora incarnata (also known as maypop) — the butterflies sure do

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Fragrant Trachelospermum Jasminoides

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

This graceful vine’s scented white flowers attract admirers near and far

PLANTING IDEAS Great Garden Combo: Rose + Clematis for Small-Space Impact

We all need somebody to lean on. And when a rose supports a climbing vine, the results can totally transform a small garden

GARDENING GUIDES Southwest Gardener's July Checklist

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Hold on to your hat and prune those tree branches; monsoon season means damage prevention is key

CONTAINER GARDENS Patio-Perfect Berry Bushes Like You’ve Never Seen

Small enough for pots but offering abundant fruit, these remarkable bred berries are a boon for gardeners short on space

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crop: How to Grow Blueberries

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant blueberries in spring or fall for garden beauty through three seasons — and a sweet superfood in summer

Sponsored

CHC & Family Developments

4 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Franklin County, Ohio

More Discussions

Whats wrong with my apple tree?

18

Peach tree dead buds

2

No flowers on my apricot tree?

6

how to ripen Pyrus communis bosc pears

0

Wilting Sweet cherry tree

1