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Fruit & Orchards

Anybody grow arctic kiwis in zone 5?

14 years ago

I've heard they bud out early and are tough to get to fruit, wife probably wont let me get an arguta so I'm thinking about trying an arctic anyway. I've found Krupnopladnaya (interests me because from what ive heard it has the biggest fruit but i can find very little info on it), Sentyabraskaya ("September sun"), and Red Beauty cultivars for sale online, but am having trouble getting much info on them, anyone have any of these? Which am I most likely to have the best luck with for fruit production & not budding out too early? I'm probably either going to try to grow them up trees, or in a recessed area on the side of the house where they won't get very much direct sunlight. Thanks!

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Comments (5)

northwoodswis
14 years ago
I have planted the first two varieties you named (as well as a couple others) on the far northern extreme of zone 4. They are still too small to give you any verdict on them. I bought one from Gurneys and one from One Green Earth. The latter was much larger than the former, at least a year ahead of it in growth. Don't forget that you will also need a male pollinator.
Northwoodswis
grow_darnit
14 years ago
I have Krupnoplodnaya (found it at local Menards two years ago and Arsenev (from One Green World). They both and the male are in a pretty shady spot under a tree house. Last year only the male bloomed, this year both male and Krupnoplodnaya have flower buds on them, so I should know how big the fruit gets this summer (knock on wood). No problems with leafing out or blooming too early so far. Though we are expecting 35 degrees and snow tonight and tomorrow night. But this weather is not typical. Check out One Green World, they offer quite a few of kiwi kolomiktas, they also have extra hardy argutas (Tatyana and Natasha are hardy to zone 3, I believe). I don't really have a good and big enough place to put one of those nor am I sure my family will eat 100 lb of fruit, otherwise I'd definitely order them. I might still do it once our yard is terraced ;)

Here is a link that might be useful: One Green World's kiwi
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alan haigh
14 years ago
Artic Kiwis do fine in the Ukraine where winters don't have wildly fluctuating temps and once spring arrives winter isn't allowed to return, but here in the U.S. Argutas are much more reliable because they bud out later and are less likely bit. Z.5 is no problem for argutas so stick with them.

My first kiwis were the artics and I cut them down long ago for their tendency of freezing out. They taste very much the same as argutas to me.
mdo003
Original Author
14 years ago
good call on onegreenworld, they do have a bunch there i hadnt seen. anyone know if there are any that are good fruit bearers and less likely to bud out in the cold? or any argutas outside of issai that are slower growers and have good shade tolerance?
northwoodswis
14 years ago
I was asked if my kiwis east of St. Paul had blossoms that survived the recent cold snap. Mine are too small for blossoms yet, and I covered them with styrofoam rose cones, so they are fine. Northwoodswis

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