In my brief experience I wouldn't say hardy kiwis are as tender as tomatoes. We had back-to-back freezes mid-April this year that hit a lot of things hard: all the new foliage on the mulberries, 99.9% of my Asian pear crop (but not the pear leave), the native persimmons that had leafed out already, all the early strawberry bloom, all the growth on a gingko tree (something I hadn't seen before in my 7 years here)... In other words, we had a fairly severe late spring cold event, and there was a lot of new growth on my kiwis that was zapped, but randomly throughout my one largest vine (Anna) there was quite a bit of growth that survived, and I have an Issai in a sheltered spot -- it's the only variety that's bloomed for me so far, but all my other vines have only been in the ground for about a year -- that's still blooming now. For whatever it's worth, I was first introduced to kiwis from a local vine (completely neglected, growing in an apple tree) in 2011, and I discovered another vine just to the east where I was able to get some fruit last year, so they seem to fruit in this area often enough. The vine I got fruit from last year hadn't been pruned in at least a couple years and was loaded with fruit. It was pruned heavily this winter. I'll have to ask if there's fruit on it this year. I think it's just far enough to the east that it escaped the late freeze this year.

Almost all of the trees sold are grafted to any nurseries oor store you go to. That means all of them are fruit bearing trees. And one of the main attraction why you buy a citrus are flowers or immature fruits that are hanging on their sides. And your question is how old are before you can eat theiir fruit? As soon as they are ripe that's the answer. And that's where your love for that plant comes out. Because you would be taking care of that baby just like a baby and you would be thinking a lot of things how you can make it happy. and you are sad if it is sick and yo are so happy if it is healthy. And you would be asking a lot more questions. And that's all the beauty of them all. If you are successful.

Hi Everyone. I live in SWFL and and after living here for 22 yrs. have decided that I should be producing a lot of my own fruit and veggies. I grew an avacado tree from seed (it's still a baby) and a friend told me that it won't bear fruit unless it's planted near an avacado of the opposite sex where it can polinate or it needs to be grafted? I know nothing about this and could use any advice on what to do. TIA

I think your problem is heat and things will improve when the temps are cooler. You don't need to pollinate them--they are self fertile. Leave them be. john