I'm a home gardener and have several gardens here in Studio City along with numerous fruit trees. Some years ago as in at least 5-7 I planted 5 Kiwi plants, 4 female and 1 male.
As of this time I have not seen one blossom on any of the plants. Most years I've pruned them, not sure if I did it correctly. Any suggestions? The plants seem quite mature. The nurseryman who sold them to me left a couple of years ago.
Here's hoping for some help,
Barry
Ok, I am not a expert, but here is what I know.
Kiwis normally have to be at least 7 years old to bear fruit, and then it takes a couple more years until you get a big harvest.
It could be possible you are pruning off the branches that will bear your fruit. I have a old Pome News article on pruning kiwis by Ted Swensen, and will try to make it the featured article in November.
Steven
I don't know where Studio City is, but I suspect southern CA. I suspect your problem is water. I planted kiwis to shade a west-facing sliding glass door. I think I got blooms in 3 years, and a lot of fruit in 4. I sold the place before they ripened, so my experience stops there.
The monsters (I just had 1 of each sex) needed only a very solid trellis and a lot of water - even in Portland - and they tried to take over the world. I had a soaker hose close by, and kept it dribbling any time we went more than a day without rain (or all summer and into fall).
The photocopy of I don't know what book or article that I have (page header: "The Best Subtropical Fruits--Kiwi Fruit") says "The vigorous growth and abundant foliage of the kiwi vine call for plenty of soil moisture. Water deeply and frequently in a basin that extends 5-6' from the trunk. Water-stressed plants drop their leaves, exposing the fruit to sunburn. they also may not flower the following year. Keep the soil moist until harvest, but cut back on the water as fall approaches in order to encourage dormancy.
"In parts of Southern California where hot, dry winds are common in the fall, mulch the ground under the entire canopy of the vine and keep it moist. This will, it is hoped, increase the humidity enough to prevent leaf drop."
mh
Here is the article I mentioned:
http://www.homeorchardsociety......rticle/22/
Kiwis are the most sensitive to height placement of any plant I know.
If you place them lower than they were growing at the nursery/in the pot, they might die. If you place them higher, they might live forever, producing nothing.
I just moved, and with most of the kiwis, I planted cuttings so that the new plants would not have these problems. I find fuzzy kiwis too difficult to grow from cuttings, so I bought the plant and placed it very carefully at exactly the same level it was at in the pot.
John S
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