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Kiwi support
1
July 25, 2009 - 6:56 pm
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gkowen

Rochester, WA

Posts: 218

I am growing some kiwis next to my 6 foot chain link fence. How do people tie or attach the vines to the fence? I have never seen a mature kiwi vine but I assume that the vines get too big to let them weave in and out of the links. Thanks

2
July 25, 2009 - 8:46 pm
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John S

PDX OR

Posts: 3078

I wouldn't use a chain link fence. Do you have fuzzy, hardy, arctic kiwi or another kind (there are like 150 species)? They are not all the same size.
John S
PDX OR

3
July 25, 2009 - 9:16 pm
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gkowen

Rochester, WA

Posts: 218

These are hardy kiwi. Why not use achain link fence?

4
July 26, 2009 - 9:55 am
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Viron


Posts: 1409

Hey Greg, you asked: “These are hardy kiwi. Why not use a chain link fence?”

Definitely not with the (large) fuzzys. And with about 4 years experience with my “newest hardy’s,” I wouldn’t suggest a linked fence. They will twine themselves through the links.... ….actually, thinking as I type – let me just ‘think our loud’ :roll: If you lay their one-year leaders over and tie them to the fence, that’s where they’ll stay - on the outside, and can get as big as they like. When those leaders send out ‘side shoots’ they will defiantly twine between the links... and once they’ve hardened off they’re a real pain to remove / untangle. They’ll actually begin to strangle themselves… But, if you’re on them every year, never allowing them to ‘engulf’ the fence… it might work fine.

When you go to ‘renew’ their fruit wood, basically removing the older wood to allow the newer to become dominant (thus producing its side shoots), you could ‘untie’ the ‘first leaders’ you attached to the fence; re-tie ‘new’ ones, and spend a little (or a lot :?: ) time untangling the slightly less aggressive ‘side shoots’ having weaved themselves between the links…

Heck – you’re a hard worker - Go for it! Tell us how you do. No where near the size or aggressiveness of their fuzzy cousins, they’re not going to break your fence apart by growing through the links and expanding like crazy – but they’d like to :mrgreen:

5
July 26, 2009 - 2:08 pm
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gkowen

Rochester, WA

Posts: 218

If they break this fence then I will eat the kiwis. These posts are triple wall strength buried 3 feet into th ground with 3 bags of concrete for each pole. That's what I was worried about though. I go out each night and untangle the shoots from the fence. Thanks for the info. I will keep my eye onthem

6
July 26, 2009 - 4:21 pm
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John S

PDX OR

Posts: 3078

I agree with Viron. I wouldn't do it because you're going to have to prune so much. It will irritate you to have to weave through and figure out which vine is fruiting, which fruited last year, which you want to prune, etc. You probably want overhead 2 x 4's. Try the Oregon State Univ. site on kiwi's. It's great.
John S
PDX OR