July 2002

Question and Answer
By: Beverly Shaw, Advanced Master Gardener- Purdue University

Q. About 10 years ago, I purchased four hardy kiwi plants that were supposed to be three female and one male. They have grown very well -- but no fruit!

A. There is a hardier, self-fruitful kiwi vine, Actinidia arguta, but the fruits are much smaller, like large grapes. If this is the cultivar in your garden, you should have better luck. Sometimes, they don't produce for the first 5-9 years, but you've passed that hurdle. I suspect that yours are all of the same gender (are all four still surviving?), or they are succumbing to late spring frosts. While the roots are hardy to -30 F, the tender shoots are extremely susceptible to spring frosts. You may want to cover them with a sheet or spun polyester blanket (available through garden catalogs or in garden centers) during frosts.

Story Resources:

Hardy Kiwis

 

 

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