How to Grow Kiwi
Kiwi At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Vine Fruit
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -10°C
Plant Family
Actinidiaceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Most kiwi vines are either male or female, and only females bear fruit, so buy at least one male and one female; one male can pollinate up to 6 females. If you only have room for one vine, choose a variety labelled self-fertile. Plant in spring around your last frost, 3 m apart, next to a strong trellis or pergola.
Grow hardy kiwi, with smooth, grape-sized fruit, since the fuzzy supermarket kiwi cannot handle Canadian winters. The vines are big and long-lived, need strong support, and start fruiting about 3 to 4 years after planting.
When To Start
Kiwi needs warmth. Wait until your last frost has passed and the soil has warmed before sowing.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Kiwi?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Kiwi Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Kiwi Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Plant kiwi: a male and a female, or one self-fertile vine
Around your last frost
Prune kiwi in late winter back to its main branches
45 days before your last frost· every year
Pick kiwis firm once the seeds turn black, ripen indoors
2 weeks before your first frost· every year
Water your new kiwi plants well while they settle in. Deep and slow is best.
About 1 days after you plant it
Hello! Water your kiwi vines deeply each week while they settle in.
About 30 days after you plant it
Good growing! Tie the strongest shoot to its support so your kiwi climbs straight.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Kiwi's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
300 cm
Plant Spacing
400 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
Yes: a strong pergola, arbour or post-and-wire system is essential.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Plant kiwi in full sun or light shade, away from low spots where cold air settles, because late spring frosts can kill the new shoots.
- 2Mix plenty of compost into well-drained soil, since kiwi roots rot in soggy ground.
- 3Water deeply every week in summer, especially in the first few years.
- 4Spread compost around the vine each spring rather than strong fertilizer.
- 5Prune in late winter to keep a tidy frame of main branches, and shorten long, tangled shoots in summer to keep the vine in bounds.
- 6Cats love to chew and roll on young kiwi vines, so circle new plants with wire mesh.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
400 cm
Mature Height
500 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
21 days
When to Pick
Pick firm in mid to late autumn before hard frost, then ripen indoors like a pear
How to Harvest
- 1Hardy kiwis ripen in early fall, so pick them before a hard frost once the seeds inside a test fruit have turned black.
- 2Snap them off the vine while they are still firm.
- 3Let them ripen on the counter for a few days to a week until they give slightly when squeezed, and a banana in the same bag speeds this up.
- 4Firm fruit keeps for weeks in the fridge, so take out a few at a time to ripen.
- 5Eat hardy kiwis whole, skin and all, like grapes.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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