Kitchen Garden Forum

someone down at the allotmant has just given me a kiwi fruit plant ha has grown from seeds from a kiwi (well obviously!). It is about 5" high kind of hairy. He didn't know what to do with them, neither do I. Will it be a tree, or like a peach? indoors/outdoor do I need 2 for pollination? All advice gratefully recieved.

Mandy

having watched my father try for at least 5 years to get fruit my advice has to be chuck it on the compost heap. they need warmth, will fill the greenhouse with leaves, flower and never set fruit, i think they are either male or female plants so u need one of each and u cant tell which is which till flowering, when u will probably find they are all one gender., by which time they will have smothered everything else in the greenhouse.

They are climbers and will grow outside in a sheltered spot but you do need a male and a female,they take a while to come into flower and the smell of the flowers is vile! If you want to check it out in a book the latin name is Actinidia.Personally I would buy the fruit at the greengrocer and use the space for something more productive.

Hi Richard,
They do not need to be grown in a greehouse and the more up to date varieties are self fertile.
The only snag with Mandy's seedling is that she has no idea what it is or it's provenence and living where she does it may well be too cold an area.
I stay at a Chateau in Tarn France and they have an Arbour of them which is exceedingly productive and the winters there are harsher but the Summers very much warmer than here so perhaps there may be some hope for Mandy's.

thanks for the advice, funny about the vile smell, I already thought the plant had an odd aroma, and hoped it wouldn't smell like that if i had it in the greenhouse. I will let it take its chances in a sunny corner of the garden and pass your advice on to the person who gave it me, presumably he has a few more and in time the difference between males and females may become apparent. I'm not a fan of kiwi anyway, It was just the novel idea i liked.

mandy