Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi! I would like advice on when to move my grapevines (2) and Kiwi.
Both are in pots on the patio at home and neither have done
particularly well over the last couple of summers. I think it is
time they went on lottie so they can get more root growth and
find more water.

I have two plots side by side and left some of the chicken wire
fence in position in the middle which is north / south alignment
and would support them both I think as it is about 20 foot long.

When is best to do the deed and any specal instruction ie: what
best to put in the new hole or how much to prune / trim off.

Westi

Don't know anything about kiwi fruit I'm afraid, but I'd wait until the grapvine has lost its leaves, then prune it back fairly hard before moving it (but not when the weather is frosty). I'm not sure which compass alignment the professional vine growers use, but ours is against a south facing fence which it loves. Once spring comes and the buds start bursting you'll probably find that the growth starts racing away, so hard pruning won't matter especially as this seems to be what the professional growers do.

If they are growing in pots I guess they can be planted when you want to but I wouldn't put them out until spring and the worst of the bad weather is over. Just on the basis that they can be off to a better start if they don't have freezing weather to contend with but this is just an instinct and could be completely wrong.

I would transplant them now before the cold weather kicks in so their roots can settle in as they go into dormancy and will get off to a good start next year. Then prune the grape back hard while still dormant in early spring (not sure about pruning the kiwi). Grape vines bleed if you prune them while they are still growing, and they fruit on the new growth they put on following pruning.

I put well rotted manure and a couple of handfuls of bone meal in the hole and mix it up with some soil before planting. They also need good drainage.

According to what I have read kiwis are pruned in the same way as grapevine - I just have never dared!

Thanks All

Another job on the to do list for this week!

Westi