The kiwi ( Actinidia chinensis ) is a Chinese vine that enjoys mild winters and hot summers, but that doesn’t stop it from growing all over France and producing abundant fruit. So if you want to eat kiwis in the morning to replenish your vitamin C intake or prepare autumn fruit salads, don’t miss the planting season that extends before winter.
- See the kiwi harvest sheet
When to plant kiwi?
Kiwi cuttings are technically possible, but the results are so disappointing that it is best to plant a kiwi plant from a cutting you have made yourself or bought from a nursery.
Autumn is the ideal season to plant a kiwi plant. Winter will allow it to establish itself despite the harsh weather, and will sprout in spring, proud of having overcome this winter ordeal.
However, in the north of France, where winters are harsher, it is preferable to wait until spring so that the youngster does not fall victim to the intense cold.
Kiwifruit needs to be planted in soil with little or no limestone. A rich, deep, fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil that remains cool all year round is ideal, with a warm, sunny western or eastern exposure, protected from strong winds.
How to plant kiwi?
Since kiwi is a dioecious plant, it takes male and female plants mixed together to fertilize each other: generally, you need 1 male plant for every 3 to 6 female plants. Of course, if you opt for self-fertile plants, this won’t be necessary.
Start by installing the support on which the kiwi plants will grow, as this will be easier with virgin soil: either it is a wall on which you will stretch wires, or you will have chosen a gazebo or a pergola, for example, which must be well fixed to the ground.
Mark the location of the kiwi plants on the ground to ensure that the male plant is not off-center but in the center of the female plants. You will need to take into account the future development of each vine by keeping a space of 3 to 6m between each plant.
Prepare planting holes at least 40cm in diameter and depth, 30cm from the support. Pour well-rotted compost or manure into the bottom.
Place the kiwi stalk at the bottom of the hole, making sure the roots are not all mixed together in one plug, in which case you will need to untangle them a little.
Fill the hole with the extracted soil, cover it and form a watering basin that will allow you to water more easily in large quantities. In the first year, you will need to water regularly.
Autumn planting should be accompanied by a thick mulch of the plant so that it can withstand the winter cold. Also be careful of late spring frosts, which are fatal for the buds that have formed.
When the kiwi develops in the spring, you can start training it.