How to Grow a Kiwi Sapling in a Pot

Kiwi is a fruit packed with vitamins! In fact, just one kiwi is enough to get the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Native to China, this fruit-bearing climbing plant is not affected by cold or disease. The kiwi tree (or Actinidia chinensis) can be male or female, so you need to plant the two plants together. There are self-fertile plants, but their yield will be much lower. Kiwi is a climbing plant with vigorous, twining stems. Growing it requires a little patience, but it is very easy to do. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to plant, grow and harvest your kiwis!

1) Which kiwi to plant?

You should know that kiwi needs at least one male plant and one female plant to grow. Ideally, you should plant two plants of each species to ensure pollination. You should have one male plant for three to five females at most. Small gardens can get by with one self-fertile plant, but you will have very few kiwis.

2) When and where to plant the kiwi tree?

Kiwi is planted in autumn, ideally at the end of September. The soil must be rich, light, well-drained and deep. It must remain fresh, but kiwi also needs sun, so prefer a place in partial shade. Being a vigorous and twining plant, grow it near a climbing plant structure such as a pergola (a tree trunk will also do the trick). 

3) How to plant the kiwi tree?

• Dig the planting holes at least 50 cm wide and deep. This should be twice the size of the root ball to be planted.
• Space the feet 4 to 6 m apart.
• Apply a well-rotted organic fertilizer (compost).
• Place the root ball in the middle of the hole and fill with compost.
• Pack well at the base.
• Water thoroughly without drowning the roots.

4) Plant maintenance

The kiwi tree fears drought. Make sure that the soil always remains moist. Water more in hot weather and much less in cold weather. Every autumn, use manure on each plant. In spring, opt for a special fruit tree fertilizer. In winter, protect young plants from frost with a protective veil. Don’t forget to train the stems as they develop without squeezing the branches too tightly.

Regarding pruning, until the tree has fruited, there is not much to do except to balance everything. In January, after fruiting, prune to two buds below each cluster of fruits and remove the branches that have fruited. In summer, pinch the four-leafed climbing shoots.

5) The harvest 

Patience is the key to this crop, because you should know that the kiwi will only produce fruit after about five years. The kiwi is picked in summer before the first frosts. You just have to separate it from its stalk by twisting it slightly. After about ten years, it is possible to harvest up to 30 kg of fruit per vine!