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How to Grow Kiwi Fruits USA | Care, Pests & Disease Control
Move through the SoilCommander growing library like a course: keep the navigation in place, open the next lesson, and build your garden plan step by step.
Named by PSU as "botrytis rot"; recorded against the existing grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) entry.
Phytophthora root rot
high
Named independently by both RHS ("Phytophthora root rot") and PSU ("Phytophthora crown and root rot") -- the strongest-corroborated risk for this crop, both sources agreeing waterlogged/heavy soil is the trigger.
Glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite)
moderate
Tetranychus urticae
Named directly by PSU as "two-spotted spider mites" (Tetranychus urticae).
Tortrix moth caterpillars
low
Tortricidae
PSU names "leaf rollers" generically; recorded against the existing tortrix moth caterpillar entry as the common leaf-rolling culprit rather than inventing a separate generic entity.
Thrips
low
Thysanoptera
Named directly by PSU as "thrips" without a specific species.
Fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil enriched with organic matter -- roots rot in waterlogged conditions (RHS). PSU gives soil pH 5-6.5 for hardy kiwi and warns roots burn easily, so fertilizer should be applied cautiously.
Lifecycle
Vigorous, deciduous, woody climber. Dioecious (male and female flowers on separate plants) -- RHS: female varieties ('Hayward', SOLISSIMO, 'Ken's Red') need a male or self-fertile plant nearby; 'Issai' (A. arguta) and 'Jenny' (A. deliciosa) are self-fertile and need no pollinator. PSU is specific about the ratio for hardy kiwi: roughly one male to six females. Fruit size differs by species: A. arguta gives smaller, smooth-skinned fruit about 2.5cm (1in) long; A. deliciosa gives larger, furry-skinned fruit 3-5cm (1.25-2in) long (RHS).
Water: RHS: drought and drying winds cause drooping leaves, brown leaf edges and even complete leaf loss -- consistent watering matters, especially while establishing.
Soil pH range
56.5
Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.
Plant in spring once soil and weather have warmed, in a warm, sunny, sheltered site, ideally against a south- or west-facing wall (RHS). Space 3-4.5m (10-15ft) apart (RHS); PSU gives 10ft for hardy kiwi specifically. Needs a large, sturdy support -- a pergola, archway or strong wires -- given how vigorous the vine is; PSU notes hardy kiwi can gain 20ft of growth in a single season. Prune immediately after planting (RHS).
Framework training
3
RHS: cut the strongest shoot back to 30cm (1ft), remove weaker shoots, then train a horizontal tiered espalier framework on wires spaced 40-50cm (16-20in) apart.
Pollination
6
Dioecious -- male and female flowers grow on separate plants (RHS; PSU). Female varieties (Hayward, SOLISSIMO, Ken's Red) need a male, or a self-fertile variety, planted nearby; Issai and Jenny are self-fertile and need no pollinator (RHS). PSU gives roughly a 1:6 male-to-female ratio as the practical rule for hardy kiwi.
Summer and winter pruning
3
Essential twice a year given the vine's vigour (RHS; PSU). Summer (June on): pinch fruiting shoots back to 4-5 leaves beyond the fruit, non-fruiting laterals to 5 leaves (RHS); PSU gives 4-6 leaves beyond the last flower. Winter (December-March per PSU): shorten horizontal arms by a third, existing laterals to 3-4 buds, and on mature plants renew a quarter to a third of the oldest laterals to about 5cm (2in) from the base (RHS); PSU notes as much as 70% of the wood is removed during dormant pruning.
Fruiting and harvest
8
RHS: fruiting begins 3-4 years after planting. PSU gives a longer 5-9 years for hardy kiwi specifically -- plausibly reflecting grafted cultivar stock (RHS's figure) versus less-selected rooted-cutting stock, rather than a real contradiction. RHS: fruit quite often won't ripen fully outdoors except in long hot summers -- pick before the first hard frost and ripen indoors. PSU: a mature plant yields 50-100lb of fruit (50lb closer to the average); vine-ripened fruit runs about 18-25% sugar.
When to pick: RHS: fruit quite often won't ripen fully outdoors except in long hot summers -- pick unripe fruit before the first hard frost and ripen it indoors near a fruit bowl at room temperature, which can take several weeks; ripe kiwis yield slightly when squeezed. PSU: fruit harvested early will "after-ripen" off the vine; vine-ripened fruit runs about 18-25% sugar.
Storage
RHS: once ripe, refrigerate for up to about 2 weeks. PSU: fruit picked early and refrigerated will keep in a cooler for up to 2 months.
Roots burn easily -- apply fertilizer cautiously. Plants usually purchased as rooted cuttings or potted plants, spaced 10ft apart; a pergola system suits the vine's high vigour. Dioecious: male and female flowers on separate plants, roughly a 1:6 male-to-female ratio needed; Issai is the only self-fertile variety noted. Growth: can gain 20ft of growth in a single season. Yield: doesn't bear fruit until 5-9 years old; a mature plant yields 50-100lb of fruit, 50lb closer to the average. Pruning: as much as 70% of wood removed during dormant pruning (December-March in Pennsylvania); summer pruning cuts terminal growth back to 4-6 leaves beyond the last flower. Harvest/storage: fruit harvested early will "after-ripen" and keeps in a cooler for up to 2 months; vine-ripened fruit runs about 18-25% sugar. Pests/diseases: Phytophthora crown and root rot, botrytis rot, sclerotinia blight; two-spotted spider mites, leaf rollers, thrips, Japanese beetles.
Site: warm, sunny, sheltered, ideally against a south- or west-facing wall; fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil enriched with organic matter -- roots rot in waterlogged conditions. Planting: spring once soil/weather warm; space 3-4.5m (10-15ft) apart; needs large sturdy support (pergola, archway, strong wires); prune immediately after planting. Varieties: self-fertile (no pollinator needed) -- Issai (A. arguta), Jenny (A. deliciosa); female (need a male or self-fertile nearby) -- Hayward, SOLISSIMO (A. deliciosa), Ken's Red (A. arguta); male plants flower but bear no fruit. A. arguta fruit ~2.5cm/1in, smooth-skinned; A. deliciosa fruit 3-5cm/1.25-2in, furry-skinned. Pruning: initial framework -- cut strongest shoot to 30cm/1ft, remove weaker shoots, train horizontal tiered espalier on wires 40-50cm/16-20in apart; summer (June on) -- pinch fruiting shoots to 4-5 leaves beyond the fruit, non-fruiting laterals to 5 leaves; winter -- shorten horizontal arms by a third, existing laterals to 3-4 buds, on mature plants renew a quarter to a third of oldest laterals to about 5cm/2in from the base. Harvest: fruiting begins 3-4 years after planting; rarely ripens fully outdoors except in long hot summers; pick unripe before first hard frost, ripen near a fruit bowl at room temperature (can take several weeks) -- ripe fruit yields slightly when squeezed; refrigerate ripe fruit for up to about 2 weeks. Pests/diseases: young spring shoots very vulnerable to frost; drought/drying wind causes drooping leaves, brown leaf edges, leaf loss; honey fungus and Phytophthora root rot; nutrient deficiencies especially on chalky soil. Propagation: softwood cuttings, or rooting low-growing shoots, in spring; 3-4 years to first fruiting.
2 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
What soil pH do kiwi fruits need?
A pH of about 5–6.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
What problems affect kiwi fruits?
Our data links 4 diseases and 4 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.
US vegetable growing guides · Adapted for USDA hardiness zones and US frost dates
Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real US growing conditions, adapted to USDA hardiness zones and US frost-date data, with Cooperative Extension growing advice cited directly where a crop-specific source exists.
Sketch your exact plot shape, pick your crops, and get a spacing-accurate bed layout with companion pairings and a rotation plan. Spacing, companion pairings and rotation work the same in any climate — pair the layout it gives you with the USA planting calendar for your own frost-date timing.
