Hardy Kiwi Live Plants – Female & Male Pair, Large Fruit Actinidia, 4″ Pots, Outdoor

Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey by growing your own delicious and highly nutritious hardy kiwi live plants. This special offering includes one female and one male kiwi plant, a crucial pairing for successful pollination and robust fruit production. Known botanically as Actinidia arguta, these plants are celebrated for their exceptional flavor, high Vitamin C content, and ability to thrive in a variety of climates. Imagine the satisfaction of harvesting sweet, smooth-skinned kiwi fruit directly from your garden, providing a healthy and delightful snack for your entire family. These vigorous vines are not only productive but also add unique edible landscaping appeal, perfect for covering walls, fences, or arbors.

Our hardy kiwi live plants are incredibly resilient, designed to flourish in USDA Zones 4-9, tolerating impressive cold temperatures down to -25°F. They are a fantastic choice for both novice and experienced gardeners seeking a high-yield, low-maintenance fruit crop. Each plant is shipped in a 4-inch pot, ready to be transplanted into your garden where they will establish and begin their journey towards producing bountiful harvests. The female plant yields large, green, somewhat heart-shaped fruits, while the male plant serves as the ideal pollinator, ensuring a prolific yield of these delectable treats.

Key Benefits

Growing hardy kiwi live plants offers a multitude of advantages, transforming your garden into a productive and beautiful space. These resilient vines provide both aesthetic appeal and a rich harvest of healthful fruit.

• High in Vitamin C: Boost your daily nutritional intake with fresh, homegrown kiwi fruit, packed with essential vitamins and antioxidants. Enjoy the health benefits of a superfood cultivated right in your backyard.
• Delicious and Sweet Fruit: Savor the unique, sweet flavor of smooth-skinned kiwi, a delightful alternative to common fruits. These large, heart-shaped fruits are perfect for snacking, desserts, or adding to smoothies.
• Hardy and Resilient: These actinidia arguta plants are incredibly tough, tolerating cold temperatures down to -25°F and adapting well to various environmental conditions. They are a reliable choice for diverse climates.
• Essential Male/Female Pairing: This set provides both a female and a male plant, guaranteeing the necessary cross-pollination for abundant fruit production. Without both, fruit yield would be minimal.
• Easy to Grow and Maintain: With minimal effort in annual pruning and providing proper support, these vines offer substantial yields. They are an excellent choice for gardeners looking for a productive yet manageable crop.
• Attractive Edible Landscaping: Beyond their fruit, these vines add significant beauty to your garden. Their vigorous growth makes them ideal for covering walls, fences, pergolas, or creating unique, edible garden features.
• Extends Fresh Fruit Season: The fruit ripens in mid to late September, offering a delicious and nutritious treat just as summer produce begins to wane, effectively extending your fresh fruit season.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper care is essential for a thriving hardy kiwi live plant and a bountiful harvest. These vines are relatively low-maintenance once established, but a few key practices will ensure their success. They prefer a sunny location, requiring at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day for optimal fruit production. While they are cold hardy, providing some wind protection can be beneficial, especially in exposed sites. Ensure your planting site has well-drained soil; amending heavy clay soils with organic compost will significantly improve drainage and overall plant health. Regular watering is crucial, particularly during dry spells and the fruit development period, but avoid waterlogging.

For best results, plant your kiwi fruit vines 10 to 20 feet apart to allow for ample growth and air circulation, which promotes healthy development and maximum fruit set. Annual pruning is vital and should be done in late winter or early spring while the plants are dormant. This involves removing dead or overcrowded growth and shaping the vine to encourage vigorous fruit production. Provide strong support structures like a sturdy trellis, arbor, or fence, as these vines are vigorous climbers and can become quite heavy when laden with fruit. Fertilize annually in early spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer to support healthy growth and fruiting.

While generally robust, keep an eye out for common pests like aphids or scale, and treat them promptly with organic insecticidal soaps if necessary. Fungal diseases are rare but can occur in overly humid conditions, emphasizing the importance of good air circulation. The plants you receive are growing in 4-inch pots and are ready for planting. With proper care, your cold hardy kiwi plants will reward you with years of delicious fruit.

Size & Details

This offering includes two hardy kiwi live plants: one female ‘Chang Bai’ variety and one male ‘Meader’ variety, both essential for successful pollination and fruit production. Each plant is currently growing in a 4-inch nursery pot, ensuring they arrive healthy and ready for immediate transplanting into your garden. These vines are vigorous growers, typically reaching lengths of 15-20 feet or more, making sturdy support structures like trellises or arbors necessary. They have a medium to fast growth rate once established, quickly filling their designated space.

The female plants will produce large, heart-shaped fruits, typically 1 to 1.5 inches in length, with a smooth, green skin. Fruit ripening generally occurs in mid to late September. It typically takes 3-5 years for these actinidia arguta plants to begin producing fruit after planting, with yields increasing significantly as the plants mature. A mature plant, under ideal conditions, can yield up to 100 lbs of fruit per season, making them a highly productive addition to any home garden or commercial setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How large do these hardy kiwi plants get? A: These are vigorous vines that can reach lengths of 15-20 feet or more. They require a sturdy support system like a trellis or arbor to accommodate their growth and fruit production.
• Q: What is the ideal planting distance for these kiwi fruit vines? A: For optimal growth and air circulation, it is recommended to plant the male and female hardy kiwi live plants 10 to 20 feet apart. This spacing promotes healthy development and maximum fruit set.
• Q: How much sunlight do hardy kiwi plants need? A: These vines thrive in a sunny location, requiring at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day for optimal fruit production. Adequate sun is crucial for developing sweet, abundant fruit.
• Q: What type of soil is best for growing hardy kiwis? A: Hardy kiwi care suggests well-drained soil. Amending heavy clay soils with organic compost can significantly improve drainage and overall plant health, preventing root issues.
• Q: When is the best time to prune my hardy kiwi vines? A: Pruning should be done annually in late winter or early spring while the plants are dormant. This helps remove dead or overcrowded growth and encourages vigorous fruit production.
• Q: How long does it take for hardy kiwi plants to produce fruit? A: It typically takes 3-5 years for actinidia arguta plants to begin producing fruit after planting. Yields will increase steadily as the plants mature and establish themselves.
• Q: Are these plants suitable for cold climates? A: Yes, these cold hardy kiwi plants are incredibly resilient and thrive in USDA Zones 4-9, tolerating temperatures as low as -25°F. They are an excellent choice for colder regions.
• Q: What condition will the plants arrive in? A: The plants you receive are growing in 4-inch pots, shipped dormant in winter, early spring, and late fall. They are carefully packaged to ensure they arrive healthy and ready for planting.
• Q: What kind of fruit do these hardy kiwi plants produce? A: The female plant will produce large, green, smooth-skinned, somewhat heart-shaped fruits, typically 1-1.5 inches in length. They are sweet, delicious, and high in Vitamin C.
• Q: Is a male plant necessary for fruit production? A: Yes, a male plant is absolutely essential for pollinating the female plant to ensure a bountiful harvest of fruit. This set includes both a female and a male for guaranteed success.