Kiwi vine care guide: when & how to prune, fertilize and spray

When: 5–10 weeks before the last spring frost.

• zones 3–5: about Mar 1 – Apr 5
• zones 6–7: about Feb 4 – Mar 11
• zones 8–10: about Dec 17 – Jan 21

Unpruned kiwis become a tangled mass with little fruit. Winter pruning removes canes that already fruited and keeps evenly spaced one-year-old canes, which carry this year's crop.

1. Prune while fully dormant. Pruning close to bud break makes the vine 'bleed' sap heavily.
2. Keep the permanent framework: a single trunk and 1–2 horizontal arms (cordons) along the top wire or pergola.
3. Cut out canes that fruited last year back to a strong new cane near the cordon, or back to the cordon itself.
4. Keep healthy one-year-old canes (pencil-thick or thicker) spaced 8–12 in (20–30 cm) apart along the cordons. Shorten each to about 8–12 buds (fuzzy kiwi) or 10–15 buds (hardy kiwi).
5. Remove weak, tangled, crossing and dead growth. Expect to take off around 70% of last year's growth.
6. Male vines: prune lightly now and do most of their pruning right after flowering.

Tools: Bypass pruners, Loppers, Ladder

When: 8–10 weeks after the last spring frost, then every 5 weeks (3 times a season).

• zones 3–5: about Jul 5–19
• zones 6–7: about Jun 10–24
• zones 8–10: about Apr 22 – May 6

Kiwis grow many feet a season. Summer pruning keeps light reaching the fruit and the vine within bounds.

1. On fruiting shoots, cut back to 4–6 leaves beyond the last fruit.
2. Shorten long, non-fruiting shoots that tangle or trail toward the ground.
3. Keep a few strong new shoots near the cordon, well spaced. They become next year's fruiting canes.
4. Male vines: right after flowering, cut flowered shoots back hard to keep them compact.

Tools: Bypass pruners

When: from 3 weeks before to 1 week after the last spring frost, then every 6 weeks (2 times a season).

• zones 3–5: about Apr 19 – May 17
• zones 6–7: about Mar 25 – Apr 22
• zones 8–10: about Feb 4 – Mar 4

Kiwis are heavy feeders, especially for nitrogen. Splitting the feeding between early spring and early summer supports both shoots and fruit.

1. Scatter a balanced fertilizer and compost over the root zone, which extends well beyond the trunk, and water it in.
2. Young vines: use small amounts and increase each year.
3. Don't feed after early summer. Late growth gets winter damage.

What to use: 🌿 Finished compost or composted manure · 🌿 Balanced organic granular fertilizer (e.g. Espoma Plant-tone 5-3-3) · Slow-release balanced fertilizer (e.g. Osmocote Smart-Release 14-14-14)

When: 2–6 weeks after the last spring frost.

• zones 3–5: about May 24 – Jun 21
• zones 6–7: about Apr 29 – May 27
• zones 8–10: about Mar 11 – Apr 8

Mulch keeps roots cool and moist, suppresses weeds and slowly feeds the soil. Applying it after the soil warms lets roots wake up first.

1. Spread 2–3 in (5–7 cm) of mulch over the root zone.
2. Keep mulch 2–3 in (5–7 cm) away from stems and trunks. Mulch piled against bark invites rot and rodents.
3. Don't go deeper than 3 in (7 cm) in total. Too much mulch suffocates roots.

What to use: 🌿 Shredded hardwood or pine bark mulch

When: from 3 weeks before to 1 week after the last spring frost.

• zones 3–5: about Apr 19 – May 17
• zones 6–7: about Mar 25 – Apr 22
• zones 8–10: about Feb 4 – Mar 4

Kiwis break bud early, and one frost night can kill the new shoots that carry this year's flowers.

1. Watch the forecast from bud break until the frost-free date.
2. On nights forecast at or below 32°F (0°C), drape frost cloth over the vine in the evening and remove it in the morning.
3. Water dry soil the day before. Moist soil releases more heat overnight.

When: 2–6 weeks after the first fall frost.

• zones 3–5: about Oct 15 – Nov 12
• zones 6–7: about Nov 8 – Dec 6

Young kiwi trunks can split in hard freezes. That's the most common cause of winter loss in marginal zones.

1. For the first 3–4 winters, wrap the lower trunk with tree wrap or pipe insulation and mound mulch around the base.
2. Remove the wrap in spring.

When: from 6 weeks before the first fall frost until the first fall frost.

• zones 3–5: about Aug 20 – Oct 1
• zones 6–7: about Sep 13 – Oct 25
• zones 8–10: about Oct 20 – Dec 1

Fuzzy kiwis ripen off the vine. Hardy kiwis are best picked when they begin to soften.

1. Fuzzy kiwi: pick when the fruit is full size and the seeds inside have turned black (cut one open to check), usually around first frost. Fruit will still be hard. Ripen at room temperature, next to apples or bananas to speed it up.
2. Hardy kiwi: pick in late summer to early fall when the first fruits soften. Firm ones ripen indoors in a few days.
3. Harvest everything before a hard freeze.