Hardy Kiwi VineActinidia argutaHeight: 12' average mature height Zones: 4-8 Find my zone Maximum Water: tolerates occasional winter flooding but needs drier soil in the summer Habit: vine Foliage: deciduous
Size Availability
Sold out.
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: currently not in production; often we have replaced this variety with a better alternative but it is still in our catalog as we may produce limited batches in the future
The hardy vine kiwi produces bunches of mini fuzz-less kiwi fruit, even in cold climates. After the kiwis ripen in the fall, they stay good for a long time on the vine or can be harvested and stored for a month or more. Additionally, the
A. arguta
kiwis tend to be less acidic than fuzzy kiwis (such as
Actinidia chinensis
and
deliciousa
varieties that are commonly sold in stores) and are far easier on your tongue! We grow many varieties of Arguta Kiwis with each having a different flavor, shape, and ripening season. If your garden space allows, you can plant both an early and a late variety to significantly extend your growing season.
Arguta Kiwis can be eaten whole like a large berry because they don't have any of the irritating fuzz of the larger-fruited kiwi species.
Female plants will grow around 12 feet tall and 15 feet wide while male plants will grow much smaller. Plant the male on its own trellis or about 10 feet away from any females as the female vines will often outcompete the male. Kiwis are true vines so they will need a structure such as a trellis or wire fence to grow on. Plants will typically take 2 years before producing fruit. Plants will produce very long unbranched vines which can be pruned back in the winter, but the dense twig-like branches are what will produce fruit the following summer so don't remove those.
Both a male and female plant are required for pollination. For maximum pollination rates there should be at least one male for every 8 to 10 female vines.
Female Varieties:Anna is a particularly sweet variety with red hues in the fruit. This variety has been very productive for us and can produce over 250 pounds of fruit each year on a single plant. Fruit producing is fairly late, typically ripening in late October.
Ken's Red
This variety is the least acidic of any that we grow and has similar red coloring to Anna. Note: this particular variety is only hardy to zone 6. Early October ripening.
Dumbarton Oaks
Dumbarton produces apple-shaped fruit that ripen early, typically in mid-September.
Geneva 3
This is a mid-season variety that ripens in late September and early October. The fruit store better than other varieties.
MSU
MSU produces larger fruit than the other varieties and ripens in early October. Good for storing.
Changbai
Heart-shaped fruit ripen in early October that are larger than average, but not as large as MSU. Low acididy.
Issai
A self-pollinating variety that doesn't need a male plant. Fruit production, both quantity and quality, is lower without pollination though. We have stopped propagating this variety because the growth is weak and plants seem to struggle without excessive care. One of the features we like about Arguta Kiwis is that they require almost no care and Issai required too much time compared to the fruit yields. Hopefully an improved self-pollinating variety will come to the market some day for gardeners who are limited on space.
Male Pollinators:FairchildA long-flowering pollinator with a semi-dwarf form that will pollinate any of the female Arguta varieties. 
One gallon plants of the female variety ready for shipment. Packing Plants For ShippingWe pack our plants depending on the needs of each species and size, most plants ship best with the roots packed in moist sawdust or bark fines but some species don't like root disturbance and are shipped in a soil-less growing media. Excess soil is washed from the roots in preparation for shipping (18-24" White Pines)  Plants are bundled together to fit in boxes  Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes. Plant Sizes 3 gallon Dawn Redwood  Standard quart shrub  Standard 14-18" multi-stem tree size  Standard deep plug pine tree Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their ContainersBamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.  1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed. Unpacking Bare Root PlantsYou will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top. A bundle of trees. What if I am not able to plant right away?You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.For longer term storage of plants you can pot them up or plant them in rows close together temporarily and then pull them out later in the spring to be planted again. This keeps the roots moist while allowing for air flow to the tops. The roots should have good contact with the soil to ensure they have access to adequate moisture. |
Size Availability
Sold out.
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: currently not in production; often we have replaced this variety with a better alternative but it is still in our catalog as we may produce limited batches in the future
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Red Panda Nursery
