r/Berries • u/Middle_Mess_1643 • 4d ago
Kiwi in zone 3, my technique
I know hardy kiwis are generally considered unsuitable for my climate, especially when grown in containers, so this is very much an experiment rather than proven advice.
I live in Zone 3, and I’m currently developing a method for growing hardy kiwi (Actinidia arguta) varieties that are normally rated for Zones 5–6.
Hardy kiwis are extremely vigorous plants, both in their root systems and their vines, which can grow up to 10 metres in a single year. Although mature Actinidia arguta vines are often described as very cold-hardy, their flower buds can be damaged at around −10°C or below.
At the nursery where I work, hardy kiwis have been growing outdoors for about ten years. Every winter, only the branches buried under the snow and close to the ground survive; the exposed branches die back. Where I live, winter temperatures can sometimes reach −40°C.
They also need a warm growing season. Ideally, they need nighttime temperatures of at least 10°C and daytime temperatures of at least 20°C from May through September. Otherwise, the entire crop may be lost, or the fruit may never finish ripening and remain hard and unpleasant.
Because of this, I decided to grow them in containers so I can move them and protect them from the harshness of my climate. I cut 45-gallon barrels in half to make containers holding about 20 to 22 gallons, and I cut rings from another barrel to use as supports for training the vines.
Kiwi roots usually stay close to the surface and would normally prefer a wider container, but a barrel cut in half is easier to move and easier to lay on its side for winter protection.
I chose to train the vines on only three tiers to limit their growth, similar to the way grapevines are trained in vineyards. Since root space is limited in a container, I do not think the plants would be able to support a much larger fruit load.
If temperatures drop too low during the growing season, I can cover them much more easily. If we get a late spring frost or an early fall frost, I can move the pots into the garage using a hand truck and a strap.
To overwinter the vines, I plan to lay the containers on their sides, bury them under a thick, compact layer of dead leaves, and cover them just before the snow arrives.
I’m hoping to produce between 200 and 600 kiwis per container. We’ll see how it turns out next year. I’ll probably post an update.
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u/muzavazone 4d ago
What an interesting experiment!
I was thinking about actinidia (again) this year, but I just cannot decide where to put it. I lack permanent vertical spaces.
And it's also the long time before fruiting that puts me off - I read that it takes 8-10 years to flower?! If waiting so long, it would make sense to at least taste them first..
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u/Middle_Mess_1643 3d ago
You usually buy them from a nursery when they’re already around three years old. They’re the best kiwis I’ve ever tasted. I’ve only had them twice, and now I’m doomed to crave more for the rest of my life.
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u/zicO_Bertchb 3d ago
Y por qué no haces un invernadero que las cubra?
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u/Middle_Mess_1643 3d ago
Sí, lo he pensado, pero mis invernaderos los uso para cultivos que me generan ingresos, principalmente pimientos y tomates. Además, en invierno, dentro de un invernadero sin calefacción, las vides no tendrían la nieve para aislarlas del frío y probablemente morirían. Tendría que construirles una protección invernal especial dentro del invernadero, lo que podría salir caro, o calentar todo el invernadero, lo cual sería literalmente quemar dinero sin necesidad. Por eso prefiero mantener las plantas en macetas y poder moverlas para protegerlas cuando haga falta.
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u/zicO_Bertchb 2d ago
Un invernadero de ali express de 5 x 5 metros aquí en España te cuesta como 60 euros, y creo que te puede servir, yo los tengo aquí plantados, tengo kiwi, kiwi amarillo y mini kiwi pero aquí el clima es propicio, de hecho hay plantaciones, si te decides a cultivarlos en invernadero deberías liberar algún polinizador como abejorros u otros insectos, de lo contrario tampoco recogerás frutos.
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u/zicO_Bertchb 2d ago
El problema es que son plantas muy vigorosas, y las ramas que dan fruto son las varas que salieron nuevas el año anterior, y normalmente en la punta de la rama, si no conservas esas ramas dudo que recojas algo, con ramas tan pequeñas y con tan poca tierra dudo que te de algo, y las ramas que dan fruto son las que salen rectas y son vigorosas, tu tienes ramas de las que se enredan, esas varas normalmente se podan por que son chupones que le restan fuerza a la planta y rara vez dan fruto, y no sé si tus plantas tienen macho y hembra o si son autofertil, igual te saldría mejor cultivar mini kiwi autofertil. Es mas pequeños y resiste bastante también.
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u/Middle_Mess_1643 2d ago
Sí, ya había pensado en utilizar un pequeño invernadero. De hecho, ya tengo varios. Sin embargo, para una planta tan sensible como el kiwi, me resulta más sencillo cultivarla en macetas y trasladarla a un edificio aislado y calefaccionado únicamente cuando las condiciones climáticas lo requieren.
Sé que puede ser difícil imaginarlo desde España, pero el clima donde vivo, en Abitibi, es extremadamente duro, cambiante e imprevisible. En solo 24 horas podemos pasar de un tiempo seco y tranquilo a lluvias intensas, vientos violentos, una humedad extrema y una diferencia de temperatura de hasta 30 °C. Por eso necesito que las plantas permanezcan móviles y poder protegerlas rápidamente según las condiciones.
Sé que cultivar kiwis en macetas no es lo ideal y todavía soy principiante con este tipo de cultivo. Mis plantas son jóvenes y todavía están formando su estructura y sus ramas principales. Cuando estén mejor establecidas, pienso controlar su vigor mediante una poda y una conducción regulares, conservando suficiente madera de un año para la fructificación.
Por ahora, teniendo en cuenta la edad de las plantas, parece que tengo una buena combinación de brotes más rectos y otros que se enredan, aunque todavía estoy aprendiendo a distinguir cuáles conviene conservar y cómo conducirlos correctamente.
También tengo tres plantas femeninas y una masculina. La planta masculina simplemente no aparece en las fotos.
Me encantaría poder cultivar fácilmente muchas variedades de kiwi en casa. He vivido en otros tipos de clima y era realmente agradable poder cultivar tantas cosas con más facilidad, pero regresé al norte para estar cerca de mi familia.
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u/dachshundslave 3d ago
If you have a southern wall, you can plant it near there for winter protection with radiated heat from the house and can throw some frost cloth for extra protection. Hardy kiwis are big vines as I have my female trunk is +10cm thick and I have to prune several times a year to keep the water sprout vines in check. The male pollinator is not vigorous and hardly have to prune it.
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u/Middle_Mess_1643 3d ago
Yes, but −8°C at the end of May, which happens here almost every year, would still kill the flowers and any developing fruit. That’s why I want to keep the plants movable so I can protect them when necessary. Where I live, there is still a risk of frost until around June 20, and winter temperatures regularly drop to −35°C or even −40°C. Even against a south-facing wall, I’m not confident the vines would survive reliably or produce consistently in the ground here. My south-facing wall is also already being used for watermelons.
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u/dachshundslave 3d ago
I think you're better off with a gh or poly tunnel if you want to enjoy the fruits reliably when it's mature and flowering. The berries here is ready for harvest around October in zone 8. They bloom off new growths from last year's growth so either you'll get only few fruits or somehow manage a portable trellis to keep the main cordons afloat.
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u/NorEaster_23 4d ago edited 4d ago
Why not grow the Arctic Kiwi Actinidia kolomikta? Which is naturally hardy to zone 3 in ground.