I have mostly switched to fuzzy kiwis, they are completely hardy for me and are tastier and much larger. The only hardy kiwi I have really liked is Ken's Red which finally fruited for me this year. The other ones, Anna, MSU, Geneva, have too much "green" taste and my kids never liked them (I did, but I don't want to grow fruit just for me). Myers Cordifolia has still not fruited.

I would get a Saanichton and a fuzzy male as your next kiwi investment, and "upgrade" into the fuzzy world!

Scott

Thanks Scott!

Are you growing your Saanichton on your old hardy kiwi trellis? I don't have anymore trellis space left and I was going to attempt to grow these on a split rail fence around my pool. Based on my limited experience with hardy kiwi on a trellis, I think I could grow them fairly easily on a fence.

My only concern is wintertime lows. I think I'm a little cooler than you (1550 ft. in the eastern Blue Ridge). We got down to 9 degrees last week and regularly make it down to the low single digits each year.

Do you have to do any special type of winter protection?

Thanks again,
Bart

Bart, your lows sound about the same as mine - in the last ten years I have been from -2F to 7F as the lowest low, and average at about 2F. I don't protect them at all, and have never seen any dieback at all. This compares to blackberries, muscadines, and figs which have seen dieback in bad years which makes me think I could even take a bad winter and come out OK. The major problem for fuzzy kiwis is temperature swings causing them to leaf out too early in the spring. I don't have that problem where I am and I expect you may not be too different.

In terms of growth they are similar to the hardy ones but somewhat more vigorous. I have them all on one trellis. I interplanted them and I am now thinning out the hardy ones and letting the fuzzy ones take over.

I wouldn't recommend any variety besides Saanichton, most of them ripen too late. I expect there will be others ripening early enough but I still have a few years before I will know that.

Scott

Thanks Scott! The order has been placed! One Saanichton and one male.

What other fuzzies are you trialing now?

Bart, I have Exbury, Blake, had Elmwood until it died recently, plus several seedlings. These are all supposed to be earlier ripening varieties.

I should go pull some Saanichton out of the fridge and see how they are doing, they usually are best in February but some are probably ripe already. They do need to be fridged until mid-winter if they are to be fully ripe. I like that fact, there is nothing like fresh home-grown fruit in the middle of winter!

Scott

Scott,

Do any/all of the fuzzy varieties give your tongue an unpleasant tingling? I like the ones from the grocery store, but within a few minutes I feel the tingle.

I haven't noticed any tingle with the hardy kiwi. In conjunction with no peeling, it makes eating them a lot more pleasant.

Bob

Thanks Scott!

I had no idea they didn't ripen on the vine. Are they inedible when freshly picked or just not as good as they could be?

Bob, I get some after-effect from store-bought kiwis that are not totally ripe when I eat them. If a kiwi is totally ripe there is no after-effect for me. I expect that many commercial kiwis are picked too early (like with every other fruit). Even if a kiwi is picked too early they mellow out after long enough storage in the fridge. Kiwis have some unique acid in them, quinic acid is the name I think, and I expect that it is high concentrations of quinic acid that are bothering your mouth. This acid level drops in storage. My kiwis that I eat in February are very mellow tasting compared to the average store-bought ones, and lack the green bean flavors I don't like in the arguta kiwis. My kids just inhale them.

Bart, you can eat them off the vine but they are far too sour and not sweet enough. You probably won't want to take more than one bite.

Scott

I have planted several varieties of Kolomikta kiwis, some of which are going into their third year. If they ever get any fruit, how will I know when to pick them? Then what do I do, put them in the fridge for at least a couple weeks? I can't just nibble in the garden? That is my favorite way to eat fruit. Then do I take them out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter a few more days until they are soft? Am I understanding correctly that they keep for months in the fridge over winter? I had planned to dehydrate most of them, but if they keep that long, maybe I won't need to dry any of them. That is, assuming I ever get any fruit on any of my vines. Have others in the Midwest on the edge of zones 3 and 4 gotten kiwis to fruit?
Northwoodswis

Northwoodswis, what variety of kolomikta are you growing?I had 2 foot tall plants last year fruit from rooted cuttings the previous year.They ripen very unevenly, mine start ripening in August and can easily be identified by touch.You can run around the vine giving each one a slight squeeze. The ripe ones will yeild to the lite pressure.Or if you have a good eye you can actually tell by the look of the skin as they will become slightly transparent.Any way you look at it, it is a real fun easter egg hunt. Hopefully this will be the year for you once you eat a ripe one off the vine you will get hooked! I and my wife,kids and whoever else that happens to come by and eat them,they all say how much sweeter and flavourful they are compared to the store bought fuzzys.But everyones taste differ so you may not feel the same way.
Have they produced any flowers yet?

Glenn10, I don't have the names handy, but a couple are just labeled Arctic Beauty, one is Viktor, I think there is a September Sun, Pascha male, and a couple others. They haven't produced any flowers yet. So you just eat them off the vine, none of this refrigerating first? Glad to hear that. Any problems with birds?
Northwoodswis

Northwoods,I have September sun as well and it produced 2nd year.You don't need to refrigerate first but I foregot to add that they don't keep very long like the big fuzzys do in the fridge.You may get 4 weeks in the fridge and by that time they start to get dehydrated and don't taste the same as they would fresh.Like I said they ripen very unevenly, over the range of about a month here.It would be best to eat as many fresh as you can and then when your insides have had enough make jam with the rest.We haven't made jam with them yet because everyone does a really good job of eating them(our chickens and turkeys enjoy them as well). As for pests, your typical raccoons and tree rats seem to have figured them out but birds aren't a problem here other than the farm fowl eating all the lower reach ones.

Glenn10,
Then there is hope yet. I had heard that kiwis took years and years before they fruit. Maybe we'll see some fruit this summer, even. Northwoodswis

Does anyone know a good reliable source for 'Blake' kiwi vines?

I got mine from Rolling River Nursery.

Scott

Scott, I was curious if your blake kiwi set any fruit this year or is it still too young?

The arctic kiwi (kolomokita) is ripe when soft and it starts to wrinkle. Mine usually become ripe in July and August. The male typically has the beautiful variegation on the leaf (white, pink).
John S
PDX OR

Shane, it could in theory be fruiting by now but its spot has proven too shady. So, no fruit but its not its fault.

Scott