Plant guide:ðĨ Kiwi
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Growth
Kiwi Vine Not Setting Fruit
Commonly affects: Actinidia deliciosa, A. chinensis (Kiwi)
The vine flowers but produces no fruit, or only a handful of small, poorly-formed fruit despite abundant blossom.
Potential Causes
- 1Kiwi vines are dioecious â you need both a male and female plant nearby for pollination, since a single vine of either sex cannot fruit alone
- 2Poor pollinator activity even with both sexes present
- 3Male and female flowering not overlapping in timing
Solution Steps
- 1Confirm you have both a male and female vine planted within pollinating distance (within about 8 metres)
- 2Hand-pollinate by transferring pollen from male flowers to female flowers using a small brush if bee activity is limited
- 3Plant a male vine bred to flower at the same time as your female variety if timing mismatch is suspected
- 4Encourage bee activity by avoiding pesticide use during flowering
Prevention Tip
The single most common reason for a fruitless kiwi vine is having only one sex planted â confirm you have both a male and female vine before troubleshooting further.
