How to grow Kiwifruit in Australia
Kiwifruit, or Chinese gooseberry, is a vigorous deciduous vine from China that needs a very strong pergola or T-bar trellis, a cool winter and plenty of summer water. Plants are either male or female, so you need both to get fruit. The fruit is picked hard in autumn and ripened indoors.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Kiwifruit in Australia
At a glance
When to plant by region
| Region | When to plant | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| South East Queensland | June to August | |
| Northern Rivers NSW | June to August | Hayward will not crop here. Plant a very low chill female such as Sweetie with a matching male, Jun to Aug, in the cooler hinterland. |
| Sydney & Coastal NSW | June to August | Plant dormant vines Jun to Aug, a female and a male. Hayward needs more chill than the coast gets; choose lower chill Bruno, Dexter or Sweetie, or grow Hayward in the colder west. |
| Melbourne & Victoria | June to August | |
| Adelaide & SA | June to August | Plant bare root vines Jun to Aug, one male to several females. Best in the Adelaide Hills; on the plains give shelter from hot north winds and heavy summer water. |
| Perth & WA | June to August | Plant bare root vines Jun to Aug, one male to several females. Best in the Hills and the south west; on the plain the vines need wind shelter, afternoon shade and heavy summer water. |
| Tasmania | June to August | Plant Jun to Aug. Plenty of chill. Needs a male, a female and a serious trellis. |
| Canberra & ACT | June to August | |
| North Queensland | Not suited | Not viable. Needs hundreds of chill hours and a cool dormant winter. |
| Darwin & Top End | Not suited | Not viable. Needs winter chill and mild summers. Fails in Top End heat. |
Where to plant
Plant kiwifruit in full sun, protected from harsh winds, which break the new shoots and scar the fruit. The soil should be deep, moist, well drained and slightly acidic; vines dislike waterlogged roots. Consistent moisture is the key to a good crop, so plan for regular summer watering.
The common Hayward kiwifruit needs a cool winter with plenty of chill to flower well. Build the support before planting: a strong pergola or a T-bar trellis about 1.8 m high, as a mature vine carries a heavy crop.
- Hobart, Melbourne and Canberra: plenty of winter chill. Plant from June to August, with a male, a female and a serious trellis.
- Adelaide and Perth: plant bare-rooted vines from June to August, one male to several females. Best in the Adelaide Hills, the Perth Hills and the south west; on the plains give shelter from hot winds, afternoon shade and heavy summer water.
- Sydney: plant dormant vines from June to August. Hayward needs more chill than the coast gets, so choose lower-chill varieties such as Bruno, Dexter or Sweetie, or grow Hayward in the colder west.
- South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers: Hayward will not crop. Plant a very low-chill female such as Sweetie with a matching male, from June to August, in the cooler hinterland.
- North Queensland and Darwin: our calendar marks these as unsuitable, as kiwifruit needs a cool, dormant winter.
Choosing a variety
Kiwifruit is dioecious: female vines carry the fruit, and male vines provide the pollen. Plant at least one male for every four or five females, and choose a male that flowers at the same time as your female variety. Hayward is the standard female for cool climates. Bruno, Dexter and Sweetie need less winter chill. Bees carry the pollen, so they are essential.
To tell them apart in flower, female flowers have a white stigma in the centre, while male flowers have yellow pollen on the stamens and no white centre.
How to plant
- Build the pergola or T-bar trellis first.
- Plant bare-rooted or potted vines in winter while dormant, about 4 m apart, with the male nearby.
- Plant at the same depth they were growing, water in deeply and mulch, keeping the mulch clear of the trunk.
- Train a single strong shoot up a stake to the top of the support as the trunk, then let it branch along the wires or over the pergola.
Watering and feeding
Water deeply and regularly through spring and summer, especially while the fruit is growing. Kiwifruit has large leaves and loses a lot of water, and drought stress gives small fruit and scorched leaves. Never leave the roots in waterlogged soil.
Feed in late winter or early spring and again in early summer with a balanced fertiliser or compost and manure, and keep the vine well mulched.
Pruning and care
- Prune in winter to keep the vine to its framework of main arms. Do not cut back so hard that you remove the flowering wood, which is a common reason for flowers but no fruit.
- On established vines, thin the fruiting sites along each main arm in winter to one per site, about a handspan apart, to avoid a crowded, poor-quality crop.
- In summer, remove long, whippy shoots once the fruit has set, to direct energy into the fruit and let sun and air into the vine. Leave enough leaves to keep it healthy.
- In late summer, thin heavy clusters by removing a third to two-thirds of the fruit, keeping the larger, elongated fruit and pinching out small, round ones.
- Prune male vines straight after flowering.
Harvesting
Fruit ripens in autumn, from about March to April. Kiwifruit stays firm on the vine, so pick it when it reaches full size and the seeds inside have turned black; cut one open to check. Pick the whole crop before heavy frosts.
Ripen the fruit indoors at room temperature until it gives slightly, which takes a week or two; putting it in a bag with an apple speeds it up. Firm fruit keeps for weeks to months in the fridge, so you can ripen a few at a time.
Growing in pots
Kiwifruit is a big vine and is best in the ground. A pair can be grown in very large pots, at least 50 cm wide and deep, with a strong trellis, but crops are small and the vines need heavy watering.
Companion planting
Kiwifruit needs its own strong support and a mulched root zone. Low flowering plants nearby help by bringing in the bees it depends on.
Good companions
- Comfrey Its leaves can be cut and laid under the vine as a mulch that feeds the soil. Note it is hard to remove once planted.
- Nasturtium Its flowers bring bees into the area, and the vine relies on bees for pollination.
- Marigold A flowering annual that brings in bees and beneficial insects.
Pests and diseases
Kiwifruit has fairly few pests in home gardens. Birds and wind damage are often the biggest problems.
Pests to watch for
- Scale Small bumps on stems and fruit, with sticky honeydew and sooty mould.
- Passion vine hopper Small, moth-like insects with lacy wings on the shoots, which leave honeydew and sooty mould.
- Leaf roller Leaves rolled and stuck together with silk, and grazed fruit where leaves touch it.
- Birds Fruit pecked as it softens late in the season. Pick fruit firm and ripen it indoors.
Diseases to watch for
- Botrytis Grey, fuzzy mould on flowers and stored fruit, which rots from the stalk end, after wet weather.
- Root rot Vines wilt and decline in wet, poorly drained soil. Plant on a mound if drainage is poor.
- Bacterial canker (Psa)
Common questions
Why is my kiwi vine flowering but not fruiting?
Either it has no male partner, or it is pruned too hard. Kiwifruit needs both male and female plants, usually one male to four females. Female flowers have a white stigma in the centre; male flowers have yellow pollen and no white centre. Also avoid cutting off the flowering wood in winter.
Do I need a male and female kiwifruit?
Yes, for most varieties. Only females fruit, and they need pollen from a male that flowers at the same time. One male can pollinate four or five females.
How long does kiwifruit take to fruit?
Usually 3 to 4 years after planting, once the vine has filled its support.
When do I pick kiwifruit?
In autumn, about March and April, once the fruit is full size and the seeds inside are black. Kiwifruit stays firm on the vine, so pick it firm and ripen it indoors.
Can I grow kiwifruit in Brisbane or Sydney?
Hayward needs more winter chill than the coast gets. In Sydney, choose lower-chill varieties such as Bruno, Dexter or Sweetie, and in south east Queensland only a very low-chill variety in the cooler hinterland.
How do I ripen kiwifruit?
Leave picked fruit at room temperature until it gives slightly, which takes a week or two, or put it in a bag with an apple to speed it up. Store firm fruit in the fridge and ripen a few at a time.
Sources we checked: Gardening Australia: Plant profile, kiwi fruit; Gardening Australia: Kiwi fruit (fruit thinning); Gardening Australia: Pruning kiwifruit; Gardening Australia: FAQs, no fruit on kiwi vine.