The Future is Abundant
A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture

Back to the Table of Contents

Kiwi

The kiwi fruit we see in markets, Actinidia chinensis, is native to China. Formerly called the Chinese gooseberry, it was transported to New Zealand, where it was renamed kiwi fruit. The United States still imports kiwi fruit from New Zealand, but increasing quantities of this fruit are being grown in California. The kiwi is high in Vitamin C and contains beneficial enzymes similar to those found in papaya. Kiwi fruits can be stored for months in a cold cellar and ripened a few at a time at room temperature.

Actinidia chinensis is only one of the 36 named species of Actinidia which are native across Asia, from Java and the Himalayas through much of China, Japan, Korea, Siberia and the Kurile Islands. Tanaka's Encyclopedia of Edible Plants lists sixteen species as bearing edible fruit. The three species acknowledged as bearing the tastiest fruit are A. chinensis, A. kolomikta and A. arguta.

The Sunset Western Garden Book lists A. chinensis as hardy in Zone 4, which is borne out by fruiting vines in a number of locations around Puget Sound, including Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Tacoma, Issaquah and Snohomish. A vine in Snohomish has survived zero degrees Fahrenheit two winters with minimal die-back. A. kolomikta and A. arguta are hardier than A. chinensis and have survived the cold winters of Lawyer's Nursery on the Clark Fork River in western Montana. A. kolomikta is grown commercially in central Asia.

Actinidias are handsome climbing vines which can grow to great size and length. They prefer a somewhat moist and rich soil. They do not do well in shallow or chalky soils, or in soils with low humus content. A. chinensis needs full sun to do well in the Northwest. A. kolomikta and A. arguta can be grown in partial shade in the Maritime, but will need full sun in the Interior.

The Actinidia's climbing vines are good for covering trellises, arbors and the walls of buildings. If the vines are too tender to survive the winter they can be gently taken down and covered. Temperatures which will kill the vines often leave the roots unharmed, and they will resprout in the spring. The Actinidias are easily propagated by winter cuttings. They can be grown from seed planted in flats and started in the greenhouse.

Commercial sources of plants include Forestfarm Nursery, Burnt Ridge Nursery, Bountiful Ridge Nurseries, Lakeland Nursery, Wayside Gardens, Calchico Kiwi Company, and Mellingers. See the Seeds and Nurseries List for addresses.

Bibliography

Fletcher, W.A. Growing Chinese Gooseberries. Bulletin 349, New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Wellington, New Zealand, 1976.

Planting Guide Supplement for Chestnuts, Filberts, Citrus, Kiwifruit, & Roses. Dave Wilson Nursery, 4306 Santa Fe Avenue, Hughson, Ca 95326. $2.
This pamphlet gives much information on planting, irrigating, fertilizing, pests and diseases, trellising, training and pruning of the kiwi vine.

Kiwi Growers of California, Rt. 1, Box 445, Chico, CA 95926.
They sponsor a kiwi conference in early May each year during kiwi bloom time, as well as provide information.

The Future is Abundant A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture

Kiwi

Bibliography

The Future is Abundant
A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture