Growing Mini Kiwis

[Zelenina]

I discovered some mini kiwis in the small market hall in Frankfurt last weekend. So I bought a punnet full, and now the seeds are drying on top of my computer.

Has anyone tried growing them from seeds or from plants? Got any info or tips about them? How big are the plants? How long do they take to bear fruit? Do they have separate male and female plants like the big hairy ones?

[veggiechicken]

Does this help? http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...rry_63702.html
I still have one of the seedlings - now about 2' tall.

[mattster]

hi hope this info helps.
I have the mini kiwi "issai" after trying for ages to get flowers on the a Boskoop kiwi (larger variety) unsuccessfully for 8 years.
the kiwi was planted in 2013 and flowered heavily last year but didn't set fruit unfortunately.
They grow very big (30 metres plus) and need support or heavy pruning.
the Issai are very hardy down to minus 35 Celsius so fine in uk climate and self fertile. i haven't seen a fruit yet bur apparently they are golf ball size and don't need peeling unlike larger kiwi.

[Guest]

golf ball size

Are they? The one time mine fruited (prior to moving house and dying on me ) it was a berry more like size and shape of a big, fat grape. Was hoping to try it again at some point, more reason now

[mattster]

http://www.starkbros.com/blog/wp-con...ardy-kiwi.jpeg
if the image works that is the size maybe not quite golfball but much bigger than a berry. there are a few different hardy kiwi so the size may vary greatly by type?

[hellybore]

I am growing the self-fertile 'Issai' too. Only just planted it in autumn so haven't seen the fruit yet. I have read that other types are either male or female Zelenina, so best grow a few to make sure you have one of each.

[yummersetter]

I grow Issai ( or what was sold as . . quite a bit of mis-labelling in kiwis). Its taken about four years to get a good crop and the vine hasn't yet gone uncontrollably rampant as the large ones have. The fruits are the size of a very large gooseberry, but they are as hairy as other kiwis and certainly need peeling. One thing I learned this year was to leave them on the vine as long as possible. I noticed a week ago that some ripe ones were falling to the ground, and a heavy frost was imminent, so I gathered them in, and got a basketful from one plant.