By Garry 
Hardy kiwi: sowing, planting, growing and harvesting
Learn when to sow, plant, care for and harvest hardy kiwi in your garden.
🌱 Hardy kiwi : key growing facts
📅 Growing calendar
Indicative Northern Hemisphere temperate-climate calendar only. Adjust to local frost dates, climate, variety and growing conditions. In the Southern Hemisphere, seasons are approximately six months later.
🔎 Growing specifications
🧺 Harvest readiness & expected yield
When to pick
Harvest when the edible part reaches the desired size and quality. Handle carefully and store promptly using methods suited to this crop.
What to expect
Varies greatly with plant age and cultivar
Indicative only; variety, climate and care affect harvests.🌿 How to grow successfully
🤝 Companion planting
Maintain pollinator-friendly flowering plants nearby, while allowing room for pruning and picking.
↔️ What to avoid
Avoid planting fruit trees or bushes too deeply and neglecting mature plant size.
🐛 Pests and diseases
Check regularly for aphids, slugs and fungal disease.
🧤 Ongoing care
Mulch, prune appropriately and protect ripening fruit.
🧺 Harvest and storage
Pick at species-specific ripeness and cool or process promptly.
🧑🌾 From sowing to harvest
Prepare the soil
Improve drainage and remove weeds across a wide planting area; do not bury the graft union.
Sow or transplant
Plant healthy nursery stock in a suitable season; water thoroughly and mulch without covering the stem.
What to monitor
Monitor blossom frost, pests, water stress and ripening fruit; net crops where birds cause losses.
When and how to harvest
Harvest when the edible part reaches the desired size and quality. Handle carefully and store promptly using methods suited to this crop.