Dole Superkids
Kiwifruit
Growing & Harvesting

Most kiwifruit plants begin in hot houses where kiwifruit roots and vines are grafted together. Grafting is when the live vine is cut and attached to a live root – then the two parts of the kiwifruit plant can grow together as one. The kiwifruit plants, also called nursery stock, are then transplanted to field where they are planted 18 feet by 18 feet apart.


Kiwifruit vines are trained to grow on either T-bar or Pergola trellis systems. This helps plants get enough light and air for optimal fruit quality.


Kiwifruit grown on the T-bar trellis system hangs down along the sides, like table grapes.


Kiwifruit grown on Pergola trellises grows overhead. Vines can be as high as 15 feet.

Kiwifruit buds come out in early spring and bloom in late spring. Bees are used to pollinate the kiwifruit flowers. In the kiwifruit orchards, 2 to 5 beehives are used for every acre. Both male and female kiwifruit plants are required for fruiting. There needs to be one male plant for every eight female plants for proper pollination.


Kiwifruit needs lots of water, nutrients and a sandy loam soil to grow. Did you know that each kiwifruit plant transpires 40 to 60 gallons of water every day during peak growing season? Water transpires out through the plants' large and lush leaves. Each leaf is nearly 8 inches long and 5 inches across.


A developing kiwifruit is called a berry. It usually takes three years for a kiwifruit plant to mature and produce fruit. Sometimes, it can take up to 5 years from the time the seeds are planted before this plant bears its first fruit.

During winter, kiwi plants like to hibernate in temperatures below 45 (or 50) degrees Fahrenheit for at least 800 hours.


Kiwifruit is harvested by hand. When picking kiwifruit, workers wear white cotton gloves to protect it from damage. In California, kiwifruit is harvested in October and November. Kiwifruit in New Zealand and Chile are harvested in April and May.

*Images courtesy of Zespri.