what is the best way to get kiwi to germinate from seed? I have pulled about a dozen seeds from a kiwi fruit,and currently have them drying on a paper towel.
Thank you for any suggestion.
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opabinia51
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Not being a kiwi expert I can't give you any direct advice but, being a gardener who loves to grow his plants from seed I can give you a couple of options.
1) Soak the seeds overnight and plant them in a sterile growth medium (I personally like a sterilized potting soil but, others use perlite)
If you do use perlite, once the seeds have germinated transfer them to a growth medium with nutrient capacity such as compost
2) Plant the seeds directly into the growth medium
3) another thing to do is to lay them out on some paper towel and keep the towel moist until the seeds germinate.
I have read that it can take from 1-2 months for the seeds to germinate.
In both cases I would plant the seeds indoors as the kiwis are a warm climate fruit and will not germinate at cold temperatures.
1) Soak the seeds overnight and plant them in a sterile growth medium (I personally like a sterilized potting soil but, others use perlite)
If you do use perlite, once the seeds have germinated transfer them to a growth medium with nutrient capacity such as compost
2) Plant the seeds directly into the growth medium
3) another thing to do is to lay them out on some paper towel and keep the towel moist until the seeds germinate.
I have read that it can take from 1-2 months for the seeds to germinate.
In both cases I would plant the seeds indoors as the kiwis are a warm climate fruit and will not germinate at cold temperatures.
Kiwi are VERY particular.
The seeds must be stored for a long period of time. If memory serves, at least a year. They will not germinate sooner - they'll just rot.
There are male and female kiwi. Must have both to get fruit.
And they are quite picky about climate. We were barely in the right zone for them in Florida, at 9b.
We tried it - we didn't have any luck - but hopefully you are in the right zone & can have some success. They are such a neat fruit.
The seeds must be stored for a long period of time. If memory serves, at least a year. They will not germinate sooner - they'll just rot.
There are male and female kiwi. Must have both to get fruit.
And they are quite picky about climate. We were barely in the right zone for them in Florida, at 9b.
We tried it - we didn't have any luck - but hopefully you are in the right zone & can have some success. They are such a neat fruit.
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opabinia51
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Might try just growing them from nursary stock.
My Aunt has one (one male and one female) here where the climate is quite mild and she has loads and loads of fruit every year. Though, my mother tried it years ago and never had any fruit at all.
My Aunt's neighbour has his kiwis growing up into the local trees.
My Aunt has one (one male and one female) here where the climate is quite mild and she has loads and loads of fruit every year. Though, my mother tried it years ago and never had any fruit at all.
My Aunt's neighbour has his kiwis growing up into the local trees.
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The Helpful Gardener
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Dirr says regular stratification (planting) at 41 degrees for three months in a moist medium would work, and that Zones 8 to 9 work for growing (Grey you must have been practically Z10). Yup, dioecious plant (boys and girls) although there is a perfectly flowered form (boy and girl parts) called 'Issai' that needs no other plant (although fruit is smaller)...
HG
HG
I started about 200 seeds of various Kiwi last year and got no takers at all. I used bags of moist sand in the fridge at about 3-4C (with a lot of other seeds). I was a bit neglectful though, the sand drying out once or twice. From now on, I'll invest in plants of all but the easiest to germinate rather than wait so long for nothing. The other alternative is to plant straight out in to the garden or cold frame, which is where I'll put the remainder of the Kiwi seeds.
You can be sure that the sky won't forget to water them around here. If anything comes up, I'll consider it a bonus to my plant buying.
I bought about 100 varieties of seeds. Nothing that's commonly grown for fruit but a lot of very promising varieties. I've had such a low overall success rate with stratfying that I'm going to plant the last third of seed outside when I know a bit more about the best ways to do it.
Anyone got any tips or advice on planting outside and coldframes? I want to make one about 5 x 2 x 2 foot but don't know what I'm trying to achieve in the design, what to cover it with, etc.
You can be sure that the sky won't forget to water them around here. If anything comes up, I'll consider it a bonus to my plant buying.
I bought about 100 varieties of seeds. Nothing that's commonly grown for fruit but a lot of very promising varieties. I've had such a low overall success rate with stratfying that I'm going to plant the last third of seed outside when I know a bit more about the best ways to do it.
Anyone got any tips or advice on planting outside and coldframes? I want to make one about 5 x 2 x 2 foot but don't know what I'm trying to achieve in the design, what to cover it with, etc.
Yup, very close to being zone 10 where I was.The Helpful Gardener wrote:Dirr says regular stratification (planting) at 41 degrees for three months in a moist medium would work, and that Zones 8 to 9 work for growing (Grey you must have been practically Z10). Yup, dioecious plant (boys and girls) although there is a perfectly flowered form (boy and girl parts) called 'Issai' that needs no other plant (although fruit is smaller)...
HG
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fromthecanopy
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!potatoes!
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gonna be hard to grow fuzzy kiwi in n.j., but the hardy varieties could do well...of course you're not going to find fruit of those to rob easily, either.
three months in damp medium (in a plastic bag?) in the fridge looks like your best bet, especially if you can find a spot in the fridge that stays near 41degrees...I've had decent luck with sprouting seeds from bought fruit, but I haven't tried kiwi...if your fridge runs a good temp (or is set-able), it's a good place to stratify.
three months in damp medium (in a plastic bag?) in the fridge looks like your best bet, especially if you can find a spot in the fridge that stays near 41degrees...I've had decent luck with sprouting seeds from bought fruit, but I haven't tried kiwi...if your fridge runs a good temp (or is set-able), it's a good place to stratify.
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The Helpful Gardener
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There most definitely are hardy Kiwi varieties that grow in the North. I found another forum where a gentleman in New York had hundreds of Kiwis from his vines. He claimed that he did absolutely nothing but provide a large arbor for them to grow on.
You will need a male and a female plant to get fruit. One male can polinate up to 8 females.
I would purchase plants at a local nursery if I were you. I believe the plants are started from cuttings, so they shouldn't be too pricey.
You will need a male and a female plant to get fruit. One male can polinate up to 8 females.
I would purchase plants at a local nursery if I were you. I believe the plants are started from cuttings, so they shouldn't be too pricey.
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The Helpful Gardener
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applestar
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Unless you're dead set on growing those seeds, it really sounds like kiwi is pretty difficult to start from seed even for an experienced gardener.
If you just want to grow kiwi vines to harvest fruits from, try [url=https://www.eat-it.com]Edible Landscaping[/url] They have several cold hardy cultivars to choose from AND running a 20% off sale right now.
If you just want to grow kiwi vines to harvest fruits from, try [url=https://www.eat-it.com]Edible Landscaping[/url] They have several cold hardy cultivars to choose from AND running a 20% off sale right now.
You are right THG, that seems to be the only self-fruitful kiwi available. Granted, it's not fuzzy and reportedly the size of a large grape...
I had never heard of the variety, so I tried googling the name and found a few nurseries selling it as well as some discussions about it in other forums. I found few of them who gave the plant a ringing endorsement, but there was one person that said they tasted good.. suggesting they had success.
Good luck on whatever you end up doing, but if you do a little research, you'll find that the majority of fruit trees are propogated by means other than seed planting.
I had never heard of the variety, so I tried googling the name and found a few nurseries selling it as well as some discussions about it in other forums. I found few of them who gave the plant a ringing endorsement, but there was one person that said they tasted good.. suggesting they had success.
Good luck on whatever you end up doing, but if you do a little research, you'll find that the majority of fruit trees are propogated by means other than seed planting.
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Little Gardener
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So I'd like to grow 1 male and 3 females from the seeds of a shop bought Hayward one. Do I have to use the fridge? This sure won't go down well with my mum!... 
Hi
I am new to gardening but I just wanted to let you know that I have experimented with a shop bought kiwi fruit.
I sliced it in half and took some of the seeds out of it. I didn't dry them out and placed the seeds directly into a pot of compost and spray watered them every day for 3 weeks on my window sill. After 3 weeks they started to come up through the compost.
I now have about 25 kiwi plants coming up. They are only small at the moment - about an inch and a half high but they look very healthy. I have now put them in my greenhouse. I hope they continue to grow and produce fruit.
The temperature over here is between 65 and 75 farenheight (inside the greenhouse). We are just coming into our summer months so I am hoping they will do well.
I am new to gardening but I just wanted to let you know that I have experimented with a shop bought kiwi fruit.
I sliced it in half and took some of the seeds out of it. I didn't dry them out and placed the seeds directly into a pot of compost and spray watered them every day for 3 weeks on my window sill. After 3 weeks they started to come up through the compost.
I now have about 25 kiwi plants coming up. They are only small at the moment - about an inch and a half high but they look very healthy. I have now put them in my greenhouse. I hope they continue to grow and produce fruit.
The temperature over here is between 65 and 75 farenheight (inside the greenhouse). We are just coming into our summer months so I am hoping they will do well.
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!potatoes!
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Hi y'all,
Yipee, I did just what Pebbles did except I just put my seeds on a papertowel in a baggie, and placed it near a lightbulb, seeds facing away from the light, and most of them sprouted. Within 2 weeks.
One is now about a 1/2 inch high, and if all goes well the others will follow and be happy little sprouts in my plastic egg carton. ( They are great little green houses)
I'm just wondering if your kiwi plants flowered in your greenhouse over the summer?
Did you have any luck???
Yipee, I did just what Pebbles did except I just put my seeds on a papertowel in a baggie, and placed it near a lightbulb, seeds facing away from the light, and most of them sprouted. Within 2 weeks.
One is now about a 1/2 inch high, and if all goes well the others will follow and be happy little sprouts in my plastic egg carton. ( They are great little green houses)
I'm just wondering if your kiwi plants flowered in your greenhouse over the summer?
Did you have any luck???
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Sage Hermit
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Well, heard some 'nays' here, but I haven't seemed to have any trouble getting my seed to germinate. It took anywhere between 2 weeks and 1 month to get them up, species 'arguta,' and out of about 50 seed about 20 made it. Seed was purchased through www.tradewindsfruitstore.com
I used a compost and peat mix, with dash of perlite. Planted in November, when weather here was really turning cold. By mid December they were mostly up, and a week ago I potted them in larger pots, mostly to get them out of the heavier compost mix. I probably would have had more seeds sprout, if I hadn't overdone the compost in original planting, (low on peat)
Hope I helped, know old post but never a bad thing to put out info.
*Additional Note: This is usually the time of year I do seeds and cuttings. I live in 'Zone 9B,' but believe me, last few years acts more like Zone 9A to lower Zone 8. I do not stratify, chill in fridge, nor scarify. I will remove corky bark from seeds like Brugs, but that's about it. I usually always get seedlings up. Also swear by 'Superthrive'...this stuff in weakened format is great to boost hard to sprout seeds. Use no ferts until well established.
I used a compost and peat mix, with dash of perlite. Planted in November, when weather here was really turning cold. By mid December they were mostly up, and a week ago I potted them in larger pots, mostly to get them out of the heavier compost mix. I probably would have had more seeds sprout, if I hadn't overdone the compost in original planting, (low on peat)
Hope I helped, know old post but never a bad thing to put out info.
*Additional Note: This is usually the time of year I do seeds and cuttings. I live in 'Zone 9B,' but believe me, last few years acts more like Zone 9A to lower Zone 8. I do not stratify, chill in fridge, nor scarify. I will remove corky bark from seeds like Brugs, but that's about it. I usually always get seedlings up. Also swear by 'Superthrive'...this stuff in weakened format is great to boost hard to sprout seeds. Use no ferts until well established.