Hardy Ken’s Red Kiwi Live Plant – 1-2 ft Tall, 6 inch Pot, Outdoor Vine

Overview

Cultivate your own delicious and exotic fruit with this exquisite Hardy Ken’s Red Kiwi live plant. This robust vine, currently 1-2 feet tall and shipped in a 6-inch pot, promises to transform your garden into a productive edible landscape. Known for its unique smooth, red, and bite-sized fruit, the Ken’s Red Kiwi offers a delightful citrus-sweet flavor that can be enjoyed straight from the vine without the need for peeling. While the skin boasts a striking red hue, the interior flesh is a vibrant green, adding visual appeal. The plant itself features hardy, reddish-brown vine stems that beautifully contrast with its broad, lush green leaves, making it an attractive addition even before it bears fruit. This particular variety, often referred to as Ken’s Red Kiwi vine, is celebrated for its impressive yields, potentially producing up to 100 pounds of kiwi fruit annually. It is also remarkably cold-hardy, capable of tolerating temperatures as low as -25 °C, making it suitable for a wide range of climates for those interested in growing kiwi at home.

Key Benefits

Investing in a Hardy Ken’s Red Kiwi live plant brings numerous advantages to your garden and culinary endeavors. This exceptional fruit-bearing vine offers both aesthetic beauty and bountiful harvests, enhancing your outdoor space in multiple ways. Experience the joy of fresh, home-grown fruit with these compelling benefits:

• Exceptional Fruit Production: Enjoy the potential for abundant harvests, with mature plants capable of producing up to 100 pounds of delicious kiwi fruit each year, providing a steady supply for your family.
• Unique Flavor and Texture: Savor the distinct citrus-sweet taste and smooth texture of the bite-sized red kiwis. Their peel-free nature makes them a convenient and enjoyable snack.
• Cold Hardiness: This variety is incredibly resilient, tolerating temperatures as low as -25 °C, which allows for successful cultivation in colder regions where other kiwi types might struggle.
• Attractive Foliage: The reddish-brown vine stems and broad green leaves create a beautiful contrast, adding ornamental value to your garden throughout the growing season.
• Homegrown Goodness: Cultivate your own fresh, organic fruit, ensuring you know exactly what goes into your food and reducing reliance on store-bought produce.
• Versatile Use: The fruit is perfect for fresh eating, adding to salads, desserts, smoothies, or making jams and jellies, offering diverse culinary applications.
• Easy to Enjoy: The smooth skin means no peeling is required, making these kiwis an effortless and healthy snack right off the vine.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Hardy Ken’s Red Kiwi live plant is a rewarding experience that yields delicious fruit with proper attention. This hardy vine thrives in specific conditions, and understanding its needs will ensure a successful harvest. For optimal growth, the Ken’s Red Kiwi requires a location with full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Good air circulation is also beneficial to prevent fungal issues. Plant in well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. A slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0) is ideal. Amend heavy clay soils with compost and sand to improve drainage, or consider raised beds if your soil is particularly poor. Consistent moisture is crucial, especially during dry spells and fruit development, but avoid waterlogging the roots. Deep watering once or twice a week, depending on weather, is generally sufficient.

When it comes to winter care, the cold hardy kiwi lives up to its name, tolerating significant cold. However, young plants may benefit from some winter protection in the first year or two in colder zones. Mulch heavily around the base of the plant to insulate the roots. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer or an organic compost. Pruning is essential for fruit production and plant vigor. Prune in late winter while dormant to remove dead or weak wood and to shape the vine. Summer pruning can help manage growth and expose fruit to sunlight. Remember that kiwi plants are dioecious, meaning they have separate male and female plants. For successful pollination and fruit set, you will need to plant at least one male kiwi plant for every 6 to 8 female plants. This ensures proper fertilization for your red kiwi fruit plant to produce its abundant harvest.

Size & Details

This Hardy Ken’s Red Kiwi live plant arrives as a vibrant young vine, typically measuring 1-2 feet in height from the top of the soil to the tip of the plant. It is securely shipped in a 6-inch nursery pot, providing a healthy root system ready for transplanting into your garden. As a vigorous vine, it will require a sturdy trellis, arbor, or fence for support as it grows, reaching mature lengths of 15-20 feet or more. The growth rate is moderate to fast, allowing it to establish quickly in optimal conditions. While fruit production can begin within 2-3 years after planting, significant yields, such as the impressive 100 lbs annually, are typically achieved once the plant is mature, around 5-7 years old. This variety is known for its smooth, red-skinned, bite-sized fruit with green flesh, offering a sweet and tangy flavor. It is a female plant, requiring a male pollinator for fruit set.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Hardy Ken’s Red Kiwi live plant get? A: This kiwi vine is a vigorous grower and can reach lengths of 15-20 feet or more at maturity. It will require a sturdy support structure like a trellis or arbor to climb.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: The plant is shipped in a 6-inch nursery pot, ensuring a healthy root ball for successful transplanting into your garden or a larger container.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Hardy Ken’s Red Kiwi live plant is an outdoor plant, specifically bred for its cold hardiness and fruit production in garden settings.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For optimal growth and fruit production, this kiwi vine requires full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: While it requires regular watering, annual pruning, and a support structure, the Ken’s Red Kiwi is relatively easy to care for, especially for those familiar with vine fruits. Its cold hardiness makes it more forgiving in diverse climates.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your red kiwi fruit plant will arrive as a healthy, actively growing specimen, carefully packaged to ensure its safe journey. It will typically be 1-2 feet tall in its 6-inch pot.
• Q: Can I grow growing kiwi at home if I only buy one plant? A: This Ken’s Red Kiwi is a female plant and requires a separate male kiwi plant for pollination to produce fruit. One male plant can pollinate several female plants.
• Q: How long until it produces fruit? A: While some fruit may appear within 2-3 years, significant and consistent fruit production from your Ken’s Red Kiwi vine typically begins when the plant is 5-7 years old and well-established.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Yes, the Hardy Ken’s Red Kiwi is exceptionally cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to -25 °C, making it suitable for many temperate climates.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature this plant can tolerate? A: This resilient plant can withstand temperatures as low as -25 °C (-13 °F).