My Kiwi Does Not Flower

First blooms

• Kiwi plants may take several years to produce their first flowers, and the number of years depends on the age of the parent vine. Plants propagated from mature vines may flower in two or three years, while those propagated from young plants may take five years to bloom. Vines grown from seeds take even longer. Give your vine plenty of time to produce its first flowers before you become concerned that something is wrong.

Frost

• Kiwifruit needs a growing season with at least 220 frost-free days, according to the Ohio State University Cooperative Extension Service. The vines begin growing and developing buds in early spring, and they are easily killed by frost. They succumb to even a short exposure to temperatures below 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold tolerance of hardy kiwis refers to the minimum winter temperatures and not the length of the growing season. Hardy kiwis need as many frost-free days as other varieties.

Chilling

• Kiwifruit requires a chilling period of temperatures between 35 and 42 degrees to produce flowers. Some varieties, such as Hayward and Saanichton, which are frequently offered for sale online and through mail-order nurseries, need 800 hours of chilling temperatures each winter. Gardeners in warm climates should plant varieties that don't require as much chilling, such as Abbott, Elmwood and Dexter. Local nurseries carry varieties suited to your area.

Pruning

• Pruning helps control the rampant growth of kiwi vines and improves the health and flowering potential of the plant. In winter, remove canes that look unhealthy or show signs of disease as well as tangled masses. Thin young canes to about a foot apart and shorten them so that they have about eight buds. In summer, trim flowering shoots back to a few leaves beyond the last flower. Trim back canes that aren't flowering to the end of the trellis.