Can I Cut My Kiwi Vine Back?

Cutting New Plants

• Newly planted kiwis require careful cutting back the first two years after planting. Cutting the vines selectively trains the plant properly to your chosen support system, which also helps ensure healthy growth and fruiting in the following years. Cut back all the main shoots but the strongest one, cutting the extra shoots off at ground level as they form. The remaining main shoot requires tying to the central support post as it grows. Once the kiwi vine reaches the top of the support, train the vine horizontally down the top wire. Train a second shoot down the opposite side of the wire in the second year.

Winter Pruning

• Annual winter pruning removes all the old, unproductive and weak wood from the kiwi vines. Cut back the kiwi in late winter before new growth begins. The main shoot and two horizontal leaders from the first two years of growth aren't cut back unless they die from winter damage. Cut back the excess branches along the two leaders to their base so the remaining branches are spaced approximately 15 inches apart. Cut back these remaining branches to the eighth bud from the base. ideally, only remove branches older than two years and strive to retain only new, one-year-old branches.

Thinning Vines

• Cutting back mature kiwi vines a second time in early summer helps thin out the plants so only the framework branches and productive vines remain. Removing unproductive wood routes more of the plant's energy into fruiting instead of maintaining the non-fruiting branches. Completely remove any vines that don't have flower buds, cutting these out at their base. Inspect all the remaining flowering branches for excessive growth. Cut back these flowering branches to four leaves past the topmost flower on the vine so the plant isn't supporting the unproductive part of the branch.

Cutting Back Male Plants

• Male plants don't produce fruit. Their only purpose is to pollinate the female plants so they can successfully fruit. These plants grow more vigorously than female kiwis, and they tolerate more severe cutting back. Avoid pruning during flowering since more male flowers increase the chances of successful pollination. Cut the male plants back immediately following flowering, removing the branches to the first bud, where the most vigorous new growth occurs. Male plants only require summer pruning; winter pruning can limit the amount of flowering that occurs.