Will Kiwi Grow Well in Zone 9 in Florida?

Climate

• Kiwis need about 220 frost-free days each year to ripen their fruit, which the zone 9 climate in Florida easily provides. However, the high heat of the Florida peninsula is not as favorable to the production of kiwis. The vines are native to mountainous regions where summer temperatures are relatively cool and they sometimes struggle in Florida's sweltering sea level environment. In the warmest part of zone 9, the vines may not receive enough winter chill to set fruit.

Microclimate

• Kiwis are very susceptible to wind damage. They do not fare well along the Florida coast due to the frequency of strong winds and the salty air. Planting kiwis in a sheltered location helps them to thrive and bear fruit in Florida. Regulating winter temperatures is another way that microclimates can either help or hinder the growth of kiwis. If they are planted on the north side of a building, kiwis are more likely to get enough winter chill to set fruit than if they are planted in south-facing locations.

Soil Conditions

• Kiwis need nutrient-rich soils that are high in organic matter to perform well. They are well-adapted to clay loam soils, but can be grown in the sandy soils of Florida if fertilized intensively and amended with large amounts of compost prior to planting. Kiwis are moisture-loving vines and appreciate Florida's ample rainfall, but maintaining several inches of mulch on the soil surface will help to retain moisture and add additional organic matter in sandy soils.

Varieties

• "Hayward," the most common variety of kiwi, requires 800 hours of winter chill (measured in hours below 45 degrees Fahrenheit) to produce fruit and is not suitable for Florida. Instead, one of the low-chill varieties must be used. "Vincent" requires only 100 chill hours to set fruit and is considered a very reliable variety, producing kiwis like the ones commonly seen in the grocery store. "Elmwood," "Dexter" and "Abbot" are other low-chill varieties that may be adapted to zone 9 conditions in Florida. "Tomuri" is the preferred male kiwi needed for pollinating the female vines.