The kiwi plants are dioecious. The flowers of female plants only produce fruit if a suitable pollinator grows nearby. One male plant is capable of fertilizing six to nine female kiwis.
Why do you need male kiwi plants?
Male kiwi plants are essential for fertilizing female kiwis as they provide the pollen they need. One male plant can fertilize 6-9 female plants if they are placed within four meters of each other.
Male and female kiwi plants
The flowers of male kiwis only have yellow stamens in the middle. The female flowers also have a white style around which stamens are also arranged. The planting distance between the male and female plants is important for fertilization. To harvest fruit, the male kiwi plant should be planted no more than four meters away from one or more female kiwis. Between six and nine female plants can be fertilized at the same time.
Even under optimal location and fertilization conditions, you can expect the first fruits on the refined kiwi plants in the 3-4th year. If you have grown your kiwi plants yourself from seeds, it can take more than ten years until the first harvest.
In most regions of Germany, the so-called mini kiwis are considered to be profitable. Their fruits are about the size of gooseberries and have a smooth, edible skin. In terms of taste, they are very similar to large kiwi fruits. However, the mini kiwis are more robust and frost-resistant than the large-fruited kiwis.
Self-fruitful kiwi plants
The monoecious kiwi varieties that have both male and female flowers on one plant are also available commercially. They do not require a pollinator and can therefore be planted individually. However, practice shows that the yields of these varieties also improve if a male pollinator grows nearby.
Tips & Tricks
The male plants of the Amur ray stylus (also called flamingo ray stylus) have very decorative-looking large leaves with white or pink leaf tips.
