'Issai' Hardy Kiwi - Actinidia arguta 'Issai'

Savour the unique pleasure of harvesting your own smooth-skinned miniature kiwis with Actinidia arguta 'Issai'. This remarkable climbing vine stands out for its exceptionally fast fruit production and generosity. Green up your vertical structures with its elegant foliage and enjoy, from late summer onward, clusters of sweet, juicy berries bursting with flavour that you can pop straight into your mouth without peeling.

Characteristics

• Foliage : Large, heart-shaped, deep dark green leaves with a satin finish, carried on twining stems. The foliage is deciduous and creates a dense screen of greenery.
• Flowering / Fruit / Canes : Small, fragrant, creamy white flowers in June. Produces an abundance of oval green fruits with smooth, entirely edible skin. The flesh is green, sweet, highly juicy, and perfectly mirrors the flavour profile of traditional kiwi fruit.
• Pollination : Self-fertile variety. Produces heavy crops on its own without requiring a male pollinator nearby, making it ideal for smaller gardens.
• Light : Full sun required to maximize sugar development in the fruit and ensure uniform ripening. Tolerates very light partial shade.
• Habit : Climbing and scrambling, requiring a solid, heavy-duty support such as a pergola, a sturdy fence, or a wooden trellis to hold its self-twining stems.
• Growth : Fast and vigorous, showing an exceptionally hearly fruit set compared to other varieties, often bearing fruit by the second year after planting.
• Soil : Thrives in organic-rich, loose, moist, and impeccably drained soil. Dislikes standing water, which causes root rot.
• Temperature : Highly hardy (Zone 4), tolerating cold winters very well. However, its young spring shoots and flower buds in May are sensitive to late frosts.
• Resistance : Excellent natural resistance to common diseases and insect pests.

Use

• Types of use : Ideal for covering a pergola, dressing a large trellis against a sunny wall, furnishing a fence, or planting in a large container.
• Decorative benefits : Offers quick vertical coverage with an elegant satin finish, enhanced by subtle spring blooming and highly aesthetic hanging fruit clusters.

Maintenance

• Water : Irrigate regularly during the first two years after planting and maintain uniformly moist soil during summer dry spells to support fruit swelling.
• Fertilize : Apply rich compost or a balanced natural fertilizer in early spring, then fertilize regularly during the growing season to support the vine's vigour.
• Prune : Prune in early spring before the sap rises or in late summer after harvesting. Cut back lateral shoots that produced fruit to two buds from the main branch.
• Plant : Set the plant at the base of a sturdy structure, ensuring the root ball is level with the ground. Add a generous amount of compost to the planting hole. Apply a dormant oil combined with lime sulphur in early spring before the buds break.
• Harvest : Pick the fruit in late summer or early autumn when it becomes slightly soft under gentle finger pressure. Let it ripen at room temperature if early frosts approach.
• Winter protection : Apply a thick mulch of leaves or straw at the base of the plant for the first two winters to protect the developing root system. Install temporary protection in May if late frosts are forecast.