Kiwi Blossoms off Schedule

by Alison
(Sault Ste, Marie Ontario)

I planted three females and two males 15 years ago and they are strong climbers and very healthy. I get lovely white and pink markings on the leaves but no kiwis.

They have taken over a pine tree and the roof and are threatening the neighbour's dog. I hoped to have kiwis by now and on the eve of destroying them noticed the male flowers come and go weeks before the female flowers so there is no hope of bees doing their thing. I tried to store male pollen and fertilize them myself but wasn't succesful. Does anyone know how to delay the males or hurry up the females?

Doug says it isn't possible to change the bloom time on a plant in this way. They have their own schedules and you can't manipulate outdoor plants the same way you can indoor plants. (Try changing the climate in your garden by making one section colder than the other) :-)

The problem is that you have the wrong male and female plants for pollinating each other. There are specific male plants needed for each female variety that blooms in the same period. It isn't as simple as having a "male" and a "female" - you have to have similar bloom-time varieties.

So there are early and late blooming male and female varieties and you need to have a late blooming variety of a male and late blooming female plant if you want fruit. (or early-early) You can't use an early blooming male and a late blooming female (or vice versa) and expect fruit.

Sorry to have to tell you this after 15 years but...