Size of Kiwi fruit vine- warning!!

[veggiechicken]

.... and for those thinking of growing it on a trellis - this is what happens :-

[veggiechicken]

I was thinking about letting a kiwi cover my shed, looks like that would be a bad idea

Do the kiwi plants have any good points about them? Nice scent, attract bees etc,

They have very pretty, peach coloured flowers in clusters, they're relatively small though, compared to the leaves. I'll take some photos when it flowers.
The bees like them and they are scented. It would be a worthwhile garden plant - if it was under control

[otorongo]

Their fruit is one of the tastiest in the world - how's that for a good point about them?

I wouldn't mind it if they took over my garden, if only the season was longer.

[tamsin]

It makes me want one lol I imagine it wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't over an arch that you wanted to walk through - I guess it makes it a bit confusing for any sort of organised pruning too. Maybe against a wall/fence. With branches that thick, I wonder if you could have it as a tree even!

[veggiechicken]

Sorry Tamsin, but I don't think it is robust enough to be a treestanding tree although if you could train the main stems up a freestanding pillar it might look like a weeping willow!

[taff]

Yes Dominic, there are small gardens and small gardens! What worries me is that these plants are being sold for pennies in the likes of LIDL and Wilkos and that there is so little information on its growing needs on the packaging that unsuspecting gardeners will plant them in the wrong place (as I did)!!
I'd like this to be a warning as to what can happen

you're not scaring me....but I think I got one of those last year from Aldis. It's already grown a foot in the last two weeks since i planted it out by the fence......maybe I ought to be scared then on reflection....

[veggiechicken]

Be afraid, taff, be very afraid............

[taff]

hmmm.....well, on the plus side, it'll cover the chainlink fence, give me fruit, and protect the front bit against frosts and suchlike.
On the minus side, i could become Mrs faversham by being entombed alive....and be forced to garden for the res tof my life because I can't leave the garden....
nope, still too stupid to be scared

[Leeds_lad]

Holy.....
I stuck a kiwi plant in an area because there was a small spare slot.
If it gets that big...eep.

[Feral007]

LOL Leeds Lad! Well I'm thinking this might be the plant for me! It will def end up being a dwarf variety! Just wonder now if it is poisonous to horses..........you can never trust that they won't lean over the lectric and take a mouthful if it's green it must be good is their motto.
Looking at my fruit trees and after digging up yesterday for the new ones I'm pretty sure we'd be able to describe ours as one of those 'fig pit' things that was talked about earlier. Most of our topsoil blew away decades ago.

[veggiechicken]

Wish mine was a dwarf variety! Would you like it?

[Farmer_Gyles]

.... and for those thinking of growing it on a trellis - this is what happens :-

that's ok with me .... the only thing for me is that i might change where i grow it .... as it can grow really big and thick, it could be ideal along the fence so we don't have to see the neighbours ....

[veggiechicken]

......but it loses its leaves in winter so you'd have to see them then!

[Farmer_Gyles]

......but it loses its leaves in winter so you'd have to see them then!

they don't go out in the garden in winter!

[realfood]

I bought a plant from Lidl last week, unkown variety but assume that it will be a self-fertile variety. The lable gives a height of 1 m. I await to see how big it grows with great interest!!!!