A Detailed Guide to Kiwi Tree Pruning Time and Technical Key Points

Kiwi is a fruit commonly eaten in daily life, and it has high requirements for the growing environment. Generally, it should be planted in mountainous areas with convenient transportation, sufficient sunlight, close to a water source, moderate rainfall, and slightly high humidity. Among these steps, pruning is indispensable. Below, let us take a look together at the introduction to kiwi tree pruning time and technical key points.

I. Pruning time for kiwi trees

Kiwi grows relatively vigorously, so winter and summer pruning must be combined to maintain a balance between growth and fruiting.

1. The “bleeding” phenomenon in winter pruning of kiwi is more serious than in grapes, so attention should be paid to the pruning period. Generally, pruning from after the beginning of winter to before the end of January of the following year is appropriate. If pruned in February to March, bleeding is likely to occur. When bleeding is severe, it affects bud sprouting, and in serious cases the branches die.

2. Summer pruning The time for summer pruning generally starts in early summer and ends in July to August. The main contents of summer pruning are: handling water sprouts and drooping branches, thinning out overly dense branches, and pinching to promote vigor.

In spring, kiwi branches grow very quickly. Sometimes they can elongate by more than 10 cm within 1 day, and by the time growth stops, the length can reach more than 3 m. To avoid wind breakage, they should be tied at any time, and attention should also be paid to removing small, thin, weak branches like grape tendrils.

II. Key technical points for pruning kiwi trees

1. Kiwi tree shape training

For young trees, the amount of pruning is relatively small. The main goal is to develop according to the trellis shape you want, with the pruning principle of giving priority to branches covering the trellis surface and expanding the canopy. However, not all branches should be retained. It is still recommended to cut off diseased, insect-damaged, and thin weak branches. For mature trees, the backbone structure of the tree must be well maintained so that, while ensuring fruiting capacity, the tree also has strong vigor. The main task of winter pruning is to select fruiting branches, ensure the number and quality of retained buds, and distribute them evenly on the trellis surface.

2. Pruning details for kiwi

The details mentioned by the manager are actually some branches that need to be removed, including overly vigorous branches, diseased and insect-damaged branches, thin weak branches, branches growing in lower shaded areas, and some branches growing beyond the trellis surface. Some of these branches should be completely cut off, while others should be shortened as needed.

3. Reasonable bud retention

Retain 1.5-2 fruiting mother branches per sq m, retain 30-35 fruiting buds, and retain 15-25 buds per fruiting mother branch, or cut the fruiting mother branch to half the row spacing length. Reasonable bud retention can ensure the quality of flower buds for the coming year and reduce unnecessary nutrient waste.

4. Tying branches and vines

After pruning, the branches and vines should be tied. The quality of tying branches and vines directly affects plant growth. In areas prone to freezing damage, the tying time can be set around early February. Relying only on pruning makes it difficult to distribute branches evenly, and as they grow, branches may grow in all directions. The principle of tying is to distribute branches as evenly as possible from inside to outside. Branches and vines on the same wire should be distributed and tied at equal distances, while branches on different wires should be arranged in an alternating pattern. When tying, avoid excessive crossing and overlapping, avoid tearing branches, and tie each branch with 1-2 ties.