How can I tell male from female kiwi plants? I have one that is 2 or 3 years old but don't know what it is.
The female flower will have a tiny fruit inside the blossom. Males will not. Until they flower, however, you cannot tell the sex.
My plants produce lovely blossoms and the blooms disappear before the fruit starts to develop. Is something eating the blossoms? The plants are in a fenced area.
Do you have both a female and a male? Male blossoms will fall off, no matter what. Female blossoms will fall off if there is no male to pollinate them.
I had planted 2 hardy kiwi fruit plants 3 years ago. I had never pruned them because I didn't know how to. One plant has about a dozen blossoms. They are growing on an 8-foot high fence and are totally rampant and out of control. How and when should I prune them to get them to be manageable?
These vines should be pruned on an annual basis. Not only does this help keep them manageable, but also improves their fruit production. Fruit comes from growth of new wood on year-old plants. The best time to prune is at the last part of winter while the plants are dormant. Decide where your main stems are going and the biggest ones from last year (at least a foot apart) and cut off the rest. Don't worry, these vines can take hard pruning.
I have several hardy kiwi plants - I thought (and think) I have two males and four females. However, for several years now (the vines are 8 or 9 years old), they produce copious amounts of bloom, even seem to begin growing the fruit, then drop almost all the fruit a few days after petals fall. Last year I had maybe 6 or 7 fruits mature. How can I make sure I have both male and female? How do you tell them apart? Are there any other common/likely reasons I would be losing the fruit year after year?
Most reputable nurseries label their plants as male/female so you should be able to find them. If not, look closely at the flowers. In females, the center of the flower will usually have a thick white, marble-shaped mound, which develops into the kiwi fruit after pollination. Male do not have these mounds. Unfortunately, until they flower, you cannot tell the sex. Some varieties have slight differences between male leaves and female leaves, but not many.
I have two kiwi plants (one hardy kiwi sold as female, the other self fertilizing) which are growing well, although they have never flowered. I have had them for about 5 years in the current location and I want to move them across my yard to a larger space with more sun. Will these plants survive a transfer? When is the best time to move them?
The longer a plant is in a spot, the less likely it is to survive the move. If you move them, make sure you cut them back significantly. This article will also help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/learn-how-to-avoid-and-repair-transplant-shock-in-plants.htm
If you are just moving them because they have not bloomed, you may want to give them another year. It can take kiwis up to 6 years to bloom.
I have a pair of male and female hardy vines. They grow like crazy, but have never flowered. Is there something I can do to induce flowering and fruit production?
If you are not getting any flowers, it may not be in enough light. In addition, it can take up to 6 years for kiwis to bloom, so they may not be mature enough yet. But just in case, I would provide them with a bit of phosphorus rich fertilizer to encourage blooming. Kiwis need a sunny location, sturdy support, and pruning to produce good crops. When planted, the vines should be pruned back to 4 or 5 buds.
I have a two season old Arctic kiwi that is doing well, but I've got some leaf damage. I've seen very small, white round-shaped adhesions on the vine in close proximity to the leaf damage. The damage could also be from slugs, though I haven't seen any. I don't want to damage the plant. Any ideas?
This article will help you with any slug issues: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/facts-about-slugs-and-how-to-kill-garden-slugs.htm