Attaching kiwi to wall

[eez0]

My backyard is starting to get a little crowded with so many fruit trees and plants, but I have a full-sun wall which is demanding something on it

I have three avocados along the wall, about 4-5ft from it. At some point these avocados would grow and probably let this wall in a partial-shade situation, but that's still many years away.

So, I'm thinking on cover this wall with kiwis. As I have three avocados, maybe plant a male between the Hass and the Fuerte, and female between the Fuerte and the Reed, but near the wall.

But, I have a question. As I won't have a trellis, the vines should be attached directly on the wall. Is that a crazy idea? I see everyone using a trellis.

EDIT: edited the title as the discussion has led to trellis anyways.

[Nick C]

I don't see why you couldn't but kiwis, both fuzzy and hardy species, are super aggressive growers and do not produce aerial roots in my experience growing them. So they won't necessarily attach themselves to the wall. Just seems like it may be a lot of work.

[Plantinyum]

For any tipe of kiwi, the ones i know of, u will need a trellis, which can be a big hole metal or aluminium net, fixed on the wall. As said above ,kiwi doesnt produce roots along the stems to fix itself, it wraps around things so you need a trellis.

[Rispa]

I'm so thankful for this thread. I really wanted to grow kiwi, but was concerned about space as well. I could totally do a structurally sound trellis on a side wall. Look up "espalier kiwi" on Google images. I see some good inspiration there.

[eez0]

would it work if instead of a full trellis, there are only some supports along the wall? For example, I have a espalier pomegranate and a pear, and I don't have a specific support for them, just when a branch has sufficient growth, I add a new support (hook) and let it be until it grows again.

I guess this maybe is not possible with kiwis?

[Plantinyum]

would it work if instead of a full trellis, there are only some supports along the wall? For example, I have a espalier pomegranate and a pear, and I don't have a specific support for them, just when a branch has sufficient growth, I add a new support (hook) and let it be until it grows again.

I guess this maybe is not possible with kiwis?

Heres a fast scetch of one possible way to do it

As a most efficient and beautifful way to do it, would be to fix cattle pannels onto the wall, with some distance between the wall and the panel. Thats what i would do, i am also thinking of how to use the vertical wall space that i have and will probably do the cattle panel thing or a modified wire idea.

[gnappi]

I made a "trellis" for my passion fruit by stretching bailing wire across the south side of my house in a V pattern.

I attached the bottom ends to a wood fan shaped trellis from the garden store, then wrapping it along the wall with Nail in Wall WIRE CLIPS the kind CCTV installers use. Finally I attached each wire to the wood roof edging. It supported a HUGE vine full of fruits for years until the vine died of old age. Fixing the wall afterward was easy with just a dab of colored grout.

[eez0]

then wrapping it along the wall with Nail in Wall WIRE CLIPS the kind CCTV installers use.

this is actually what I was wondering whether or not it was viable. That's how I'm managing the branches of my espaliered pomegranate and pear, but as a kiwi is not a tree, I didn't know if that was enough.

[eez0]

I have noticed that I uploaded a picture of this side of the backyard in the avocado thread



the idea would be to put a pot next to the wall between each pair of avocados.

once the plant is established, repotting would be impossible right? As I would need to "untie" it from the wall. What pot size should I consider here? I don't want to use a big pot, 7-10 gallons maybe.

initially I thought about planting them on the ground, but there is little room in the left spot, so having one in pot and one in ground would look weird.

maybe I could grow a female on each spot and a male in a smaller (5gal) placed behind the avocado in the middle? And build a flat trellis with bamboo canes in each pot and wire connecting them?

[tru]

I'd go chicken wire and thread a bamboo pole through it every 10 feet, but I know there's a lot of people that think chicken wire is... ugly

It'd be dirt cheap for what you're trying to do though, hell there's probably people on facebook marketplace that would give it away for free

[eez0]

Finally pulled the trigger on a Jenny to leave space for another fruit, instead of fully covering the wall with male and female kiwis.

Another idea popped up on my mind. As I don't really need to have a heavy crop, would it be possible to grow it in a container with a "portable" support? In other words, the support will not be the wall but bamboo canes or something different put into the container as well.

[Plantinyum]

Finally pulled the trigger on a Jenny to leave space for another fruit, instead of fully covering the wall with male and female kiwis.

Another idea popped up on my mind. As I don't really need to have a heavy crop, would it be possible to grow it in a container with a "portable" support? In other words, the support will not be the wall but bamboo canes or something different put into the container as well.

I am also interested in the containerized kiwi idea, althought  i think mini/ arguta kiwis would be a better candidate for this, as they arent as agresive growers as the regular ones......

[eez0]

I am also interested in the containerized kiwi idea, althought  i think mini/ arguta kiwis would be a better candidate for this, as they arent as agresive growers as the regular ones......

well, at the end of the day, a plant/tree grows as much as you are willing to let it grow. It's all about how often do you want to prune.

I asked ChatGPT for ideas about the "potted trellis" and according to it, it should be very feasible using trellises with an A, single T (unlike the standard double T used for kiwis), or fan shape.

[eez0]

I think I will do something like this:



The kiwi I bought is branching very low, so I'll try to let the cordons grow on either side, and tie the fruitful wood in the horizontal canes.

[eez0]

this is it. Let's see if it works as I expect it to work.. I have never grown a kiwi before