The varieties of kiwifruit available in garden centers for home gardeners need an average age of about six years before they bear fruit for the first time. If the plant is around this age and the kiwi is not blooming, there can be various reasons.
There can be two reasons:
- Either the cut is too intensive or else
- The nitrogen fertilization is too intensive.
The combination of both reasons can also prevent flowering. Individually or in combination, these errors can stimulate vegetative growth, but this will be to the detriment of the flowers.
The rule of thumb is that fruitwood is very poor after three years of age. The regular pruning should therefore only be carried out for renewal of the fruit wood from the main branches.
Lack of trace elements in the soil
If there is no fertilization or if the soil is very calcareous, then there is also the possibility that the soil has a lack of trace elements and that is why there is no flowering. The fruit of the kiwi takes place in principle on the short shoots, which are annual. If there is a late frost, there is a good chance that the buds of the kiwi plant will fall victim to the frost. This is where optimal frost protection for the plant is required.