Hardy Kiwi Growers... What do you use for a trellis?

The deer will prune them so you hardly even need a trellis, unfortunately.

Two years ago I planted a male and a female hardy kiwi using a 4x4 trellis sunk into 16 inches of concrete block. They seem to be growing, but I am curious if the vines will straighten out. I weaved the vines in and out of PVC trellis material bought at Home Depot. After the vines had grown about eight feet high, I pulled them out of the PVC trellis. So my question is…will the vines straighten themselves as they mature?


They won’t straighten up, but they will tend to send up thick straight new shoots from the base. You can let these new shoots replace the old twisted wood.

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We visited a guy once who had hardy kiwi growing over a big children’s playhouse–with concrete footings and 6 X 6 poles to support it…Not sure I’d recommend it, but it was big, and sturdy enough to hold them…

My kiwis are growing on an arbor I built from 4x4 posts that I sank into the ground by about 2 feet. I put lattice (plastic) on the sides and top. Its been standing for over a decade and I imaging it will be there after I am gone.

The plants will reach for and grab anything they can and I frequently have to cut them back from the power/phone lines or they will make a run for the poles…