I see a number of sites listing Issai Hardy Kiwi as self fertile. To me, self-fertile would mean self pollenizing and sexually producing seeds. But I think it more likely that the mean self-fruitful, as in it makes fruit without requiring male flowers from another plant - presumably through parthenocarpy.
Does Issai produce viable pollen? I’m wondering because I believe I have Issai, Chico, Ken’s Red and a male Hardy. The male is the scrawniest and hasn’t yet flowered. Is it possible that Issai might pollenize the other two females?
Or if it blooms and the male doesn’t, will it just make some fruit, maybe without seeds?
Just to briefly repeat what is buried in that old thread, Issai does produce pollen, but it’s not viable. Other female kiwis also produce non viable pollen. This dead pollen can still induce parthenocarpic seedless fruit, but only on Issai. No one really understands why or how this works. There are two different Issai’s out there, but both seem to “self” in the same way. Unfortunately they can’t pollenize other females.
Excellent summary, thank you. Well at least if I confirm the label, and it sets some flowers this spring, I can be hopeful for some fruit even if the male doesn’t bloom. I think my Ken’s Red set a few fruit one year will no males around.
@murky Hi Jafar
How is your Issai kiwi now? Setting fruit well? How the fruits quality? I just done a trellis and started with Issai and one male kiwi not flower cloud male. I have Ken red also but the last 5 years never flower. Should I remove Ken red? How is your now? Do you know which cultivar is the best here I prefer moderate growing cultivars.
Picture of trellis 8 by 8 ft.
I don’t have Issai. I have Ken’s Red, MSU and Chico, plus a runted male that has never flowered.
This was the first year that any of my females fully flowered. It was Ken’s. The other two may not have flowered at all and I had no male flowers. Sadly most of the little spent flowers dropped, but there are a few Ken’s Red fruit that are growing. I’ll try to see if they have seeds, I think they will.
I’m probably not the best person to ask about growing kiwi. I still like the idea of Kens’ red because the fruit were good and it is distinctive.
I have an issai, i was really curious about all the kiwiberries when i found out about them, started with issai. Never tasted such “empty” fruit. No taste just some sourness. This lead to me almost giving up on them untill I tasted a berry from my friends “Purpurna Sadowa” plant. Wich tasted unbelievable! So now im growing that one, Kens red and keep my issai for (i thought) pollination. Yet if this doesnt occur i will give my Issai away for there are much more other plants that are more deserving a spot in my garden.
@GraftNseedcollector Are you in US? Where can I buy Purpurna Sadowa kiwi? Thank you for information. @murky my neighbor had hardy kiwi. Small fruits but they were sweet as honey. This year her son removed everything because she’s over 85 years old and her son didn’t like she works much anymore. When I came over to get fruits to found out 2 of hers kiwi vines had full of fruits and she had no idea male or female. So strange maybe she planted 2 female and they fruit without male vines. Anyway thank you so much for information Jafar.
I heard Ken red fruit very few and wondered hardy red and ken red are the same varieties?
Mine are on a 10x10 gazebo frame. Ken’s is the oldest and is more vigorous, also perhaps because it has the best corner.
I fooled myself into thinking that all of the females bloomed because nobody told Ken’s that it was supposed to stay on its 1/4 of the frame. It is very difficult to follow which vine is which unless its by color of the stem or something.
I say that because your neighbor’s male may have intermingled female vines making the fruit that is getting attributed to it.
I’ve neglected water and fertilizer. They are shaded until late morning because they are on the East end of our property and there are tall Fir trees on the next property.
Looking very good. I don’t know why they are too slow to set fruit. Now I just started hopefully it takes less time than that. When I pruned mine. It was bleeding so bad for over a week. Did you prune your kiwi?
@murky I bought Issai and the regular hardy male. Then I find out OGW has flowercloud male. So I didn’t order flowercloud. Now some of us said Issai fruit very small and tasting not that great. Overall I don’t have flowerclound male yet and information said it bloom early well suited for issai female.
I am ordering the last hardy red from OGW now but couldn’t find where it original from. I like red kiwi but already had Ken red. Hopefully hardy red is not Ken red.
