Is anyone growing Jenny fuzzy kiwi in the Mid-Atlantic? Curious if it will truly set fruit and ripen here. Looks like there’s another self pollinating type called Sweet n Sassy coming along as well. Both are listed at 0F Hardy.
I am trying to decide if I should just plant another Hardy kiwi or experiment with a fuzzy kiwi.
I have been able to fruit about every fuzzy kiwi I tried. So, no Jenny but many others. Some of them would prefer a longer season but for those I just put them in the fridge until Feb/Mar and they are tasty then. If you get down to 0F most years it might be too much, they are more a “7A” as opposed to “6B”. Also your season is probably a bit shorter than mine so if Jenny needs a longer season I would look for one needing a shorter season.
Thanks Scott. I may have to stick with hardy kiwi, it usually hits 0f at this spot and is pretty exposed.
If you have the room to experiment I would try it. You can get kiwi pretty cheap. I have found small ones for less than $10. Many plants (figs, poms, ect) are sensitive in the early years, then toughen up and survive ok.
I’m growing one in the north east, Halifax, NS, 6b. We have about 163 frost free days and around 1700 growing degree days. My Jenny is in its second winter, did great the first and exploded in growth this summer. It gets about 6.5 hrs of sun and is shaded just after peak heat. I can update if I get any fruit off it.
Small update:
So we had a colder winter here and a bit of a cool spring. My Jenny did not care and I think it is doing well, some flowers bloomed on the 29th of June. Fruits are now forming and we will see how ripe they get before the first frost.
How cold did it get for you?
It got close to - 20 c for a few days.
If the fruits continue to grow we will also know if it really is self fertile.
Any updates on your Jenny Kiwi?
Still dormant, but it seems ok.
Nice to hear your kiwis are doing well. Im 6b in Idaho and my hardy kiwis barely grow at all. Super frustrating. Hopefully you get some nice big fruit.
