Actinidia arguta 'ISSAI'

Issai is a self-fertile variety of the so-called mini-kiwi. This means that unlike the species it does not need a male and a female plant to produce fruit. Apart from tasty fruit it is a nice plant, too, with deep green leaves and scented flowers in June.

It is a vine that is less vigorous that the species. It bears smooth-skinned fruit of the same taste and shape like kiwi, only smaller: 4-5 cm. They are green and ripen gradually from end September until end October. They are the sweetest when picked after they have softened a little. You can also pick up harder fruit, put in a bag along with other fruit producing ethylene (e.g. apples) and keep them at room temperature. They will ripen up in a few days. Thanks to its smaller size they get much sweeter than its larger-fruited relative imported from southern counties. This variety usually fruits the second year after planting.

Pruning is best done in late winter or late summer to prevent from bleeding sap. Kiwi needs a sunny and warm site with semi-fertile, acidic, fresh soil. Do not over-fertilize: such plants flower very reluctantly. This variety was bred to withstand frosts of -34 °C (USDA zone 4) and allegedly survives down to -40 °C.

Last update 16-02-2008; 22-03-2021