When to plant kiwifruit in Mumbai

Why these dates

The dormant vine takes about -12C, but growth starts early and new shoots are killed at -1C, which in a cool climate is what limits it far more than winter cold.

Kiwifruit are planted once and then left in place, so there is no sowing offset to resolve. Nor is there a dormant season to plant into: this crop keeps its leaves and keeps growing through the winter, which is exactly why cold damages it. The window on this page therefore waits until the last frost in Mumbai has passed and the soil has begun to warm, giving the roots the longest possible run before the cold returns.

Mumbai sits in zone 12a, which is milder than this crop wants, and a winter that never really arrives is its own problem. The dates below still describe the right time of year; the open question is survival rather than timing.

One caution specific to warm climates: this crop needs roughly 600 hours below 7.2°C (45°F) over winter before it will flower properly, and the coldest month in Mumbai averages 24.1°C (75.4°F). Low-chill varieties exist for exactly this situation and are worth seeking out by name.

Do not expect a crop in the first year. A plant set out now should give its first worthwhile pick around year 4, and will then produce every year after that, which is what makes the planting decision worth getting right the first time.

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