When to Plant Kiwiberry in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
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This Kiwiberry guide is written for the Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Jun to Aug
- Days to harvest
- about 130 weeks
- Sun
- Part shade
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.0
Kiwiberry, or hardy kiwi, is a vigorous deciduous vine that gives grape sized smooth skinned fruit eaten whole (Daleys, Diggers).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Cool Temperate
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun P
- Jul P
- Aug P
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
P = Planting window
Growers at Windellama and Gerogery in NSW, Kambah in the ACT and Pappinbarra (frosts to minus 4) report on it. Frost hardy when dormant (Fruit Tree Lane) and happy in cool to cold areas with a wet spring (Diggers). Shelter from hot northerly winds (Diggers). Harvest March to May. Planting months follow the dataset's deciduous vine convention, winter while dormant, as no opened source gives kiwiberry planting months.
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How to Grow Kiwiberry in Cool Temperate Australia
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Kiwiberry
Recommended Varieties
- Issai (Diggers)
- Ken's Red
Key Challenges
- Hot northerly winds (Diggers)
Pro Tips
- Shelter
- Rich moist soil (Diggers)
Pests and problems for Kiwiberry in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Kiwiberry
When ready: Fruit softens slightly and turns sweet; March to May (Daleys).
How to harvest: Pick firm ripe and ripen on the bench, or pick soft and eat at once.
Storing and preserving kiwiberry
How to keep it
- Freezing. Whole on a tray then bagged. Keeps: 8 to 12 months.
- Fresh storage. Firm fruit in the fridge, ripen on the bench. Keeps: 2 to 4 weeks.
- Jam. NCHFP strawberry kiwi jam with pectin, water bath 10 minutes at sea level. Keeps: 1 year.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Kiwiberry
When do you plant kiwiberry in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jun to Aug
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jun to Aug
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jun to Aug
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jun to Aug
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jun to Aug
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jun to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jun to Aug
When should I plant Kiwiberry in Melbourne?
Growers at Windellama and Gerogery in NSW, Kambah in the ACT and Pappinbarra (frosts to minus 4) report on it. Frost hardy when dormant (Fruit Tree Lane) and happy in cool to cold areas with a wet spring (Diggers). Shelter from hot northerly winds (Diggers). Harvest March to May. Planting months follow the dataset's deciduous vine convention, winter while dormant, as no opened source gives kiwiberry planting months.
How do I know when Kiwiberry are ready to harvest?
Fruit softens slightly and turns sweet; March to May (Daleys).
What are the best Kiwiberry varieties for Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Issai (Diggers), Ken's Red.
What grows well with Kiwiberry?
Good companion plants for Kiwiberry include: Borage, Lavender, Rosemary, Grape.
Are kiwiberry salt tolerant?
No. Kiwiberry are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.