What is wrong with this kiwi?

These are kiwi issai I got from baker creek. I have 2 in one pot, one is doing great but the other has kind of a beige crust or tint and has leaves falling off. Is it diseased, being in the same pot I doubt it has something to do with the soil, temperature or water. The instructions said to plant them 10 feet apart, should I move it to its own pot?

Definitely wise to separate theme. Also there is a lot of soil on the leaves which could be contaminated. soil may not be uniform in consistency and nutrition. At this stage watering with some compost or worm tea might boost the plants immune system. Covering the surface of the soil with crushed charcoal has been effective for me in keeping the soil damp while protecting the plants from soil splash.

I separated and repotted them in better soil but they are worse off. It could be soil shock on top of whatever was wrong before. They feel dry like paper, unfortunately getting the soil off the leaves is very difficult due to all the little hairs.


Could I be watering to much? I know they like well drained soil.

T Simpson wrote:Could I be watering to much? I know they like well drained soil.

Yeah I bet that could be an issue. I had some in a wetter soil location, and they weren't happy. Once the soil drained better, they started to improve really quickly.

Hey there to me that looks like damage from spider mites, have you checked for those?
What kind of kiwi is this? It looks a lot different from both the hardy and the fuzzy ones that are sold in Germany.

Juno Nowak wrote:
What kind of kiwi is this? It looks a lot different from both the hardy and the fuzzy ones that are sold in Germany.

kiwi issai

Hmm, my kiwi plant (also Issai) looks very different. The leaves are smooth, not hairy and the leave stems are red (see picture). Are you sure there was no labelling mistake at the nursery?

These were purchased from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (SKU: PL168) they no longer offer them and I can't even find my order information when I log into their website. (rareseeds.com)


My kiwi's died off and I put them outside. All the leaves fell off but I do see quite a few new ones growing on both plants. I visited my local nursery and they had some Kiwi Issai that looked like mine and another variety (red leaves) that needs another plant for pollination.

If I had known that the local nursery had them (like 5 bucks cheaper too) I would have bought locally when it got a little warmer and not put the plants through the stress of shipping. (arrived in a bag covered in dirt)