, a Michigan horticulturist, wrote The Backyard Orchardist: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in the Home Garden (Ottographics, 1995).
"Hardy kiwifruit are novel but easy. The smooth-skinned fruit tastes both sweet and tangy. I've planted the decorative vines—two females with a male in between—on the north side of my pasture fence. The posts, 10 feet apart, provide the perfect support and spacing for their vigorous growth, while also shading the root systems. The fence line makes a convenient trellis. My soil is fertile but sandy and well-drained, a must for these vines. I side-dress them with composted horse manure. A deep watering, once weekly, is best to help them develop a root system free of disease. As for pruning and vine positioning, I treat them pretty much like grapes. They'll put out their fragrant flowers and fruit on new growth that originates on last season's spurs."