With little care and attention, hardy kiwi vines produce hundreds of pounds of small, fuzzless kiwis each year. They thrive in climates too cold for fuzzy-skinned kiwi vines, and they’re an excellent fruiting vine for gardens. Read on with PNW gardener Jerad Bryant, and you’ll soon have unlimited supplies of fresh kiwi fruit! One reason to love fruit is for nostalgia’s sake. As a kid, my mother would slice kiwi fruit with lunch. Whenever I bite into it, the tropical flavor catapults me back to those warm, fuzzy feelings I felt as a child. Kiwis are available at most grocery stores. Why buy them when you can grow them for free? Growing them at home allows for unlimited fruit on a perennial vine. With a ‘Prolific’ hardy plant in the backyard, you’ll never have to spend money on kiwi fruit again. When growing this vine, plan to prune, maintain, and limit its growth. Hardy kiwis are vigorous spreaders in the garden and benefit from maintenance similar to that of grapevines. What Is It? Hardy kiwi vines grow fruit with a similar flavor to those you find at the grocery store, although hardy kiwis are much smaller and fuzzless. They taste superb in fruit salads, smoothies, and preserves. They’re also the best kiwi for fresh eating with their edible skins. All kiwi vines share the genus Actinidia, and the hardy kiwi’s scientific name is Actinidia arguta. ‘Prolific’ is a self-fertile hardy kiwi that grows more compact than other kiwi species. This type excels in home gardens, as it can squeeze into small spaces and climb trellises. It doesn’t need a male plant to pollinate itself. Why are there male and female kiwi plants? Most kiwis are dioecious, meaning that each plant is entirely male or entirely female and that each produces flowers that match its sex. ‘Prolific’ stands out amongst other kiwis because it grows both male and female flowers. It pollinates other female varieties with its pollen. Rather than wasting space on a male pollinator kiwi that doesn’t produce fruit, plant a ‘Prolific’ hardy kiwi, and you’ll have garden space for other fruits and veggies. Native Area All kiwi species originate from eastern Asia and prefer growing in temperate and subtropical climates that match their home. In their native range, winters are cool, moist, and humid, while summers are warm, sunny, and humid. In wild forests, hardy kiwis climb on trees with their reaching tendrils. They use other plants for support to launch themselves into the canopy. Wild vines reach anywhere from 40-100 feet tall! As they grow, they twine themselves around other plants and become woody over time. This creates a strong, wooden base for hardy kiwi plants so they can climb higher and higher each year. Nowadays, hardy kiwi vines grow across the globe in temperate and subtropical zones. They require some chill hours in the winter and a long growing season, and they thrive throughout North America from New York to Oregon. Some species invade local forests on the East Coast where they escape cultivation. Avoid contributing to its invasive spread by harvesting all the fruit, and avoid planting this vine close to forests and natural areas. Characteristics ‘Prolific’ hardy kiwi vines sprout climbing new growth that turns woody with age. Much like how grapevines grow, these fruiting plants rely on other woody shrubs and trees for structure. They can support themselves. However, their growth and fruit production won’t be as optimal as when they have support from other structures. Hardy kiwi vines sprout round light-green leaves with whitish undersides. They create flowers that are creamy white, and they fade to a yellowish-brown color while the season progresses. ‘Prolific’ fruit is greenish-purplish and tastes like a mix of bananas, melons, and strawberries. When growing ‘Prolific’ vines, consider that they spread less vigorously than other varieties. They climb at least six or seven feet, so plant it onto an arbor, trellis, or archway for best results. Propagation ‘Prolific’ hardy kiwi is a specific variety, so propagate it with cuttings to retain the variety’s growing and fruiting characteristics. Growing hardy kiwi vines from seeds is a fun activity, but it leads to new plants that differ genetically from their ‘Prolific’ parent plant. Try sprouting seeds for a growing experiment, or take cuttings for reliable reproduction.

When hot summer days arrive, biting into a homegrown melon is one of the best treats. Join farmer Briana Yablonski to learn how to grow honeydews from seed to harvest. When it comes to melons, honeydew might not be at the top of everyone’s list. However, don’t count these green melons out if you’ve only eaten them as part of a store-bought fruit salad. Homegrown honeydew has a refreshing juiciness and subtle floral flavor that makes it compete with beloved favorites like watermelon and cantaloupe. Honeydew melons grow best in warm climates with plenty of sun and space to spread. But with a little planning and care, even gardeners in cooler regions can enjoy these sweet fruits. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to grow honeydews at home—from seed starting to harvest. What Are Honeydew Melons? Honeydew melons are a type of muskmelon known for their smooth, pale rinds and slightly sweet, light green flesh. They lack the musky fragrance found in cantaloupes and other types, but produce similar trailing vines. While you may be most familiar with the standard honeydew, there are dozens of cultivars with varying skin colors and flavors. All are members of the Cucumis melo species, which also includes cantaloupe and crenshaw types. Unlike their cantaloupe cousins, honeydews don’t emit a strong aroma when ripe, which is how they earned the name “inodorus,” meaning “without scent.” Because they don’t continue to ripen after harvest, proper timing is key if you want to enjoy the melons at the peak of flavor. Characteristics Honeydew melons typically have smooth, slightly waxy skin that ranges from pale green to golden yellow when ripe. The flesh is usually light green, but you’ll also find orange and white-fleshed varieties. The fruit size varies by cultivar, but most of them are between five and ten pounds when mature. Each plant produces long, trailing vines that sprawl multiple feet in every direction. The vines bear yellow flowers, which turn into melons after they’re properly pollinated. Native Area Most historians believe that melons originated in Africa and southwest Asia, with honeydews developing through centuries of cultivation. They made their way to Europe and the Americas through trade and exploration, and became popular in the United States by the early 1900s. Planting Most honeydews take around three months to mature, so it’s important to get them in the ground early enough to ensure they can ripen before cool fall days arrive. However, since these heat-loving plants don’t tolerate cold, wait until after the last spring frost to plant. Honeydews can grow well when directly sown in the garden or transplanted. The best growing method depends on your climate and preferences.

Love or hate the taste, cilantro is a popular addition to many cuisines. If you're growing cilantro you have probably had the problem of it bolting easily, which simply means that the plant sends up a flower stalk and goes to seed. Since cilantro is a cool-season herb, warming temperatures will signal to the plant that it's time to flower and go to seed rather than continue producing leaves. It's very sensitive to warmer temperatures, so if you're seeing signs of flowering, that's likely why. Bolting is the plant is doing what comes naturally, but you can slowly down the bolting with these some growing tips. Learn more ahead about cilantro bolting. Why Does Cilantro Bolt? Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is a short-lived annual, cool-season herb.1 Once temperatures begin to rise and reach the 70s, the plant responds by bolting (flowering and going to seed) as a way to continue its life cycle. Producing seeds means that the species has a chance for another crop. 6 Ways to Keep Cilantro from Bolting While it can be difficult to stop cilantro from bolting, there are some ways to extend the life of the plant before it goes to seed and dies. Keep it Cool Whether you are growing cilantro in the garden or indoors in containers, temperature is a huge factor in how long the plant will last before it bolts. You can extend the harvest season by planting it in the early spring and fall when day and nighttime temperatures or lower. If growing cilantro indoors keep the plants around 70 degrees or lower. Control the Sunlight Cilantro needs only about six hours of bright sunlight. Select an indoor or outdoor spot that doesn't receive high-noon heat. Lighting for indoor pots of cilantro is easily controlled with grow lights. If planting outdoors in a hot climate, consider placing the plants where they can receive some afternoon shade. Too much heat from direct sun can cause the plant to bolt early. Water Regularly Plants that receive too much or too little water are placed under stress. To survive the stress, the plant bolts to produce some seed to extend the species. Whether growing in containers or the ground, keep the soil evenly moist but be sure the roots are never waterlogged. Pinch or Prune Often For new plants, once they reach about six inches tall pinch back the tips. Harvest or prune the leaves often (once a week) to remove damaged growth, yellowing leaves, or flowers that form. Practice Succession Planting This tip doesn't stop cilantro plants from bolting but it does help you keep tender, tasty cilantro on hand. Wait two to three weeks between each time you start seeds or plant new cilantro seedlings. This is called succession planting or planting the same crop several times during the growing season. Choose Slow-Bolting Cultivars There are cilantro cultivars that are less prone to bolting. Look for seedlings or seed packets that are described as bolt-resistant, heat-tolerant, or long-standing. Three choices are ‘Calypso’, ‘Slo Bolt’, and 'Leisure'. These cultivars are usually less sensitive to heat and can produce good-tasting foliage a bit longer into the growing season. Why Bolted Plants Can Actually Be Beneficial While it is disappointing to see a plant bolt and die, there are benefits to the natural process of bolting. The flowers that form will help attract much-needed pollinators to your garden. Many plants produce edible seeds after bolting that add flavor to prepared foods. The most beneficial effect of bolting is the production of seeds that can be saved to grow new plants. Backyard gardeners and commercial farmers have long known the value of allowing some plants to "go to seed" to maintain the longevity of a plant species.