WHEN IS KIWI FRUIT SEASON?
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Did You Know
Zespri Kiwifruit has a well-earned reputation of being the taste of summer. Now that kids are gearing up to go back to school and summer is winding down, does that mean the end of kiwifruit season is close?
Fortunately not!
Zespri’s kiwifruit season lasts well into the winter time!
When is Kiwifruit Season?
When we answered the question,Where Are Kiwifruit Grown?,we also mentioned the long growing season for kiwifruit — up to 240 days a year. The ideal growing conditions include plenty of sunshine, lots of rain, and extremely fertile soil. That makes New Zealand the perfect location for growing kiwifruit. But you will find kiwifruit harvests in many places: California, Italy, China, and more.
Because of that, the “kiwi season” depends on where the kiwifruit is grown. The kiwifruit season in California, for example, is September through November.
In North America, Zespri SunGold, grown by Zespri farmers in New Zealand, is available from late spring into fall.
When is Kiwi Growing Season in New Zealand?
Since we’re talking about New Zealand, the idea of “winter” and “summer” might be different from what you’re used to. After all, when it’s summer in the northern hemisphere of the planet, it’s winter in the southern hemisphere.
The New Zealand growing season begins with vine pruning during their winter months — June through August.
Vines begin to grow again in spring, September through November. In North America, this would be fall season. It is during this time that kiwi flowers are pollinated with the help of bees. Soon after, the pollinated flowers transform into berries. The berries grow quickly during New Zealand’s summer months, December – February. This is when growers get a better estimate of crop volume. Growers can then prune and thin the vines to maximize the kiwifruit’s size.
The New Zealand weather starts to cool from March through May. That’s when it’s harvest time! The kiwifruit are carefully picked, checked, packed, and shipped. The leaves then start to drop from the vines — it’s officially the end of another growing season.
(Compare this to California’s season, which starts in late September and continues through April.)
How Do I know What Fruits Are In Season?
That’s a common question. A lot of people prefer to know when fruit and vegetables are in season. “If I don’t know what fruits are in season right now, then how can I pick the very best, healthiest fruit?”
The assumption here is that only seasonal vegetables are “healthy.” Fruits available “out of season” aren’t as fresh and nutritious? And they’re filled with chemicals, right?
This is not always the case!
Our kiwifruit deliver consistent superior taste and vitality. So no matter where the kiwifruit is grown — or when you buy it — just look for the Zespri label. You’ll know you’ve selected the perfect fruit at the perfect time!
For instance, all SunGold growers follow the strict guidelines in our Zespri System. While growers in Italy help extend Zespri's availability well into the winter months, they still follow our system. And it’s that Zespri System that guarantees the quality of all Zespri kiwifruit, no matter where it’s grown.
That’s more tropical goodness for everyone!
