Fruiting canes on kiwifruit vines (Actinidia deliciosa(A. Chev.) C. F. Liang et A. R. Ferguson ‘Hayward') were pruned to length either at the usual time during winter, or much later, during spring. Pruning of replacement canes during spring is known as late tipping. Previous studies in Te Puke, the major kiwifruit‐growing region of New Zealand, have shown that late tipping can increase budburst, and therefore the yield, of kiwifruit vines by between 22 and 39%. In the current work, trials were carried out in three kiwifruit‐growing regions of New Zealand to determine the range of regional responses to late tipping. When data from this trial were combined with previously published data we found that changes in the number of flowers per winter bud (FWB) in response to late tipping were inversely related to the proportion of budburst (BB) on the canes tipped at the normal time during winter: increase in FWB(%) = 125–251 × (BB)r2=0.73. Therefore, late tipping will not increase flower production on vines which are already destined to have a high budburst. This situation is likely to occur regularly in climates as cool as southern New Zealand, or northern Italy, but less frequently in the milder climate of Te Puke, New Zealand.