Persimmons...how do I love thee...let me count the ways.....

[Native Hunter]

I look forward to the day when some of my persimmons that I have topworked start to bear, but in the meantime there is no shortage, thanks to both some seedlings I set about 12-13 years ago and some volunteer females.

I took some pictures today of a few different trees and love the variability of the ripening time we have. Some are ripening right now and others are still very green and won't be ripe until after the first frost.

This is a nice female that is ripening right now. Many of these are very sweet already. This is a seeding I got from the NWTF.




About 20 feet away from the tree above is another NWTF seedling that I set. These are still extremely green. My guess is that these will be November ripening. I like having two trees so different located near each other.



Another green one is this volunteer that is located on the south side of my place. This is getting to be a big tree.



Here is a tree that I really like. It is absolutely loaded, and looks like it will drop over a long period of time. Some of the fruits are just beginning to ripen and others are still very green.



I like this tree too. It is loaded and ripening right now, but like the tree above - has both green and ripe fruit at the same time. I wanted a persimmon near my pond and when cleaning out brush found one. I cleaned out around it and let it grow. This is what I got.




I have a few more persimmon trees with fruit but didn't get to them today, so no pictures of them. However, shown below is a loaded female seedling I took a picture of a few weeks ago that gives you an idea of how much a seedling can grow in good soil in 12-13 years. Not all will be this big, but the ones that get a good start will. This one is in the NH Tree Jungle. Another thing I love about persimmons is how tough they are. They are perfect for going in a jungle.....




That's all folks. Hope you enjoy.....

 

[lakngolf]

Amazing how much one tree can produce. Some are ripening at my place. I ate a couple of ripe one today. Gooey but tasty

 

[Drycreek]

I look forward to the day when some of my persimmons that I have topworked start to bear, but in the meantime there is no shortage, thanks to both some seedlings I set about 12-13 years ago and some volunteer females.

I took some pictures today of a few different trees and love the variability of the ripening time we have. Some are ripening right now and others are still very green and won't be ripe until after the first frost.

This is a nice female that is ripening right now. Many of these are very sweet already. This is a seeding I got from the NWTF.

About 20 feet away from the tree above is another NWTF seedling that I set. These are still extremely green. My guess is that these will be November ripening. I like having two trees so different located near each other.

Another green one is this volunteer that is located on the south side of my place. This is getting to be a big tree.

Here is a tree that I really like. It is absolutely loaded, and looks like it will drop over a long period of time. Some of the fruits are just beginning to ripen and others are still very green.

I like this tree too. It is loaded and ripening right now, but like the tree above - has both green and ripe fruit at the same time. I wanted a persimmon near my pond and when cleaning out brush found one. I cleaned out around it and let it grow. This is what I got.

I have a few more persimmon trees with fruit but didn't get to them today, so no pictures of them. However, shown below is a loaded female seedling I took a picture of a few weeks ago that gives you an idea of how much a seedling can grow in good soil in 12-13 years. Not all will be this big, but the ones that get a good start will. This one is in the NH Tree Jungle. Another thing I love about persimmons is how tough they are. They are perfect for going in a jungle.....

That's all folks. Hope you enjoy.....

I enjoyed.......right up to the point that I remembered that I have no persimmons. Anybody ever planted seeds and replanted sprouts ? Is it possible or would I be wasting my time ?

 

[Native Hunter]

I enjoyed.......right up to the point that I remembered that I have no persimmons. Anybody ever planted seeds and replanted sprouts ? Is it possible or would I be wasting my time ?

People do it, but the sooner you get the sprouts in the final location the better - because they have a tap root, transplanting is more difficult.

 

[massey]

wow. Ive got hundreds of bearing persimmon. None will be ripe until late october with most holding strong till Thanksgiving..When I hunt the last few days of season(Jan), I only hunt the persimmons...

 

[Native Hunter]

wow. Ive got hundreds of bearing persimmon. None will be ripe until late october with most holding strong till Thanksgiving..When I hunt the last few days of season(Jan), I only hunt the persimmons...

I grew up thinking that there was no such thing as an early ripening persimmon. All of the ones I was aware of were just like you described, and I have some of those too. However, I have learned that in this area there are many early ones as well. I have one tree that appears to be a cross between an American and Japanese persimmon that finished dropping two or three weeks ago. It is shaped much differently than most persimmons. I'm headed toward having persimmons dropping from mid August through January or February.

 

[DLH]

If you were on a deserted island and could only have one type fruit tree for deer would persimmon be it?

 

[Native Hunter]

If you were on a deserted island and could only have one type fruit tree for deer would persimmon be it?

Yes, an American female persimmon. One reason is because it can set fruit parthenocarpically.

Other reasons:
No fireblight
No CAR
No powdery mildew
No Scab
No aphids
No spraying
No worms
No sooty blotch
No fly speck
No bitter rot
No black rot
No bot rot
No bitter pit
No blossom wilt
No San Jose Scale
No plum curculio
No coddling moth
No apple maggot
No Japanese Beetles
No Chestnut Weevils

 

[DLH]

I wish I had focused more on persimmons then apples. Also you don’t have to pick any certain cultivar to do well in your area. Just have to find different drop dates. I hope to plant some seeds this fall winter spring and hope to add more.

 

[Cap'n]

I have seen persimmons completely defoliated by webworms, in fact it happening right now in Okla. but it never really effects the overall health or production of tree and the fruit is already set and ripening. That is one tough tree.

 

[Native Hunter]

I wish I had focused more on persimmons then apples. Also you don’t have to pick any certain cultivar to do well in your area. Just have to find different drop dates. I hope to plant some seeds this fall winter spring and hope to add more.

You are still young enough to adjust your path. I have underwear and socks older than you...………….

You will be happy about all of your fruit tree work someday. Having lots of different species and variety is so very nice...…...

 

[j-bird]

I bought and planted my first 2 persimmons trees last weekend. Grafted female american persimmons from Chestnut Hill orchards (the chestnut people). My local Rural king store had 3 gallon trees for $35. I have a neighbor that has a few trees that produce already so I planted mine in an area where I hope they will get pollinated by the same trees (I plan on getting some seeds from those trees as well). Time will tell. For those considering persimmons.....keep in mind these are true trees and will eventually get big, real big, so they are not like planting semi dwarf fruit trees as far as spacing is concerned. Also keep in mind you tend to have male and female trees, and you need both to produce fruit....typically. Some trees will grow male and female flowers and self pollinate.....some.

 

[j-bird]

You are still young enough to adjust your path. I have underwear and socks older than you...………….

You will be happy about all of your fruit tree work someday. Having lots of different species and variety is so very nice...…...

Native - can you graft/top work persimmons like you do other fruit trees? Sounds like you can.....would be interesting to top work a tree with "early" "mid" and "late" female scions. Most of them in my area I am seeing are ripe now or soon will be. I can see a late dropper being a real deer magnet in the right situation.

 

[THE LLC]

Our wild persimmons are LOADED again.

 

[mattpatt]

Just a word of caution. Be careful when buying persimmon trees and make sure they are American Persimmon or Native Persimmon. Stay away from most all of the Asian varieties which are commonly sold at big box stores. One would think that having a few of the Asian varieties around would be beneficial for wildlife as they produce larger fruit? A mature, native American persimmon drops loads of fruit all day long, whereas a much shorter Asian persimmon tree may only drop two fruits a day if it's really windy. Most Asian varieties hold on to their fruit and you'll need to pick it and place on the ground for wildlife. They just aren’t designed to fall freely. So plant Asian persimmons around the house to pick yourself and plant American persimmons in the woods. I learned this after I had already grafted a few Fuyu scions onto some of my native trees.

 

[SwampCat]

I have a lot of persimmon trees - but at a wild guess - I would say less than 10% are female - probably much less than 10%. Another good thing about persimmon trees is they can grow in high pH soils - along with honey locust and cedar. Persimmons, at least around my place, provide very little food for deer. Judging by coon droppings around my place right now - the persimmons are providing the bulk of their diet. I have seen multiple coons in persimmon trees many times. It is a rarity to see a persimmon fruit on the ground here. I think the coons eat them before they ever drop.

Has anyone else noticed a great disparity between the number of producing and non-producing trees?

 

[Native Hunter]

• Native - can you graft/top work persimmons like you do other fruit trees? Sounds like you can.....would be interesting to top work a tree with "early" "mid" and "late" female scions. Most of them in my area I am seeing are ripe now or soon will be. I can see a late dropper being a real deer magnet in the right situation.

Yes, you can topwork them, and the success rate has been high for me and other members of this forum. Late droppers are more common here than early droppers, but we have both. Drop times for me range from mid August to February.

The first year I topworked trees I didn't brace the grafts, and lost several to strong winds as they grew tall later in the year. After that I started bracing them the first year with cane poles and duct tape. Since that time I have never lost a graft, so the bracing is important - at least it has been for me. This is also true of apple and pear - not just persimmon. I leave the bracing the entire year and remove it the next spring. By that time the grafts have hardened well and can take the wind.

Right now my persimmon inventory is roughly as follows:

• 18 trees producing fruit. A combination of seedlings I set and native volunteer trees.
• 12 trees successfully topworked to females in the last 2 years.
• 10 more relatively small seedling trees which I set, that have not revealed their sex yet. I can go ahead and topwork or wait and see. Will probably wait and see.
• 7 grafted female trees I have bought and set out. Growing very slowly.
• Many more males (large and small) scattered around at different places. Most of these I will just leave alone. This area is a persimmon mecca.

 

[Native Hunter]

I have a lot of persimmon trees - but at a wild guess - I would say less than 10% are female - probably much less than 10%. Another good thing about persimmon trees is they can grow in high pH soils - along with honey locust and cedar. Persimmons, at least around my place, provide very little food for deer. Judging by coon droppings around my place right now - the persimmons are providing the bulk of their diet. I have seen multiple coons in persimmon trees many times. It is a rarity to see a persimmon fruit on the ground here. I think the coons eat them before they ever drop.

Has anyone else noticed a great disparity between the number of producing and non-producing trees?

It's just the opposite on my place. The female percentage is high and you can find plenty of fruit on the ground.

 

[mattpatt]

Yes I would say 90% of trees that come up on my place from seed are male. However, that is just a guess as I don’t let them get old enough to see if they are female or not. As soon as they’re big enough I graft a female scion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SwampCat]

Yes I would say 90% of trees that come up on my place from seed are male. However, that is just a guess as I don’t let them get old enough to see if they are female or not. As soon as they’re big enough I graft a female scion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And what do you call big enough - diameter?