Domain: tiger-web1.srvr.media3.us Persimmon help/advice | Home & Garden
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Persimmon help/advice

Posted on 2/18/26 at 10:51 am
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
86923 posts
Posted on 2/18/26 at 10:51 am
Background-Moved here about 5 or so years ago and the yard came with a young persimmon tree. It was obviously planted on purpose so I assumed one of the Asian varieties. After never seeing fruit, I checked the flowers last Spring and I am almost positive it's a native male. There are no females within sight.

I'd like to replace it with something or maybe two. Here are thoughts with questions.
From a little research, it looks like maybe the two best candidates for me are Rosseyanka and Early Jewel (H-118), but there are so many I could be either wrong or missing something or both. Suggestions here.

In some reading, it was suggested to have a second tree for pollination even though not required. One nursery even suggested one of each of two different varieties. I am open to two different ones if that works.

Is there a hard deadline for planting? While I'd like to move on this, if it's best to wait, I can.

Can I find good ones at nurseries or are these all order? I am in cenla, so very close to Forest Hill.

Probably things I have not considered.
Posted by luvdoc
"Please Ignore Our Yelp Reviews"
Member since May 2005
1135 posts
Posted on 2/18/26 at 11:12 am to
If it was mine, I would order cuttings of several of the many cultivated improved native persimmon and graft/top-work them on to the already established tree, leaving at least one branch of the male to optimize production.

Example source for cuttings:
LINK
This post was edited on 2/18/26 at 11:15 am
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
86923 posts
Posted on 2/18/26 at 11:14 am to
I actually thought about it, but have never grafted before and a little intimidated. Let's say I know of a very productive native female with a branch the same diameter as one of the two leaders, could I graft it and have fruit?
Posted by luvdoc
"Please Ignore Our Yelp Reviews"
Member since May 2005
1135 posts
Posted on 2/18/26 at 11:25 am to
Yes

You can graft onto branches, but that is best on young trees when you can graft close to the trunk and expect eventual large branch entirely of the new variety. Though my experience with persimmons is that lower branches are shed as the tree grows

Best would be to graft on to the top so that all future upward growth is the new variety , with other varieties on near-top branches so you can graft near the trunk

If the tree is already quite tall, so that a pencil sized graft is too high, top working is the way to go. With a saw or a pair of loppers, cut the main trunk down to 1-4 ft, and do a graft onto the stump.

Several techniques for doing that. YouTube is great to educate you. If you have a sharp knife or box cutter, some electrical tape, and plastic bags, you are set. Paraffin tape and other job-specific tools aren't worth buying for just a couple of grafts

This is a great time of year for it
Posted by CrawDude
Baton Rouge
Member since Apr 2019
5750 posts
Posted on 2/18/26 at 11:25 am to
I have three Asian persimmons cultivars Fuyu, Saijo and Maejawa-Jiro. Fuyu is very popular and can be found just about anywhere.

The two you mentioned are grafted cultivars on American persimmon rootstock, so they do not need a second cultivar for cross pollination - just like citrus.

The two varieties you mentioned I gather are astringent varieties, meaning they have to be soft-ripe before you can eat the fruit. Non-astringent cultivars, like Fuyu, you can eat when ripe, both hard or soft.

Though the best time to plant trees is in the Deep South is Nov-March, It would be best to plant ASAP, but if they are potted plants (not bare root) you can plant them year round though you have less margin for error if you plant them during summer (more stress on the plant).
This post was edited on 2/18/26 at 11:27 am
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
86923 posts
Posted on 2/18/26 at 11:39 am to
quote:

astringent varieties, meaning they have to be soft-ripe before you can eat the fruit
I am fine with this as Americans are my favorite so used to gathering from the ground anyway.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
86923 posts
Posted on 2/18/26 at 12:38 pm to
quote:

Example source for cuttings:
LINK
OK, now that I have been able to read some, this looks like the way to go. Now more reading to figure out a plan.

Here is the tree. I had asked questions about it last year. I'll need a plan of attack.
Posted by luvdoc
"Please Ignore Our Yelp Reviews"
Member since May 2005
1135 posts
Posted on 2/18/26 at 7:13 pm to
That's a pretty big nice looking tree

I would either chop it between the lowest branches and that fork, and top work it, or chop it just above the branches and graft a different variety onto each branch to create an open center multivariety tree
Posted by Icansee4miles
Trolling the Tickfaw
Member since Jan 2007
32080 posts
Posted on 2/18/26 at 7:54 pm to
Not sure which variety Japanese persimmon my Dad had, but you didn’t bite into one until they were dead ripe. It was always fun to talk the new kid in the neighborhood into biting a green one.

He only had the one (huge) tree for many years until it died and it produced heavy crops almost every year without a partner. As an aside, when I went to help him cut it down, it dulled every saw both of us owned. There’s a reason they made golf club heads out of persimmon wood.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
86923 posts
Posted on 2/19/26 at 8:55 am to
OK, updated pic below. Scions are ordered. From my homework, I am thinking of lopping off those two mains above some of the larger branches then cleft or bark graft on those, then graft directly to some of the established lower branches. I may also go collect some scions from a female I know of locally. Again, I have never grafted before, so advice welcome. I wait until leaves start to show on the tree, right?
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