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Hi I'm Tricia an organic gardener, I grow organically for are healthy and safe food supply
for a clean and sustainable environment
for an enjoyable and rewarding experience
Persimmons are beautiful and adaptable fruit trees
and the fruit can be eaten fresh
dried or pickled
the oriental persimmon
is native to china and japan
and is a relatively past free tree to grow
it has glossy dark green leaves that turn red orange and yellow for a fiery fall
display
even after all the leaves drop the deep red orange fruit hangs on the bare
branches for a dramatic fall picture
once established
persimmon trees are drought tolerant but they'll bear more fruit with regular
watering
don't over water your newly planted persimmon tree
the biggest cause of death for persimmon trees is too much water
you need full sun and good drainage for your persimmon tree
but they will handle heavier soils than most fruit trees
especially if the tree that your planting is grafted onto a "D Lotus" rootstock
for more information on how to plant a fruit tree checkout our how to plant a
tree video
the persimmons sold a groworganic.com are self pollinating
they're hardly down to zone seven
and have a low chill requirement
and they bloom late enough to avoid most late spring frosts
this persimmon tree has had some harsh pruning in the past
you want to train your persimmon to a modified central leader system
and you can watch our video on how to prune cherries trees and apricots and its
a similar way but you will prune this one in the winter
persimmons are heavy producers a mature full-size tree can produce three hundred and
thirty to six hundred and sixty pounds of free each year
so it's important to thin it
persimmons bear fruit on these long shoots
thin out some of these long fruiting shoots to limit the amount of fruit the tree is able
to set
flower or fruit thinning may be necessary later in the season to especially for the Hachiya
cultivar
prune out week
twiggy growth
and water sprouts
what not to do
don't head back your scaffolding branches like this it just produces way
too many shoots
find a lateral at least a third the size of the branch you're taking out
then use a thinning cut
to take the branch back to that lateral
this will keep the tree smaller
and more compact without creating a lot of messy water sprouts
there are two types of persimmon fruits
a none astringent type like this Fuyu
and the astringent type like this Hachiya
the Hachiya's needs to be fully ripe and very soft before you eat them
that Fuyus' can be eaten right off the tree like an apple
in order to enjoy an astringent persimmon like the Hachiya
it needs to be fully ripe
or else it taste like eating straight alum powder and that means
pick them when they're fully colored but still firm
they can be left on the tree to ripen but more often than not birds will eat them
before you do, to ripen them
put them in boxes and leave them in the garage or you can ripen them on the
kitchen counter
when they're ripe they will feel like holding a bag of jello and they'll be
translucent instead of opaque
and don't worry if there's a little bit of sun scald
that can actually help the fruit taste sweeter
once they're fully ripe you can freeze them whole and then take them out and
enjoy them whenever you want
it's a beautiful tree
and a delicious fruit
so try it
and grow organic for life!