I have an established young Jiro with a well developed root system. I have to believe that it will act as a better host than a young D-Lotus rootstock.
Meanwhile others have provided evidence that rootstock choice doesn’t influence ripening time. Richard’s claim is that their evidence isn’t valid because they haven’t provided any examples in the ebony family.
But neither has Richard. And I am loath to fully take out an established tree without any data. I would rather use it as rootstock pending evidence, not just assertions to the contrary.
Not sure if this will help but I grafted two Prok American persimmons on D.V root stocks from two different vendors about 6 years ago. One of the Prok always leafed out 2 weeks earlier than the other one and get zapped by late frost every other year. So if one lives in a warmer zone then the earlier leafed out root stock can get a two weeks head start on fruit production and that is it.
My rough impression is that differences like Tony described are pretty normal and common with persimmons. Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be comparable differences with most other fruit species, but it would be really nice to have stone fruit or pome or mulberry or kiwi rootstocks that could keep trees dormant for as much as two extra weeks; rootstock seems to have very little difference in terms of affecting when other trees break dormancy.
Ramv, I dont know if the future will confirm this, but in my yard, Yates ripened a month before Nikita’s Gift. Yates is American, smaller fruit, but awesome flavor. They are seedless and ripened without a male tree.
Back when I bought my Asian persimmon trees from Raintree, they claimed Saijo was the only Asian persimmon they could ripen at their nursery, which I think is around 100 miles NE from me but higher elevation. They didn’t make any claims about Nikita’s Gift. My Saijo are about 2 weeks or so, 0behind Nikita’s Gift.
At the time, Raintree said their Asian persimmons were on D. lotus rootstock. I don’t know if that affects ripening. The Yates is on D. virgiana rootstock
For both Nikita’s Gift and Saijo, I finish the ripening by placing them in a casserole dish with a banana or apple, and cover with plastic food wrap. Without that treatment, I don’t know if they can ripen completely here. They are a orangy color, and firm, before the banana treatment, and in 3 to 5 days become almost jelly-like and deep red. And delicious. An advantage is, by sequentially ripening batches of them, I get to eat them for more than a month.
If I buy grocery store persimmons, J also do the banana treatment, because I like them better with that jelly consistency.
@Bear_with_me,
This is a very helpful post. I have to keep your suggestions in mind when my Saijo hopefully ripens next year.
Not sure either the NG or RB are large enough to bear any fruit next year.
I have a few Hachiyas I bought from the store and I will try the banana treatment on them.
Also anyone growing Rojo Brillante in a northern climate? I know Persimmon Bob was growing a bunch of those. But he has hot summers!
I heard of people growing RB in hoophouses successfully in the UK. If that is true, maybe we have a shot here in the PNW since UK is quite cold even in summer.
I am living in Mountlake Terrace north of Seattle about 1/2 hour. I am wondering the same thing . So i planted only Izu and Saijo just last year. My Izu was not leaf out yet, and my Saijo right now just starts to rip. Next year maybe better. Below my Saijo in mid of November.
On the first fruiting season their fruit size are not big enough as expected yet. This ones I just planted last April. Should be better on next year.
I bought them after 2nd or 3rd week of February @ Sky nursery with the fruiting size trees
. Next Spring I will buy Nikita Gift @ Flower World nursery. The Hachiya I bought from Asian markets were very big and taste wonderful. My Saijo still not good enough to compare with them yet. But the report said Saijo still the best one in flavor, especially early season tree for cool areas like Seattle. I will keep updating on latter years .
Got a persimmon sampler from a good friend this year. Although only one fruit… it tasted immediately like a marshmallow. Texture obviously different, but I couldn’t see much difference in the flavor. Nature’s candy for sure.
