Two years ago I grafted a Sheng, Nikita’s Gift, Honan Red, and Greatwall Asian persimmons and buried the graft union a foot below the soil level. This experiment to see if the grafted varieties will regrow in the event that the top died during harsh winter. Last winter , Omaha, NE got down to -14F and all the trees listed above died to the ground level and now they all regrowth to the grafted varieties. I hoped this will help others whom lived in a marginal zone to grow their Asian persimmon this way.
Tony
Sheng Astringent Asian persimmon
Nikita’s Gift hybrid persimmom
Honan Red astringent Asian persimmon
Greatwall astringent Asian persimmon
I did the same experiment with the figs and also with good results
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Tony,
Interesting. My question is that will these trees grow to be fruitful? My potted figs do not always ripen in time before frost arrives.
Mamuang
The figs last year grew back and I got some ripe figs towards October but a lots still green when winter arrived. The astringent Asian persimmons listed above, I will have to wrap them up with a light bulb hanging in the center of the tree and turn it on when the temp drops below -4F from now onwards and hopefully they will fruit in 3 yrs or so.
Tony
The photos of my figs from last year. I pinched the tip every 4 leaf to encourage fruit formation.
Tony, you are such a green thumb. My potted figs do not have many leaves. They are laughable. I need to fertilize them more. I pinched off at 6th leave. May need to do it at 4th instead.
If you were my neighbor, I would pay you to winter-protect my trees. You are such a master.
Tony, your advice sounds really wise. Since these trees are grafted not for dwarfing or other stock benefits, but mainly just for propagation, it makes sense to protect the scion from winter as you did - persimmons.
Since figs are cutting - grown, planting them deep would protect underground scion buds, that can generate new growth if the top is killed.
I have some figs that make good crop from new growth. Others, such as Desert King, fruit on last years growth.
Which figs varieties work for you?
it’s disappointing that Nikita’s gift was not more hardy.
Bear
I have Brown Turkey, Celeste, Black Mission, Ficus Carica "Violet De Bordeaux and all these re-growth from a low temp of -16F three years ago.
The Nikita’s Gift Hybrid persimmon was not as hardy as its parent Rossyanka which could handle the temp to -18F or so.
Tony
Tony, what about the hybrid you’re testing for England’s? How did that do with the -14?
SMC
Cliff England sent me scions JT-02 and Kasandra hybrid persimmon scions. I grafted 6 Kasandra and 4 JT-02 on some large and small understocks just to be sure some take. I will take some photos once they leafed out. I will test some new grafts this coming Winter without any winter protection and will bring some in cold storage for insurance.
Tony
I purchased a Kasandra, which I potted up and kept in my barn over the winter because I hadn’t created a space yet. The barn isn’t heated and isn’t attached to the house. My outside low temp was -11.8. I did the scratch test this spring, green, and planted it in the ground. It hasn’t leafed out yet but scratched green again last week. Not sure if it’ll wake up or not.
Green is a good sign of survival. Sometimes persimmon takes a while to leafed out.
Tony
Yeah, but all my other persimmons have leafed out and we’ve had plenty of hot days this spring. Who knows, though. We’ll see what happens. Maybe it’s slow cause it’s a transplant.
Tony,
The problem for me is not severe cold, but I was late in life growing them. That and the timing of the frosts.
Saijo persimmon grew nicely, but started growing then there was a frost. It recovered, with a lot of distorted leaves. Saijo had some flower buds that fell off.
Nikita’s gift waited much longer to leaf out, after the last frost. That one is only about 4 feet tall, but has flower buds anyway. I don’t know if they will set. I thought about using blossom set like some people do for tomatoes, but that might be a waste of money.
Yates is just the first year, planted in Jan. That one had put on a foot of growth and has flower buds too.
Bear
I hope some of those persimmon flowers form fruits and don’t drop so you have the chance to taste them. It will be a good harvest season for me because my apples, gooseberry, honeyberry, grapes, sweet tart cherry CJ & CP, pears, persimmons, and paw paws are loaded with baby fruits. I will take some photos as the season progresses.
Tony
Thanks for sharing, Tony!
