I came across several dozen persimmons that a storm blew out prematurely. I let them ripen for a week, processed the ripe ones and just used the rest for their seeds. I found several types of fruit and was quite fascinated. Some were long, some were short and round, some had only a single seed, and some were more seeds than pulp. In general, the seeds were brown and flat but a few seeds were shaped more like a coffee bean.
So, after saying all of that, does anyone know why they are so varied in shape and if the deformed seeds are worth planting? Are the seeds from the fruits with only a single seed worth planting or is only a single seed a common trait in named varieties?
I have been eating some wild Tennessee persimmons this week… this month really… the seeds in these have been pretty consistent in size and shape. They are quite seedy… 6 to 8 seeds in most.
Ate my last one this evening… but just up our county road there is a small tree that still has quite a few fruit on it. I may harvest more tomorrow.
Those two seeds do look odd… almost like they are being forced open by embryo growing inside. Ginseng seed will do that when kept too long… split open and little root tails poke out.
I started pulling the seeds out of each persimmon, making my observations while doing so, but it was taking so long that I decided to just smash open each fruit and throw them in a bucket of water for a week like I do with tomato seeds and the pulp sloughs right off of them.
Yah, persimmon seeds are easily cleaned in a bucket.
I fill a bucket about a third of the way full of small wild seedy persimmon fruit.
Smash the Soft fruit .
Start with a high pressure jet From my garden hose.
Making A vortex in the bucket .
Let sit a few minutes to settle.
Pour off pulp.
Repeating for a few days.
Finish cleaning in a box with 1/4 inch mesh bottom and garden hose spray.
… stratification.
And …
…gratification
Hi @Hillbillyhort. Do you cold stratify your seeds right after cleaning them?
I’m attempting to grow Dios. viriginiana from seed for the first time, your input would be appreciated.
@SteadyStan
Yes, stratification as soon as cleaned .
Usually in the refrigerator with damp peat .
Other times …
Plant in pots / nursery beds in fall outside .
Have planted a few seeds where you want a tree .
Will sprout early spring .
When stratifying ginseng seed… you normally use sand… although some use pulverized leaf litter…
You create a pouch from aluminum window screen, fill it with sand or leaf litter or a mix… and mix your seed in with that… then you burry that pouch in a location that will get plenty of rain, but that also drains well… don’t want it to stay too wet… but do want it to get rained on.
You harvest ginseng seed in the fall, extract the seed from the berry pulp, and then go right into stratification… and you don’t pull it up until the next fall, or late summer… it has to stratify for a year or pretty close to that… when you do pull up your stratified seed, you float test, toss the floaters, keep the sinkers, treat for possible fungus issues (10% bleach solution for 10 minutes) then rinse good… and then plant asap.
You harvest the berries one fall, take the seeds out of stratification the next fall, plant them… and then they will sprout the following spring.
If you just plant fresh berries… in the fall… they will not sprout the first spring after planting… but will the second (most of the time). I have seen some that did not sprout for another 1 or 2 springs…
Sounds like persimmon seeds only require a 1 winter stratification period.
Plant them in the fall, and they sprout the next spring.
I am going to try planting a few myself and see how they do.
@Hillbillyhort — I have a 3 gal pot outside… that I started some mexican sunflower in by cuttings…
They are still thriving an growing… but no blooms yet. They don’t grow here like they do in FL though… only grew about 5 ft tall this year.
I have in that pot a nice mix of homemde compost and garden dirt… that is what they are growing in.
I have the top level mulched well with pine bark mulch… 2 inches deep or more. I have not watered them in months… and they are doing fine.
I just put 6 nice and fresh persimmon seeds in there too… all of the sunflower cuttings that rooted and sprouted were sort of on one side… so the other side was empty… that is where I put the persimmon seeds… I put 3 seeds in one location, and 3 in another about 8" apart. I planted them in the dirt/compost mix and covered them back with 2" of pinebark mulch.
Ginseng can push up thru 2" of pine bark mulch… or even a pretty deep layer of oak leaves in the spring (mature plants).
Do you know if persimmon sprouts have the ability to work up thru a rather light but deep mulch like pine bark ?
I am going to cut those mex sunflowers off near the base (leaving a short stub) and compost them this fall… and see if they will come back from the roots next spring.
And hoping that my persimmons may just sprout up too next spring.
I will just leave that pot out all winter, but may cover it in some hay mulch to protect some until next spring.
@mamuang
I don’t have any experience with Kaki seed .
They could be more sensitive to cold ? ( freezing ?)
But likely still need stratification , as in the refrigerator ?
I did sprout seed from Nikitas gift ( hybrid) In fridge with paper towel - bag . They sprouted in the fridge in March - April
Going to grow those out ungrafted ,to see what they become ?
Pretty sure, as a seed, it will die outside before germination. AFAIK, Hachiya will need zone 7 and above maybe even zone 8 and above. If the cultivar won’t survive in your location outside, I doubt the seedling will survive. It would be quite unusual for commercially grown kakis to use a D. virginiana as a pollinator, so one has to assume the seed is pure kaki not a hybrid.
@JustPeachy I am aware of the cold hardiness but just out of curiosity, I’d like to try sprouting it. I don’t think it will come true to seed, either.
I have NG in ground for 7 years now. If I lose it to polar vortex, I won’t shed a tear. I have Rojo Brillante in pot. I may graft a few cold-tender on it. They will remain in pot in my garage in the winter.
