Hi, I had no idea there was a group that dealt with growing persimmons, and some of you are WELL INFORMED on the subject!
Here are my choices… I planted a Chocolate Persimmon at a former residence, and the lawn care guys got it twice below the graft with string trimmers. After a couple of years it put on a bunch of fruit, and one day it was all gone! Vanished into thin air! No really, we are certain that deer got them this time, and then the lawn care or the lawn donotcare guys finished it off…
There are still healthy roots, they are putting up branches, f I cut off all the branches that are coming up from below where the graft was, the root would be 2" or less in diameter and about ankle high. I was offered to dig up this root and move it to my present location. This is the first question. When would be the best time to do this?
Second question. I grew up on the MIssissippi gulf coast and we had the BIGGEST hachiya persimmons I have ever seen, they are unique to the coast, they were grafted and planted back around the turn of the century when growing pecans became big business. Few of these unique trees survive now because of development.
I found someone that has a bunch of these same trees that produce the extra large fruit, and I’d like to graft some of these cuttings onto the root that I can move here and replant. Ok when would be the best time to try and graft these cuttings onto the root?
Also, does there need to be both male and female trees or is it possible to graft one side from a male tree and the other from a female tree?
These are some of the fruits that came from these old turn of the century trees in Ocean Springs MS:
I have no idea how dormancy hits where you are located in NC. Presumably, you could either dig them up and replant in the fall after dormancy hits but before the ground get’s completely hard (I don’t know if you get snow). Alternatively, you do it in early spring as soon as ground is workable, but before the trees start to break out of dormancy.
As for grafting, I graft persimmon when its nice and hot on mid 70 to mid 80 degree days along with my peaches. For my location that’s the same time as pawpaw and nuts in late June into July. I have grafted as late as mid August on hot days with success.
Hachiya shouldn’t need a male pollinator though… The side, height, position of the pollinator shouldn’t matter so much, so long as it’s in the canopy. Though, I would assume if you’re still in the south there would be enough wild persimmon around to help with pollination.
Thank you for clarifying. I am in 7b about 45mi north of Raleigh NC, in an area that sees very little snow, and not very many chill hours per year.
I will go ahead and move the root, it has a bunch of skinny branches shooting up, should I leave those on until I want to graft? Nothing above the graft survived it just died off so there is no persimmon there anymore. My thoughts are to try and graft two scions into the root side by side, or would there be a better way to do it? I have not grafted personally so all advice is appreciated. My grandfather used to graft often and I watched so I have a vague idea of what he used to do and the tools he used.
Let me get a pic of the root next time I go over there so you can see what we are working with. Maybe a week or so.
