Hello & what are the earliest ripening American Persimmons?

NC-10 has been most my productive cu ltivar here for 20+ years, and also earliest, usually dropping ripe fruits by mid-September.

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@JesseinMaine

Can’t believe your getting away with growing those I hesitated to try to grow those here in a just slightly warmer climate. Which one was your favorite?

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@JesseinMaine
Are Meader and Prok the only varieties you have? Do you have any that ripen consistently year after year?

I’m in 5b but I’m starting a nursery and want to help make them common in at least all of zone 5 and hopefully even zone 4. I just need to find at least one variety that will ripen reliably in zone 4. You are the only person I know off growing them in 4. I’m pretty sure there are a few varieties that ripen earlier than Meader and Prok.

I have a couple others which haven’t fruited yet. Getting them through the first couple winters can be a challenge, I think they can be susceptible to SW injury

@JesseinMaine
SW injury? What other varieties do you have? If you think they might work for you I may look into them even though yours haven’t fruited yet.

Hi
Last Fall Jay helped me put out a data form that growers like you in northern climates could enter their ripening data. We got a few entries but unfortunately not as many as I had hoped. If those on this thread could remember to go in and enter their individual experience which includes all the criteria you would need to know to determine if a variety might ripen in your climate, we would eventually have more reliable data.
Last fall as I coordinated with Cliff England on your very inquiry, he gave me these varieties that seem to be his earliest ripening ones.
100-46 - Lehman’s Delight Persimmon
Early Golden
H-63A Claypool
Prok
Here is the link to Jays data form, and the database of what we collected last fall by some members.
Dennis,
Kent, wa

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Wow Dennis, that is a great idea & a very simple questionnaire. I’m surprised some of the best posters I have seen on the subject here like @tonyOmahaz5 haven’t added to the list, but maybe they didn’t have the data written down to add to it. Hopefully they will soon. It could be an extremely helpful easy to use resource for people in northern climates that want to grow persimmons. Just imagine what Cliff England could add! I talked to Cliff a few times this year & he told me Journey is his earliest ripening persimmon, starting late July to early August. Followed closely be J-59. So I’m thinking those have a good chance of ripening even in zone 4. I don’t know if they are good tasting persimmons but they could be used for deer or breeding purposes. Hopefully more people will contribute & maybe even mention the coldest known temps the tree has survived. This is exciting stuff for me!

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South west injury

100-46 is definitely not early ripening here. They were barely ripe by the first freeze in November this past season.

I had 100-46 listed in my original post. I definitely shouldn’t have had that listed as early ripening.

Anyone know if J-59 and Jenny’s Early are the same variety? Presumably out of Claypool’s breeding? Thanks!

@GeneH You would probably have to talk to someone like Cliff at England’s to verify this but I don’t think they are the same because Cliff told me J-59 was smaller than Journey which is only about 1.5". England’s Orchard lists Jenny’s Early as has having “a large fruit”. So I’m thinking they are different.

Thanks! You´re right, I should ask Cliff :slight_smile:
My scion order from them arrived today ! :grin:

If you think of it also ask him how long a period of time J-59 drops it’s fruit over & if it’s self fruitful & without seeds or needs a male. I forgot to ask him (meant to ask the same about Journey too) & I have bugged him a few times this year so I hate to bother him again until I order. lol

Just out of curiosity, did you get persimmon scions?

Sorry – I´d already sent the question. Like you, I do hesitate to bother him with every question, otherwise I would be sending him an endless stream of them.

He did not really answer whether J-59 is the same as Jenny´s early - but looks like you were able to do that for me. He wrote: J -59 is a little larger than a quarter and the fruit is red; whereas H-118 / Early Jewel a 2.5 to 3 inch Orange fruit. I wonder whether as a general rule, one could say small fruits are able to ripen earlier than larger fruit? Of course there would always be exceptions.

The scions were all persimmons:
H-63A, WS-8-10 (Barbara´s Blush), J-59, I-115, 100-46 (Lehman´s Delight), H-120, JCEG, Knightsville, I-94 (Valeene Beauty). Of these, surely some will ripen in my area. The H-63A was ripe when I visited his orchard last mid-September and was my favorite. So, have high hopes for that one.

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Szukis and Mohler. Here in zone 5, Mohler begins about the end of August, Szukis a month later.

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My H-118 aren’t nearly so big. Interesting. I’d guess the largest are under 2".

@GeneH You might be onto something with the size & ripening. Maybe less fruit (by fruit size) to ripen means fruit ripens sooner in some cases. I just learned of a variety that is growing in 4b that ripens up there & it also has small fruit. I’m still trying to get more information on it (drop time, self fruitful, etc) but I’m trying to get ahold of a scion. The scion wood is in short supply but fortunately I made a friend and it looks like he can get me some.

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@Lee How long a period time do they drop their fruit?

For a month at lease.