So far, there are some that have proven reliably hardy to zone 5, but I think only pure native persimmons are zone 4 hardy. Having enough summer heat might be the bigger challenge.
1 Like
Cliff England states that NB-21 hybrid is not more cold hardy than pure Asian kaki. Some claim the same for Nikita’s gift, but I find it hardy enough for my zone, 6b. Pure Asian kaki types are hardy in my zone except for polar vortex years. NG had no problems for me during polar vortex years.
5 Likes
I have a Nikita’s Gift in z5 coastal Maine that is two winters in ground. I don’t protect as I don’t care to have high maintenance plants. I consider it an experiment and have had winter dieback on branch tips both winters but the full trunk has been fine. It will need a few more years to see if it can outgrow the die back without significantly limiting fruiting potential.
4 Likes
Would everyone rather see a hachiya x prok or saijo x prok hybrid?
It will never work. It is a waste of time trying.
Unfortunately, they’re both female plants and can’t cross-pollinate. The only way you can splice those genes is through modern GMO techniques, which remain out of hobbyists’ reach for now. Or, technically, you could move the genes via male offspring, but you’re talking 2 generations there and who knows what you’d get.
However, I have mused that you could probably use Szukis American persimmon as a breeding parent. From what I’ve read, it will often throw male flowers.
2 Likes
Do we know if persimmon can be feminized? It is possible to stimulate male flowers on a female plant with chemicals. The offspring are generally 100% female. Random hermaphrodites do occur.
It is a common practice for hops breeders. I don’t know that it works for all dioecious species.
2 Likes
There’s a thought! Do you have the know-how to do that?
I researched it a while ago. Before I could put it into practice, I suffered an injury, and quit gardening for a while. I have not gotten back into breeding yet, unless you count the open pollenated calendula seeds I collected last year.
The leaves and branches are sprayed with colloidal silver, or gibberellic acid at the correct time to stimulate male flower growth. The leaves will turn a hideous color. You can buy then ready to use. It is also popular with cannabis breeders.
1 Like
never saw leaves turn any color w/ colloidal silver in my past (not persimmons)
To find out the “correct time” is the key. Even if you succeed and the staminate flowers are formed, you still won’t be able to cross Prok with Hachiya and vice versa.
2 Likes
Here is the Kasandra persimmon. It is very promising. I hope I can get some fruits this year. Do we need to spray anything?
I’ve had about 20+ rootstocks growing. Hope I can graft some next spring. Hope they are easier to care than cherry and other large fruits.
5 Likes
Ha ha Ha I dO like reading everything hybrig cross breeding related
I tried buying Pure silver to give to Cliff england , and Jerry Lehman
Paypal said No No you don’t
turned out the phone number was 12345678
If you are wondering A male Female genetic is common
< but if you get a hermaphofodite
the offspring will be all female
It is a breeding tool,
but cannabis people do not want that chance future breeds could b e part male , and female in the genes whuich happens naturally .
I could say A nice pure female persimmon is great with not seeds
Along the genetic line a male, and female breed (would ) appear
pollinate all the fruit, and turn all the female
to male seeded fruit with seeds
I mean the genetic line age
Not That In said I was against it but
I know some cannabis people have some feminized seeds
and the later genetics have a Hermaphodite in the mix down the line
Just saying
(note I have actually stressed a Female to a male or hermaphodite
, but this was all annuals -----
I screwed with the plants light cycle it was a accident
In literature the off spring were all to be females.
In tom Waits world
I guess My Neighbors would of said what Am I building in there.
1 Like
Getting packages from In-Do-Nee-Sia. What’s he building in there? Lol
@RedSun – Looks great. I have one Kassandra planted in 2017 that looks like it’ll bear its first crop this year. But my season is a little behind yours. I’m curious – how old is your tree? Thx.
This tree was purchased in 2016. But it is not protected and received some deer damages over the years. Not fertilized either. I only fenced it since last year.
1 Like
Got it. Yes, deer can be brutal. I try to keep fences around mine but even then there deer sometimes just bulldoze them or jump over. They laugh at anything that’s only 4-5’ high.
Yes, finally it grew taller than 5’ tall. I cut off some lower branches and deer can’t reach the top with the panel fence only 5’ wide square. So it is relatively safe now.
I have szukis. It’s mostly male. That’s why I got it. High quality male pollinates high quality female, per the original Claypool data.
Since I biocharred it, I now like the fruit a lot. Not before.
John S
PDX OR
2 Likes
When I said I had a Idea to feminize seeds , and bring it to Cliff England
I was not sure He was on Board HE didn’t look Optimistic ,
He also knew of it being used in annuals before not surprisingly since he must study this stuff.
I think the draw back might be finding your seedless fruit down the line
might contain male, and female and could make your fruit seeded
Not saying it is not useful
Even cannabis users not wanting to keep the breed lines and later might destroy them
I read even like to see what males show potential to breed later ,
by seeing what the Flower to smoke in a males line would be
I am no Expert on this stuff this is only what I have read in the past (2016)
as well as the one breeder not wanting to have a plant with 2 sexes show up later
(not that big of a deal really if they clip off the male part,
and are observant to not get seedy flower –
the facts are muddled up with a lot of inexperience .)
Not certain, because I never looked but I am asking
wouldn’t That be bad in hops as they say with seeds they are not good in generation down the line?
I was drunk when I wrote that other stuff should of been more clear
Without silver you might even try screwing with the persimmon light cycle
cover some flowers with a large paper bag in the day they may switch to male.
(or I mean hermaphrodite to taste the fruit of the male.) —
(i;'d be interested in this with grapes since seeds are not really a bad thing in wine grapes
but males give no fruit…)
1 Like