Hello I’m getting ready to plant this persimmon tree it’s been in a 24” box for 2 or 3 seasons now. My question is the lower branch seemed to take over dominance this season although it only had 1 or 2 fruit and the central leader had many.
I’m planning on cutting off the lower branch when planting. Would you cut it completely off (red line) or to the first bud (yellow circle) going up? It’s my first in ground persimmon so any recommendations are welcome.
Here’s the planting hole. It drained 4” water in just about an hour. I threw some powdered gypsum in there so pretty happy with that. I’ll plant this tree high as well.
I’d remove any side growth below 28"-32" above the graft. I’d also wait until Spring to transplant or prune east Asian persimmons – especially on D. lotus rootstock.
Thanks Richard. Will cuts not heal by spring or is it not good to trim because of rain? I was planning to parafilm or prune sealer over the cut afterwards.
Agree with Richard
Wait until buds are beginning to swell to plant and prune. The exception is if you want to use the branch for scions! In that case you should wait until just before buds swell to cut scions.
Dennis
Kent wa
Thanks Dennis, I did promised a few friends scions but they’re back East in much colder regions so I can wait to send those. But they’ll be ok for them to graft after the buds swell? Wish I can remember when the tree woke up last year.
If you want to cut scions just wait until mid Feb and send them to your friends. If buds begin to swell, cut immediately and they will be fine. Wrap them in a moist not wet, paper towel then in plastic wrap and mail to your friends. They can keep refrigerated until grafting time.
Dennis
Persimmon is doing swell. I have two questions I’m curious about.
Water in the 90’s temperature range. I’ve been watering about every three or four days. Since I put this tree in the ground around winter should I water it every two days or every day when it’s even hotter? There was hundreds of persimmons on the tree and many are falling off every day but I figure it’s just the tree losing what it doesn’t want to hold only.
Which leads me onto my second question.
The fallen persimmons around the base on the ground. Should I leave these around the tree or pick them up. With gardening plants over the decades I pick up everything down and around the plants to stifle disease and bug pressure. Now I’m growing trees and I see people use it as what some say is important food for the trees. Here’s what I picked up this morning. I can easily throw them back down or in the compost bin.
Here’s a pic of the tree. I pruned a large branch about 5’-6’ off when I planted it that took over growth last year. I’ll try shaping it better around winter again.
