Hi I’m wondering how to go about grafting these onto the top of my tree? I’ll be cutting top off it’s 1/2” diameter. How would you do these as a modified cleft or bark graft? Should I wait until it gets warmer?
@TNHunter @ramv @clarkinks I know you guys know your stuff I’ve don’t a lot of grafting but never on persimmons any suggestions what you would do here would be appreciated.
Personally I’d wait until temperature highs are in the 70s for reliable graft takes on persimmon.
I do cleft grafts on 1/2 inch stock. What zone/state are you in?
@clarkinks @ramv thanks will do. I’ve noticed other persimmon trees pushing green growth already and mine wasn’t so I started trimming some dead wood off the tree now looks like this. Kind of worried is that normal?
@hambone thanks, so you would just cut the top down and place two cleft grafts in?
One scion well placed might be all I’d do on 1/2 inch stock. You could try two if there’s space.
Looks like your smaller scion is around 1/8 inch diameter and the larger one 1/4 inch.
Bark graft might work ok with 1/8 inch scion to 1/2 inch rootstock.
A few years back I grafted black limbertwig apple to my backyard crab apple and the scion and rootstock were about those same diameters. It worked fine.
And then last year I grafted 1/4 inch mohler persimmon scion to a 1/2 inch rootstock using modified cleft.
I have had very good luck with modified cleft grafts… 100% success on 20 or so grafts.
Now I think a 1/4 inch scion may be too big to attempt bark graft into 1/2 inch rootstock.
Good luck to you !
TNHunter
Thanks appreciate the great feedback. Your cuts are so straight no wonder you get 100%.
@hambone thank you! I’d really like these to work. Or even one.
That wood was very viable and healthy thanks Ram appreciate the Giombo.
Today is 76° on the phone app but will probably be more like 80° in the backyard so I went ahead and grafted the pieces on. Hopefully they take my tree isn’t looking too good this year and I removed a lot of deadwood. I believe the tree almost died from lack of water. We shall see soon enough.
@ramv I covered in aluminum foil since it’s going to rain a little tomorrow but would you suggest keeping it on and how long does persimmon usually take to take?
@Plants … nice looking modified cleft graft.
Ps… I normally include only 2… occasionally 3 buds on the scion I graft on. The piece of scion is normally like 3-8 inches.
I think if you include too much scion and lots of buds it can be detrimental to your graft success. It may have trouble pushing growth on 8 or 10 buds where 2 would work fine.
I have not tested that myself.
Good luck to you !!
TNHunter
Thanks TNHunter. Yes I agree with 2 or 3 buds. Although this year did whole scions on everything seemed to work out well but that’s on figs. This as you know is my first persimmon. Do you think I should leave as is to wing it in the name of science and hope 
or chop the tops down and rewrap them? Each scion is roughly 7-8” long idk why they look so long in the photo.
I agree 100%. Chop it back
Ok chop it is! Thanks.
@ramv @TNHunter Ok chopped em about in half. About 4” idk why they look so big again lol. Love a razor sharp knife and pruners. I even got another graft out of it now hopefully this tree will start pushing sap. She’s behind schedule! Thanks appreciate your help.
Update. Looks like they all three failed. @TNHunter @ramv i feel the tree was in survival mode and just started pushing green not enough energy went into these grafts.
I presume it’s too late to find any more scions this year?? I’d also like to get something a little larger to graft on maybe at least a 1/2”.
Here’s the top graft. I cut it back it is all chocolate brown.
Hey @Plants, sorry your grafts failed. Persimmons are unique in that if you leave a “nurse” branch the tree will send all growth to it and stop sending any growth to wounded (grafted) branches. I always recommend rubbing/pruning off any suckers or buds that grow below persimmon grafts.
I’ve personally found that persimmons are as easy to graft as apples or pears provided I wait until the temps are consistently warm and I am diligent in removing anything growing beneath the graft union. Give it another try next year. Wait for warm temps, remove all growth besides the grafts, and I’ll bet you have success. Good luck!
Agree with @Ahouse422 …
I had a couple scions of Dar Sofiyivky left after I grafted a rootstock out in my orchard.
I had this 8 ft tall wild persimmon in the edge of my woods that had lots of branches and near the top forked with 2 branches about half inch in diameter.
I cut everything all branches all growth off that little tree leaving nothing but those 2 half inch forks. I added a scion of DS to each of those.
Keeping all other growth on the rootstock rubbed off. Looking good so far.
TNHunter
Thanks Andrew. Will do. Only one graft had no other growth on the branch but it was a veneer graft since my knife went all the way through a modified cg. If I find a local Saijo could I take the buds off, wrap it and graft? Or would it have to be dormant wood?
For using growing wood as scions bud grafting is your best bet. I’ve never had much need for it, so I’ve got no real advice for bud grafting persimmons.
Ok will try again. Maybe someone has something tucked in the refrigerator still. Appreciate
