My first kaki to begin ripening this season - Inchon. It’s the first season it’s fruited for me. My Izu has a few fruits starting to show a little hint of yellow, but all my other kakis and hybrids are still solid green.
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Thanks for the report and I look forward to your thoughts on taste. Any chance for pictures of the full trees? I have both and am considering which gets a coveted spot in the yard and which stays in a container. Thanks.
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Your Inchon look very sizable, Ben. I didn’t realize this variety was so early! I wonder why it isn’t more commonly grown.
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I don’t know much about Inchon. There were a couple fruit this season that split a little, and that accelerated the ripening. So we tasted those already, and they weren’t very good. That could be because those fruit weren’t fully mature before they split. I’m hoping the ones in the picture are better. The tree is a real pain to prune - it puts out a lot of very long weak branches that bend over and snap very easily. I’ve had to stake it for the last few years to keep the tree from breaking in the wind.
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This happened with my Miss Kim this year and in 2020. It has had 2 growth spurts those years. The 2nd round of growth created some particularly long, floppy branches. The first round of spring growth was relatively short and compact so that wasn’t an issue. I’m not sure why it’s growing so much this year despite carrying a big crop. You’d think the fruit would take energy away from vegetative growth.
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Yes, Inchon’s growth habit reminds me a lot of Miss Kim (and Sung Hui). I guess it makes for an attractive weeping look to the branches, but getting good strong scaffolds is a challenge!
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Thanks for the pictures. Sestronka certainly does seem like a much more well mannered tree!
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Persimmons slow down once they hit about 20’ I believe or think that’s what Tom Wahl said to me. I’ll ask him again, this Fall. It’ll be late-Fall. @PharmerDrewee etc-
I would build a short “spurring” tree out of that Inchon. Like a crabapple or apple pruned to say 10’ feet tall and never (allow it) to get any taller, ever.
It’s gonna require some bracing and thinking ahead or looking ahead …
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@Barkslip just wondering your thoughts on pruning and fruit production. I need to keep some of my persimmons pruned so they don’t grow too high and don’t take up the whole back yard. It kills their production as it appears the trees then focus on new growth. White fly infestation didn’t help maybe drought too…. Last year was similar, even without white dues and drought. But I’m so surprised that even mild pruning seems to kill production….
I remove many tiny, weak branches when I prune mine and try to take out the vertically growing branches after they get to a desired height. I noticed the trees fruited more on laterally growing, strong branches. You need to keep some of last year’s growth for your tree to fruit. Those buds are where the flowering stems will originate from.
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Finally got to taste some well ripened persimmons. I have been keeping them in garage and when soft they are perfect with no astringency. I can confirm as others have mentioned before that American persimmons have very complex and outstanding flavor compared to Japanese persimmons. Boy … I am in love with American persimmons. So far between the Prok and American (possibly H-118/Early Jewel) Early jewel is the winner. It is very sweet with some caramel and cinnamon notes, very flavorful. Prok is equally good but between the two I will put it at number 2.
Prok:
American Unk Poss H-118:
I have been getting a handful every 2-3 days and counting my blessings.
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Vastly better. That caramel flavor slightly increases the longer you let them ripen.
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@RUenvsci read pharmerdrewee’s response below yours. It’s the easiest way and he’s written it perfectly.
The H118 fruit are more prominent now that the wind has blown off half of the leaves:
Seems the leaves are mostly lost from the upright branches. Like some really tall deer came through that bent down and ate the leaves off the top:
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Do these look like Prok for those familiar? Mine aren’t as conical as some of the pictures previously shown, which has me questioning it. This is the first year it’s fruiting. The tree came from Starks bros.
The rapidly turn orange and fall to the ground. They go on to soften pretty quickly on the counter.
Here are my first kaki, Nishimura Wase, turning orange in PA. The tree is fruiting less this year after cropping in abundance last year. I was a little surprised, because it still had a lot of vigorous growth despite the heavy crop last year.
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Anyone else growing giant fuyu persimmon? how is your crop doing this year? this is first year my giant fuyu is setting fruiting so im super excited!
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Those look to round to be Prok? Anyone else?
look fine to me. that’s okay for prok.
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