Good luck.
2 Likes
Here’s the last two flower buds on my JT-02:
The one on the right is starting the process of dropping off. The one on the left is about as big as they get to before giving up.
And here’s Prok, still looking pretty happy. I think it will set fruit this year, but time will tell if any actually make it to harvest time.
7 Likes
Just curious, between Morris Burton and Mohler, which would you choose?
My friend only wants 1, hard to choose :). @jrd51, H63A might be too large of a size for him. He wants small-medium more for wildlife and a few for himself.
Some interesting notes for each.
The thing about MB that seems to be special is that the persimmon pulp retains its nice flavor thru freezing for extended time.
(MB maybe maintains flavor for cooking for 2 years)
I fiind Morris Burton just sweet, nothing else. I haven’t tasted that many varieties but can’t imagine any tasting better or being more reliable than Szukis and Mohler.
I think that Mohler tastes better than Morris Burton, but is not as sweet.
To me, Morris Burton is just sweet, nothing else.
Mohler Fruit is exceptionally sweet with complex fruity flavors.
1 Like
@armyofda12mnkeys … i saw some pics of MB and it was quite small.
If it had outstanding flavor and sweetness and retained it well thru freezing or cooking… I could overlook the size issue.
If it is just mostly sweet … not for me.
I rate flavor higher than sweetness.
I had actually decided to go with H118 and Journey for my two early persimmons…
There were some taste test reported on H118 this fall that had me wanting it.
Per Cliff… H118 is a large persimmon and Mohler is med sized. H118 he calls very early.
Very early, large and very good flavor…
I ended up getting some H118 and Mohler scions and have grafted both.
If I had to choose just one… between H118 and Mohler… think I would choose H118… it sounds like they both have very good flavor… and are very early… H118 is large… Mohler is med…
TNHunter
3 Likes
I looked at Prok again this afternoon. Definitely losing some flower buds, but others continue to progress.
3 Likes
Having established H63A, Barbra’s Blush, Dollywood, and Morris Burton, this year I went “all-in” on H-118. I grafted it to my established DV frankentree, I planted a purchased tree in the ground, and I grafted it to one of my own small seedlings planted in the ground. [So far only the purchased tree is growing. :)]
I’m glad to see your endorsement. But a couple month’s ago, I saw a review by a European member (maybe Harbin?) saying that H-118 develops ugly black spots on the skin; I think (my unreliable notes) he also said that it’s late. It made me wonder whether H-120 might have been a better choice.
Have you fruited H-118? If so, can you comment? If not maybe you have information from other growers / reviewers. Thanks!
p.s. See Post #12: Comparing American persimmons by specific traits - #12 by cousinfloyd
1 Like
I didn’t get to try H-118 or H-120 at Cliff’s orchard but OckooMicrofarm did. He rated H-120 above H-118.
3 Likes
My 6-foot-tall chocolate persimmon is in full bloom, with about a bazillion buds opening. The bumbles are happily working the flowers and the ground below it is littered with drops, both the males and female spent flowers. I’m sure some will stick, but there is no way the tree could hold onto all of these. It will be interesting to see how many fruit ultimately set on this smallish tree.
My Giboshi about nearby should be getting plenty of pollination from the male flowers on the chocolate. There are 25 or so flowers on Giboshi and I’m hoping a good number of those set and hold fruit. Last year was the first time it set fruit and I just got a couple but they were very good.
5 Likes
I can’t wait to read through this whole thread!
I’m excited about growing American persimmons because I’d never eaten one until I moved to this piece of property and discovered a tree in the woods. What an amazing fruit. But it is quite a hike that involves distance, bugs, and turning myself into walking hamburger through an acre-wide field of wild blackberries to try to find the fruit before the wild critters completely harvest it overnight. Two years straight I made the almost-daily hike back only to find a pile of vomited persimmon near the empty tree. How they managed to know exactly when to nab them just before I did, I’ll never know, neither how they engorged themselves to the point of heaving it all back up again. But they won and I don’t even try anymore.
So I’ve been determined to grow some near the house.
Here is what I finally got this spring:
A native seedling from fruit I was given and planted last year. It will likely be a male, but that’s okay because I ordered and planted six grafted females and put them in this spring.
I have Deer Candy, Deer Luscious, Deer Magnet, Millers, Meader, and Prok. I go out and visit my little 2-foot-high twigs with various greenery sprouting out of each. It’s going to be a while before I get any fruit, but if I last long enough, I’m looking forward to it!
15 Likes
@jrd51… I just started collecting persimmons last spring… so I have not fruited any of these named varieties yet. Several of my grafts from last year, have blossoms that have turned into fruit at this point… with luck might get to taste a home grown named variety.
I only have lots of experience with wild DV here in TN… several growing on my place, several road sides that I harvest from… and then my sisters trees Rich Tooie.
Here is some info that I collected on H118… aka Early Jewell… aka Prarie Star
From Cliff at Englands Orchard, Very early Large size fruit, red and soft when ripe, very high quality fruit, precocious, consistent producer of seedless fruit south of ohio river.
In a post here last fall… named American Hybrid persimmon taste test…
Ramv compared the taste of A118 H63A H118 Nakitas Gift.
He said H118 had the strongest american persimmon flavor of the bunch. His favorite that day.
It was also stated that H118 had highest brix of the bunch Brix 24 and he stated again that H118 was his fav american persimmon,
A comment on that post from jrd51… it is one of the earliest varieties other than H63A… Strongly recommend.
In another post snowflake said that H118 had more of a caramel flavor off the tree.
I am sure I read lots of other comments on it too… before deciding to try it for a early persimmon.
I was trying to decide between Mohler and H118… and they both sounded early and flavorful… but H118 is described at Large, Mohler at medium. I ended up getting both and grafted both… not sure they are both going to make it,
One of my H118 grafts was to a wild dv out in my field,… and a dang deer wiped it out… stepped on it and broke the rootstock… bummer… I should have had a cage around it…
I still have one graft of H118, it was making very slow progress last i looked, will check it again today.
PS,… I love caramel flavor in persimmons (like Rich Tooie normally has)… Snowflakes comments on H118 having caramel flavor… may have been a big influence in my decision to try H118.
Cliff calls H118 Very Early… but gives no dates.
He does say that Journey is the first persimmon to ripen fruit at his location… and that Mohler ripens fruit very early… like mid August to mid Sept (best I remember)… in his KY location.
Mohler may ripen late July early August for me. Now that would be quite early.
Hope this helps,
TNHunter
2 Likes
@jrd51 … checked some grafts this morning…
My 1 remaining graft of H118 is looking pretty promising.
Mohler graft 1… pushing some nice buds.
Mohler graft 2… looking sweet. That one is mod cleft to a limb tip of a larger wild DV that is reaching out into my field.
I have 2 grafts of H63A… one is out in my field and doing well… this one is on a root shoot in the edge of my field and it is looking promising now too.
6 Likes
I don’t have the specific note, but I recall that H-118 is known for being affected by something which I believe can cause an excess of black spots on the leaves (far beyond what you might commonly see on some varieties like early golden). I think there was some research done, and in extreme cases it can cause severe defoliation. Other varieties tested weren’t nearly as affected by this condition. I’m not sure about the fruit though. I don’t remember that part.
Edit: found my brief note related to that: “H118 - fungal susceptible”
4 Likes
TNHunter – Thanks for all the info, definitely helpful. Prior to Harbin’s comments, I had seen lot’s of positive discussion of H-118, including Ram’s. Collectively, that’s what convinced me to try it. Also, I was attracted by the prospect of tasting a cross of Juhl x George [H-120 is another].
I’ll just try it myself and come to my own conclusions. Between my two grafts and one purchased tree, I’m sure to have fruit within 2-3 years. You too, probably. Thanks again.
2 Likes
My H-120 has some fruit on it this year. I’ll let you know what it’s hitting on. I’ve got a few of the H’s fruiting this year. All the people that have H-118 speak well of it. Like you I grafted it this year based on their praise.
2 Likes
Here is a technique to get the astringent tanin out of persimmon in Vietnam. They just soaked them in water for 3 days and nights and ready to eat crunchy sweet. Can someone has astringent Kaki and do a trial to verify the results. I only the have nonastringent Tam Kam Kakis growing in pots.
Tony
7 Likes
Interesting. I’ve read where native americans soaked acorns in water to remove tannins, but I hadn’t heard that to remove astringency from persimmons.
4 Likes
Maybe it works, for some reason, but I’m skeptical. Unless the astringency is all in the skins (it’s not), if soaking did anything it would probably also pull out lots of sugar and introduce lots of water. There’s YouTube videos about growing an apple tree from the stem of an apple somehow, too.
4 Likes
It works in a different way. Creates an anoxic environment that favors the metabolic process to made the tannins insoluble. Really the same thing as the alcohol in a sealed chamber trick. I have yet to have any personal to try it on, but from my reading, if you can hold the temp at somewhere between 105 and 140, it will done in hours instead of days.
@tonyOmahaz5 these methods have been shown to work on a number of the hybrids. No one’s gotten it working on American persimmons yet, but I haven’t been super impressed with most of the attempts I’ve seen documented. I suspect it’s just a matter of adjusting the time and temp variables.
2 Likes