Looks great! Don’t forget to support the scions with a stake once they start to take off. It’s heartbreaking to lose a grafted branch when it’s grown more than a foot and catches the wind like a sail. That graft union will be a weak spot for a year or two and could use some support.
7 Likes
Thank you for that advice. Absolutely, will do!
I have some bamboo stalks and that is probably what I’ll use.
2 Likes
JT-02 has since dropped most flower buds before they even started to swell. Meanwhile, the 1 year old graft I just sold (using scion from that tree) was loaded with buds.
The JT-02 I planted was the most vigorous grow by far out of my initial batch of grafts. I wonder if it was a mistake to keep that one. Reminds me of how some apple rootstocks are known to grow wood rather than fruit.
3 Likes
Could it be environmental? What were temps like recently?
I ask because I have had variable results from my grafts of JT-02 on an established DV tree. Grafts were made in 2021. In 2022 I picked a few fruit, which I considered great for an initial full season. In 2023 I picked ~75 fruit, which was outstanding. Both years, there seemed to be little fruit drop. Last spring 2024, 90% of the fruit dropped so I ended up picking roughly a dozen. Multiple different grafts all performed the same.
I have no idea what caused the fruit drop but I know it wasn’t an inherent problem with the tree (e.g., the variety JT-02 per se, or the specific grafts, or the rootstock.)
6 Likes
JT-02 … she’s a dropper. Started last year at 5 foot tall and dropped about a hundred and held on to 1. Started this year at around 7 feet tall with a 2 inch caliper and probably has 200-250 flowers … already begun showering down.
8 Likes
I don’t think it’s entirely environmental. The 1 year old graft and the established tree were subject to the same environment. For all I know, it may have since dropped those buds. But they were more numerous and farther along than what the in ground tree has.
Chuchupaka and Dar Sofiyivki both have buds now. If they hold, I may let them keep a fruit each, but no more. They’re only about 3’ tall still.
2 Likes
I had almost 10 years of complete crop drop with Giboshi; almost gave up; glad I didn’t.
4 Likes
Sometimes I read these stories and give thanks that my trees haven’t tortured me like this. I got fruit from Giboshi for the first time last year, which I think was year 3.
4 Likes
I wouldn’t be surprised if rootstocks genetics plays a role in drops, precocity, etc. Since all persimmon rootstocks are seedlings, there are so many compounding variables. Also, the scant research attention paid to them compared to apples, for instance, doesn’t help the lack of clarity.
3 Likes
This is my Zenji Maru, a PVNA type. It is still a small tree, about 5 feet tall and has its first few buds - 2 female and 1 male. To increase my chances that one of the females might get pollinated, I cut a branch off my insanely flowering Chocolate which is a few miles away at my garden plot and put it in a bottle of water at the base on this tree. If you zoom in you can see it.
I also put 2 more bottles with branches of males flowers at the base of my Nakitas Gift 20 feet away, hoping that maybe if some of her flowers get pollinated the fruit might be more likely to stay.
It will be interesting to see if this happens to work. Chocolate certainly has enough flowers to spare some for this.
8 Likes
Hello Persimmon People.
I’m making an order for more cuttings if anyone is interested and in need of more cuttings for this season.
If anyone has dormant cuttings they want to share or sell, hit me up. I’m willing to pay especially for varieties I don’t have yet
If anyone wants to add to my order I will be ordering this week. Their cuttings tend to be thick. I typically do two grafts from the one cutting and they cost $5.00 each plus tax and shipping. I bought some from them earlier this year and just finished grafting my last couple. They still had green cambium layers so I’m hoping the next order will be good too. I need to acquire about 12 more cuttings.
If anyone else is interested I can make a group order. Message me asap as I plan to order this week.
They currently show inventory of
Asian - Brazzale, Bruniquel, Castellani, Coffee Cake, Giant Fuyu, Jiro (CA Fuyu), Lampadina, Mandarino, Maru CA Strain, Maru Zenji, Nui Wai, Rispoli, Saijo, Tamopan, Thiene, Vaniglia, Yeddo
American - Prairie Dawn (H-55A), Valeene Beauty(I-94), Garretson (limited qty.), Korp, Meader, Rosseyanka, Russian Beauty, Super Sweet
Thanks ~ Erica
2 Likes
Today May 18…
Barbara’s blush
H63A
Kasandra
IKKJiro
All those will make and ripen fruit… in my dreams anyway !!!
TNHunter
10 Likes
Anyone growing Lotus for fruit? I’ve heard the fruit are small, but pretty tasty. Would love to hear from anyone with experience.
I remembered watching this a few years ago:
There’s apparently cultivars? I only knew of them as the less cold tolerant rootstocks.
2 Likes
Hi friends,
Just received a sad looking Ichi-Ki-Kei Jiro Asian from Starkbros, potted. I need advice because I don’t know if I should plant it now, or maybe up pot it and plant it next spring. I live in East Texas and it’s starting to get hot.
My first year in ground H-118 is producing flower buds. The tree may not even be foot tall yet!
2 Likes
If it were my tree, I would let it harden off for a week or two in the pot outside and then plant it and put a tomato cage over it with a little shadecloth to ease it into life in the ground. Then I would try to keep it well watered through the summer dry spells. Plants in pots are less forgiving of sporadic watering than those in the ground, and in my experience persimmons aren’t the easiest plants to grow longer term in pots. If it’s grafted on D. virginiana, then it’s a rootstock that’s native to the hot southeast USA and should be well-suited to growing in the ground in East Texas, so no need to postpone that transition. Just my 2 cents.
6 Likes
I was composing a reply but then saw ncdabbler’s. So “What he said.”
Most important point: Water consistently.
6 Likes
Where in East Texas?
Henderson, sir
1 Like