I’m in Zone 9a (SA, TX) and I’ve acquired 2 Asian pear trees (Shinseiki and 20th Century). Currently, 20th Century has been already pruned to an open center and I’m training it to be more open with bonsai wire and weights. It has been growing happily and put out a vigorous shoot as well as some flowers. I’m concerned that the growth will not lignify by the end of the fall and the midsummer flowering will damage the productivity of next year’s crop.
Also of concern is the fact that my Shinseiki is a big whip with some underdeveloped lateral branches. I’ve been using bonsai wire to get them to grow horizontally and I plan on cutting the trunk down to 4-5 feet high to encourage lateral growth once the tree is dormant. This tree is approximately 2-3 years old, given by the thickness of the trunk (0.5-0.75" inch) and I would like to graft scion wood from Burnt Ridge Nursery (Yoinashi or Yakumo and Raja) to the aspects I’ve trimmed off. Would performing this procedure in mid February before bud break be a wise idea?
I’m going to purchase a kaki persimmon tree (Fuyu, it’s what we have around locally), and I was wondering if there were anyone else within my area who have experience growing these. I plan on planting it in a raised bed, such to give it as much amenable soil before it touches the very heavy clay soil (12" high of garden soil, followed by 2" of compost, and 2" of straw mulch on top). I’m afraid of root rot in my area. Is this enough to circumvent this issue?
I saw that website! Is it really superior to nursery purchased persimmons? Local nurseries are selling it for 60-70$, so if I can get a nice specimen with low branches online, it would be wonderful. I had eyed a couple that looked wonderful and I have been waiting until the end of the hurricane to grab one; however, their presence is not guaranteed. Have you purchased from this vendor before? How big are the trees typically? Do they have higher density backyard orchards in mind?
I’m not sure what you have available to you in your area, so hard to say.
Yowza! That seems high, but I guess with shipping, since JF&E sells potted plants, it might end up being about the same.
A few times, yes. They’re good size trees. Nearly an inch caliper, I’d say. In terms of getting the branch structure you want, persimmons are quick to bud out even from old wood, so you could likely head the tree back a bit and pretty quickly have any type of branching you want. But persimmons will also self-prune, so what you want the branching structure to be might not end up what the tree decides to stick with.
Well, I’ll definitely keep JF&E in mind, as Fuyu is far from my first choice for a persimmon tree. I’ll get a better look at the trees this weekend and see if any of them are truly keepers compared to JF&E.
Is this spring too early to graft? Are persimmon trees easily grafted?
If you just planted the Asian pears mid summer I would not be concerned about the productivity of next years crop. It’s not a great idea to let a tree that’s been in the ground less than a year fruit anyway. Especially in great numbers. I don’t think I’d be overly concerned about lignification in zone 9 either. I don’t expect it would get cold enough there to do a lot of damage anyway. I would worry more about getting the tree in the correct shape at this point. But be warned that pears of all type love to grow straight up. They require a lot of bending and shaping. And in the end the tips of the limbs will still want to grow straight up.
I have noticed this property of pear trees, as they have decided to curve upwards as I push them more horizontally. Good to hear about not letting it fruit too much. I may let a couple of fruits form to placate my fiancee’s concerns over the fruit quality, but I appreciate hearing that as it will bolden my resolve to allow for more vegetative growth. Thank you for addressing my concerns.
Also, does anyone have experience with the Reddy Robin cultivar of Asian pear? I’ve been eyeing that one, Ooharabeni, as well as Maxie for a ‘red’ Asian pear. I’d prefer the most disease resistant of the three.
I planted watermelon in with my newly grafted trees and I think it worked pretty well! The watermelon vines really shaded the ground and prevented the soil from getting too hot. I’d highly recommend it if you have hot summers.
The only thing I’d say is that if water is an issue in your area, be sure to water your trees when necessary, as you,ll have the watermelon competing a bit for the water.
I bought five persimmon trees from justfruitandexotics and was very pleased with the quality, size, and they arrive in deep pots. I find everything from that nursery is amazing quality compared to other retailers such as Raintree Nursery, and other leading nurseries. Everything is very large and healthy and of fantastic quality.