The famous Gene Hosey! I like it, but it’s not really distinguishable from my other Mt Etna types. This past winter was so mild it set some brebas here in Pennsylvania.
True, it wasn´t anything remarkable as far as taste – but a pretty little fig none-the-less (I´m fond of the deep purple figs with deep strawberry pulp). I was primarily impressed by it surviving in an exposed clay pot winter after winter. I thought it was a good candidate for the Catskills – but the summers are just too mild and short to ripen the fruit. A potential problem for my persimmons as well. Will see.
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No such thing as too many figs! They are my insurance policy against late frost since I always get some figs no matter what. How well are Brooklyn White, Campaniere, RdB, and Green Michurinska working for you @ampersand ?
I have Dalmatie, Red Lebanese Bekaa Valley, Kesariani, MBVS, Gino’s Black, Adriatic JH, Florea, Malta Black, and Hardy Chicago in ground right now over in Lancaster.
All but RdB are new in ground this year. RdB tends to set fruit too late to harvest much.
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Try Dalmatie. That one is very productive and isn’t overly vigorous. It’s much easier to protect than my Mt Etna trees. Ripens after the first week of September here ~80 days from figlet to ripe fruit.
Does your Tam Kam tree look any better or worse?
Worse, more leaves are dropping.
5 potted Tam Kam nonastringent Asian persimmons are loaded with flowers again.
Lastly,
I let a few of my doves loose to domesticate them.lol.
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How often do you root-prune or up-pot your trees?
I have not done anything in 5 years. Just fertilized a little bit with 10-10-10 in late April and the rest of the year covered the base with fresh grass clipping every month.
I’ve used Osmocote Plus. Last year, Rojo Brillante did not seem to like it. I might have too much in the pot. Leave tips all burned but the tree has survived and produced one fruit!
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Low nitro for persimmon later in the season after bloom. Higher nitro, only when the tree is started to come out dormancy. No long lasting fertilizer like Osmocote plus. Fruit drop will most likely happens!!.
A little bit of micro’s with manganese will help to keep fruit from second fruit drop.
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Right on Bob! BTW, I dugged up one of the JT-02 that survived the -31F from 2 years ago. It is the last one in the blue pot that leafted out the latest. I will start grafting about 15 more of this JT-02 in a week or so to re establish the JT-02 orchard but this time all the graft union will be bury 6 inches below ground for insurance of resprouting incase the -31F return in about 30 yrs from now. I may be dead by then. That put me near 90 yrs old. Lol.
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I see “100” in your lifetime but not if you stay in Omaha!
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Bob,
Thank you very much for your generosity in sharing your advice. Your should write a book about growing citrus and persimmons in pots. It will be so valuable.
I will need to change my potting mix and take as much as Osmocote Plus out as I can.
What fertilizer with manganese that you recommend, please. I am tired of persimmon drops.
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Tippy, this is my group of micro fertilizers. The 3 on the left were bought at deep discount, Amazon. The 4 lb bag is what I call the Miracle drug, Happy Frog don’t know what’s in there, apply according, bought on sale of course, $12.00, cheapest on Amazon. You have to careful, Amazon have it at several prices, one had it at $49.50. Just bought 2 more bags, $12.00 each. I use it not just for citrus, tomatoes, peppers, it’s organic stuff. Floralicious plus is almost empty. That big gl container will be next to use, that cost me $19.00, normally $49.00. These will last years, especially the gallon one.
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Happy Frog brands around here are mostly sold at stores selling product for pot growing folks. I will need to visit those stores.
Is Osmocote Plus ok to use if too young to bloom anyway? or if all blossoms dropped already
If your tree is too young and you feel that the tree needs more time to grow bigger, yes Osmocote plus is ok to apply. I have one tree that’s 6 feet tall, it will be able to carry some fruit, but this tree is in the ground.
Container tree is a different story, they can carry fruit when very small, like 4 feet or so. Sionwood from a fruit bearing tree makes all the difference. I grow citrus in containers that are only 2 feet tall and carry fruit.
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I just had a situation few days ago I pre drilled many holes with a post hole digger that was attached to a tractor, I used this because I was going to plant many trees.
After planting them we had rain for several days and most all the trees went down below the ground level for about 8 or so. I started to pull them back out and adding more dirt on the bottom and planted them back. I still haven’t finished. And what you just mentioned about planting them 6 inches below the graft! That’s something similar to what happened to mine. Would it hurt the trees on any way if I leave them sunk like that?
I am not sure what type of trees you are planning but persimmon trees will be fine when buried the unions deep.
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