I decided to make my 6 years old Nikita’s Gift into a multi grafted Hybrid persimmon tree. Topworked 2 large branches into Rossyanka and JT-02 and next Spring will add a Kassandra hybrid.
JT-02 bark grafted this Spring on a 4 years old Knightville American persimmon. I got too many American Persimmon. I also braced it to prevent bird and winds breakage.
JT-02 cleft grafted last Spring.
Kassandra cleft grafted last Spring.
Tony
Tony, have you lost any of your Kassandra to winter damage? What are the Kassandra fruits like and how do they compare to a fuyu or hachaya? Did you not like the Knightville american persimmon? Many questions from me a novice persimmon enthusiast. If you had to choose either kassandra or rossyanka which would it be?
Kasandra was not as cold hardy as JT-02 and Rossyanka. JT-02 tasted very rich and very good per Cliff England and SMC on GF. Kasandra taste exactly like astringent Kaki. I liked Rossyanka taste and very reliable on fruit production. Last year the temp got down to -9F for a couple nights and Nikita’s Gift got a foot of the top died back. Rossyanka no damage, JT-02 no damage, and one Kassandra protected no damage and tested one in the open with lot of winds and the large graft died completely. I topworked Knightville because I got two trees.
Tony
Tony,
Your died back NG’s top, was it inside or outside the winter protection?
With my Nikita’s Gift, anything above the protection was dead. I’m disappointed that without protection, NG is not as cold hardy (zone 6a) as advertised. It’s be OK in some years when winter is mild. Not when it’s real New England winter, unfortunately.
I am going to plant a seedling and graft other cold hardy varieties to it.
I haven’t protect the Nikita’s Gift in last several years since the 6 years old trunk is real thick .
Tony
