Hi Lads
I’m usual good with pruning but just need some reassurance with this little persimmon tree.
Would you keep the 3 scaffold branches in pic 1 and cut back to that point
Or would you just make a cut like pic 2
Thanks in advance
2 Likes
Unless you have intentions to espalier or something similar to manipulate the growth habit, I wouldn’t touch a thing. Persimmons, from my understanding, self prune their less desirable branches.
3 Likes
Those scaffolds you want to keep could flop to the ground once they hold fruit. That’s much too low.
5 Likes
I agree with @PharmerDrewee - persimmons tend to have long droopy branches, especially when they’re bearing fruit. I initially tried to prune mine for lower scaffolds but now the lowest ones are at 3-4 feet. They still sometimes droop close to the ground from that height.
3 Likes
D. virginiana has a tendency to self-prune, but I don’t think D. kaki does. When you watch videos of Japanese persimmon orchard pruning, they are very aggressive pruners. When I see mature D. kaki trees that haven’t been pruned in my area, they’re always having to prop up branches with posts to keep them off the ground. I think it’s a better idea to train the young trees so you can avoid that kind of trouble.
3 Likes
My JT02 graft to wild DV… the central leader shoot grew a total of 10 ft this season.
There were a few other shoots that i pruned back some.
What would you all recomend for pruning on it ?
This is what i am thinking…
Cut that tall central leader back down to around 5 ft.
Cut off completely those lower branches.
The central leader should fork a few directions at 5ft… and one of those can be my central leader… and some of the others i can bend if needed to establish scaffold branches.
I would prefer to have fruit hanging in the 7 - 12 ft range… pick from ground or from 4 ft step ladder.
Experienced opinions appreciated and welcome !!!
TNHunter
3 Likes
I’d check to see if there’s a weak crotch on that double leader with bark included in the joint.
4 Likes
It’s D kaki and so is the rootstock
Sorry the Rootstock is D.Lotus
Can’t you prune D.kaki laterals in a kind of alternating pattern so only half have fruit in a given year and the scaffolds themselves have time to thicken to support the weight? I don’t really want my tree to break in half or have a bunch of ropes and 2x4s and stakes all over.
Hi All - would appreciate advice on pruning this Jiro Fuyu. It’s been in this pot for the last few years and I’m going to up-pot it to a 25 gal pot shortly. The roots grew through the drainage hole into the soil below where it’s been sitting for a few months. It’s just starting to show some green leaf buds. It’s about 6.5 ft tall.
I was thinking of cutting off the thick branch with the green tape on it completely since it seems to have taken over as the new leader and is growing up and straight. But I’m not sure if that’s a good idea and/or what else to cut. Persimmons fruit on new wood only I think? So should I be more aggressive? I saw the post with the article about keeping a persimmon tree quite small and bushy and that kind of appeals to me and might be good for a container tree.
Any advice on the above? @Drew51 would love your thoughts or anyone else who has feedback. Maybe I need to post better pics.
I don’t have much knowledge of persimmon trees. This years the first year I pruned one. My daughter has some that are second and third leaf. So I worked with what I had. In yours I see two lower branches. The rest are higher up. I might cut to just above the lower branches. It the upper branches are at eye level and no higher I might leave them and just head each branch. If higher I might go with the lower cut. It might not branch anymore I don’t know how well they branch? If not a two scaffold tree will work for me. A lot of it is your preference. Once you shape them a few years you’ll get a feel of how you like them. No wrong way really.
1 Like
I can’t see the tree that well. I need a view of it as if I was standing nearby. One shot looks like the camera is angled up. That’s not helpful. Photos in the morning and evening are better. And in those situations you want the sun in your back when shooting. Don’t take photos looking toward the sun. Ie not backlit. Some of the photos are fine. It’s just hard to tell no matter what. I probably would keep anything below eye level just head back branches to promote branching on them. Also remove water sprouts.
1 Like
Thanks. I remember now that you said you didn’t have a lot of experience with Persimmons yet.
Sorry about the bad pictures! Will take a bunch more better ones and post. You are right it’s hard to see the whole tree in the pics I posted.
My thought was also to head that large branch back. I actually wanted to graft Imoto Fuyu onto this Jiro and that was the branch I thought I’d do it on right when I prune it.
Yes you could. I’m about ready to start grafting myself. Only do a handful every year these days.
1 Like
Here are some more pictures I took of the same Persimmon.
Would love any advice anyone has around pruning.
Good crotch angles, I’d say let it go… Persimmons have a tendency to self prune, which is dangerous for multi-grafting any new varieties in a non-dominant location.
Thanks! You mean “let it go” as in - don’t do it? Or as in “cut it off” and graft onto it? Just making sure I understand the advice.
If you want to add more varieties, put it at the top where it will get the chance to grow apically. Otherwise I’d leave it alone at that size.
My Nikita’s Gift had plenty of dead inner branches I pruned this year, that the tree knew weren’t needed. I’m still patiently waiting for fruit, it’s been in ground since 2019…
1 Like