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Growing Persimmons in Containers from Seed, Seedlings

Growing Persimmons in containers: Growing Persimmons tree is a great way to enjoy something different in the garden. The tree is attractive and valued for both its wood and its fruit. Persimmons are beautiful and adaptable fruit trees and fruit can be eaten fresh, dried, or pickled. The size of mature Persimmon plants depends on the species, but many grow to heights of up to 30 feet or taller.

The persimmon tree is a superb tree to grow in your garden. The flavor alone must be enough to entice you, but if you’re still not convinced, the tree is still well-worth growing for its fabulous autumn colors. The leaves turn glorious shades of red, orange, and gold before dropping in autumn, leaving the fruit hanging decoratively on the bare branches.

In this article we also discuss below topics;

  • Time to take for a Persimmon tree to bear fruit
  • Do Persimmon trees need a lot of water
  • Growing Persimmon trees from seed
  • Process of growing Persimmon trees in containers
  • Persimmon tree growing tips
  • Types of Persimmon trees

A step by step guide to growing Persimmons in containers

American Persimmon

American Persimmon plants can grow up to 60 feet tall with a 25 to 30-foot spread. Often used in landscapes as an ornamental tree, they do generate edible fruit. The flowers are white to yellow and appear in March. This deciduous Persimmon trees producing oval glossy-green, 6-inch leaves that turn yellow or pink in autumn. The Persimmon fruit is round, 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide, and yellow to orange. Trees need both male and female trees for pollination and to set fruit.

Oriental Persimmon

Oriental Persimmon reaches heights of about 25 to 30 feet tall with about a 25-foot spread. This variety of Persimmon producing oval, dark green leaves that turn, red, yellow, and orange in autumn. In winter bright-red 3 to 4-inch fruits appear and remain on the Persimmon tree throughout winter if not harvested. Persimmon trees do set fruit without pollination, but pollinated trees produce a sweeter, tastier, and more abundant crop.

Types of Persimmon fruits

Non-Astringent – like the Fuyu variety. The Fuyus’ fruit can be eaten right off the tree like an apple. The Fuyu is a popular cultivar grown worldwide. This cultivar is a heavy producer, so it is important to thin the fruit.

Astringent – like the Hachiya. The Hachiya fruit needs to be fully ripe and very soft before you eat them. If you eat them before they are ripe, and it might taste like eating alum powder (from the high levels of tannic acid).

The main Persimmon varieties are Fuyu, Hachiya, Suruga, and Tanenashi.

The Fuyu Persimmon tree is a non-astringent variety; the fruit is eaten fresh off the tree. The Fuyu variety is seedless and great for cooking and eating. The Fuyu Persimmon fruits tend to ripen in November and are as sweet and crisp as apples.

The Hachiya Persimmon is an astringent variety, the fruit is picked when firm and bright orange and stored until soft. It is used for baking also a favorite for eating as fresh fruit. Hachiya Persimmon fruits when ripe are wonderfully sweet.

The Suruga Persimmon tree is a non-astringent variety, the fruit is a small round, deep orange with a sweet maple syrup flavor, vibrant, and delicious fruit.

The Tanenashi Persimmon tree is an astringent variety, a seedless prolific producer of a medium-sized round to cone-shaped orange-red fruits.

Soil and water required for growing Persimmons in a containers

Persimmon trees prefer loamy soils but they will tolerate heavier clay soils better than most fruit trees, particularly if the tree that you are planting is grafted onto a “D Lotus” rootstock. Just make sure there is adequate drainage, and they will not tolerate soggy soils. Don’t over-water your newly planted Persimmon tree. The main cause of death for Persimmon trees is too much water. Once established, Persimmon trees are fairly drought tolerant but they will bear more fruit with regular watering.

Conditions for growing Persimmons in containers

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A guide to growing Persimmon tree.
A guide to growing Persimmon tree.

You can grow Persimmons from seeds, cuttings, suckers, and grafts. Young seedlings that are 1 to 2 years in age can be transplanted to an orchard. The best quality, however, comes from grafted or budded Persimmon trees. An important factor for those wanting to know how to grow Persimmon trees contains the type and number of trees to plant. The American Persimmon tree requires both male and female for fruit while the Asian Persimmon variety is self-fruiting. If you have a smaller garden space, consider the Asian Persimmon tree. The right Persimmon tree growing conditions are not hard to find. These Persimmon trees are not particularly picky about soil but do best with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.

If you are interested in growing Persimmons, select a sunny spot that drains well. Because Persimmons have deep taproots, be sure to dig a deep hole. Mix 8 inches of soil and loam in the bottom of the planting hole, and then fill the hole with loam and native soil.

Process of growing Persimmons in containers

  • Persimmon trees can grow into medium to large-sized trees but can be contained if grown in large pots.
  • Select a pot at least 600mm wide. Position in full sun and then fill with quality potting mix.
  • Remove the shrub from the container, gently tease the plant roots and cut away any circled or tangled roots.
  • Position in hole and backfill with potting mix, gently firming down and water in well.
  • Mulch with an organic mulch, for example, bark chips, sugar cane, or pea straw ensuring to keep it away from the trunk.
  • Water deeply, once or twice a week, mainly depending on weather conditions.
  • Feed your Persimmon tree once in early spring and mid-summer. When flowering and fruiting, feed weekly with Yates Thrive Citrus Liquid Plant Food to help promote fruit production.

Persimmon tree care

There isn’t much to Persimmon care other than watering. Water young Persimmon trees well until established. After that, keep them watered whenever there is no significant rainfall, such as periods of drought. Don’t fertilize the Persimmon tree unless it doesn’t appear to be thriving. Although you can prune the Persimmon tree to a central leader when young, very little pruning is required with older growing Persimmons as long as they are bearing fruit.

Growing Persimmons from seed in containers

To Persimmon grow from seed choose a fully ripe, unblemished Persimmon. Remove the seeds and soak them in warm water for 3 days. Once the seeds have soaked, rinse them under running water to completely remove any flesh.

Once you have soaked and cleaned the seeds, they want a period of cold stratification. The stratification procedure mimics the overwintering they need to sprout. Wrap your Persimmon seeds in a moistened paper towel and place it in a glass jar. Store the jar in your refrigerator for 3 months, spritzing the paper towel when it begins to dry out.

After the cold stratification procedure is complete, plant one seed in a tall, plastic container with drainage holes. The container needs to be tall as Persimmon trees develop their long taproot very early. The seed should be planted 2 inches deep in sterile potting soil and placed in a bright location where the temperature is at least 70F. Because Persimmon seeds have a 25 to 35% germination rate, plant multiple seeds for the best chance of success. You should see Persimmon seedlings in 6 to 8 weeks.

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Keep Persimmon seedlings in bright, indirect sunlight with evenly moist soil. Once all danger of frost has passed, move potted Persimmons to a sheltered area outdoors. Harden them off over 2 weeks by gradually moving them to an area with stronger sunlight. Water weekly to maintain the soil moist, but Persimmons don’t like soggy conditions, so let the top inch of soil dry out between watering.

Potting your Persimmon tree

  • Persimmon trees may be grown in containers and stored in an unheated basement or garage for the winter if they are not cold-hardy to your zone. If grown in pots, these trees must be repotted every second or third year with fresh soil.
  • Potted trees must be planted at the same depth they are in the shipping pot.
  • Choose a potting mix or medium rather than topsoil to avoid any contaminants and avoid compacting around the roots within the container in the future.
  • When Persimmon planting in a container, the pot you choose needs to be large enough to accommodate the tree’s current root system with room to grow. Be sure the potted container you use has adequate drainage holes.
  • In cool climates, keep protected until outdoor temperatures warm and the chance of frost is gone. Move the Persimmon plant into a protected, sunny location, preferably with southern exposure.
  • Water as needed, when the potting mix in the container is dry to the touch an inch or below the surface. Avoid overwatering and watering too frequently, as this creates an environment for root rot and other root-related issues.
  • As your Persimmon tree grows, you will be able to increase the pot size to allow for more room to grow. Restricting the roots in a smaller container can limit growth and fruit production.
  • Pot-up your Persimmon tree to a container that is still manageable for you, especially if you need to move the tree indoors for winter protection. And you can expect to grow Persimmon trees in 7-gallon, 10-gallon, 20-gallon containers and larger as needed.

Pests and diseases affected by Persimmon trees

Persimmon trees are relatively problem-free, although mealybug and scale in association with ants can sometimes cause problems. Ant control will generally take care of these pests. Waterlogging can cause root rot. Vertebrate pests such as squirrels, deer, coyotes, rats, opossums, and birds are fond of the fruit, and gophers will attack the plant roots. Other problems contain blossom and young fruit shedding, especially on young trees. This is not usually a serious problem, but if the drop is excessive, it can be useful to try girdling a few branches. Overwatering or over-fertilization may be responsible.

Harvest Persimmons

Ideally, harvest wild or astringent Persimmons when the fruit is fully ripe and ready to fall from the tree. Though, due to the wildlife competition and the fact that fully ripe fruit bruised easily, wild Persimmons are usually harvested early and allowed to ripen off the tree. To harvest them, cut the fruit from the Persimmon tree with either hand pruners or a sharp knife when harvesting Persimmon fruit. Leave a bit of the stem attached. Don’t stack them in a basket, as they simply bruise. Lay the harvested Persimmon fruit in a shallow tray in a single layer. Allow the Persimmon fruit to ripen at room temperature or store in the refrigerator for up to a month or frozen for up to 8 months. If you wish to hasten the ripening procedure, store the Persimmons in a bag with a ripe apple or banana. They give off ethylene gas that speeds the ripening procedure. Non-astringent Persimmons can be stored at room temperature, albeit for a shorter period than their wild cousins. The same is true of storing in the refrigerator.

Frequently asked questions about growing Persimmons in containers

Some questions about growing Persimmon tree.

Some questions about growing Persimmon tree.

Why do Persimmons drop?

The reason Persimmon fruits fall from the tree before they ripen is the result of parthenocarpy, which a fascinating botanical phenomenon. In certain Persimmon varieties, parthenocarpically produced fruit is highly susceptible to dropping from the Persimmon tree before it matures.

Do Persimmon trees lose their leaves in winter?

Persimmon trees are deciduous trees that lose their leaves each winter and enter a dormant state. New plant leaves are then followed by flowers in the spring.

Why is the Persimmon tree not fruiting?

If Persimmon tree has no flowers, don’t despair. Oriental Persimmons bloom after 5 years but do not bear fruit until after 7 years. Grafted trees bloom within 2 to 3 years. American Persimmon could take several years to blossom and still not fruit for up to 10 years.

How tall do Persimmon trees grow?

Generally, Persimmon trees can grow up to 60 feet tall. Often used in landscapes as an ornamental Persimmon tree, they do produce edible fruit. The flowers are white to yellow and normally appear in March.

Why the Persimmon tree is leaves turning yellow?

Iron chlorosis causes plant leaves to turn yellow between the veins. Over time, the yellowing leaves can become brown and fall from the tree. The main cause of this issue is soil with a pH level that is too high. Ideally, the soil pH level for Persimmons should be between 6.5 and 7.5

What causes Persimmon fruit drop?

In a grown-up Persimmon tree, fruit drop likely be related to some problem in how it’s being grown. It can be caused mainly by soggy soil (overwatering or poor drainage), too much shade (less than 6 hours of unshaded light on summer days), or extreme drought (which would cause leaves to fall early, too).

Will Persimmons ripen if picked green?

Pick Oriental Persimmon fruits just before or after they turn soft. You can ripen them by storing them for 7 to 10 days at room temperature. The earlier you pick them, the longer they will take to ripen. The fruits are ready to pick when they lose their green color and turn from orange or yellow and orange to orange-red.

Conclusion of growing Persimmons in containers

The above-mentioned information will also be helpful in growing dwarf Persimmon trees in pots or containers and growing persimmon trees indoors. You may also like to check the Almond Seed Germination, Time, Temperature.

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