Persimmon tree: ideal varieties for cultivation and care tips

It doesn't always have to be an apple tree. Other trees also bear delicious fruit. How about a persimmon tree? This exotic plant with the delicate yellow blossoms and orange-colored fruits comes from far away in Asia and is increasingly making itself at home with us. Mostly in the tub but now and then it also conquers the garden. This is how you become a good host to him.

origin and appearance

The ebony family is the khaki (botanically Diospyros kaki) family. Native to Asia, this tree, which can grow up to 10 meters tall there, is surprisingly similar in appearance to our native apple tree. Its orange-colored fruit, on the other hand, is confusingly similar to the tomato. It is also known to us as the Sharon fruit. Of course, she convinces with her own taste, which is not "tomatoy" at all.

This delicious fruit has contributed to the fact that this tree is now not only cultivated in Asia. It is planted everywhere on earth where the climatic conditions are met. Even here, where the climate is rather hostile to it, the temptation is great to pull the pits out of the fruit and put them in the ground. But it is also available as a finished plant.

sorts

The persimmon tree is also sold under the names persimmon, persimmon and sharon fruit. It comes in different varieties. The particularly robust varieties are ideal for cultivation in a continental climate. The following varieties also have a good taste:

• 'American Kaki Meader' is particularly hardy
• 'Cioccolation' produces small and sweet fruits
• 'Tipo' gives a plentiful harvest
• 'Vainiglie' exudes a fine scent of vanilla
• 'Sajo' is the variant for gourmets

seed propagation

If you find seeds in a ripe Sharon fruit, which is rare, and want to grow a persimmon tree from them, then it's best to get started right away. The fresher the seed, the better. You can of course also buy seeds, but here too the seed should not wait long for germination. To prepare for germination:

1. Rub off the slimy layer with a kitchen towel.
2. Clean the fresh core under water.
3. Dry the seeds for a few days.
4. Place the dried seeds in a foil bag.
5. Add a handful of damp sand.
6. Place the sealed bag in the refrigerator for three months.

After three months, the germination inhibition is lifted and the seeds can be sown.

1. Fill a flower pot with potting soil.
2. Place the seeds on top and cover them with 1 cm of soil.
3. Moisten the substrate well.
4. Then cover the pot with plastic wrap.
5. Place the pot in a bright and at least 20 degrees warm place.
6. After about 4-6 weeks the seeds will germinate and the first leaves will grow.
7. Repot the small plants into individual pots.
8. Repot once the old pot has outgrown it.

tree purchase

Instead of hoping for seed propagation, you can also buy a small persimmon tree right away. Only buy a self-pollinating persimmon tree if future crop yield is an important consideration for you. The tree should appear healthy and grow well. Also keep in mind that you will have to get used to winter as a container plant for several years before you can plant it outside.

Location

Sweet fruits need plenty of sun to develop the optimum aroma. The warmest place in the garden should be reserved for this tree. A nearby wall can emit the stored heat from the sun at night. Also think about the future and plan plenty of space when planting out the tree. It doesn't take long for the little tree to grow into a stately tree.

About four meters away from other trees to the house should be respected. Do not hide the persimmon tree in a secluded corner of the garden. Give it a stage on which it can show off its colorful foliage play in autumn. Potted persimmons also need a bright, warm and wind-protected location.

plant soil

Use well-drained soil for planting in tubs and mix in some sand and humus. Slightly loamy soil is preferable in the garden as it is good at storing water.

repot

Persimmons that grow in tubs need to be repotted regularly in spring.

• Bucket must have multiple drainage holes
• new bucket should be significantly larger than the old one (about twice)
• The bucket must be sufficiently stable according to the size of the plant
• at the bottom there is a drainage layer several centimeters high
• A mixture of garden soil and sand is suitable as a substrate
• watering is necessary after repotting

Plant out persimmons

A persimmon tree that is several years old can be planted directly in the garden, even if it is only partially hardy.

1. Dig a planting hole twice the width of the root ball.
2. Mix the excavation with humus and sand.
3. Place the persimmon in the hole as deep as it was in the container.
4. Fill in the planting hole, treading down the soil well.
5. Water the persimmon tree well.

Pour

The kaki tree has a high water requirement. However, if the persimmon tree has already grown well in the garden, it no longer needs to be watered. Provided that summer is average and precipitation falls regularly. The garden hose You will not be spared the watering can if:

• the persimmon tree freshly planted or
• the persimmon tree grows in a bucket or
• the summer stays dry for a long time.

Potting soil should never dry out completely in summer. In winter, when the leaves have trickled down from the branches, neither the persimmon in the garden nor the persimmon in the bucket needs a lot of water. Watering is greatly reduced in the potted plant and stopped altogether in the garden.

Fertilize

A persimmon tree that grows in good soil in the garden does not need fertilizer. Persimmon trees in tubs, on the other hand, do. A complete fertilizer and a special fertilizer for fruit trees are suitable. It should be low in nitrogen and used sparingly. Once a month is sufficient, in summer it can be increased to twice a week. When repotting, organic fertilizer can also be added to the potting soil. Too much fertilizer can lead to strong growth, which is less suitable for keeping in tubs for reasons of space.

education cut

Like the native fruit trees, the persimmon should be pruned so that the crown develops nicely. The foundation for a good crown build-up is laid at a young age. And a good crown equals a good harvest.

1. Choose a time in spring or fall.
2. Only use sharp and clean tools for cutting.
3. Leave the strongest and longest shoot uncut.
4. Shorten selected side shoots.

It depended on the desired growth form which side shoots should be shortened or removed. have to be removed entirely. The following variants are available:

• standard
• half stem
• shrub
• espalier tree

pruning

In early winter, before a persimmon planted in a container moves to its winter quarters, it can be cut back. Alternatively, if pruning has not taken place before winter quarters, the persimmon tree can be pruned in spring. Use sharp, clean pruning shears to cut back shoots that have grown too long by about 2/3.

harvest

The kaki tree blooms in spring and the Sharon fruits are ready for harvest from around September. By then the persimmon tree has long since shed its leaves. It looks a bit unusual, but is absolutely normal for this exotic tree.

• Harvest time: September to November
• Ripe persimmons are bright orange in color
• harvest before the first frost
• Leave persimmons to ripen (room with 0-2 degrees and high humidity)
• Consume quickly because they don't last long

Diseases

Give your persimmon tree the right care and it will thrive on health. This exotic plant is extremely disease resistant. Should the plant nevertheless somehow weaken and not develop as desired, the location and care should be examined. Vary it up a bit and see how it gets to the plant.

pests

Pests give the persimmons a wide berth, much to the gardener's delight. From time to time, a few animal specimens get lost, but they usually don't pose too much of a danger. Whenever the persimmon is outdoors, it is close to the home of the aphids. The tree can take it well. Only act if you can see that you are doing a lot of damage to the persimmon tree.

Persimmon plants that grow in tubs are occasionally visited by scale insects and spider mites. Just the usual pests, which always appear when care is not quite right or the site conditions or temperatures are not ideal. Do not place your potted plants too close together so that the pests do not go on the move. Keep a regular lookout for these unwanted guests and take timely appropriate measures that are as natural and environmentally friendly as possible. This is also gentler on your persimmon tree than the large "poison club".

Overwinter potted plants

In winter, the persimmon tree sheds its leaves and begins its annual dormancy. He might have been happy outdoors in the summer, but how about winter hardiness now? When it comes to hardiness in general, there is never just a simple yes or no answer. With the enormous number of different plant varieties, there are many fine intermediate stages. On the other hand, winter hardiness is not absolute, it can depend on the age and health of the plant. Appropriate protective measures can also support winter hardiness.

The Asian persimmon is such a plant that is only conditionally hardy. Their survival is at stake as a harsh winter approaches. Only after about four years should kaki plants be strong enough to spend the winter outdoors, even if they grow in pots.

• Location directly against a wall because this gives off some heat
• sheltered place
• Styrofoam under the pot insulated ground frost
• Wrap the trunk with coconut or jute mats

Overwinter young plants

Young plants are not yet strong enough to withstand the cold. Any plant that has not yet reached the age of four is considered young. What matters, of course, is how well she really developed in those early years. If you're unsure if she'll stand up to the cold, it's best to wait another year. When overwintering young plants, the following applies:

• the pot has to be put in as soon as there is a risk of night frost
• Dark winter quarters such as a basement or garage are ideal
• Room temperature should be around 5 degrees
• Bright quarters are possible, but must be cold
• in the spring, when it gets milder, the pot can be taken out again
• in the event of an unexpected cold snap, the plant must temporarily go back inside

Winter protection in the garden

In areas with milder winters, the persimmon tree can be grown directly in the garden. The older the tree is, the more cold winters it has survived outdoors as a container plant, the better it is armed against the cold. Nevertheless, take additional protective measures in winter:

• In the fall, cover the soil with bark mulch.
• Put a second layer of pine sticks on top.
• Protect branches and trunks with natural materials such as coconut or jute.

Even the strongest little tree and the best winter protection are by no means a guarantee that a persimmon tree will survive safely. The winter weather in northern Europe is too unpredictable for that and occasionally Siberian cold.

Learn more about fruit trees