Calling on the Princess Persimmon Experts…

[Brian Van Fleet]

This persimmon was in fruit when I got it several years ago, so I know it can. Each year it gets to this point or a little better, and then the fruits just drop off. This shot is from today and it looks like it’s on the verge of a bumper crop, maybe.

Quite a few of this group have success getting their persimmons to fruit regularly…what do you do from this point to get them to set and stay put? Sun, shade? Wet, dry? Feed, no?

Thanks!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Do you have a male? I have heard that if you only have a female, the fruit may be prone to premature fruit drop. Otherwise I can't really say that I do anything special to mine. I leave them out in full sun, they seem to like water, and I don't fertilize while they are blooming - which is just something I learned to avoid doing with citrus, so I do the same with persimmon (though I don't know that it makes a difference).

 

[coh]

Not sure. I've had one for a few years now and it sets fruit every year. Two years ago I had over 40 fruits that went on the full maturity. Last year there were fewer flowers and more of the fruit dropped before maturing (only had maybe 10 or so at the end). I don't have a male, only the one female tree and am not aware of any persimmon trees of any type in the area.

Oh, full sun until midsummer, and I don't withold fertilizer during blooming (but I really don't fertilize much in the early spring).

 

[Ruddigger]

Do you have a male? I have heard that if you only have a female, the fruit may be prone to premature fruit drop.

Was gonna say the same. @NaoTK is the resident PP master. He’s been playing with PP’s for years.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Do you have a male? I have heard that if you only have a female, the fruit may be prone to premature fruit drop. Otherwise I can't really say that I do anything special to mine. I leave them out in full sun, they seem to like water, and I don't fertilize while they are blooming - which is just something I learned to avoid doing with citrus, so I do the same with persimmon (though I don't know that it makes a difference).

There is a young unsexed one in the ground not nearby, and another female with the same problem. I wondered if that may be the issue.
Might be a good excuse to buy another tree.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Not sure. I've had one for a few years now and it sets fruit every year. Two years ago I had over 40 fruits that went on the full maturity. Last year there were fewer flowers and more of the fruit dropped before maturing (only had maybe 10 or so at the end). I don't have a male, only the one female tree and am not aware of any persimmon trees of any type in the area.

Oh, full sun until midsummer, and I don't withold fertilizer during blooming (but I really don't fertilize much in the early spring).

Thanks, I was kind of going on the concept that it could set fruit without a male, although it would be sterile.

 

[vp999]

Methods to ensure fruiting of Persimmon Bonsai

Learn some techniques to keep your persimmon in optimal health and get great fruit each display year!

bonsaiharmony.ca

 

[coh]

This photo was taken in January 2024, just a young tree with a long way to go but lots of fruit with no male around that I'm aware of. The fruits are sterile - no seeds, I've checked.

 

[Wood]

I wondered if that may be the issue.
Might be a good excuse to buy another tree.

Thread graft an innocuous male branch onto the tree somewhere?

 

[vp999]

Thread graft an innocuous male branch onto the tree somewhere?

Ive been wondering if this will boost the fruit production also as I have lots of female and stick in the dirt male laying around....Lemme know if you wanna try BVF...I can send you a few male trees.

 

[namnhi]

Having a male tree is only half the equation as they don't always bloom at the same time. I have both sexes. Some are blooming right now. Still have two females just started to come out of dormancy. Let's see if having male pollinators help.

 

[NaoTK]

Was gonna say the same. @NaoTK is the resident PP master. He’s been playing with PP’s for years.

I just can't get enough of them PPs

@Brian Van Fleet your tree is not a 100% female just looking at the sepals. Here again is a graphic I made for this thread

The sepals are a sex-linked trait and the fact that your tree has no or little sepals means its very near male on the spectrum. There are no 100% males in persimmons, so even a "male" will throw out a fruit occasionally, but you will not get the huge crops of a female. You may have a hermaphrodite and it self-pollinates and aborts.

Verify by crushing a flower, you may see a bunch of thready stamen. The best fruiting plants don't have stamen. If you look deep in the flower you may find a minute pistil, but probably not one that extends beyond the stamen. If the pistil is minute it will be hard to pollinate or keep its fruit. Also, female flowers are more common on the ends of branches so check different areas.

If you give up on the tree you can easily graft the genetic of your choice onto a subset of branches.

As an aside, even within females, there is so much genetic variation. There are plants that need pollination and plants that do not. Plants that make tons of fruit that are 100% female and plants that barely put out fruit that are 100% female. The best we can do is fertilize heavily, overpot them, lots of sun and water.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Thank you @NaoTK that is very good information. I will let them get bigger and cut one open.

 

[vp999]

Good luck with your trans tree BVF

 

[shohin_branches]

Good luck with your trans tree BVF

Hermaphrodite

Thank you associate degree in horticulture that I rarely use. I have awaited this moment!

 

[vp999]

Hermaphrodite

Thank you associate degree in horticulture that I rarely use. I have awaited this moment!

I know that term...From my days keeping clownfish...They're hermaphrodites also.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I know that term...From my days keeping clownfish...They're hermaphrodites also.

And mean little buggers too. When I got to “their” area of the tank, I had to use one hand to clean, and the other for defense and distraction.

 

[vp999]

And mean little buggers too. When I got to “their” area of the tank, I had to use one hand to clean, and the other for defense and distraction.

Yes… Especially the Maroon clown … those things will make you draw blood by nipping your hand.

 

[leatherback]

adding to the above.. mine did not fruit this year; I asked the trader and he recommended added care that the plant does not get waterstress during flowering

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Here is another one. Based on the diagram from @NaoTK this one shows more female-shaped flowers and sepals. It was also in fruit when I got it, but I have not had it hold fruit since I got it 5-6 years ago.