- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossoms
- fruit
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- Water the persimmon tree
- Properly cut the persimmon tree
- propagation
- diseases/pests
- sorts
Persimmons can now be bought in almost all supermarkets in our latitudes. In recent years, it has become the real trend fruit. Anyone who has developed a taste and wants to distance themselves from imported fruit can also support themselves with their own persimmon tree!
Persimmon trees like it warm and sunny
Table of Contents
Show all- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossoms
- fruit
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- Water the persimmon tree
- Properly cut the persimmon tree
- propagation
- diseases/pests
- sorts
- Persimmon tree comes from China
- It has been valued there as a fruit tree for over 2000 years
- It also thrives well here, especially in mild areas
- Habit similar to apple trees
- Grows up to 8 meters tall under favorable conditions
- Smooth, red-brown bark
- Leaves also apple tree-like, but slightly larger, firmer, smoother, and darker
- Shiny surface
- Yellow to orange-red autumn colour
- Persimmon individuals are monoecious or dioecious
- Flowers 2 to 2 ½ cm in size
- Four creamy-yellow petals arranged in a calyx shape, widely curled outwards
- Female flowers sit above 4 green sepals
- heyday
- Fruit ripening in October to November
- Outwardly similar to large tomatoes
- Color yellowish orange
- Flavor pear-like to apricot-like
- Vitamin and tannic
- As warm, sunny and protected from the wind as possible
- Not too exposed
- Transplant outdoors from the 3rd to 4th year of life
- Rich in nutrients and humus
- Balanced relationship between water- and nutrient-retaining clay content and drainage-promoting drainage
- Fertilize with mature compost in early spring
- Pruning not absolutely necessary for lush fruit preservation
- Shape training for the optics but well possible
- To do this, regularly (radically) shorten long annual shoots
- Standard or trellis training is also possible
origin
The persimmon tree - also known as persimmon or persimmon - belongs to the genus Diospyros within the ebony family, which means "fruit of the gods" in German. There is something divine about the roundish, tomato-like looking fruit insofar as it has a pleasantly sweet taste and not least because of this has been valued and cultivated for over two thousand years - originally in the Far East, especially in China.
In general, the persimmon tree thrives here in Central Europe, which does not have a significantly different climate - mild, not too frost-prone areas are an advantage.
To remember:
growth
In terms of habit, the persimmon tree, with its low trunk and rather crouched, rounded crown, is very similar to an apple tree. When conditions are favourable, it can reach heights of around 8 metres. Its bark is smooth and reddish brown in color.
Growth characteristics in keywords:
leaves
Alternating oval to lanceolate, pointed leaves attach to the branches, which in turn are not dissimilar to those of the apple tree. However, they are slightly larger, have a firmer, smoother texture, and are darker in color. In addition, unlike apple tree leaves, they are not matt, but clearly shiny. In autumn they turn yellow to orange-red.
To remember:
blossoms
The wild form of the persimmon tree is either monoecious or dioecious, i.e. it produces both female and male flowers or is purely unisexual. In monoecious individuals, the male and female flowers are distributed in separate groups. The four radially symmetrical petals are creamy to yellowish in color, are cup-like and curled far outwards at the tips. In the case of the female flowers, they sit over four large, green sepals, which also remain attached to the developed fruit. Overall, the flowers have a diameter of about 2 to 2 ½ centimeters.
Fertilization of the female flowers is not necessary for fruiting, they are self-pollinating. Male flowers are mainly fertilized by insects.
Flower properties at a glance:
The flowers open in late spring, around May, and persist into June.
fruit
The coveted fruit of the gods ripens quite late in the year, around October or November. It is often compared to tomatoes in terms of appearance, mainly because of its rounded shape and smooth skin. However, their color is lighter, orange to yellowish. They can weigh up to half a kilo. In terms of taste, they are reminiscent of pears or apricots and are often halved like kiwis and spooned out of the shell. The fruits are extremely rich in vitamins, and they also contain many tannins, which have an astringent effect and leave a furry feeling in the mouth, especially when the fruit is still rather unripe.
To remember:
Which location is suitable?
Persimmon trees love the warmth. If you want to get a specimen in the garden, you have a better hand if you live in a mild (wine-growing) area. A large part of the imported supermarket fruit comes from Spanish growing areas. So treat your persimmon tree to a spot that is as cozy as possible, where a lot of heat from the sun collects and if possible no sharp winds blow. A lot of sun is also helpful for a pleasantly sweet, aromatic fruit development. Although it is moderately frost hardy, the tree should not get too much frost - an exposed spot should therefore be avoided.
A kaki tree can be planted outdoors from around the 3rd to 4th year of life. Also, the older the individual, the more frost tolerant it is.
Location requirements in keywords:
planting time
Always plant a persimmon tree in spring so that it can establish itself in its location during the warm half of the year.
What soil does the plant need?
The planting ground for a kaki tree should be as rich in humus and nutrients as possible. It is best to add a good portion of mature compost to the substrate when planting. You should also ensure a balance between water retention and drainage by adding a proportion of clay to the soil and working in an effective drainage in the form of a layer of gravel. If you first plant a young persimmon tree in a container, pay particular attention to good drainage, including through several drainage holes in the bottom of the container.
Fertilize the persimmon tree with good compost once a spring, especially in the first few years.
Substrate requirements at a glance:
Water the persimmon tree
In the summer and until the fruiting season, the persimmon tree needs a relatively large amount of water. During this period, water it regularly and extensively, especially during the first few years. The persimmon tree likes soft, low-lime water, preferably from the rain barrel.
Properly cut the persimmon tree
In order to develop many fruits, the persimmon tree does not necessarily need regular fruit wood pruning. Even without pruning care, it is quite fruitful. He sets the fruit on the previous year's wood. However, it is cut compatible and can be kept in shape for the eye. In order to obtain a balanced, richly branched crown, you should train it every year at the end of winter to form a central shoot with four to five side shoots. To do this, shorten all long, horny shoots down to the base. Standard or trellis training is also possible.
Continue reading
propagation
Like most fruit trees, persimmon trees are propagated by grafting.
diseases/pests
Fortunately, persimmon trees are quite disease resistant. Pests can, however, feast on it from time to time - but above all, well-known and quite easy-to-control candidates such as aphids and scale insects or spider mites should be mentioned.
aphids
You can easily identify an aphid infestation by the sticky coating of honeydew on the leaves that the insects excrete. Soot fungi can also settle under the honeydew, forming a blackish turf. In dry, warm weather in early summer, aphids can multiply explosively. Therefore, make sure that you water it sufficiently. To prevent this, you should also pay attention to favorable environmental conditions, i.e. a warm, sunny location, a natural garden culture that is as diverse as possible (which attracts beneficial insects) and only organic, moderate fertilization.
If the tree is infested with aphids, only spray it down with a strong jet of water if possible. Cut out and discard severely damaged shoot tips. An effective and biologically responsible means are also preparations based on neem oil.
scale insects
Similar to aphids, scale insects suck the plant sap of their host plants and excrete sticky honeydew, which in turn promotes the formation of sooty mold fungi.
In addition to promoting beneficial insects in the garden, you can also prevent a scale insect infestation by taking protective care of the trunk. The surface of the bark is smoothed by removing loose pieces of bark and then sealing it with a white coat of paint. This prevents larvae from hibernating under the bark and at the same time protects the tree from frost damage.
It can be combated by hosing off or by applying a mixture of paraffin and rapeseed oil.
spider mites
The fine webs with which they cover the leaves and branches of their host plants give these pests their name. As the infestation progresses, speckled spots appear on the leaves, which are caused by the sucking points of the mites. As the infestation progresses, the leaves gradually curl up, die and are shed. Spider mites pose an additional danger in the orchard because they can transmit some viral diseases.
Careful trunk care is also a particularly effective preventive measure against spider mite infestation.
sorts
In the case of Diospyros kaki, a distinction is made between the cultivated forms honey apple or persimmon, the more yellowish, elongated persimmon and the more yellowish, flatter sharon fruit. But we are concentrating here on the varieties of kaki.
Persimmon 'Hana Fuyu'
The 'Hana Fuyu' variety produces very tasty fruits, which also ripen comparatively early in the year, namely in mid-autumn. The foliage coloration before the fruit ripens is also particularly spectacular, so this variety also offers something to the eye. However, it is a little more sensitive to frost than other varieties, and the thermometer should not fall below -16°C.
Persimmon Rojo Brilliant
The Rojo Brillante is the most imported variety in our latitudes. Its large fruits are very aromatic and are produced in generous abundance. The tree is relatively frost hardy.
Persimmon Vaniglia
The fruits of the Kaki Vaniglia taste pleasantly sweet and are ripe at the end of October to November. However, they can also be harvested earlier and left to mature indoors. The tree is vigorous and develops a somewhat larger crown than its fellow varieties.
Continue reading