Persimmon seed update

16 years ago

Hey all,

I just thought I would comment about my current actions for growing a few persimmon trees. I had originally planted some very old (two years) persimmon seeds. However, I was advised to "toss them" in a thread post called "How tuff are persimmon seeds." I had thought about leaving the seeds planted. However, while driving home from a visit with my Papaw, I decided to stop by the same persimmon trees that had yielded the "two year old seeds." I thought that I would look and see if there were some seeds left on the ground from last season. I found seeds. After poking about for a bit, I had collected about 30 seeds from four different trees. Sweet! I thought. These seeds had just gone through several heavy snows here in Indiana, and although I was not sure exactly how long they had been on the ground I took them home with me.

When I got home, I planted 18 of the seeds in three pots. Most of the dirt in the pot is dirt retrieved from our garden. However, the top 1 to 1 1/2 inches is potting soil. I hope this is OK because I am afraid that the tap roots of the seeds (when they sprout) will soon hit the hard garden dirt and may try to push the seed out of the soil. I put the rest of the seeds in jars of water with paper towels in hopes that they will sprout there so that I can transplant them to pots or outside. This is the extent of what I have accomplished so far. Any comments or advice is welcome.

Bye for now

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Comments (9)

bejay9_10
16 years ago
Just a comment - for what it is worth.

Your persimmon seed should still be viable if they were from last year's drop and then stayed dormant through the freeze. Many folks "save" seeds from year-to-year in the freezer after placing them in air-tight bags and freeze containers. I am now starting some tomato and pepper seeds our of the freezer, and they are beginning to sprout in their warm, moistened paper napkin beds. I will plant these in potting soil as soon as more have emerged. Then after a brief stay under grow lights, hardened off and planted in the ground.

Fruit trees seem to be more tolerant of poorer soil than - say veggies or flowers, so perhaps you potting soil will be OK. But a weak fertilizer (compost tea, Miracle Grow) should be sufficient if they show signs of life and put out a few basal leaves.

I'm interested in your little persimmons. I planted a tree several years ago. It is now 20 ft. tall. It has only kept 2 "simmons" on to maturity - which were delicious, but most of them fell off. I suspect too much shade or perhaps they need some serious feeding, which I promise to do this year.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay
dubyadee
16 years ago
I planted a persimmon seed this winter after finding it in a persimmon I had eaten. It sprouted right away. Trouble is, the seed shell was too hard and the poor seedling was never able to open up its leaves. I finally cracked the seed shell open but by then the leaves had rotted and the stem eventually died too. Now I wonder if I should have scored the sides of the seeds or stratified in the fridge for a couple months to soften the seed coating.
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yas_622
Original Author
16 years ago
Hey bejay,

You said that you put your tomato and pepper seeds in moist paper towels. I what do you think about putting seeds completely submerged in jars of water? The moist paper towel method sounds a little better to me, so I will probably take some of the seeds out of the jars of water and use your method. Thanks for the input.

bye for now
yas_622
Original Author
16 years ago
Hey dubyadee,

If you have any persimmon trees growing near to you, you may be able to find some seeds from last year lying around underneath them. That's what I did. Pick up a bunch and try several different methods of sprouting them to increase your chances of growth.

bye for now
yas_622
Original Author
16 years ago
One more thing dubyadee,

I have heard that persimmon trees have two different sexes, and that you need both kinds to produce fruit. This means that you will need to ether find out what kind of seeds you have before you plant them or just plant a bunch in hopes of getting both kinds. You will be able to tell by the blooms of the trees (once they grow) what kind you have. Also, I am not sure if the sex of one tree only yields that sex of seed or not. That is why I picked up seeds from under four different trees (just to be on the safer side).

bye for now
dubyadee
16 years ago
I was just experimenting. I have a couple seedlings I bought at a nursery that I plan to graft some asian persimmon onto someday. I do a lot of grafting of other fruits.
I would presume that you get fruit/seeds only from female trees, as males don't set fruit, similar to kiwi and Ginkgo. One guy told me he can tell male and female Gingko seeds apart, they have different shape. Not sure if I believe it though. Most likely have to wait until it flowers as suggested above
sautesmom Sacramento
16 years ago
Some persimmons have male and female flowers, like my Coffeecake (nishimura wase) persimmon, for example. The flowers look completely different.

Carla in Sac
lucky_p
16 years ago
yas,
Your 2009-crop seeds will probably be viable, and you should get a high germination rate. The 2008-crop seeds, which were dry for over a year before you put them in the fridge, probably will not germinate - but you've got nothing to lose in planting them. I have had some 2-yr old persimmon and pawpaw seed(held moist in the fridge) germinate.
Most germinating persimmon seeds are capable of 'throwing off' the seedcoat on their own, but some just don't seem to be able to accomplish it, or need a bit of help.
yas_622
Original Author
16 years ago
Hey all,

Thanks for all the input. This all sounds so fun to me. I just hope that I can do something right on a couple seeds so that I can get some trees and fruit. Thanks again.

bye for now