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oneira777

Persimmon or apple

4 years ago

Hi everyone,


I have space for one fruit tree in zone 8b Seattle. I am debating between a Jiro persimmon, an espaliered multi variety apple. Any thoughts on which would be more ornamental/fun?


Cheers.

Comments (11)

  • 4 years ago

    Thank you so much gardengal! I will look for an Izu. What are you thoughts on a jiro persimmon?

  • 4 years ago

    While it might be the most frequently sold variety in this area, Jiro has the least favorable rating for ripening and flavor in the Puget Sound basin.

    BM (pnw Zone 8b) thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
  • 4 years ago

    For most folks a few persimmons go a long way while apples are pretty universally useful, so it really depends on what you like to eat. For more fun, grow antique apple varieties that are not found in orchards or grocery stores. You'll have to watch out as most of the antiques won't do well in a climate as warm as yours

    BM (pnw Zone 8b) thanked rwiegand
  • 4 years ago

    Thank you rwiegand and gardengal.


    I meant to ask about Saijo persimmon and not Jiro. Lost my mind for a second. I saw Saijo being available.


    Looking into antique apples.

  • 4 years ago

    Saijo is also well recommended for this area.

    Also there are very few apple varieties that will not do well here (WA is the premier apple growing state in the US). And not because we are too "warm".......far from it :-) The varieties that do not thrive here require a longer, hotter growing season than we can offer. So those types - Red and Gold Delicious, Fuji, Gala, Mutsu and a couple of others - are best left to the eastern half of the state.

    BM (pnw Zone 8b) thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
  • 4 years ago

    One of your options was a "multi variety apple". I'd suggest you choose varieties that ripen at different times in the season so that you have apples to enjoy without needing to store them. Here's a guide but it's not specific for every part of the country. I have a local orchard that has an online list of when his apples come ripe, hopefully you can find a local orchard online with a list.

    BM (pnw Zone 8b) thanked John D Zn6a PIT Pa
  • 4 years ago

    Thanks gardengal and John. John, the guide is very useful!

  • 4 years ago

    I guess I don't have a good picture of the Puget Sound climate, being a long way away. I thought it was much more moderate and wouldn't have the requisite 1000+ chill hours. Our association with Washington apples here in the east is with the duplicitously named "delicious" apples that flood our grocery stores and lie uneaten in school lunches. Glad to hear you have good apples as well

  • 4 years ago

    Red Delicious are the apples WA state is known for. And they really are "delicious" when fresh harvested.......crisp, sweet-tart and very juicy. But that specific crop has reduced from 60% of the apples produced here to only around 15%. And the vast majority of those are exported, leaving only CA apples available for US customers. And while they do store reasonably well, Red Delicious lose much of their appeal after storage and become mealy and dry. We even avoid them here (unless they are fresh harvest with a limited sales window and a much higher price).

    The big crops now are Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, Cripps Pink, Granny Smith, Rave and Jazz.

    FWIW, take a look at a chill hours map. Western Washington and the Puget Sound area have some of the highest chill hours of anywhere within the continental US. What we do have is a cool and short growing season, which is why the commercial crops are grown east of the Cascades where the season is hotter and longer.

  • 4 years ago

    Another problem with Red Delicious Apples, I believe, is that about 100 years ago someone found a sport that colored before the apples ripened. Since then there's been about 150 sports, many patented, based on the colors before ripening sport. Last year I grafted 4 of the oldest varieties I could find. Three of the four aren't all that red and only one has red in the name. Even the nurseries I obtained them from stated they are the ones that taste "delicious". I'm still looking for one sport and I'm keeping an open mind.