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I live in Central Missouri. We usually graft from early May to early June. Basically when the persimmon trees are mostly leafed out. I start earlier with pears because they leaf out earlier. You need the sap moving upward for best results.

Hi, where do you live?. I ask because most times the persimmons you buy in a store are Asian, which means you would need to live in a warm climate like California or Florida to have a tree in your yard. If you have winters where you live, you will need to grow an American like Dollywood, Prok, I-94 or Barbara’s Blush. Or an Asian-American hybrid like Zima Khurma or Rossyanka. Good luck!

Zima Khurma is my favorite hybrid from a taste perspective. Of course, taste is very subjective and I am not a flavor expert. It is very sweet and luscious kind of like a sweet plum or apricot. Gwang Yang is my favorite pure Asian and has a unique flavor, but again hard for me to describe. To me, Mikkusa is very bland and not tasty. This could be because it barely gets ripe here before a freeze occurs. Nikitas gift is a very pretty red color but has a thick skin and not very flavorful to me. I do not have Sestronka or Sophies Gift. Take care!

England nursery in Kentucky. 606 965 2228, nuttrees@prtcnet,org

HI Christopher - where are you located? My source for Asian hybrid scions is England Nursery in Kentucky and it might be too late there. Next year I will likely have a decent supply of Zima Khurma, Rossyanka and Mikkusa. The other option is just get on some fruit growing blogs and indicate you are looking for scions and you might people that will share/swap. Good Luck!

I am in Oklahoma. I will check England's. Next year I would like to purchase from you if that is something that you do.

THanks for subscribing. I have made both American and Asian hybrid pulp and given/sold to bakers and cooks. The feedback I get is that most people can not tell the difference once you bake the product. BUt, a few people that really love the distinct and stronger taste of the Americans will notice.

I would say NO. They definitly have pucker power if they are not ripe!. When ripe, they are sweet, juicy, and delightful!

No I do not sell trees. Maybe in the future I might sell fruit and scions. Thanks for asking!

When you graft to a native seedling you dont know if it was male or female. And it doesnt matter since the top will now be the fruit producing part (which is a female scion). In my case the native seedling and the American scion are both Diospyros virginiana (native american). Full Asians are Diospyros kaki and you can also graft them to the American seedstock. Then, you have the hybrids which are half Asian and half American. Those can also be grafted to an American seedstock. Hope that helps!

I am basically on the 6A/6B line. Yes, all native american persimons in the wild are likely to be small, seedy and astringent till ripe. If they are soft and ripe, they should taste fine. That is the reason for grafting the improved varieties on top - you get better size, flavor , more production and they have fewer seeds. However, they will still be astringent unless ripe. You are not too far north for Amercians. THough it would be touch for the Asian hybrids.

At this time, I do not

@@persimmonpop170 let me know if you do and how much are the cuttings

I do not sell trees or scions. I dont know anyone in Florida -but England Nursuries would likely service that area - 606 965 2228 or nuttrees@prtcnet.org

Yes, I usually do. Sometimes I use candle wax or toilet boil seal wax (and it is cheap and works great!), or fancy grafting wax/selant that my daughter gave me for Christmas. I may not have on this particular graft because it was only a one inch tree. I usually use the sealant on bigger diameter seedlings because you leave alot of exposed surface.

@@persimmonpop170 thanks

Americans - I-94, Lena, Barbara BLush, Lehmans Delight, Asian Hybrids - Rosseyanka, Zima Khurma,

@@persimmonpop170 Thanks! I have Barbara's Blush, Zima Khurma, and Lehman's Delight. The first two should fruit next year I'm hoping. Looking forward to trying them.

Yes, start removing the shoots so all the energy goes to the improved variety. Glad the grafting went well!

Right now our persimmons and pawpaws are for home and extended family use. However, the majority of my trees are just now coming into production, and I will have over 400 trees! So, I need to get a commercial plan for harvest, storage, transport, branding, and sales and marketing. Ideas?

@@persimmonpop170 Wow. That's a lot of trees! Are they American types? Hybrids? We grafted some native trees with D. kaki quite a few years back, and this spring I budded about 25 different varieties (3-8 trees of each variety) onto seedlings. It's definitely exciting. Are you on the Persimmon World facebook group?

Mostly Americans with about 15% hybrids. No I am not a member of the Persimmon WOrld Group. Would you recommend.? Where are you located? @@mywildorchard4150

This past Fall was my first harvest of Nikita's Gift. It did have seeds but I dont remember how many. As you mentioned, my experience with Rosseyanka is that they are mostly seedless (or fairly small, immature seeds). I should have a better picture of NG this Fall. I really like Zima Khurmas size and production, but they have more seeds than I prefer.

@@persimmonpop170 Curious, do you have known male trees nearby that are pollinating and causing seeds? I have read that male flowers from either Virginianna or Kaki can pollinate hybrids. Maybe you have wild D Virginianna males around causing seeds in your hybrids and American persimmons?

@@LC-wv7tz I’m pretty sure that is what’s happening. I have wild American trees all over. But the Rossys have way fewer seeds than the other hybrids and they are in similar locations

@persimmonpop170 Interesting thanks for your info. I think without a pollinator most hybrids are typically seedless like D Kaki is (self fertile female trees). Some D. Kaki I have read do produce both male and female flowers.

The Rossys are much easier to grow, they are heavier producers. The Nikitas are much smaller trees, less productive but produce bigger, redder fruit - quite beautiful!.

HI and thanks for your comments. Glad to hear you have persimmon loving ground too! I have never noticed the male and female segregation but I dont doubt it. Here, and most places, we just have more male trees period. That is one of the reasons grafting female improved varieties increases production. And Yes, you can definitely graft Asians to your American rootstock seedlings. I live in 6A here in Missouri and pure Asians just cant stand the winter. So, use Asian hybrids like Rosseyanka and Zima Khurma. Good luck!

Thanks for you comment - I cant remember if I have already replied. But yes, you can definilty graft Asians to Americans. I have grafted full Asians like Saigo and Gwang Yang. And many Asian Hybrids like Rosseyanka and Kassandra. The one you describe sounds like a Kassandra.

these nurseries sell grafted trees - Stark Bros, Forrest Keeling, Edible Landscaping... Starkbros.com, fknursery.com, ediblelandscaping.com. England Orchards out of Kentucky sell scions - nutrees.net. Good Luck!

yes, i put a slightly wet half of a paper towel sheet in the plastic freezer bag with the scions. Keep them in fridge at about 35 degrees till May. Then when you take them out to graft, snip off the last 1/8 th of an incch to make sure you have green and living tissue. Good luck!

IN early May, some but not all the seedlings have bark that is slipping. If you are using the wedge method, it does not really matter - just make sure that some of the seedling/rootstock has leafed out and growing. If you are using the bark/arrowhead method, then yes you need to make sure that the bark is slipping. So I usually wait and do the bark ones toward the middle of May in our area.

yes, its like anything else. the more you do it , the more confidence you will have.

Hi Sambo! Yes I always interested in a different variety. If you have an interesting variety or selection let me know.

@@persimmonpop170 I watched all your videos. It seems like you have mainly native or Asian hybrids. We have an Old Homestead persimmon patch (spread by animals from the original Homestead tree). It makes an early crop here (mid Aug). The fruit is smaller but very good. There's also another wild patch from a nearby Homestead site that makes later, but I don't prefer that one to the early dropper. Very glad to see your devotion to American cultivators. I have a family farm that took me twenty years to get back to due to military service. I've planted 20+ varieties of trees for deer and humans. Seeing you use native rootstock for new varieties has opened up a lot of good things. Keep putting out videos, you're very informative

Hey, thanks for the note! Remember, I am in zone 6 - so take that into consideration. Here, persimmons are one of the latest trees to break dormancy. February is the ideal time to take scions here. That minimizes the time they are in the fridge, but it still is at least 4-6 weeks away from any bud break. As far as when to graft - here we start about the second week of May and can go thru middle of June. Basically, you want to start when your seedlings/trees have been leafing out for a week or two.

@@persimmonpop170 Outstanding insight. I got a number of trees on hedgerows that won't be missed if unsuccessful. Godspeed

My trees are not big enough for me to pick scions yet. Check back with me in 2 years. Thank you!

@@persimmonpop170 hi - TX for the reply. I will get back in 2 years.

@@heller8529its been two years 😂

Thank you, but my trees are not big enough yet to provide scions. Check back with me in 2 years.

Yes absolutely. Some people suggest they may actually be the same

Or Nikitas Bordova

You can do it! Just need to practice. And make sure you have viable scions. And graft at the right time.

Yes these are all Dipospyros Virginiana

Mikkusa (also known as JT-02) us an Asian/American hybrid. Josephine X Taishu Kaki. Like I mentioned I only have three trees and this is the first year I had any fruit (toal of 7 fruits). I have not eaten one yet because they are not quite soft.

@@persimmonpop170 Have you tried the JT-02 yet? I'm curious if the taste difference with the hybrids is drastic. I'm thinking about planting either Kassandra, JT-02, and or Rosseyanka in my backyard. I've read that Kassandra and Zima Khurma have nice fall color. Perhaps not so much for the others.

Yes I did eat the Mikkusa (JT-02) It was fairly bland and more like a true Asian. I dont see alot of flavor difference between the Zimas and Rosseyankas either. But the Rossys tend to be seedless and that makes them much easier to make pulp or slice them up. As far as Fall color and just overall looks for a yard tree, I think the JT-02 and Zima are the best! Enjoy!@@ChipsOutdoorChannel

I only have one Mikkusa tree that is producing so I dont have a good sample set. It has grafted well for me, I like the look (good fall color and shape) of the tree, and it has survived winters here no problem. The two actual fruit samples I have eaten were rather bland. The size of the fruit was impressive.. Light to medium orange in color. Im hoping to have more to sample next year!

@@persimmonpop170 Interesting! Maybe the Mikkusa will get better as it goes along. I grafted a couple Zima Khurmas last year onto very small rootstock at my somewhat distant property. It'll be a while before mine fruit though. I thought Kasandra had good fall color and JT-02 maybe not so much, but that's good to know! Do all the hybrid fruits remain on the tree? It's tough to pick which one to get for the yard. They all seem like good options.

Osage Beach, MO. On the South side of the Lake of the Ozarks

in Osage Beach, near the Lake of the Ozarks

I would suggest see if the NY Extension service can give or recommendation. Or Cornell. But, I would guess that the ones I have mentioned here - Elmo, I-94, Celebrity, Prok, Lena, Dollywood would do fine there and handle the winter. As far as taste, that's a very personal thing. I personally like I-94s and Lena the best. But other family members like the Dollywood and Prok. We actually need a blinded taste test to get a better reading of flavor.

Yes. I-94 was named Valeene Beauty. It comes from the James Claypool collection and it a cross of Lena X Early Golden

Where are you located? I get mine from U of Missouri research center in Mt Vernon Mo. Also you can order from Englands Orchard in Kentucky (606 965 2228) and they will ship to you. There are probably others that you can find online.

Time available is always a factor. In a perfect world you should probably remove the plastic in July and the foil and the grafting tape in the Fall. Often I do it all whenever I can get to it! Usually September thru November.

I have never done that. probably wont hurt as long as you remember to remove. You may want to put up a bird perch to allow a place for birds to land without breaking your new scion growth!

Yes. Now I will say that my success with anything over 4 inches has been just ok. I would use two scions if possible. One on each side. Good luck!

@@persimmonpop170 Awesome! Using a chainsaw is OK? Very excited about Cliff's scions. I'm in Southern Indiana

@@hoosierhiver yes chainsaw is fine. Just support the tree as it falls so you minimize bark tearing

@@persimmonpop170 just what I was thinking. I really appreciate the responses.

NO I dont. I have seen it happen in nature but I have not practiced it myself. Let me know how it goes!

I was given a Rossayanka that had been in low light and has several thin bendy branches. I am ground layering them in pots that I sat next to the mother plant.

Not sure where you are located. In Missouri you can get them from the SW Research center in Mt Vernon. You can also join your states fruit and nut organization and they usually swap scions. Also you can order from England Nursury in Kentucky. Please come here and reduce my deer population!!

@@persimmonpop170 I just got some great varieties from Cliff England

@@hoosierhiver Excellent! That is where I get all my asian hybrids.

Glad you found it! Where do you live in MO? The SW Research center of the University of Missouri can provide scions for a small contribution to the university. It is located in Mt Vernon right off of I-44. Andy Thomas is the contact there. I also buy scions from Mrs Barbara Lehman in Indiana (812 298 8733) and Cliff England in Kentucky (www.nut-tree-nursery.com) and 6069652226. Give me a couple of years and I will have lots to contribute too.