How's your Persimmon Trees...any new spring flush?

[puglvr1]

I planted 2 Persimmon trees last April (chocolate) and May ( Fuyu),...then Hurricane Ian hit Sept 30th and pretty much ripped out all the leaves and beat up the poor little tree. I didn't know if it was still alive but watered it on a regular schedule just in case. A few days ago my Fuyu started sending out some very small leaf flush but my Chocolate (purchased and told was a Fuyu, had no label) shows NO sign of life, I'm not sure if this variety is super sloooow to show signs of life, any one else have their Persimmons flushing and or blooming in Florida?

If anyone knows, how long do I wait before I declare it dead 
Also, do flowers appear after the new leaf flush? The new growths are too small to tell now and this is my first time growing Persimmons.

Thanks!!

[Jordan321]

My Matsumoto is pushing two little buds just this week. Not sure if that is normal. (More than likely it proves I'm doing something wrong). But at least you aren't alone.

[Flgarden]

My fuyu wakes up the last of all.
Tanenashi, saijo, coffee cake and fuyu are showing small flower buds.
Ana

[RS]

Fuyu is flowering here, yes they typically flower after the new spring growth flush.



Ichi-ki-kei-jiro is still half dormant, seems unusually late this year. I don't know about Chocolate, but would probably give it more time. You can always test by bending a small branch or scratching the bark. If it's flexible or green underneath, you should be fine.

[fruitnoob]

My Fuyu tree shows the same problem that you described. I broke off a piece of the tree branch and noticed the wood still looked fresh, that's how I knew the tree was still alive. I gave my tree a bit of fish emulsion and liquid citrus nutritional feed, and two weeks ago, i found some new growth at the tip of the branches where I broke off. The branches that I did not break did not show any sign of life.
 

[fliptop]

Two of my American Persimmons have new leaves sprouting all over, one has leaves showing up on only one branch.

After a really long time looking dead but flexible, my Fuyu kicked out these leaves.



So far the star of the show is my Suruga. It too sat dormant and leafless for the longest time, but now is covered in new leafage. Poor thing is thirsty in this drought.



All new growth has happened only in the past two weeks.

[TnTrobbie]

My 'Hana Fuyu' pushed new growth mid March. My 'Hudson'/ 'South Florida' started pushing growth in early March. It never looked this good (soil amendments and dependable irrigation).  It's currently holding 2 flowers. Scratch the bark gently. If green its alive. Just still sleeping.

[puglvr1]

Thanks everyone for all your help and advise, appreciate the tip about the bark scratch test. I did take a small paring knife and lightly peeled a very small piece of the bark and it was green so fingers crossed it's still alive...I will give it to the end of April and see what happens. I did give it some water and light liquid fertilizer too so hopefully it will wake up soon 

Tntrobbie, yours flushed fairly early
Jordan, good luck with yours...I'm sure it will fine if you are seeing 2 little buds 
Fliptop your Suruga tree is looking great!
Fruitnoob, glad to hear your tree is waking up also.
Flgarden, it's weird your Fuyu is the last to wake up, just shows us how the different varieties react to our growing area.

RS Congrats that your Fuyu is flowering! Great picture! I hope I see some on my tree. Thanks also for letting me know the flowers come after the leaf flush. I'll post a picture when my Fuyu has more leaves and hopefully a few flowers! I'll update "if" the Chocolate leafs out...Thanks again!

[12Zodiac]

I bare root planted a grafted Fuyu in May 2022. It stayed dormant until recently. Even the graft I did 2 weeks ago seems to be pushing bud. One question, if it does fruit should I remove them or leave them be.

[Jaboticaba45]

I bare root planted a grafted Fuyu in May 2022. It stayed dormant until recently. Even the graft I did 2 weeks ago seems to be pushing bud. One question, if it does fruit should I remove them or leave them be.

Don't let it fruit. The tree will be stressed and may die.




All our persimmons got roasted by the late frost. Guess I have to wait until next year.

[12Zodiac]

I bare root planted a grafted Fuyu in May 2022. It stayed dormant until recently. Even the graft I did 2 weeks ago seems to be pushing bud. One question, if it does fruit should I remove them or leave them be.

Don't let it fruit. The tree will be stressed and may die.




All our persimmons got roasted by the late frost. Guess I have to wait until next year.

Understood and thanks.

[puglvr1]

One Question... how often are you guys watering your very young Persimmon trees right now? It's been very dry here and very hot so I have been watering every 3 or 4 days. Is that fine or too much? Thanks in advance.

[fruitnoob]

@puglvr1: I used to water my tree twice a week until I read this on the UFL web site recently "The trees can withstand short periods of drought, but they will do best with regular watering. Provide water in small but regular doses, either by hand-watering it or by installing a drip irrigation system."  Now, I water it every other day.

Reference: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/fruits/oriental-persimmon.html

[TnTrobbie]

Timer irrigation every 3 days for 13 minutes. It gets about 1/2 a gallon of water each session.

[puglvr1]

Thanks for the info Fruitnoob and TNTrobbie!

[skhan]

South Florida persimmon started to leaf out now, I see a few flower buds as well.

[fruitnoob]

@puglvr1: Have you seen ants on your persimmon trees? If you do, check to see if your tree has scale - they looked brownish on my tree and I found them accidentally by running my fingers on the branches.These pests must have sucked the life out of my tree.

[dm]

@puglvr1: Have you seen ants on your persimmon trees? If you do, check to see if your tree has scale - they looked brownish on my tree and I found them accidentally by running my fingers on the branches.These pests must have sucked the life out of my tree.

Use something like TangleFoot and reapply when it gets dry or dirty.  Especially on small trees. Keeps the ants off.

[puglvr1]

Skhan, Congrats on your new growths and flowers!

Fruitnoob, I haven't noticed any ants on my trees but thanks for the heads up, I will check them often...

Dm, good to know what I can use if I see them. Hopefully, I won't need it.

[puglvr1]

Both Fuyu and Chocolate persimmon trees are flushing with Fuyu way ahead. Also found a few flowers on Fuyu, its a very good sign at least.   




Question, I have a small branch emerging very low on the tree but it is above the graft, should I remove this?

[johnb51]

Both Fuyu and Chocolate persimmon trees are flushing with Fuyu way ahead. Also found a few flowers on Fuyu, its a very good sign at least.   




Question, I have a small branch emerging very low on the tree but it is above the graft, should I remove this?

Yay! And I would remove the small branch.

[CarolinaZone]

Almost everybody is starting to stretch out. It seems like the Americans are later. I have two John Ricks in small pots that may not have made it. I'll give them a few more weeks. My Texas persimmons are leafed out and have some flowers. I wish the fruit was bigger.

I have a matsumoto and a maekawa jiro from Just Fruits and Exotics in 3 gall pots. I bought them last year and I overwintered in the pots they came in.
Question:
What if I let one fruit develop on each? How much would that affect the growth?

BTW.
So far I have never had a bad plant from Just Fruits and Exotics. They send you a tree. Not some little twig like many sellers do. Their stuff will fruit in that year or the next.  Just got ta premier loquat from them too.

[Jaboticaba45]

Almost everybody is starting to stretch out. It seems like the Americans are later. I have two John Ricks in small pots that may not have made it. I'll give them a few more weeks. My Texas persimmons are leafed out and have some flowers. I wish the fruit was bigger.

I have a matsumoto and a maekawa jiro from Just Fruits and Exotics in 3 gall pots. I bought them last year and I overwintered in the pots they came in.
Question:
What if I let one fruit develop on each? How much would that affect the growth?

BTW.
So far I have never had a bad plant from Just Fruits and Exotics. They send you a tree. Not some little twig like many sellers do. Their stuff will fruit in that year or the next.  Just got ta premier loquat from them too.

I wouldn't let it fruit. Why let it hold one fruit when it is impeding future growth for the next. I killed on of mine on accident by letting it hold fruit.
I'm not even letting my trees planted last spring fruit either.

[sc4001992]

"What if I let one fruit develop on each? How much would that affect the growth?"

You can let 1 fruit hang on the tree and let it ripen as long as the tree is about a 3-5 gallon size.
I have a larger Matsumoto tree so if yours doesn't make it, I can send you some cuttings later.
But to be safe, I would take Ryan's suggestion to remove all the fruits.

If your Premier loquat tree is large enough, send me a small cutting so I can added to my collection. We can trade for something you need.

I purchased 2 bare root trees this year, the Chocolate and Coffee Cake. I will probably let this Coffee Cake tree hold one fruit so I can verify it is the correct fruit.

You might be able to see the Chocolate bare root tree behind it but is has no leaves yet, just a stick. Both trees purchased from same source at the same time.

[CarolinaZone]

Chocolate and Coffee Cake. I have seen both. I have yet to get a real honest description of what they taste like. Anybody care to comment. I know for a fact that they do not taste like cinnamon or chocolate