Almost every persimmon tree sold at a nursery is two plants joined together: a seedling root system with a named variety grafted on top. Seeds and grafting work as a team, while cuttings, the easy route for figs or willows, fail most of the time with persimmons.1Scientia Horticulturae. Improved rooting of softwood cuttings of dwarfing rootstock for persimmon under fog irrigation A grafted tree can bear years sooner than one left to grow from seed.2Blue Hill Wildlife Nursery. Grafted vs. Seedling Trees — Why Grafted Matters
Why Persimmons Are Grafted Rather Than Grown From Seed Alone
A persimmon grown from seed is genetically new, so its fruit may differ from the tree it came from. American persimmon seedlings are also usually male or female, which means some will never bear fruit at all. Even the lucky ones are slow: seedlings often take 5 to 8 years, sometimes over 10, to start fruiting.3The Rike. Eastern Persimmon Seedling Sexing & Graft Timing Guide Grafted trees often fruit in 2 to 4 years because the top comes from mature wood of a proven tree.4Blue Hill Wildlife Nursery. Grafted vs. Seedling Trees — Why Grafted Matters
That is why the work splits in two. The rootstock is the seedling root and lower trunk. The scion wood is the cut piece of the variety you want, grafted on top.
Your goal decides the path. If you want a specific fruit, such as a named Asian variety, you have to graft. If you just want a wildlife or shade tree, a seedling of American persimmon is fine. Seeds from a store-bought fruit can still become rootstocks, and buying a ready rootstock seedling skips a year or two of waiting.
The classic mistake is planting a seed from a delicious fruit and expecting the same fruit. The seedling isn’t wasted, though. Once it’s a few years old, it can be grafted.
The fruit you get is determined by the scion wood, so a graft of your favorite variety bears that variety’s fruit even though the roots came from a different seedling. The rootstock still influences the tree’s size, vigor, and soil tolerance. Any shoots that sprout from the trunk below the graft union come from the rootstock, and they will not bear the fruit you wanted.
Grafting does add a skill step, but the beginner version is a single cut on a pencil-thick seedling, and you can practice on spare seedlings first. Starting several seeds is sensible, since not all will sprout or grow well, and the extras become practice rootstocks.
Growing Persimmon Seedlings From Seed
Persimmon seeds sprout better after a period of cold, moist storage, like a winter outdoors. Keeping seeds in damp sand at about 4°C (fridge temperature) for 30 days raised seedling emergence by about 14%.5REVISTA CIÊNCIA AGRONÔMICA. Seed stratification, gibberellic acid and temperature in obtaining rootstock in the persimmon Plan on one to two months in the fridge before sowing.
To do it at home, remove the pulp, rinse the seeds, and don’t let them dry out completely. Put them in a bag with slightly damp sand, peat, or paper towel. Label the bag with the date and check monthly for mold or early sprouts. In spring, once the soil warms, sow them about 2 to 3 cm deep.
You can also sow fresh seed outdoors in fall, since winter then does the cold, moist storage for you. But mice, birds, and squirrels may dig it up. Fridge storage gives you control and protects the seeds, which is why many home growers prefer it.
Not every seed will sprout, so sow more than the number of trees you want. Seedlings may emerge over several weeks rather than all at once, so don’t throw out a pot too soon. If a seed has already sprouted a white root in the fridge, sow it gently right away, because a long root is easily broken.
Seedlings quickly grow a long taproot and handle tough conditions, but they grow best with plenty of water and no weeds.6Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes Well-grown seedlings can reach about 1 foot the first season and add about 3 more feet the second.7Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes To avoid disturbing that taproot, sow in deep pots or straight where the tree will live. Often by year two, the stem is about pencil thick and ready to graft.
Start with clean plants. Crown gall, a bacterial disease causing swollen growths on roots and lower stems, infected about a third of persimmon seedlings sampled from one market.8Research in Plant Disease. Epidemiology of the Crown Gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) of Persimmon Tree Check bought seedlings for lumps at the base and roots before planting.
How and When to Graft a Persimmon
Chip budding, where a small shield of wood holding one bud is set into a matching cut on the rootstock, gave the best success at about 87%.9Progressive Horticulture. Standardization of methods and time of grafting/budding in Persimmon (Diospyrus kaki L.) Crown grafting, setting scion wood under the bark at the top of a cut rootstock, reached about 73%.10Progressive Horticulture. Standardization of methods and time of grafting/budding in Persimmon (Diospyrus kaki L.) Both were done in late winter to early spring, from the third week of February to early March in one mountain region.11Progressive Horticulture. Standardization of methods and time of grafting/budding in Persimmon (Diospyrus kaki L.) Aim for the stretch just before or as buds start to swell in your area.
For a chip bud, cut a sliver holding one plump bud from dormant scion wood. Cut a matching notch low on the rootstock stem, and line up the green inner bark layers on at least one side. Wrap tightly with grafting tape, leaving the bud uncovered or lightly covered. Once the bud grows, cut the rootstock top off above it.
Scion wood is best cut in winter while dormant, from pencil-thick, year-old shoots. Wrap it in damp paper in a sealed bag and store it in the fridge. For named varieties, ask local growers or fruit-club scion swaps.
Warmth helps the graft take. Keeping new grafts at about 25°C and moderate humidity for 2 weeks before planting out improved success.12Scientia Horticulturae. A new technique of vegetative propagation of persimmon If spring is cool, graft potted rootstocks indoors or in a greenhouse.
Inside the graft, healing tissue forms at the cut within about 3 to 5 days.13Acta Horticulturae. GRAFT-UNION BEHAVIOR OF PERSIMMON CULTIVAR ‘FUYU’ ON DATE PLUM STOCK Full water-carrying connections form within about 15 days.14Acta Horticulturae. GRAFT-UNION BEHAVIOR OF PERSIMMON CULTIVAR ‘FUYU’ ON DATE PLUM STOCK15Acta Horticulturae. BUD-UNION BEHAVIOR OF PERSIMMON CULTIVAR ‘FUYU’ ON KLUAI RUSI STOCK So leave the wrap and graft undisturbed for at least two to three weeks.
A failed graft shows itself fairly soon: the bud turns black or shrivels within a few weeks. Rootstock sprouts may grow vigorously below the graft, and you should rub them off. A failed rootstock can often be regrafted the same or next season.
Why Persimmon Cuttings Rarely Root
Persimmon is generally considered hard to grow from cuttings, which is why growers graft onto seedlings.16Scientia Horticulturae. Improved rooting of softwood cuttings of dwarfing rootstock for persimmon under fog irrigation Even under a misting system, leaf-bud cuttings rooted only 10 to 20% of the time.17Scientia Horticulturae. Improved rooting of softwood cuttings of dwarfing rootstock for persimmon under fog irrigation Rooting hormone dips did not improve rooting of hardwood cuttings.18Journal of the Japanese Society for Horticultural Science. Factors Affecting Rooting of Japanese Persimmon Hardwood Cuttings
A cutting has to grow new roots from stem tissue, and persimmon stems seem poor at it. The shoot can stay green for weeks and then die without ever rooting. Leaves that hang on for a while are no sign of rooting, because they can live off stored energy until it runs out.
If you want to try anyway, use soft, new-season shoots in late spring and keep humidity very high with a clear cover or mister. Expect most to fail and treat any success as a bonus. Root suckers from an existing tree can sometimes be dug up with a piece of root, though on a grafted tree they come from the rootstock and won’t bear the variety’s fruit.
Choosing a Rootstock
American persimmon is widely used in the southern US and copes with both drought and soggy soil.19Scientia Horticulturae. Rooting of cuttings of selected Diospyros virginiana clonal rootstocks and bud growth in rooted cuttings Trees grafted onto it vary a lot in growth and yield.20Scientia Horticulturae. Rooting of cuttings of selected Diospyros virginiana clonal rootstocks and bud growth in rooted cuttings Asian persimmon seedlings match Asian varieties well and resist crown gall well.21Scientia Horticulturae. Rooting of cuttings of selected Diospyros virginiana clonal rootstocks and bud growth in rooted cuttings Date-plum is vigorous and cold- and drought-hardy, but it doesn’t match some varieties and catches crown gall more easily.22Scientia Horticulturae. Rooting of cuttings of selected Diospyros virginiana clonal rootstocks and bud growth in rooted cuttings
The trade-offs show up in the orchard. On American persimmon roots, Asian varieties grew more vigorously but didn’t yield more, partly from more fruit dropping.23Irrigation Science. Rootstock-specific responses of ‘Rojo Brillante’ persimmon grafted onto Diospyros lotus and Diospyros virginiana to irrigation dose and planting layout, with implications for water status, fruit abscission and irrigation water productivity Date-plum roots gave steadier harvests in irrigated orchards.24European Journal of Agronomy. Agronomic and physiological responses of mature ‘Rojo Brillante’ persimmon grafted onto Diospyros lotus and Diospyros virginiana under spring-regulated deficit irrigation in Mediterranean conditions Some trees on American roots decline when the wood at the graft turns brown and gums up, blocking water flow.25Scientia Horticulturae. Decline of persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) trees on Diospyros virginiana rootstocks
American persimmon seedlings are genetically diverse because they come from seed, so each gives a slightly different root system. Two trees of the same variety on American roots can differ in size and in how heavily they bear.
Grafting works best when scion wood and rootstock are closely related, which is why Asian varieties on Asian seedlings tend to be a safe match. Date-plum’s trouble with some varieties is an example, so check that your variety is known to work on it before using it.
To match rootstock to your yard, remember that heavy or wet clay favors American persimmon, and grafting an American variety calls for American rootstock. If you don’t want to wait for seeds, buy rootstock seedlings from a nursery, and ask what rootstock they used for your local climate.
Transplanting Young Persimmons Without Losing Them
Young persimmons have deep taproots and fleshy surface roots that get damaged when dug.26Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes Their roots don’t regrow until the tree is fully in leaf and the soil has warmed.27Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes New leaves open using stored energy in the trunk and roots, so they can look healthy while the roots haven’t recovered. If watering stops, the top may wilt because damaged roots can’t keep up.28Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes
Root-prune a season ahead to encourage bushier side roots.29Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes Push a sharp spade straight down in a circle around the tree, leaving it in place. The cut roots branch, so by next season the root ball is denser and easier to lift. Water normally in the meantime so the new roots can develop. Nurseries trim the taproot when moving seedlings at about 20 cm tall.30Options Méditerranéennes: Série A. Séminaires Méditerranéens. Cultural practices for persimmon production
Move nursery trees at the start of their third growing season.31Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes Cut the top back by a third to a half to balance lost roots.32Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes Lay black plastic mulch to warm the soil, hold moisture, and stop weeds.33Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes Don’t trim off dark roots, which are normal for persimmon, not dead.34Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes
For the first summer, water deeply whenever the top few inches of soil dry. Sun-warmed water from a hose left out works well. Keep watering even after strong new growth appears, and treat afternoon wilting as a sign the roots are struggling.
To finish the first year, paint the trunk with white latex or use a trunk guard to prevent sunscald.35Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes Remove the plastic and stop watering in August to help the tree harden for winter.36Journal of Arboriculture. Two Promising Fruit Plants for Northern Landscapes
Helping Young Trees Grow Faster
Certain soil fungi partner with roots and help them take up water and nutrients like phosphorus and zinc.37TÜBİTAK Academic Journals. Effects on growth of persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) rootstock of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species Inoculated American persimmon seedlings grew heavier shoots and roots than untreated ones.38TÜBİTAK Academic Journals. Effects on growth of persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) rootstock of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species Asian persimmon seedlings also grew more and took up more nutrients with these fungi.39Folia Horticulturae. Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on early development of persimmon seedlings The fungi grow threads into the soil that extend the root’s reach, which helps most with phosphorus and zinc because they don’t move far through soil.
Adding a mycorrhizal product at sowing or potting is a low-cost option. Sprinkle granules where roots will touch them, not on the surface. Avoid heavy phosphorus fertilizer, which can reduce the fungi’s benefit. Garden soil with organic matter often already has some of these fungi.