skip to main content

Fruit & Orchards

American persimmon pollination distance, male to female tree?

girlfromthegarden

10 years ago

A quick question to those who may know -

I planted two female American persimmons in April 2006 - one grafted (Dickie), one (SAA Pieper) on own roots from a known female tree (source: John Gordon, upper NY state). Both trees have thrived and are beautiful, the grafted female nearing 17', and the other having had more modest growth by being more shaded, but both are mature and healthy.

The faster-growing tree flowered and bore fruit last year for the first time (seeded, very good tasting,). I opened up the area to let more light onto the smaller persimmon last summer, and this year both trees are flowering heavily. There are a known female and male persimmon pair (mature trees, close to 30' tall, from the old farmstead which sold property to make the subdivision) located slightly over 1/4 mile from my yard. I'm fairly certain it was this male tree which provided pollen for my tree last spring.

Question: Is this distance fairly typical for bee pollination efforts to be successful? I passed the neighborhood male tree this evening while out walking and saw it loaded with flowers, some not yet open, others with a bee on the blossoms even with the cooler temperatures and later hour in the day. My temptation is to cut a (small) branch with male flowers on it and bring it to my yard, where I could place it in a jar with water closer to my own trees, once they're a little farther along opening their flowers,

But perhaps this is overkill?
If the bees in the area normally travel across the back yards "in search of" open blossoms, hopefully they would find all the persimmons within a mile of mine. I'd like to ensure good pollination, especially with the smaller female tree finally blooming.

Not even sure whether I'd know the right timing on bringing the branch, or if the branch-in-water would let the male flowers stay open very long. Advice on whether this would help at all?

Comment (1)

Tony
10 years ago
Gftg,
You can cut a branch and place it in a old one gallon milk jug and make sure you add water to it every couple of days. I would duct taped it to the trunk of the smaller tree. In addition, you can also hand pollinated with a fine art brush to ensure some fruits. You can also freeze some pollens if the trees bloom at a different time. You Can also hope for windy days and let the bees to do their job. Lastly, you can watch YouTube and learn how to bark graft. Collect your male scionwoods in late February and wrapping it with moist paper towel and place in a zip lock bag. Put the bag in the refrig until your trees leafed out some time in May then you can start grafting. Make sure you rub off all the new shoots below your graft union every couple of days until the shoots stop. This is important because you want all the nutrients go to feed the scion. Good luck.

Tony
Related Discussions
Persimmon pollination
Q
Comments (2)
Dutchess, I have some limited experience growing 90 chromosome persimmon without a pollinator, and of the varieties that have fruited for me without seed, Yates is the only one on your list, I do not have the other three. It would be difficult to have two trees, pollinate one and not the other, to determine if one sets more fruit than the other. On my small trees that have fruited, it is my opinion that the fruit set would not be increased by having a pollinator nearby, so pollination would not lead to smaller fruit. In fact, I believe just the opposite is true, without seeds the fruit is somewhat smaller, depending on the variety. Morris Burton is significantly smaller, and I am thinking about topworking it. Yates is maybe a slight bit smaller. I believe that John Rick is in the Early Golden family, and might produce some male flowers, giving you some seeded fruit. Going by memory, I have had Evelyn, Yates, Morris Burton, Geneva Red, Elmo, H118, J20A, Killen, H63A, Mohler, and a few others produce fruit without seed. Benny
...See More
Is the American Persimmon 'Szukis' NOT reliably self-fertile?etc
Q
Comments (3)
Hi Bass, But Jerry Lehman told me that: when grafted, his experience is that 'Szukis' comes out male 1/3 of the time; 1/3 of the time all-female; and 1/3 of the time bisexual (male & female). I really need a reliable source of male flowers and I hope I don't have to just use a complete male to get the job done. However, it makes NO sense to me as to how the tree, when mature, will not have both genders. Jerry Lehman told me that he has not had the experience of observing the tree in maturity, so that it might be that, eventually, both flowers will appear - that makes sense to me, if so. Btw, how can I contact Mr. Gordon; his number is now disconnected. I'm ordering trees through John Brittain but he cannot supply me with all of the varieties I need because he's sold out.
...See More
How can I hand-polinate my American Persimmon tree?
Q
Comments (3)
Unless you have males & females it is hopeless. I raise persimmons, pawpaws, and many nut trees. Currently have 16 producing persimmon trees and 40 seedlings. If you join the NY Nut Growers Association-- http://www.nynga.org/ you will run across many who grow persimmons. as always, /* Phil */
...See More
Can someone please post photos of their American Persimmon Tree?
Q
Comments (10)
Steve, Meader is not self-fertile; however, it is a member of the Early Golden/Garretson family, members of which have a genetic propensity for occasionally having a branch here and there that produces male flowers which can fertilize the female flowers on the rest of the tree - which will result in seeded fruits. Meader will often set seedless fruits in the PNW, but that's a climatic fluke - in the east, you'll either get overproduction of seeded fruit(translating into small fruit size) or no fruit production at all if there is no 90-chromosome persimmon pollen around to fertilize the female flowers on your tree. If there are no native 90-chromosome male persimmons in your area, I'd advise planting one - or even better yet, one of the polygamodioecious(bisexual male) selections, such as Szukis or Claypool F-100. Like gene, I also have some deep-woods persimmons on the farm here that are probably 60 ft tall - and 40+ ft to the first remaining branch; but open-grown persimmons are more likely to take on a spreading orchard-tree type of growth habit, not unlike a standard apple tree. I'm not tech-savvy enough to post photos here, but if you'll send me an email, I've got some photos of heavy-bearing open-grown persimmon trees, and some close-ups of the flowers that I can send as email attachments.
...See More

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

FRUIT TREES How to Grow Your Own Persimmons

By Marianne Lipanovich

Sturdy and easy to care for, these trees offer bright fruit through winter — and keeping them in bounds is no sweat

GARDENING GUIDES Meet the Grass-Carrying Wasp, a Gentle Pollinator of Summer Flowers

By Pollination Press LLC

These fascinating insects nest in wood cavities and hollow plant stems

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: How to Care for American Goldfinches

By Habitat Network

The American goldfinch is a bright-in-the-summer visitor and one of the only vegetarian songbirds. Here's how to give them a healthy habitat

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Create a Home for American Kestrels

By Habitat Network

These copper-colored birds of prey can be found throughout North and South America and often find habitats near human activity

GARDENING GUIDES Plant Black Cherry Trees for the Birds and Bees

By Pollination Press LLC

Plant Prunus serotina in the Central and Eastern U.S. for spring flowers, interesting bark and beautiful fall color

FALL GARDENING 11 Trees for Brilliant Fall Color

By Marianne Lipanovich

Give your landscape the quintessential look of autumn with the red, orange and yellow leaves of these standouts

FALL GARDENING 6 Trees You'll Fall For

By Therese Ciesinski

Don’t put down that spade! Autumn is the perfect time for planting these trees

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Corylus Americana Awakens the Woodland Garden

By Pollination Press LLC

Plant American hazelnut for three seasons of interest and to feed our furry and feathered friends

GARDENING GUIDES Invite Mining Bees to Your Garden by Planting Their Favorite Plants

By Pollination Press LLC

Look for mining bees (Andrena) pollinating woodland wildflowers in U.S. gardens this spring

FARM YOUR YARD Hello, Honey: Beekeeping Anywhere for Fun, Food and Good Deeds

By The Best Bees Company

We need pollinators, and they increasingly need us too. Here, why and how to be a bee friend

Sponsored

More Discussions

Identify an olive tree that is nit flowering after more than 15 years.

8

Small pomegranate for container?

1

Whats wrong with my apple tree?

18

beginning fruit or new leaves

6

No flowers on my apricot tree?

6