Hey Scott, I just ordered a bunch of 3 gallon containers. I'm going to purchase a 'Saijo' and one other Asian persimmon. Then, in addition to my 'Meader' American, I'm going to purchase a 'Szukis' and one other American cultivar. I want to experiment, after these threes are established single (well-pruned specimens) in producing an Asian Persimmon duo multi-graft (Saijo and one other) and produce an American persimmon trio (Meader, Szukis, and one other). If they don't work out, it will be ok since I'll have them separately growing (pruned). 1.Since you highly recommend the PVNA Asian types, in addition to the 'Saijo', I want to grow one PVNA (perhaps 'Chocolate'); I live in Zone 6b, and I know that 'Saijo' is said to be cold-hardy down to -10F. What would be a recommended variety of PVNA that would be cold-hardy for zone 6? From what I've read, 'Chocolate' is not an option (whereas other sites contradict this, claiming it would work out in zone 6). 2. What varieties of American persimmon (flavor) are you familiar with? Some have suggested 'Szukis' is the best and that 'Meader' is not necessarily the best tasting variety, comparatively. 3. Do you think that I can, forever, continue to summer prune an American persimmon tree - if I wanted to keep it under 10' feet, or would this eventually stress and kill the tree years down the line? 4. As for the 'Saijo' and PVNA Asian varieties, can I place the tree only 8' from my pavers/walk way - or will the roots destroy the paves? I intend to prune the lowest branches so that the lowest limb is above 6' off the ground so that it can spread without obstructing the walk-way. Thanks, Steve

I've got a "Sweet Sixteen" that i put in last spring which looks to have a few flowers. I wonder if its just variety, because i have a few others that didn't flower GOOD until their third year in the ground. I'm sure branch bending also helps.

Oh, not just walnuts, allenwrench, Black Walnuts. A delicious but troublesome cousin. If you decide you want to harvest the nuts, wear rubber gloves and get a sledgehammer or a bench vise. The husks will stain your skin and the shells are somewhere between titanium and diamond on the hardness scale. In fact, I vaguely recall a forum thread somewhere about favorite methods of opening black walnuts. Most amusing was the "Pickup Truck and Cement Driveway" option. You might try searching for the thread if you decide to give it a go yourself. Good luck and good eating!

Overcup oak (Quercus lyrata). The species is the most flood-tolerant of all oaks and the acorns float.