Lou: Just my opinion, but I'd plant it asap, mulch the ground heavily, and perhaps protect the top with some of Scott's aluminized bulb wrap. If it is fully hardy, protecting the top would probably not be needed. Indoors is more of a gamble in my opinion because it's not a "natural" environment.

The Fruitnut

Many potted trees are grown in greenhouses. If the Persimmon tree was greenhouse grown I'd keep it in the garage over winter.

Yesterday I saw the most beautiful orange colored persimmons. The tree was twelve feet with a round top green leaf canopy and it looked like it was a loaded Orange tree.

Someone more familiar with Persimmons will have to chime in, but my understanding is this is a deciduous tree. This would imply it has a dormant period. Trying to grow it as a houseplant would likely be challenging when it's supposed to be dormant and may lead to health problems down the road.

I would definitely keep a deciduous tree in a dormant state until outside conditions are safe for it to resume growth.

Lou,

I would call Edible Landscaping. Tell them where you live and get their advice. I suspect the tree has not been in a greenhouse; I know a lot of their larger stock is outside (they can tell you whether this is true of your tree).

I'd treat it like a fig- plant it, mulch it and before true winter cold (below 20F or so) put a ring of fencing around it, fill the ring with stiff leaves (oak), and cap it with a tarp that comes half way down the ring (so leaves don't create a rot problem under the plastic but also don't become too wet from rain. An unheated garage will be fine as well as long as temps stay above 15 or so but don't get warm enough to cause a break in dormancy. The tree needs to have an adequate period of dormancy or it will be weakened so forget treating it like an indoor plant.

I would be concerned that the tree will not harden off adequately to make winter in a marginal zone. However, the advice of contacting EL is actually probably the best. Do what they say, if the tree doesn't sprout out in spring ask for a replacement.

Hi,
I just spoke with a person at Edible Landscaping for advise about how to deal with this new young one-gallon persimmon tree. She stated definitely for me not bring it indoors for the winter. It would die. The tree is now in a semi dormant state growing in an opened up structure. It is getting hit with he full force of Mother Nature so it will be semi hardened off when I get it.. Shortly all the leaves will be shed from the tree. She stated they do that with most of these type fruit trees.

If I want to store it until spring I have two choices conserding that I am in zone 5. Keep it in my unheated garage mulch around the pot 6 inches as well as the area around the tree also keep it watered as needed through the winter months. The second is do just about the same thing keeping it in it's pot outdoors and mulch as stated above..

The best thing she stated to do would be to take the plant and plant it in the location in zone six but I should also mulch that to a depth of 6 inches a well.

When the tree arrives it looks like I will make a trip to my son's property in zone six and plant the tree following her instructions. She claims that it should do okay like that.

I want to thank all of you for chipping in with your thoughts and suggestions.
Regards.
Lou

I've found persimmons to be resilient trees and have lost very few from winter stress and other causes. One that did die over the winter was a container grown Sheng that I had planted during the fall. This was a small plant that I believe was subjected during the season to low temps of about -2F. My thoughts are that while the roots can be mulched and probably protected the branches and trunk are still very small and more susceptible to cold injury than would a tree that previously had had a full season to grow. Since then I have only planted Asian persimmons during the Spring and Summer. As I see it, there's very little to be gained with increased risk planting now. I'd keep it in the unheated garage.

Lou:

My view is that the risks of keeping the tree in its container are greater than planting it in the ground, whether it is kept in the garage or anywhere else.

Plant the tree in its final location, then mulch and provide as much additional protection as you believe necessary in the climate where it will be grown. So I am in agreement with your adviser from Edible Landscaping.

Personally, I would favor planting Asian persimmons in the spring, whether they are container or bare root, but if your deal is already done it's too late for that.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA