Dropping leaves doesn't mean the fruit is ripe. In CA I've tried many persimmon from trees with no leaves that were hard and very astringent. If Nikita's fruit are astringent until ripe, they will need to soften before you can eat them. Try one, you'll find out.

Yeah, the best part of the "astringent" experience is when all of the epithelial cells peel off the inside of your cheeks!

Actually, IMO, the best indicator of ripeness in astringent persimmons is that the flesh becomes translucent. With a little practice, you will soon learn to recognize a ripe astringent persimmon just by the look of the flesh.

I understand the astringent thing with the fruit. Have to let it get real soft, almost mushy, after it is picked.

My question is:

Should the fruit stay on the tree when the leaves are almost or all gone so the fruit is going to be as big as its going to get?

Right now my 3 Nikita's Gift fruit are small to med size and full orange color. The leaves on the tree are about 15% gone and the rest are orange / yellow. Should I pick the fruit or let them to go more?

This is the problem with only 3 fruit on the tree. Not much chances of learning by experimental screw ups!

My experience is limited but I'd leave them on the tree as long as there will be no hard freeze. If a hard freeze is forecast, I'd pick them and ripen them inside. I've got a lot to learn about this fruit. But that is my plan for my Eureka that are turning orange right now. I've got lots of fruit so will let a few hang until they freeze soft outside. Then on the inside ones, I'm going to try different ripening methods.

Last year the best fruit were those that softened on the tree in Oct and Nov. Mid Nov it dropped to 18F. That softened up all the remaining fruit but they weren't as good as those that softened without freezing. So this year I'll try different ripening methods inside.

I was hoping one of the persimmon fanciers would give you an answer. We've got a couple of serious persimmon growers on this forum.

I've seen persimmon trees with all the leaves gone and the fruit still on the tree, so I suggest that you put off harvest for awhile.

Back when my family used to get them, they weren't available until Thanksgiving. That was in the lower San Joaquin Valley in California. I have no idea what zone that is.

I agree with fruitnut. If they were mine, I'd keep an eye on the weather report and remove them before a hard freeze

Thanks to all for the help.

Yes, I plan to let the fruit stay on the tree until a hard freeze comes. Maybe I'l leave 1 fruit on to see the difference and pick 2 before the freeze.

I'm with denni & fruitnut.
Loss of leaves has nothing to do with it. Translucent appearance and softening are prime indicators. Usually, if they're dropping off, they're ripe, but every variety differs.
I don't have NG bearing yet, but its hybrid parent, Rosseyanka, holds its fruit on the tree well into December here - and must either be snipped off or pulled free from the calyx. Currently, the tree is bare of leaves, and the fruits are yellow-orange, but still firm - and probably astringent; however, I've sampled Rosseyanka fruits that were picked at this stage, peeled, sliced, and dried, and they are marvelous, with no astringency remaining.
I'll usually let those hang on the tree until they're soft and translucent, or we're due for a good hard freeze, then pull them off and freeze them for consumption as persimmon-sicles throughout the winter.

In the Fresno valley here the hachiya persimmons are left on the tree after the leaves fall--it makes for a very unusual, decorative appearance with all the red/orange fruit hanging like christmas ornaments and bending the branches almost to a weeping form. Most commonly they are ripe in mid November, regardless of whether the leaves are on or off.

> Currently, the tree is bare of leaves, and the fruits are yellow-orange, but still >firm

Can you expect any further color change once the leaves have dropped?

My persimmons are getting ripe, russian beauty(rosayanka) looking orangee but still very hard. Sayo ,i picked 2 of the tree,totally soft and reddish in color, not bad, tree loaded,jiro are ripe, kiungsun ban si almost red in color still hard, nice size sure look beautiful on the tree. The weather is still good so i leave them on the tree as long as possible.The jiro is sweet but a little flat tasting for me.Sayo is a keeper and maybe next year i get to try a giombo, hopefully another keeper. i am sure like to know if the forum knows of a couple of other better tasting persimmons to grow.

We are way up north in eastern Washington and the sun is low in the sky and getting lower. Ripening persimmons on the tree doesn't work here. I pick them when they are full colored and ripen them indoors. In past years I used the banana in the bag technique. A few weeks ago a poster on this board described an alcohol technique in which the persimmons are swished around in booze and placed in an airtight container for three days to eliminate the astringency. The persimmons are then left out until they soften. I've gone over to the alcohol technique altogether. It's far superior to the banana in the bag technique in my opinion.