A Jiro Persimmon is a zone 6 plant. The problem with trees that you buy from local nurseries is that many (most?) of them are planted too deep in the pots or in the burlap in which they come. As a result when homeowners plant them at the same level, the tree is planted too deep in the landscape, and it eventually dies. If it looks like a telephone pole going into the ground it's too deep. You need to see the root flare. And don't be fooled into thinking the graft is the root flare.

The winter didn't kill it. We had snow cover for about 3 months and the temps under snow cover are about 32 degrees. I'm in zone 5B and I planted a Forest Pansy Redbud, which is likely a Zone too high for me, and it came through fine. You might have gotten some die back from branches above the snow, but it didn't get "frozen by the winter."

If your tree is not yet dead, and you can tell this by scraping the bark on one or two branches to see if you get some green, then I would suggest you dig it up and bare root the plant. Replant it at the correct depth that allows you to see the root flare at the bottom of your tree. Don't amend the soil in which you plant it, but give it a decent sized circle of mulch around the base. Use 2 inches of wood chips for mulch.

Then treat it like a new plant. Make a saucer of soil to hold the water and then fill that saucer at least twice every day for two weeks. Then fill it every other day and gradually less. When we get drought in July and August make sure it gets supplemental water. By Fall it should be fine.

Steve

If you are in Zone 6, be safe and buy an American Persimmon. Also, trees that grew in this area are often better adapted to local conditions then ones grown in the south.

Thank for the advice.

I have planted about a dozen fruit trees, besides many flower trees and roses. Other than some roses and cedar tree, most of them survived the winter without problem. I paid attention to the root flare, and put several inches thick of mulch around the trees for wintering. All the other fruit trees like peach and pear survived the last two really harsh winters. So I do not think my planting, even if less than maximum perfect, is responsible for the death of the persimmon tree.

What I am upset about this persimmon tree is that I was hesitant to spend $70 from the beginning, simply because I have heard a lot of horror stories about Asian Persimmon trees frozen to death in winter, as far south as New Jersey. Needless to say, I have not yet see a successful case in New England for Asian Persimmon. I was persuade by the label of zone 6, and Mahoney's "expert's" claim of withstanding -10 degree Fahrenheit in winter. I am a gardening enthusiast, and carefully monitor my local temperature. Last two winters are already among the harshest in New England, and the lowest temperature I observed is -1 degree Fahrenheit. I was too naive to put two and two together and expect four.

I was laughably naive to assume that Mahoney's warranty of 1 year actually means anything. Now I am thinking of it, it is not very reasonable to expect a low-profit local nursery to honor its warranty. I had good experience with Spring Hill Nursery, who honored its warranty and send me replacement of other kind of flowers when their lavender failed to establish in my garden. It is a pity that Spring Hill Nursery does not carry many fruit trees.

That is why I want to leave my experience as a record for everyone in Garden Web or in general public. Try Asian Persimmon in New England only if you are fully prepared to lose the tree and the warranty protection from the store.

Now I will start to pay attention to hardy American Persimmon, with some varieties hardy to zone 5 and -30 degree Fahrenheit. I will try to taste some American Persimmon first, to see if I like its taste, and then look around for local nursery that carries it.

In the past I had uniformly bad experience with mail-order fruit trees, so if I am not convinced by some web store, I will stay local.

The Nasami Farm/Garden in the Woods sell small potted American Persimmon grown locally...I've had good luck with the one I purchased from them. You can also sometimes get cheap bare-root ones from the County Conservation District plant sales around now. There is an issue with buying them bare-root...mail order places typically refrigerate bare-root trees to keep them dormant until they are shipped. For some reason, American Persimmon often have trouble waking up from dormancy after they've been refrigerated.

Easycity,

Ed makes a good point about stock being grown in the South. Most local nurseries have their stock grown in the South and then shipped up in the Spring. That's how they have plant material ready to grow. When I unwrapped the Balled and Burlaped trees I bought from Briggs in order to bare root them, they were being grown in red clay. This is another reason why it's a good idea to bare root trees before planting.

If you are looking for Northern grown stock, Stark Brothers usually has them.

You may be right that the Jiro won't work in your zone, but every place lists it as Zone 6, not just Mahoney's. But I am very much in agreement with you that they should honor their warranty.

Steve