Puttering. 3.28.15

Main orchard.  3.28.15

Jonagold with multigrafts from Fedco.  3.28.15

 Most plants are out of dormancy or nearly so.

Plums are basically finished blooming.  Unable to see if and how much fruit set has happened.  All Asian plums are done.  Toka finished just after Asian plums.  Euro plums, Green gage is almost done, and Stanley is still blooming.  Stanley is the last to bloom.

Sweet cherries are in about full bloom.

Tart cherries barely beginning to bloom.  They really are later than sweet cherries, which is good for late frost avoidance.

Too early to say anything about the apple and plum grafts.  I look at them every day.

Pawpaw flower buds are swelling, Sunflower and NC-1.  I check those every day too.

Persimmons are growing, even Yates that I planted this January.  I often read that they may take until mid or late summer to grow, their first year.  Mine are budding out at the same time as mulberries.  Nikita's Gift and Saijo both have swelling buds, almost open.

The Mishirasu Asian pear graft, that I grafted last year and was eaten off twice by deer, is growing nicely.  The tree is fenced with a deer cage now.  Other grafts on that tree - 3 are have their first flower clusters.  It's been raining during bloom.  Too early to know if there is fruit set.  I should get the first Shinseiki on the Battleground tree this year - 2 year old cleft graft - and the first Hosui, the tree that I planted in 2012 and grafted others onto it since then.

Plum whip and tongue graft.  Ember.  3.28.15

NC-1 Pawpaw flower buds, swelling.  3.28.15

 Grapes are budding out and starting to grow.

Apples nearly blooming.

Prairie fire crab apple, almost blooming.  There are a couple of flowers, so this is among the first of apples to bloom.

Mishirasu growing despite deer browsing.  3.28.15

Yates Persimmon buds swelling.  3.28.15

Persimmons about to bloom. 5.8.17

New Growth with Flower Buds, Saijo Persimmon.  5.7.17

New Growth with Flower Buds, Nikita's Gift Persimmon.  5.7.17

 Persimmon trees are wise to the ways of Spring.  They wait to be among the last to bloom.  New growth has started.  Flower buds form in leaf axils of new stems.  It may be a month before they are fully open, but with nice warm weather and sunshine, possibly sooner.

I've never seen Chocolate persimmon bloom.  Since this cultivar has both male and female flowers, I'm guessing two shapes of buds represent the 2 sexes of flowers.

This will be the first time for Yates American persimmon.  Will there be fruit this fall?  If so, that will be my first taste of American persimmons.

New Growth with Flower Buds, Coffee Cake Persimmon.  5.7.17

New Growth with Flower Buds, Yates Persimmon.  5.7.17

Edit 5.31.17  I had incorrectly stated "Chocolate Persimmon."  This graft is the variety "Coffee Cake".  To make it even more confusing, "Coffee Cake" is probably more accurately called "Nishimura Wase", while "Chocolate" is probably  more accurately called "maru".  I tried to find scion for chocolate persimmon this year, but did not find any.  "Coffee Cake" needs a pollenizer for its best flavor, and neither Saijo nor Nikita's gift make male flowers, while "Chocolate" does.

Walking around. Lindens, Herbs, Plant Starts, Persimmons, Ginkgo, 5.21.16

I planted this Greenspire Linden as my birthday tree in September 2012.  The tree was an end of season sale at Home Depot, with roots encircling the container.  I pruned off the encircling roots, dug in the dry soil, filled twice with water, and did some light pruning to one leader a the top.  I watered twice monthly the first summer, once monthly the second summer, and little or none, last summer.

This Linden has become a nice looking tree.  Much taller and more full.  There are 3 other Greenspire lindens around the yard, started smaller, planted later, but still growing nicely.  They all have many flower buds.  I planted these especially for the honeybees to have an excellent pollen and nectar source.

I also planted a Redmond American Linden, which was smaller, but has grown fast and is covered with flower buds now, as well.

Around the yard, Lavenders are blooming.  Honeybees are foraging the lavenders.  Chamomile is growing nicely, started from seeds this winter.  There are quite a few volunteer nasturtiums growing.  I have some other spots where I might plant some nasturtium seeds.

 The Saijo and Nikita's Gift Persimmons have flower buds, with the Nikita's Gift covered and Saijo with just a few.  The Yates American Persimmon has taken off and growing fast.  Any stems that stick out from the fencing are eaten quickly by the damn deer.

Blue-grey Lavendar.  5.21.16

Chamomile.  5.21.16

 Grape cuttings started late winter have a small amount of growth.   The largest are past the stage where they could be growing just on stored nutrients, so must have roots.

The ginkgo tree that I moved in January this year is looking good.  The leaves are smaller than expected for an established gingko tree, but OK for one in it's first Spring after a big move.

I have a bucket with onw 1/4 inch hole drilled in the bottem.  If there is no rain for a week, I fill the bucket with water, let it drain, move it and repeat, then move to a third location and repeat again.

Volunteer Nasturtium.  5.21.16

Saijo Persimmon Flower Buds.  5.21.16

Yates American Persimmon, in ground about 2 years.  5.21.16

Nikita Gift Persimmon Flower Buds.   5.21.16

Price Grape Cuttings, a few month old.  5.21.16

Ginkgo tree transplanted Jan 2016.  5.21.16

Persimmon Progress Report. 4.28.16

Scion of Asian Persimmon "Chocolate" on "Saijo" branch.  Two Weeks.  4.28.16

Early Flower Bud of Persimmon "Saijo".  4.28.16

 At only 2 weeks, I don't expect much.  Temperatures have been lower - lows in high 30s, highs in 60s and 70s.   I uncovered the "Chocolate" Persimmon grafts so that if the buds do break, they won't be too pale and sun sensitive.  The buds look a little plump, and maybe larger than when I grafted.  That could be wishful thinking.

Meanwhile there are quite a few buds on Saijo, and lots and lots of buds on Nikita's gift.  Those are both in their 4th year, from bare root planting.  Both are considered parthenocarpic - bearing fruit without pollinization - so I may get something here.

The American persimmons, Yates (one year) and Prairie Star (two years) are growing nicely.  Yates had some deer munching, but it looks like it was not delicious.  Only one twig eaten, so far.

Early Flower Buds of Persimmon Variety "Nikita's Gift".  4.28.16

As with the pawpaws, if I actually get some fruit on these persimmons, that will be "the bomb".

Persimmon Fall Color and Fruits. 10.1.18

Yates Persimmon.  10..21.18

Nikita's Gift Persimmon.  10.21.18

 Here are some of the persimmon trees, showing fall color.  The Yates American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) fruits have already ripened, and have been eaten.  Despite small size, their flavor is the best I have ever eaten.  The crop was small this year, about a dozen fruits.  The tree is still young.  For size, those are 5 foot tall fence posts. 

The second is Nikita's Gift Persimmon, a Ukranian hybrid of D. virginiana and D. kaki.  The fruits are beginning to ripen, but not quite ready yet.  There is a fairly  large crop this year.  I did not water this tree at all this summer, a long, hot, dry summer.  Therefore, the fruits are smaller but I imagine the flavors will be more concentrated.

Saijo Japanese (Asian) Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) always looks droopy in my yard.  The fruits are good, and should ripen in the next month.  It also did not receive any water this summer.

Not pictured yet, the other American Persimmon Tree,  Prairie Star.  That tree got off to a difficult start in previous years, due to rabbits and/or deer eating it off multiple times.  However, the tree finally recovered, and is now a tall, about 9 foot, whip.  If all goes well, expect the first fruits in 2 more years.

Nikita's Gift Persimmon, with fruits.  10.21.18

Saijo Persimmon Tree.  1021.18

Pawpaws and Persimmons. Progress Report. 4.18.15

Pawpaw blossom.  Sunflower pawpaw.  4.18.15

Saijo Persimmon with frost damage.  4.18.15

Yates Persimmon with frost damage.  4.18.15

There was a small frost.  Some damage occurred for new shoots and new leaves of grapes, some figs, Saijo persimmon, Yates persimmon sapling, Illinois Everbearing mulberry.  The plums and apples do not appear affected.  I'm not sure about the peaches, might be some peach leaf curl or other condition.  For the most part, I think the effects look minor and the plants should recover without problems.

Nikita's Gist Persimmon has nicely greened swelling buds, but they still look too tight to have been affected by the frost.

The first flower on the first pawpaw has opened and begun to color.   This is on Sunflower.  Too early to collect pollen and there are no other pawpaw flowers open to pollinate, yet.

Grafting Progress Report. Persimmons breaking Dormancy. 4.14.16

Graft Progress.  NOID Asian pear on Maxie. 4.14.16

 These Asian and American pear whip-and-tongue grafts were done about mid Feb, so now at 2 months.  I grafted early beacuse I thought Spring might arrive early.  The Asian variety is growing the fastest, and the American variety is close behind.  The vivid green color stands out against the reddish leaf color of the Maxie hybrid pear understock.

I give the early pear grafting experiment a success rating.  I've read that pears are the easiest fruit to graft, with apples coming in second.  Even so, it's a very rewarding project.

As pear pollenizers, these will likely need 2 to 3 years to bloom.   I have not seen pear grafts bloom one their second leaf, and some not on their third leaf.

Graft progress.  "Rescue" pear graft at 2 months.  4.15.16

New whip/tongue grafts.  "Chocolate" persimmon on Saijo stock.  4.15.16

 I read that persimmons are more difficult to graft, and need some special considerations.  It helps to have understock that is in active growth.  I also read that they should have protection from sun, so that the scion does not dry out before it takes.  We have temps in the 80s predicted within a few days.  I obtained scion for the persimmon variety, "Chocolate", at the Home Orchard Society scion exchange, and kept wrapped in plastic, in refrigerator, until this week.  I did 2 whip/tongue grafts onto Saijo, wrapped completely in parafilm tape, and further wrapped in aluminum foil to protect from sunshine.  They will need checking in a week, but I doubt a take in less than a month if they take at all.

I chose "Chocolate" because (1) they had it, (2) I read that "Chocolate" has some male flowers so can pollenize other persimmons - not likely needed, but interesting to consider, (3) I bought some of this variety fruit at Albertson's last winter and they really were good.  On the negative side, I also read this variety might not have time to ripen in Maritime Northwest cool summer/fall.  This is where grafting is helpful - I don't waste the time, orchard space, tree care, and money, for a full one-variety tree that might not bear at all.

Most of last year's grafts have healed to the point where the graft unions are difficult to see.  They are sturdy, stout branches now (plum) or are on their way to being so (apple).

Hanska plum whip/tongue graft at one year.  4.15.16

Hanska plum whip/tongue graft at one year.  4.15.16

 Persommin update, grafting and observations of growth.

I read that persimmons can be more challenging to graft, compared to other fruit trees.  It is reported that helpful measures include, grafting the dormant scion onto actively growing rootstock, and sheltering the graft from sun until it takes.  I obtained scion of the persimmon variety "Chocolate" at the Home Orchard Society scion fair a few weeks ago, and stored wrapped in foil / plastic bag, in the refrigerator.  Now the existing trees are growing actively, so I cut the scion in half and grafted to two sites on the variety "Saigo".    I wrapped fully with Parafilm tape and covered with aluminum foil.  I may change the foil wrap to something more loose in a couple of weeks, depending on how they look.

The persimmon variety "Chocolate" is reported as having occasional male flowers, which is not necessary for Saijo or Nikita's gift, but might be interesting in the future.  According to Raintree, Maritime Pacific Northwest summers are too cool for ripening fruit of this variety, so I did not want to buy an entire tree.  On the other hand I've tasted "Chocolate", grown in Willammete Valley, and liked them very much.  They are reported to have occassional male flowers, which might be interesting.  Saijo and Nikita's gift, my other two Asian or Hybrid varieties, are not considered to need pollination, however.

The American persimmon varieties are leafing out more slowly, compared to Saijo.  Nikita's Gift is between the two.  There is still potential for frost, but that seems like a minimal risk now.  Saijo has the start of a few flower buds, which emerge on new growth, not directly from dormant stems.

"Yates" American persimmon at 2nd leaf.  4.14.16

Nikita's Gift hybrid persimmon early growth.  4.14.16

Saijo Asian persimmon with emerging flower buds.  4.14.16

Persimmon and Pawpaw Progress Report. 5.19.15

Flower Buds on Nikita's Gift Persimmon.  5.19.15

Last Remaining Flower on Sunflower Pawpaw.  5.19.15

All but one of the pawpaw flowers fell  off.  The one that remains is on Sunflower.  It takes a close look to see the developing ovary.  I don't know.  It might give a couple of pawpaws.  This one flower is the last chance for this year.

Saijo Persimmon had some flower buds but they fell off without opening.  Nikita's gift started growth much later, compared to Saijo, the growth is much thicker and stronger, and there are a few flower buds.  The tree is only about 3 feet tall.

Yates American Persimmon is also growing strong, and has some flower buds.  This is first leaf for that one.

Late blooming fruits, and developing fruits. 5.22.17

Persimmon Nikita's Gift, flower buds.  5.21.17

 The late blooming fruits are not affected by early spring rains, which gives them a better chance compared to Asian pears, plums, peaches, and cherries.  The persimmons have lots of nice flower buds.  Some of those, and some leaves, have hail damage, but I think most should pull through.  Some fruit trees, maybe most, don't bear the first year they bloom.  Yates American Persimmon has lots of little flower buds, for the first time.  So we'll see about that one. 

Grapes are an exception, usually bear grapes if they bloom, even the first year.  This is the first year they have a lot of flowers at the Battleground place.   Some are 2, 3, or 4 years from planting or cuttings.

Persimmon flower buds, Saijo.  5.22.17

Persimmon flower buds, Coffee Cake.  5.22.17

"Illinois Everbearing" Mulberry flowers.  5.22.17

 Mulberry tree is covered with flowers.  Looks very promising.

Early figs forming on "Lattarula".  5.22.17

Grape "Buffalo" flower buds.  5.22.17

American Persimmon. Diospyros virginiana. 1.21.15

Image source:  Plant Illustrations.org 

Diospyros virginiana L.

Catesby, M., The natural history of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands, vol. 2: t. 76 (1754)

Diospyros virginiana L.

Catesby, M., The natural history of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands, vol. 2: t. 76 (1754)

From "Today in History" via the Library of Congress,

On the afternoon of December 16, 1864, Union troops led by General George H. Thomas devastated Confederate forces at Nashville, Tennessee. The battle had begun the day before when Thomas initiated an attack after waiting some two weeks for troop reinforcements and favorable weather.

In November, in an effort to cut off General William T. Sherman's supply line, Confederate General John B. Hood, led the Army of Tennessee out of Alabama and toward Nashville. One of Hood's men remembered the grueling march from Atlanta to Nashville. "After the fall of Atlanta," Confederate veteran Milton Cox told his son John:

we marched northward into Tennessee over frozen ground and how cold it was! Our shoes were worn out and our feet were torn and bleeding…the snow was on the ground and there was no food. Our rations were a few grains of parched corn. When we reached the vicinity of Nashville we were very hungry and we began to search for food. Over in a valley stood a tree which seemed to be loaded with fruit. It was a frost bitten persimmon tree, but as I look back over my whole life, never have I tasted any food which would compare with these persimmons.

19th Century Persimmon tree, Lima Lake, Illinois   Source Univ Chicago.

 Credit line for image:  American Environmental Photographs Collection, [AEP Image Number, e.g., AEP-MIN73], Department of Special Collections, University of Chicago Library.

The image is not dated.  Either late 19th century or eary 20th century.  

American Persimmon is a native American tree, range extending through the old South, northeast to Connecticut, northwest to southern parts if Illinois, and northern Missouri, southwest into NW Texas.

The photo at left is at Lima Lake, Illinois.  I recall my Dad talking about Lima Lake, which was then considered a "swamp", and now would be called a wetland.  The wetland covered an expanse of 10,000 to 12,000 acres near Quincy, IL, the town where my dad spent his life, and where I was born and grew up.   I remember being told that persimmons were bitter, astringent fruits, not suitable for eating.  So never tried one.  I missed out.  A truly ripe persimmon is almost like juicy candy.

Best growth of persimmon was known in the Mississippi river valley, which explains why my Dad was aware of them.

I am interested in some of the native American plants and trees, especially those that might have grown where I grew up.  That is even though I don't live there, and haven't for many years.

Those plants and trees seem somewhat taken for granted.  There are few native American fruit trees - pawpaw, some plums,  and a few others.  Persimmon is also one, known to native Americans, eaten by them, and described in early European colonial works.

Natural range of American Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana.  Source:  JSTOR.org

Source for map image:  JSTOR

Other names for persimmon included  "simmon, possumwood, and Florida persimmon,".  I only knew them as persimmons.

As for growth of American persimmon, they are difficult to transplant at a large size, due to taproot.  Because of that difficulty, some nurseries offer trees at small size, and grow them in specialized tall, narrow, open bottom tree containers.  That is how the persimmon tree came to me from Burnt Ridge Nursery.

From US Silvaculture manual, "Approximately 50 percent of the total radial growth is complete in 70 to 90 days, and 90 percent complete in 100 to 109 days after growth starts in the spring (6). Persimmon responds well to fertilizer."  Based on that info, it seems to me that small persimmon trees should be given nitrogen fertilizer early in Spring or late Winter.  In my yard, that means pee-cycling then.  My tree is just a small sapling.  Other references state not to fertilize, but I think that fertilizing sapling trees might give them a boost, then stop when they are bigger.  The issue with excess nitrogen is it can cause fruit drop.  Fruit drop is not a concern until the trees reach bearing size.

 Also according to the silvaculture manual, trees take a long time to bear, may start in 10 years.  However, seedling trees of most tree species need to go through a maturation process, that is already accomplished in the scion of grafted cultivars.  Because of grafting, the maturation process is skipped, so they may bear - guessing - in 3 to 5 years.  I think the main challenge is getting them large enough, fairly quickly.  The manual also states, "Common persimmon grows in a tremendous range of conditions from very dry, sterile, sandy woodlands to river bottoms to rocky hillsides and moist or very dry locations. It thrives on almost any type of soil but is most frequently found growing on soils of the orders Alfisols, Ultisols, Entisols, and Inceptisols".  I don't know what those soil types mean, but have copied them for future reference.

Image source plantgenera.org

Maritime Pacific NW climate is quite different from the provenance of American persimmons.  I think there are still a lot of unknowns.  However, others have grown them here, and they are available at local mail order nurseries such as Burnt Ridge, Raintree, and One Green World.  The difference in climate is not more than, say, the difference for kaki persimmons, or figs, or peaches, apples, pears, from their origins.

Also from the manual, best growth  "is in areas that receive an average of 1220 mm (48 in) of precipitation annually, about 460 mm (18 in) of which normally occurs during the growing season. Over the range of persimmon, the average maximum temperatures are 35° C (95° F) in the summer and -12° C (10° F) in the winter."    The climate here has a dry summer, most rain being in fall / winter / spring.  Both summer and winter are milder than midwest.   The climate here could be more suitable, or less, or no significant difference, compared to native provenance.

My goal is get the tree off to a good start.  Provide mulch, water well the first couple of summers, provide adequate nitrogen the first couple of years at the right time, and see if we can get a good burst of growth so I have a taste in my lifetime.

The variety that I purchased is reported as not requiring a male pollinator.  If, some time, I find some scion for male persimmon, I may graft them onto either this tree or Saijo, or Nikita's Gift, to produce viable seeds.  That is not a priority for me.

According to One Green World Nursery, "American Persimmon can be grown in all but the coldest regions of the U.S. American Persimmon fruit is ready to eat when it is soft like a tomato... American Persimmon trees are easy to keep at 10-12 ft. in height with pruning."

 The variety I planted is Yates, which is apparently also  called Juhl.  As I recall, this variety originates in Indiana, is larger than most others, and has a darker orange color.