North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Richard Moyer <ramoyer@gmail.com>]

Bassem,

We are in Zone 6, higher elevation East Tennessee.  Hana Fuyu is our best performer of the different Asian Persimmons we have fruited to date.  I recall another NAFEXer in PA who wrote either on this list or in Pomona that Hana Fuyu does well for them, but it tends to bear heavily just every other year (biennial bearing).

 

One of our Hanas took about 6-7 years before fruiting and bearing.  The other bore about 3 years after topworking onto Virginiana rootstock, and would have borne the second year had the blooms not frozen.  So we did have one tree that waited years until bearing, longer than yours has.

 

Hira Tanenashi blooms well for us and sets fruit heavily, but most or all of the fruits have dropped during the last two years, on two trees in two different locations.  Two Hana Fuyu trees, growing beside the Hiras in each case, have not dropped their fruit.

 

So at our place, Hana Fuyu is a winner. 

We are trialing about 6 other kinds of Asian or Kaki persimmons here in Zone 6, and 4 of these had enough growth this year that we are hopeful for fruit next year.  We're trying to find those types that have the highest chill, or latest break in dormancy, as we can get freezes into mid-late May, which kills the kaki crop for the year.  On the other end, we need those that ripen enough before late October, typically our first freezes.  So some of the most common types of Asian persimmons get frozen out on either end.

 

We have not picked our Hana Fuyus yet, as no hard freezes, just several frosts over the past week.  But most of our tree fruits were later this year, due to cool spring and early summmer.  We greatly enjoy the kaki fruit, as they gradually ripen at cool room temps into early January.  Have seen them used at Chris Inhulsens house as Christmas decorations.

 

Don't give up on Hana Fuyu yet!

Richard Moyer

Bristol, TN

 

 

 

Bassem wrote:

I Planted a hana fuyu 3 years ago... It didn't have any winter damage, even though temperatures been dropping to -5 each winter... the tree is about 18 ft high. the caliper is large enough to fruit. It didn't bloom or fruit yet...
Have anyone been successfully growing Hana fuyu or any other oriental persimmon in colder zones?

Bassem
zone 6
Bethlehem, pa