North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[mauch1@aol.com]

 <<Has anybody had any success at sprouting persimmon seeds?  I've tried several
times and always failed.  Any advice would be helpful--I obviously don't know
what I'm doing.>>

 

I had success like most of those described here.  I too stratified in the refridgerator, but I

used lighlly damp paper towels instead of peat moss.

 

Planted the seeds towards Spring and then they sprouted.

 

<<Now, grafting persimmons...that's where I have not been as 
successful. I get only about 50 percent take with whip and tongue 
grafts made when rootstocks start sprouting leaves. Many persimmon 
stems are deciduous, so one theory that I have is that many of the 
grafts that don't take were made with stems that would have been 
deciduous, so don't live.>>

 

I'm of the opinion that certain kinds of grafting techniques work better for certain

species than other.  I too tried whip and tongue w/out success, but at the advice of

Lucky Pittman, I tried multiple grafts on two rootstocks (8 grafts, 4 varieties) using

bark grafting*  Take wasn't 100%, but probably around 75%.  Unfortunately stock

was large and trees didn't survive transplanting (well one did eventually resprout

low down on stock, but all grafts were lost.

 

Chris Mauchline
SE PA, zone 6
40° 5' N 75° 51'W
~650 ft elevation

 

*bark grafting - stock is larger than scion,  scion dormant, stock in active growth, bark

slipping.  Using clippers, cut stock off perpendicular to growth,  Cut scion as if doing

splice graft (whip & tongue before the backcut is made).  On tip of cut on bark side,

a very small cut to 'bevel' the tip and expose more cambium.  On stock, cut a slit down

bark starting from top of stock.  Open flaps slightly, and then ease scion into slit, leaving very

top of scion cut just above stock.  Wrap stock and scion at graft union with grafting rubber.  '

I then covered top of stock and exposed scion cut with caulking.  Wrapped graft area and

all of scion with parafilm.  Then attached stick to stock so it stuck above scion to protect from

landing birds.  Emerging buds will push through parafilm.