North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Lucky Pittman <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>]

At 03:22 PM 4/13/2007, Hal wrote:
> I am only familiar with grafting persimmons onto larger stock with bark
> grafts, not bench grafting. I would think whip and tongue would work when
> the stock is pushing leaves well, but I'm not certain.

I've only done grafting onto seedling D.virginiana rootstock that was 
well-established, either in the nursery bed or in situ; have not done 
any 'bench-grafting'.
While I now do bark grafts almost exclusively, the first few 
persimmons I grafted were done as simple whip/splice grafts - dormant 
scions worked onto actively-growing rootstocks of similar 
diameter.  I got 100% successful takes(4/4) but perhaps I didn't know 
any better than to do them like an apple.
My own opinion is that the type of graft performed is less important 
than aftercare.  Persimmons vigorously push shoots from 
latent/dormant buds below the graft, and it is essential to keep 
those rubbed off - you almost have to do this on a daily basis; 
otherwise, these rootstock shoots will rapidly assume dominance and 
your grafted scion will shrivel and die.

Lucky Pittman
USDA Cold Zone 6
AHS Heat Zone 7
Hopkinsville, KY