Exotické rostliny, Zdeněk Černoch, Větřkovice u Vítkova

Diospyros kaki originates in China and it could be described as multitrunked or single-stemmed shrub or small tree with distinctively short trunk. Diospyros can grow up to 15m, but it can be more often seen in rather compact forms, rarely above 5-6 meters. It is much easier to work around and harvest from not so high tree and therefore it rarely reaches in maximal potential height. Pruning and shaping is usually very ineffective, because Diospyros quickly starts growing with its typical natural habit making it one of the most difficult to cultivate trees.

Each persimmon tree is characterized by widely oval (close to round) leathery leaves (5-25cm x 3-15cm long) with very distinctive petioles. Unisexual male or female flowers are borne in the leaf axils; male flowers are very small (1-2cm long, more in diameter), green white, yellowish green or light yellow and grow in clusters of 3 and more. Female flowers are much bigger (5-4cm high, 3-6cm in diameter) and very fragrant; they usually grow on young shoots or soft wood. Furthermore they have 4 very distinctive petals and are surrounded by a green calyx. Most of the Persimmon varieties are heterogamous.

 

 

Persimmon fruit is oblong, slightly spherical, usually rounded or flattened, orange, yellow, red or brown grape. It has big calyx consisting of four parts and the ripe fruit can weigh 120-400g. Its pulp has usually the same coloring as skin and is popular because of its excellent flavor. Unripe fruit can have lots of tanning agents, bitter and unpleasant flavor that vanishes as it ripens. Each fruit usually contains 0-8 seeds.

Subdivisions of persimmon varieties according to University of Florence

CFNA varieties – sweet cultivars

This group represents settled varieties (seedless or not) - those cultivars that produce invariable fruit when its pulp or skin color doesn’t change no matter what is the pollen’s origin (no metaxenia). Further cultivar subdivision is into sweet or bitter fruit. Sweet settled cultivars produce fruit with light pulp and very sweet flavor without any bitterness even when it is unripe.

Early varieties

 

Semi-early varieties

 

 

Late varieties

 

CFA varieties – bitter

The fruit of always bitter cultivars has light pulp before and after ripening. Unripe pulp is very bitter, but the bitterness fades as it ripens and the pulp becomes sweet.

Early varieties

Semi-early varieties

 

Late varieties

VFNA varieties – varying sweet

This group of cultivars is represented with varying fruit that can change pulp color and flavor depending on the pollen’s origin. VFNA fruit is usually completely seedless and has pale, bitter pulp that sweetens and darkens as it ripens. Fruit formed from pollinated flower that creates 1-2 seeds may be sweet even before fully ripening.

Early varieties

Semi-early varieties

 

Late varieties

VFA varieties – variable bitter

VFA varieties produce fruit filled with seeds and then it only depends on how many seeds here are in inside each Persimmon. Pulp containing 1-3 seeds darkens after ripening, but the only sweet flavor is in the flesh surrounding the newly seeds. The rest of the Persimmon will remain bitter until it fully ripens. If there are more than 4 seeds inside the fruit, then the entire pulp sweetens as soon as the seeds are formed before ripening. Variable varieties are Tsurunoko, Hyakume,Yemon, Okame, Yeddo-ichi, Maru, Zengi – maru, Gosho – gaki and many other, less significant cultivars.

Early varieties

Semi-early varieties

pozdní odrůdy

 

Unclassified Diospyros kaki cultivars:

 

 

Persimmon is an excellent fruit that contains lots of vitamin C (sometimes even more than 90mg/100g of pulp). Its pulp is made of many important elements such as water (76-80%), sugars (12-22%), proteins (1,4%), fat (0,5%), organic fibers (1-2%), minerals (0,15-0,3%), acids (0,16-0,25%) and polyphenol. The fruit is usually processed into syrups, jams, wine, ice cream and puddings… Usually some amount of pulp is dried and distributed to shops each year.

Persimmon originates in warm, almost subtropical climate with hot, wet summers and dry, cold winters with minimal temperatures dropping to -4°C. Nowadays it is also cultivated in areas and parts of the world, where winter temperatures can drop to -18°C, which is no problem for many varieties out there.

Persimmons can be propagated by seeds or grafting on Diospyros virginiana and Diospyros lotus. Seedlings start to produce the fruit in the 4^th, 5^th or 6^th season, grafted plants usually bloom 2^nd or 3^rd year after planting in the field. Both grafted plants and seedlings reach the most prolific age in the 10^th-12^th season and the prolific age usually lasts another 40-60 years. Persimmons can live up to 100 years.

This interesting tree blooms in subtropical areas usually by the end of April or early in the May, when it has new spring foliage. It flowers somewhat later in the Czech lowlands, usually in the second half of May or during colder years also in early June. The fruit of early varieties ripens in the middle of October, semi-early varieties ripen late in October and late varieties some time in November. Overripe fruit falls on the ground and quickly decays.

The best rootstock for our climate is Diospyros virginiana and the reason is its shorter vegetation period and better frost hardiness. Czech Republic is located in the northernmost cultivation zone of Japanese Persimmon (except for southern Morava and Polabí, where it is usually cultivated and grafted on Diospyros lotus) It is vital to carefully consider the climate and choose the most suitable rootstock; the most important factors are annual minimum and maximum temperatures along with the vegetation period length. Almost every Diospyros cultivar requires annually around 2800-3000°C.

Japanese Persimmons should be planted in protected localities with slow winds and lots of sun (southern walls, backyards…). It requires direct sun and soils rich in nutrients, minerals and annual precipitation. If you want to harvest as high yields as possible, you should regularly fertilize persimmon trees with organic fertilizers and irrigate during the hot days as much as possible. Sometimes it is wiser to cultivate persimmons in big containers and recover them inside for winter. Ideal winter temperatures should be around -5°C.

If you decide to plants Diospyros into the garden, it is important to plant only the strongest, well grafted and vigorous plants with strong roots. It should be grown in the biggest possible container. Ideal time for planting is during early spring shooting or after the first growth period – in the middle of June. Persimmon seedlings planted in the soil grow slowly at first, because they grow under ground level, but then, sometime in the 3^rd season suddenly burst and shoot extremely vigorously and start growing really fast. Well established specimens can annually grow more than 3m.

 

 

 

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