How to grow Persimmon

Diospyros kaki · kaki persimmon, Japanese persimmon, kaki

The Asian persimmon is a deciduous fruit tree from East Asia, up to about 10 m tall, grown for its orange autumn fruit that often hangs on after the leaves fall. Astringent kinds are eaten only when fully soft, non-astringent ones while still firm; trees can be injured below about −12 °C.

Quick facts

Type	Fruit tree
Family	Ebenaceae
Light	Full sun
Soil pH	6–6.5
Frost	tolerates light frost
Sowing to harvest	1460 days
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Harvest from October to November (northern hemisphere).

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	nitrogen, at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 7 days	—	—
Fruiting	every 7 days	—	—
Harvest	every 7 days	—	—
Winter rest	—	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Full sun, 6 or more hours of direct sun a day.

Soil

Grows best in loamy, moist but well-drained soil with pH 6.0–6.5; the roots rot in soil that stands wet.

Care

Water a young tree every week of the growing season when there is less than 2.5 cm of rain, especially during the spring flush and in summer. Feed lightly, and only if needed, as the new shoots emerge in early spring; too much fertiliser makes the seedless fruit drop. Mulch well and water evenly, because drought or waterlogging also causes fruit drop. Prune in winter, removing crossing, shaded, diseased and broken branches. Most kinds set fruit without a pollinator.

How to tell it is ripe

The skin has reached full colour, yellow-orange to orange-red, with no green left.
The skin looks smooth and shiny.
Fruit is usually ripe once most of the leaves have fallen from the tree.
Astringent types are picked hard once fully coloured and are ready to eat only when soft like jelly.
Non-astringent types are sweet and can be eaten while still firm, though they taste better slightly softened.
A bitter, mouth-puckering taste means an astringent fruit needs more time to soften indoors.
Cut each fruit with hand clippers, keeping the leafy calyx and a short piece of stem, and handle it gently because even firm fruit bruises.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.