Re: persimmons

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My conclusion is that persimmons need heavy watering year round, but  
I am not sure whether the seeds  indicate stress, or just more energy  
to make them.  Maybe it LIKED the cold temperatures in winter and the  
high ones in summer?
I think this is probably true, since they are native to tropical and
subtropical areas, often found in alluvial forests, and really do need good
watering during their fruiting periods.  They also fruit better with both
sexes planted, and it may be that yours was pollinated more efficiently this
last year by the availability of nearby newly flowering cross-pollination
sources.  I would also agree with your guess that it had more energy
available to produce the seeds in the fruit.  It is sometimes difficult to
pinpoint these things: was nitrogen fertilizer from an adjacent source
responsible for the extra fruit?; did the soil get inadvertently acidified
by some other source that made iron more available?  Sometimes you just
don't know.
Here is a link to a pamphlet from North Carolina Cooperative Extension that
gives some good tips:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-377.html
According to the next, more current link from Western Australia's dept. of
AG, a long warm growing season is more essential than any winter chill:
http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/content/HORT/FN/CP/STRAWBERRIES/FN041_1989.PDF
According to this link, yours is probably a "pollination variant' variety
which has darker skins and seeds if pollinated.  That second link is quite
good, even if you skip the first, you should peruse the Western Australia
one.

Karrie Reid
Folsom Foothill Gardener
Zone 9
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