Re: Growing Persimmon from seed
- To: <propagation@mallorn.com>
- Subject: Re: Growing Persimmon from seed
- From: "* T* <m*@clark.net>
- Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 02:35:14 -0500
No, no...never curb your fervor....that's a gardening sin ;-) Fervor is
GOOD!
I have never tried germinating the common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana),
but nature does it with the seeds from the natives on my property.
My handy-dandy "Seeds of Woody Plants in North America" by James A. and
Cheryl G. Young says the following - compacted a bit:
Collect seed as soon as fruit is soft and ripe; clean by removing pulp;
spread out to dry. Dry seed can be stored in sealed, dry containers at 5C.
Natural germination usually in April or May but 2-3 year delays have been
noted. Delay caused by seedcoat, which caps the radicle. Removal of this
cap results in complete germination.
Seed dormancy may also be broken by prechilling for 60 to 90 days. Acid
scarification has also been used. Lalman and Misra (1980) say phenol
compounds in the seedcoat responsible for dormancy of seeds in D.
melanoxylon and could be leached out with water. Separate study determined
that acid scarification and use of gibberellin enhanced germination.
Seeds of D. kaki have highest germination when planted immediately after
collection.
Nursery and field practice: Sow in fall or prechill and sow in spring. In
Missouri, fall sowing at depth of 5cm is normal and seedbeds are mulched.
Avg. yield of 25 to 33% trees is easily obtainable. Seedlings have strong
tap root and should be field planted at the end of the first season.
Go for it, say I !! Try soaking in water for a couple of days with a few
drops of liquid dishwashing soap, like Joy, in it...change the water every
day, then plant in a pot and put it in a zip lock bag in the fridge for 2
or 3 months and then put the pot outside and see what happens. Or, if you
have to wait until the next time fruit is ripe to collect, soak them and
plant them in pots put outside for winter. Protect pots from critters and
debris by covering with a screencloth box (just cut and bend and wire
screendoor screening into a box shape to fit your pots or flats...works a
treat and doesn't take much time or talent.) Put pots/flats in a shady
place that gets rained and/or snowed on and leave Mother Nature to do the
stratification for you. Check them during dry periods to make sure they
don't dry out. Never discard seedpots for at least 3 or 4 years,
especially for seed of woody plants and perennials...some are very slow to
decide to germinate. If you can't stand the suspense, you can - very-
gently poke around to see if the seed is still firm and not a moldy mess.
Of course, if it's mush, that's it. But if not, cover it back up and just
leave it sit.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: Glider Onair <mephitus@hotmail.com>
> To: propagation@mallorn.com
> Subject: Re: Growing Persimmon from seed
> Date: Friday, February 26, 1999 8:42 PM
>
> Nawww, try it. You can't do any worse than fail!
>
> Thanks for flying,
> Glider
>
> <<Thanks to all you really nice people for the advice regarding the
> persimmon
> seed.
>
> Wow! it sounds like I'm in way over my head, and since I can't make
> Nasty seeds
> germinate I'd better curb my fervor.>>
>
>
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