Tree with alternate leaves

[g squared 23]

I came across a patch of small trees together, and then I found what I believe to be the parent tree. This is on the edge of the woods and gets a lot of sunlight. No discernible fruit. I have attempted to include pictures of the bark of the parent tree as well as the biggest of the small trees. Appreciate any input from the group.

 

[Booner21]

Persimmon


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[Native Hunter]

^^^ This. It is likely a male since you aren’t seeing fruit on a tree that big. But, late freezes can occasionally stop fruiting. When it flowers, post pics of them to ID sex. If male, you can topwork some of the smaller ones to female.

 

[g squared 23]

Very cool! Should I attempt to topwork the big one or leave it as a pollinator?

 

[Native Hunter]

Very cool! Should I attempt to topwork the big one or leave it as a pollinator?

In my opinion that big one is pushing the limits of being too big to topwork. I would topwork the smaller ones.

 

[Bill]

Man I saw the bark and instantly became jealous!

 

[Booner21]

In my opinion that big one is pushing the limits of being too big to topwork. I would topwork the smaller ones.

I agree on top working only the small ones maybe try and find someone that has a grafted variety. I have a few but I am historically really bad about collecting scions in the spring or I would send you some.

You could also look online at pics to see flowers for fruiting or just top work them with an improved variety and not wait until they flower. I have grafted a bunch of them and have had decent success with survival. There were some really good threads out there and I found it fairly easy to do.


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[g squared 23]

Man I saw the bark and instantly became jealous!

When I saw it I was very, very excited, but tried not to get my hopes up. First wild ones I’ve found on my place so I’m very pleased. I’ve walked/driven past this area dozens of times, so it goes to show you that the eye only sees what the mind knows.

 

[g squared 23]

Thanks for all the replies, this has certainly made my day. I’m going to cage the smaller trees (the biggest was rubbed last year but survived) to make sure they are ready for topworking next year.

It’s really hard to explain to normies how exciting it is to find a new useful shrub or tree on my property.

 

[yoderjac]

Very cool! Should I attempt to topwork the big one or leave it as a pollinator?

I can't tell the diameter from the pic, but I've had good success bark grafting trees between 1" and 4"-5" in diameter. If you have native persimmons, I would not worry about a pollinator. There will always be male trees around and they are insect pollinated so the pollinator can me a mile away. Cutting down that tree won't kill it. I'd try bark grafting it. After you bark graft a tree that big, you need to remove water sprouts weekly so the tree pushes the graft. If after 3 weeks or so the graft doesn't leaf out, I would keep one of the water sprouts near the top as a new central leader and remove the rest.

 

[Lucky_P]

I'll go a step further - any time you graft any persimmon, regardless of size, you gotta rub off shoots from below the graft at least once or twice a week for the entirety of the first growing season. Persimmon is more determined to outgrow your grafted scion than any other plant species I've worked with.

 

[Lucky_P]

Here's a double-trunked persimmon on the perimeter of my home orchard... had a borer attack and died back almost to the ground before regrowing. I'd not gotten around to re-grafting it 'til last year... cut the tops out and stuck 3 or 4 scions of 'Barbara's Blush' (Lehman WS-8-10) on, as bark inlay grafts. With a 25+ yr-old root system underneath them, they really grew!
May not be 'aesthetically pleasing', but it'll probably be producing fruit this year.

 

[g squared 23]

Here's a double-trunked persimmon on the perimeter of my home orchard... had a borer attack and died back almost to the ground before regrowing. I'd not gotten around to re-grafting it 'til last year... cut the tops out and stuck 3 or 4 scions of 'Barbara's Blush' (Lehman WS-8-10) on, as bark inlay grafts. With a 25+ yr-old root system underneath them, they really grew!
May not be 'aesthetically pleasing', but it'll probably be producing fruit this year.

That’s fantastic.

I haven’t checked my topworks in a while. The “take” rate was not high, maybe 50%.

 

[g squared 23]

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[g squared 23]

I'll go a step further - any time you graft any persimmon, regardless of size, you gotta rub off shoots from below the graft at least once or twice a week for the entirety of the first growing season. Persimmon is more determined to outgrow your grafted scion than any other plant species I've worked with.

Here is one we tried at my brothers place that perfectly illustrates your point. He didn’t knock back the new shoots and the grafts failed

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[Lucky_P]

That’s fantastic.

I haven’t checked my topworks in a while. The “take” rate was not high, maybe 50%.

I've done a few with low horizontal limbs that I left in place - but if/when they start shooting up vertical sprouts, I break them off, or over, at least back to a couple of basal buds... don't want the rootstock even 'thinking' about establishing apical dominance, anywhere, over the graft