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maryhawkins99

Druken Persimmons

maryhawkins99
11 years ago

Does anyone else have persimmon trees want to grow 90 degrees from vertical? That is, 3 feet up, & then bend 90 degrees?

About 1/3 of my persimmons do this. Most are from east coast suppliers using native persimmon rootstock, but I have 1 Dave Wilson tree doing this. None of the persimmons from a Texas supplier on native rootstock have this bend..

The bend is always to the North, or Northeast. Staking doesn't seem to help; if I stake at 3 ft, it bends at 4; if I stake at 5 ft, it bends at 6 ft. For the Dave Wilson tree, I just cut it off at 18 inches, hoping it would do better the second time around. If I shorten the branches on the North Side, they just grow back, & the tree still bends to the north.

Does anybody else have this problem?

This post was edited by bhawkins on Tue, Feb 26, 13 at 8:58

Comments (12)

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    11 years ago

    I inherited a Fuyu persimmon that is planted in full sun on our new property. It is straight and all the branches are full. I can only think that maybe something is shading yours, and that they are reaching for light?

    Is there a larger tree close by or a building?

  • maryhawkins99
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the input. Some are shaded on the south side. But a couple are in full sun, & still lean to the north.

  • Tony
    11 years ago

    Bhawkins,

    Have you try to do an experiment by grafting one of those crooked tree to a D.V seedling rootstock of your own ,and to see if it bends or goes straight up.

    Tony

  • Charlie
    11 years ago

    I thought from the title of your post that you were taking your persimmons out and getting them drunk. I couldn't wait to read it. But it looks like there just a little tipsy. There are two possibilities that come to mind; 1) They are growing toward the light or affected by the wind, 2) they have a genetic tendency to grow that way. I would lean toward the second option if they are from the same type of persimmon.

  • maryhawkins99
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Perhaps i was still "drunken" when I typed "druken".

    I guess I could do an experiment with grafting. Might take some time

    It happens with many different persimmons; ichi kei ki (all 3 of my trees are 60 degrees off vertical), tam kam (at 90 degrees); a gwang yang & coffeecake are at 45 degrees.

    The Ichi's have been a disapointment here in any event, sparse bearers

  • another_buffalo
    11 years ago

    My persimmons may not be drunk, but the critters who eat them could be. The wild persimmons ferment on the ground when they fall in autumn. Turn my bison into that pen were they have been fermenting and they go APE over the fruit. I bet if only one animal got to eat all of them, it would be drunk as a skunk on persimmon wine.

  • Tony
    11 years ago

    Bob,

    Can you take some photos of those trees. Just curious what they look like.

    Tony

  • greenorchardmom
    11 years ago

    whatever
    pixs of the tree would be helpful but I would rather see one of the drunk buffalo

  • yukkuri_kame
    11 years ago

    My Japanese M.I.L. mentioned something about a traditional means of removing the astringency from persimmons involving hard liquor of some sort, possibly whiskey or imoshu (root alchohol, usually made with sweet potato, tastes somewhat like vodka). Sorry, no details.

  • insteng
    11 years ago

    We used to throw pears over the fence to the cattle when they would drop and start to ferment. When they would eat enough you could see them start to stagger around a little. The cattle loved the pears.

  • milehighgirl
    11 years ago

    I too was hoping to hear about something that got drunk on persimmons. I thought of a youtube video I saw showing drunken squirrels.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Drunk Squirrel Tries to Climb Tree - Break Fails

  • greenorchardmom
    11 years ago

    milehighgirl
    that was fun don't kno which was better
    the pathetic uncoordinated squrirel
    or the guy recording it panting trying not to laugh & shake the camera

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