You could put in a better stake and pull it up as straight as you'd like. Put the stake on the right side of the tree and pull it up straighter. It doesn't need to be real straight and could be left as is.

Good question! Happens to me sometimes too! Staking never completely cured it. I call them "drunken persimmons"!

Good question! Happens to me sometimes too! Staking never completely cured it. I call them "drunken persimmons"!

If you'd like it to grow faster and do better I'd recommend removing the grass several feet around it and putting a few inches of mulch.

I think the shape looks pretty cool, and it seems to be growing vertically again. It will make a tree with some character.

If you don't want that sort of character you might try some substantial stakes like T-posts.

I free about removing the grass. It can stunt the growth during warmer summer days. Make sure to remove it and mulch it well.
You need to allow it to grow vertically, because when its fruiting it can easily break with the weight f the fruit if it doesn't have a string central leader.

Bass

Thank you, everyone! I might try to get it going more vertical then, a for the fruit bearing eventually, and b for the husband mowing. He gets fussy when he can't mow right up against something as it is. I can only imagine his reaction to having to go around that tree lopsided for life... :) The grass gets removed fairly often, what you see now is the annual summer weed-grass sprouting on last year's mulch. Easy to hoe off. Harder is the constant incursions from the bermuda grass. Cheers!

My persimmon had been growing the same way in that age. It is very normal for this cultivar. It will grow and loaded with fruits just like the christmas tree with glass balls :)) I 'd never had my persimmons brunches broken because of wind or heavy fruits load. It has very strong and flexible branches.

The pic is taken 24th of December 2012 :)))

4 of my 15 or so persimmons are growing like that. They seem to grow well, and produce well. Sometimes I wonder if my trimming away the leaning branches has spurred more growth in the leaning direction; or if the shaded side of the tree is reaching for more sun. I keep staking, but I just can't get rid of the leaning.

Well, the husband says he likes it the way it is, so maybe it can just grow to it's funky little heart's desire. It seems to have a single flower this year, it's first. I like the picture of the one laden with fruit, very pretty! Cheers!