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scuzzynutty_gw

FUYU Persimmon 'stunted growth??' - pic included...

scuzzynutty
11 years ago

I have a fuyu persimmon tree I bought about a year and a half ago, it was about 5 feet tall. When I bought it, it had developing buds, about 30 of them, and they all fell off (the tree was in a 5 gallon pot at that time). I planted it in the ground and last year there were NO buds at all, and the tree hasn't grown at all either. This year, the tree has not grown either, there's some nice leaves on there, but no buds either. What's wrong?

I took a picture, are those little 'nubs' going to turn to fruit? I think it's too late into the year to start developing fruit right now is it not?

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I was at someone's house, and they had a 2 year old tree that was 4 foot tall with 20 developing fruit on it... I think we're doing something wrong...or something is not optimal...

Comments (5)

  • alexander3_gw
    11 years ago

    Those little nubs are dormant buds that will turn into leaves and branches next year. Your tree will not make fruit this year. Be patient, persimmon trees take some time to settle in and start making fruit.

    Larger trees can take longer to recover from transplanting than smaller trees, which may explain why your friends tree is already producing (though I doubt it will hold on to all 20 fruit)

    How much did the branches grow this year? That's probably a better indicator of how the tree is doing at this stage.

    Alex

  • Scott F Smith
    11 years ago

    The number of years it takes for a persimmon to finally get happy seems to vary a lot. I have one guy that is five years old and is still runted. That is an extreme but I have some less extreme examples. Besides that one they all eventually took off.

    Scott

  • kngskid
    11 years ago

    I purchased five gallon persimmon trees in January 2011 and those small buds you see in the leaf axes did produce flowers/fruit for me, most of them fell off but I was able to harvest about five mature persimmons the first year. My trees arrived in containers and are grown in containers so maybe that's why I got fruit the first year?

    My persimmons have fruit on them but I also see small buds as shown in your picture (as well as some swollen buds) and I'm thinking your buds are flower buds.

    Perhaps your issue is fertilizer...If you haven't fertilized up to this point maybe you should next spring but if you have been fertilizing maybe you encouraged vegetative growth instead of fruit production? It seems at least some of those buds should be swollen at this point.

    It is my understanding (and experience) that persimmon trees have alternate leaves and the buds in the leaf axes are flower buds not more leaves.

  • scuzzynutty
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Alex, the tree branches hasn't grown really at all this year or last year, stayed the same height. Leaves seem to be healthy though.

    kngskid, What kind of fertilizer do you use? I did fertilize it with an organic 10-2-8 mix i think it is.

    Seems the tree in general just doesn't grow, the trunk doesn't get thicker and no real new branches...

  • kngskid
    11 years ago

    I was thinking it but forgot to type it earlier, your tree is beautiful with those healthy dark green leaves.

    I use E. B. Stone Citrus & Fruit Tree Food 7.3.3 for my fruit trees. I add the 7.3.3 in the spring when the buds are big and fat but before they pop. I also use diluted Miracle Grow (2tsp/gal water) later in the season to maximize growth on trees that don't have fruit at mid point, like in June or July.