pot them in some fresh media.. in a small pot ... and perhaps tent.. with a baggie ... it keep humidity high, until they generate a root mass ....

i would NOT have them in direct sun ... especially after transplant ...

pot up over time ...

in MI would have timed the germinating.. so that they would be heading outdoors by the time they are 6 inches tall ... but i presume.. you just had to find out if they were viable... and now you have to deal with growing trees.. indoors.. in winter ...

wait.. z8 ... will these be able to go outside in a month or two ... if so.. all the power to ya ... FULL BRIGHT SHADE .... for up to a year ... its all about growing a seedling.. not the light tolerance of an adult ...

ken

Good question. They are easy to sprout tiny taproots in wet paper towels after a few weeks...

But, who actually has personal experience with growing them beyond that?

In adult form, they require veeerrry little water (xeriscapable)...so what about as seedlings?

a seedling.. using the energy stored in the seed ... has a very limited time ... in which to grow a root mass.. to support that above ...

if you wish to find out.. if only 1 in a hundred will succeed ... then try growing them without water ... and you will find.. like in nature... not talking about invasives.. that very few live thru the first year ...

when you are dealing with seedlings.. you are mother nature ... moist.. not sodden.. light but not blistering ... water but drainage ... no excessive heat in the media

you try to ID and perfect every variable you can.. and perfect it in regard to a one inch tall plant with one inch of root mass below ...

you do not really stare at your belly button and wonder if that tiny babe can handle drought.. scorching sun.. and total abject neglect ... lol ... [believe me.. i have tried that method, through forgetting about the project ... its rarely works ... lol]

and one of the variables .. in addition to those mentioned previously.. is the effect of sun or heat.. on a small pot.. rather than its effect on mother earth ...

if you put a one quart pot.. in full sun.. the pot and media... can easily get to 100 degrees .. and that is not root growing temps ... that is desiccation and death.. death valley ... etc ...

do enjoy your belly button .. its what leads you to listing the variables.. though my point was that its a babe ... not an adult ... so act accordingly ...

keeping in mind my usual caveat.. that it continues to be a babe TREE ... its is not a real babe.. that needs to be loved to death.. water, temps, media, sun ... those are the usual suspects in defining a plants 'culture' .... and within each are sub-issues ....

ken

I've grown D. virginiana and D. kaki from seed, both in pots and planted directly in the ground. I don't know specifically about Texas persimmon, but I would guess they have a tap root. I have used 2 or 3 liter soda bottles as pots, they can accomodate a reasonable tap root for the first season, and cost about $1 at most. Just make sure you put some drain holes in the bottom

I don't see any need for a tent.....it will add another delicate step of weening the seedling off of that nice humid environment. Do make sure the media doesn't dry out too much while the seedling is small.

Ken's caution about the pot heating up is spot on, but other persimmons are just fine in full sun as young seedlings, as long as the roots don't get too hot in the pot.....one afternoon of that, and the tree could be finished. Bright shade is safe, or you can transplant into the ground if you have a spot picked out. Keep in mind that my experience is in zone 6 Pennsylvania, which is probably not as hot as wherever you are in zone 8.

Use a well drained media. The 5-1-1 mix described in the containers forum works well IME. Otherwise, a peat based store bought mix is OK.

Alex