You can grow a persimmon tree yourself from a seed. However, you will look in vain for seeds in the fruits you buy. These are best bought from exotic plant shops.
Where can you buy persimmon seeds and how do you grow a persimmon tree from them?
Kaki seeds can be purchased in exotic plant shops or in online shops. Before sowing, they should be stratified for 8-10 weeks and then grown in potting soil at room temperature. The germination period is 2-4 weeks and the young plants are separated and repotted later.
The persimmon tree belongs to the ebony family. The widespread representative of the genus is Diospyros kaki, which is known for large, tasty fruits. This species is not sufficiently frost-resistant for outdoor cultivation in most areas of Germany. Summers in this country are too short and too cold to harvest ripe fruit in your own garden. Exceptions are the wine-growing regions, where persimmon trees can thrive as outdoor plants. Elsewhere, keeping in containers with frost-free wintering is possible.
Winter-hardy varieties
The plants purchased ready-made are grafted trees in which a variety of frost-resistant varieties have been bred using suitable rootstocks. The persimmon trees are
- easy care,
- robust and
- not susceptible to diseases and pests.
The winter hardiness of Diospyros virginiana corresponds more closely to the climatic conditions in our latitudes. The plants grafted onto Diospyros Lotus as a base are particularly robust and hardy.
Sowing and germination
The fruits purchased do not contain seeds as these have been bred away over time. The seeds are available from seed shops and various online shops. If necessary, the seeds should be stratified for around 8-10 weeks before sowing. To do this, wrap them in moistened kitchen paper and store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The seeds are then placed in the growing soil and are only lightly covered with substrate. Keep them evenly moist at room temperature, if necessary under a cover made of cling film.
The germination time is around 2-4 weeks. The seedlings are also kept warm and bright. The substrate should still be moist, but not too wet. A spray bottle is particularly suitable for watering the seeds. The seedlings are later separated and repotted after rooting.
Tips & Tricks
Kaki trees grown from seeds can take 4-6 years until the first flowering and harvest.