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Grafting Persimmons for Deer and other such critters

BackSpasm

BackSpasm

Well-Known Member
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Apr 10, 2019
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1,660
Location
Tennessee
I recently have decided now is the time to go ahead and get some late-dropping persimmons going on our farm. I have a young son and another one about to pop out, and if I can get some persimmons started now that drop during deer season (the native ones usually drop in September) I think we will be ready to hunt them once they are getting old enough to go. From the experts, it takes at least 8-10 years for an American Persimmon seedling to produce. I have grown several from seed and they are on year 3-4 and still relatively small as they are slow to get started. However, by purchasing scion wood (aka dormant sticks) from a persimmon orchard (I used Cliff England's orchard in Kentucky, highly recommend) I can graft to existing local persimmon trees (of which I have MANY) that are ~3" in diameter and have them producing the fruit I want in 2-3 years. Here is where I started put all this together in the first place:

How to Graft a Fruit Tree | Grafting American Persimmons for Wildlife and Humans


After talking to a buddy who does this and with Cliff England, a persimmon EXPERT, I realized the world of persimmons and fruit is a deep, deep rabbit hole with many cultivars for humans, commercial production, wildlife etc and uncountable types of fruit with options for self droppers or non-droppers, asian varieties, different fruit size, texture, taste, astringincy, drop times etc etc etc

I settled on two varieties that were cultivated for wildlife specifically (higher number of smaller fruits) that each drop in either mid to late october and mid to late november respectively (bow season and gun season) and I am strategically placing them in areas that I have:

1. good access and existing stand sites

2. where I know I can hunt the thermals/wind effectively if I set it up for a future preset etc. (used caltopo to look at sun angle and thermals during the drop times and checked the wind rose for my area during the main drop times in Spartan Forge; allowing me to choose the specific best graft trees for bowhunting up close)

3. Current male or poor-producing female trees, as well as other persimmons for fertilization of my grafted trees

I will also be placing the variety that drops in October in higher cover, tighter locations that are more advantageous for bowhunting, and the November droppers in more common cruising locations based on historical patterns. I am excited about it and can't believe I didn't think to graft my native persimmons and improve them for wildlife and hunting sooner! I have heard that a few isolated late-dropping persimmons when everything else is long gone can be an absolute magnet for seeing deer. While I probably won't be using them to target big bucks specifically, seems like a perfect setup for someone looking for "any deer"

Anyone else done this before?
 
We just planted crab apples, apples and pears at my buddy's place. Might consider planting some chestnuts to go along with your grafted persimmons. I havent done any grafting but I like you plan and think it will work just fine. You may want to consider protection from bears and coons. Electric fence set pretty low so you can hang foil wrapped sardines every so often and have them in reach of the coons should break them and the bears from sucking eggs.
 
BTaylor said:
We just planted crab apples, apples and pears at my buddy's place. Might consider planting some chestnuts to go along with your grafted persimmons. I havent done any grafting but I like you plan and think it will work just fine. You may want to consider protection from bears and coons. Electric fence set pretty low so you can hang foil wrapped sardines every so often and have them in reach of the coons should break them and the bears from sucking eggs.
Click to expand...
The main issue I have with chestnut plantings is providing water in the hot summer! I dont live at the farm so its hard to keep plantings watered up enough to survive. I have had multiple chestnuts not survive the summer. I think the grafting gets around that cause the existing trees arent as water-dependent with their large root systems. I would love to get some chestnuts to take!
 
BTaylor said:
We just planted crab apples, apples and pears at my buddy's place. Might consider planting some chestnuts to go along with your grafted persimmons. I havent done any grafting but I like you plan and think it will work just fine. You may want to consider protection from bears and coons. Electric fence set pretty low so you can hang foil wrapped sardines every so often and have them in reach of the coons should break them and the bears from sucking eggs.
Click to expand...
Also, the good thing about native persimmon cultivars is the fruit don't mature and get palatable until its time for drop, so you don't have as many issues with climbing animals getting at them like you do with other fruit trees. The asian persimmons have this problem big time
 
My buddy's place is hard ground to deal with too, more gravel than soil. It's 3 hours away too. We put ground cloth down around the trees and kept them mulched pretty thick out about 3' or so. We have lost a few apples but the pears and crabs have done pretty well considering the location and general lack of attention they get.

I like your grafting idea a lot on the persimmons, esp being able to manipulate drop times potentially. I am a little surprised your persimmons drop as early as they do. Ours our mostly in October but we have a couple that slow drop and will last into November.
 
Circling around on this:

I purchased scion wood (dormant sticks) from Cliff England at Englands orchard in Kentucky from two persimmon varieties that drop in late October and late November respectively. I grafted about 25 wild grafts in strategic huntable locations and did several grafts on potted persimmons here at the house to generate future donor wood for more groves as I tweak and expand my operation to other sites. I got 100% success with my home grafts and will go out and check the wild ones soon. The word is I will have fruit on the large trees I grafted in 2-3 years if they survive. In the meantime, a buddy gave me a November dropping pear tree that is going in a new little food plot that is getting set up right now. This tree thing is pretty fun I won’t lie
 
Studied them in college. "Diospiros kaki" or something like that is the latin name.
Most intriguing thing about them is the two cultivars. Astringent and non astringent. One needs a frost to ripen, one does not.
 
kbetts said:
Studied them in college. "Diospiros kaki" or something like that is the latin name.
Most intriguing thing about them is the two cultivars. Astringent and non astringent. One needs a frost to ripen, one does not.
Click to expand...

Yea I think you are referring to the Japanese persimmon which is cultivated more for human consumption than anything. I am growing the american persimmon diospyros virginiana
 
I tried n failed miserably here in Michigan with Persimmon trees. Must be too harsh of winters here.
 
I'm in Zone 3. I'm envious of those that can grow them. My neighbor has some wild plums, and he'll let me transplant a few to my "orchard" (the 2 of the 5 apple trees I've bought which have survived). Crabapples are doing well, and I've got a lock-on overlooking them.
 
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