Persimmon trees, cherished for their distinctive fruit and ornamental beauty, offer a rewarding addition to many home landscapes. While these trees can be grown from seed, propagating them from cuttings provides a direct genetic replica of the parent tree, ensuring the new plant possesses the same desirable characteristics and matures to bear fruit quickly.
Understanding Persimmon Cuttings
Propagating persimmon trees from cuttings presents challenges, with success rates considerably lower than with grafting or growing from seed. American persimmons (Diospyros virginiana) tend to root more readily than Asian persimmons (Diospyros kaki), which are often grafted. Given the variable success, it’s advisable to set realistic expectations and prepare to take multiple cuttings.
Timing and Materials for Cuttings
The most suitable period for taking persimmon cuttings is late autumn before the first hard frost, or late winter to early spring while the tree is dormant. Hardwood or semi-hardwood stems are preferred over softwood, as they are less prone to drying out.
Essential materials include sharp, sterilized pruning shears or a clean knife for precise cuts and disease prevention. You will also need a high-quality rooting hormone to encourage root development. For the rooting medium, prepare a well-draining mixture of materials such as perlite, coarse river sand, peat moss, and vermiculite. Small pots with adequate drainage holes and a clear plastic bag or humidity dome are also necessary to create a mini-greenhouse environment.
How to Take and Prepare Cuttings
Choose healthy, disease-free branches that grew in the current season, ideally about pencil-sized in thickness, roughly 1/4 inch (3-5 mm) in diameter. Each cutting should be between 5 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) long. Taking multiple cuttings, perhaps 10 for every tree you hope to establish, increases the likelihood of success.
To prepare the cutting, make a clean, angled cut at the bottom, just below a node, where roots are most likely to emerge. You can also make a vertical slice or score the bark at the base to expose more cambium. Remove all lower leaves to prevent them from rotting in the moist medium and cut any remaining upper leaves in half to reduce moisture loss through transpiration. Immediately after cutting, keep the stems hydrated by wrapping them in damp newspaper or placing their bases in water until you are ready to apply rooting hormone and plant them.
Planting and Rooting Your Cuttings
Begin by filling your pots with the prepared well-draining rooting medium, such as a mix of equal parts perlite and vermiculite. Use a stick or similar object to create a hole in the center of the medium for each cutting, ensuring you do not push the cutting directly into the soil, which could damage the delicate cambium layer.
Dip the cut end of each prepared persimmon stem into the rooting hormone, ensuring even coverage, and then carefully insert it into the pre-made hole, about 2 to 3 inches deep. After planting, gently press the medium around the base of the cutting to provide support. To foster root development, cover the pots with a clear plastic bag or a humidity dome, effectively forming a mini-greenhouse. Place the covered pots in a location with indirect sunlight and maintain a consistent temperature above 68°F (20°C), ideally between 75-90°F (24-32°C), as warmth encourages root initiation.
Aftercare and Transplanting
Monitor the cuttings regularly for signs of new leaf growth, which can indicate successful rooting, or watch for roots emerging from the pot’s drainage holes. The rooting process typically takes 4 to 12 weeks, depending on environmental conditions and the specific persimmon variety.
Maintain consistent moisture in the rooting medium, ensuring it remains damp but not waterlogged, as excessive moisture can lead to rot. Periodically, every 10 days to two weeks, open the plastic covering for about 30 minutes to allow for air circulation and prevent mold development. Once the cuttings have developed a robust root system and show sustained new growth, they are ready for transplanting. Before moving them to a larger pot or their final outdoor location, gradually acclimate them through hardening off. This involves progressively increasing their exposure to outdoor elements over about two weeks, starting with a shaded area and slowly introducing them to more direct sunlight, preparing them for independent growth.