Persimmons (Diospyros spp.) Indigenous to both eastern Asia and North America rise in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4b through 9b. The persimmon has captured the imaginations of growers in both areas — along with fruits such as cherries and quince, persimmons are trained as bonsai.
Characteristics of Bonsai Trees
Any tree can be manipulated with the methods for bonsai, but some attributes make some trees superior than others. Ideal bonsai characteristics include small leaves, or leaves which could be induced to grow smaller, short internodes, attractive bark and roots, a consistent all-natural kind and the ability to withstand intense pruning and container culture. It also helps if a plant may survive without a tap root, since it’s often necessary to eliminate this nutrient highway to maintain the tree in a container. Small vegetables and flowers make a tree slightly more of a challenge, but a far more attractive bonsai when fully mature.
Persimmons Suited to Bonsai
Although several species of persimmons can be found, a few take to this form more easily than others. The American persimmons, known as the common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) and the Texas persimmon (Diospyros texana), are widely used in bonsai culture. Asian persimmons, gold apple (Diospyros decandraIndian and) persimmon (Diospyros peregrina), are usually kept as bonsai in Buddhist temples in Thailand.
Training Persimmons
Persimmons can be trained to a bonsai kind with careful planning. One of the primary complaints about these as bonsai specimens is their branches are sometimes sparse, so before removing a branch, make certain you will not need it later. You may also induce much smaller leaves by trimming all of the leaves from the tree at the point where the petiole meets the leaf tissue. Always use caution when cutting or cutting squeezing persimmons since they can produce vicious thorns. Persimmons can be trained to one trunk form or several trunks in a row.
Persimmon Bonsai Care
Persimmons need care similar to other bonsai trees: routine watering and close focus to root humidity are at the top of the list. Because they both blossom and fruit, you might want to adjust their fertilizer program throughout the year as their needs change. Between grass formation and fruit formation, reducing the quantity of nitrogen will aid your persimmon focus its efforts on developing fruits as opposed to more foliage. These slow-growing trees will likely only need repotting once every year or two.