How to Grow Crisp Persimmons: A Detailed Guide to Planting Techniques and Management Methods

Crisp persimmon, as the name suggests, is a persimmon that tastes crisp when eaten. Although it is crisp, the fruit is also ripe, and it is a different variety from soft persimmon. So how do you grow crisp persimmons?

1. Seedling selection

Choose seedlings without pests and diseases and with relatively good plant quality for cultivation.

It is best to use one-year-old vigorous seedlings that are straight, have well-healed graft unions, complete root systems, a seedling height ≥70 cm, a diameter ≥0.8 cm at 3 cm above the graft union, and more than 5 plump buds within the shaping zone.

2. Planting

Plant at a suitable density and apply fertilizer, then water and cover with film.

1. Configuration: Sweet crisp persimmon has a relatively low self-fruiting rate, so pollinator varieties should be configured. A ratio of 10:1 is suitable. The planting time is from late November to before the end of February of the following year, and earlier is better.

2. Density: For conventional cultivation, the spacing between plants and rows is 4 m × 4-5 m, with 500-630 plants per hectare (42 plants/mu to 33 plants/mu). For dense planting, the spacing between plants and rows is 2-3 m × 3-4 m, with 830-1665 plants per hectare (55-111 plants/mu).

3. Fertilization: Reclaim the entire orchard to a depth of 40-50 cm, remove stones, tree roots, and woody roots, set out points according to the designed plant and row spacing, then dig planting holes 60-80 cm deep and 80-100 cm square. After backfilling half the hole with soil, apply fertilizer. Apply 50 kg of decomposed barnyard manure or compost per hole, plus 1 kg of calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer or superphosphate. Mix the fertilizer and soil thoroughly, firm it down, then backfill soil to the appropriate height ready for planting.

4. Field planting: Place the seedling into the planting hole, spread out the roots, and while filling with soil, gently lift the seedling up and down slightly. The filling height should be such that the root crown of the seedling is about 5 cm above the ground, and build a soil ridge around it.

5. Watering: Immediately after planting, water once thoroughly or with dilute manure water.

6. Film covering: After watering is completed, cover with 1-1.5 sq m of plastic film.

3. Field management

1. Soil

Deep plowing. Conduct deep plowing of the entire orchard every 2-3 years to a depth of about 30-40 cm, gradually deepening outward from the trunk.

2. Watering

Avoid water accumulation. Drainage ditches 30-40 cm deep should be opened in the orchard. In rainy seasons or after heavy rain, standing water should be removed as soon as possible. In dry seasons, irrigate in time by drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, furrow irrigation, or pouring irrigation, and grass or film can be placed around the tree to conserve moisture.

4. Pruning

For young trees, moderately shorten the trunk and the extension shoots of the main and secondary branches, leave fruiting mother branches unpruned, and thin out diseased and insect-damaged branches, overly dense branches, competing branches, overlapping branches, and crossing branches. For mature trees, shorten backbone branches and side branches that are too weak or slender, thin out diseased and insect-damaged branches, overly dense branches, competing branches, overlapping branches, and crossing branches, and retract and renew weak old branches after fruiting.

In the early bud stage, promptly remove buds on the upper side of branches and densely growing buds. In the early growth stage, promptly remove the growing points of shoots located higher and with stronger growth vigor. As needed, bend or twist vigorous upright branches so that they become high-quality fruiting mother branches.