Since I haven't been able to get out much on the property with the wet and the mud, I was looking back through some pictures I had taken over the last few months and found these two.
Here are a couple pics of the other persimmon tree on the property. It's HUGE....at least 50 feet tall. See this picture? The little dots WAAAAY at the top? Those are the few that were left on the tree at the time I took the photo.
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| Wild American Persimmon |
Like I said, it's a HUGE tree...not sure there will be ever be much we can do to harvest the ones way up there in future years. The picture below is the around the base of the tree. It's a bit wiry and out of control (as I understand wild persimmon trees can be) but I think it could stand a bit of a trimming so that we can at least get around underneath it next Fall and get to the fruit.
We'd love to at clear out the ground around it and open it up a bit so that maybe it will flourish and we can have more persimmons than we'll know what to do with. Even after THE LAST TIME, I'm willing to give them another chance later this year...ONE more chance.
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| American Persimmon |
Still, it's so fascinating that these trees have just come up on the property and been there for years and years. This tree in fact, according to a garden center friend that saw the pictures, is probably more than thirty years old.
Isn't nature wonderful?
Reduce the height by at least two thirds, it will put vigour back into the tree and you will be able to get to the fruit in future seasons.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about that. Thanks for the advice, I need to read up on tree care like that. Thanks!!
DeleteWell everything is bigger in Texas. I have never seen one that tall. We have wild persimmon trees all over our farm and they have always had lots of fruits so that one must be very old. I've tried persimmon liqueur with them, but it was a fail out of all the liqueurs I've made. The deer feast on them in the fall. How about sumac? The seed pods make a wonderful, red lemonade.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I guess it's true huh? Sumac? I'll have to look that up and see if we have any of them. thanks!!
DeleteThat IS a big tree. It is amazing how Nature finds a niche for Life in all its’ varied forms. “Life finds a way.”
ReplyDeleteI agree that a little haircut and bottom trimming would make it more attractive and manageable. And hopefully you’ll be able to get some food-use from it this fall. If nothing else, you’ll be providing food and habitat for the local wildlife. The nature-watching on your property is going to be so much fun.
"Life finds a way"....love that quote (Jurassic Park?). ;-)
DeleteThe bottom trimming is for sure, just so we can walk up to it easily, maybe prop up a ladder (if we decide to try eating them again, ha).
how does 2nd man feel about giving it another shot! hehe!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I showed him the picture and he said "I'm not trying it!" ha.
DeleteGood advice in the haircut suggestion. We cut our beautiful Persimmon back after the possums stripped all the leaves off it and broke most of the branches. We reduced it's height by half and the tree bounced back with so much vigour. It was beautiful to see. Mind you, we still have the possums and they evidently liked the renewed tree as well as, 2 years later, we are back to facing the same problem.
ReplyDeletepossums? Wow. I'll have to remember that. Yeah, thanks for the advice, I'll do some research on the trimming. I've heard that they bounce back after a trim. We'll see!!
DeleteTrim it. Probably at least a third.
ReplyDeleteAnd good luck - it doesn't look like an easier trimmer.
Yeah, the upper part, hmm, might be worth paying a pro. I don't do heights well. Ha.
DeleteDo you have something else you need to plant there? If not, why destroy a tree that gives you or animals some food Any bit of food is more than you will get from the bare spot if the tree is removed. Are you sure topping it is a good idea. I did that once and the trunk split. Maybe you could take a ripe persimmon, put it pot and see what you have next spring. Maybe it takes two years for a persimmon seed to make a tree. The tree you have is probably a volunteer from bird droppings. I, too, am amazed at Nature.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a persimmon tree. You are lucky guys!
Oh, not going to destroy it and not removing it. Just cleaning it up so it produces more and gets a burst of new growth. I wouldn't top it myself, I'd definitely have a pro involved (and ironically, we have a tree guy on call that is amazing) so yeah, I wouldn't want to do anything to harm it for sure.
DeleteNature is great....and amazing! ;-)
Oh, good. It sounded like you were going to give it one more chance. whew!
DeleteOh, it's not going anywhere, no worries. Just a bit of pruning. Though actually, the place where it is on the property is covered in water/mud so it might be a while before i even get to it, ha.
DeleteYou want to do the pruning when the persimmon tree is dormant, by doing a light annual pruning each winter, removing any of the branches that are crossing or rubbing each other.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about that. Probably will lave to wait now until winter. Of course, that part of the property is underwater/mud now, ha.
DeleteMy mom use to Love persimmons...
ReplyDeleteFun blog!
hughugs
Well thank you for that and welcome!! And big hug hugs back at ya!! ;-)
DeleteYou could always keep and plant some of the limbs that you trim off the lower part of the tree. That way you're not tasked with trying to prune a massive tree, and if the cuttings take, you can just keep them trimmed down so they stay shorter/bushier.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea, thanks for that. I might have missed the pruning time but we'll see what happens!!
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