persimmons

[JohnnyDollar]

I was out today and figured I'd let everyone know that the persimmons are falling everywhere in w.tn. This is a great sign! :grin:

 

[JohnnyDollar]

yes some are the trees are loaded down!

 

[LA man]

my per. trees have fruit on them in middle tn.

 

[HOOK]

All of my simmons are completely void! White are void.
Some reds are loaded with very large mast. Guess I'll be hunting reds.

 

[Swampster]

I see no persimmons or acorns in Henderson county. With the rain, my wheat sure came up fast and the clover I planted last year looks like it is recovering nicely.

 

[username]

Persimmons are very spotty around here.

Most dont have them but a few do.

I've seen alot of nice bucks over the years during opening weekend of bow eating persimmons in the afternoon, then they get nocturnal quickly.

 

[BSK]

No persimmons, no white oak acorns, and almost no red oak acorns on my place.

 

[Stalker]

Mine are still green and the tree is loaded...I wish I had more trees. I might try gathering seeds and planting them this spring...deer love'em (so do I, after first frost)

 

[BSK]

Stalker,

Just remember that persimmons germinate best when the seeds have been "scarified" (have the outer coating of the seed removed). Nature does this by passing them through the digestive systems of animals. The acids in the digestive system burn away the outer coating of the seed. I know it sounds gross, but you will have better germination if you collect the persimmon seeds out of coyote or raccoon poop.

 

[7mm08]

No persimmons or acorns at all on our place that over the years held big oaks/acorns here in east TN as well. It's all from the big spring frost we had for 3 days. This is why we ask and were allowed to do food plots by the landowner in hopes of off setting the loss of the mast.

I heard the only acorns will be over 2000ft this year. Ones that had not popped out before the frost hit?

 

[Stalker]

Stalker,

Just remember that persimmons germinate best when the seeds have been "scarified" (have the outer coating of the seed removed). Nature does this by passing them through the digestive systems of animals. The acids in the digestive system burn away the outer coating of the seed. I know it sounds gross, but you will have better germination if you collect the persimmon seeds out of coyote or raccoon poop.

OH Boy! this ought to be fun...nothin I like doin better than playing with poop... :cry:

It kinda makes sense though because I rarely see seedlings from persimmons. Wonder if I plant some poop with persimmon seeds in it, if it will grow? Beats digging 'em out... :/

 

[DeerOps]

Stalker,

Just remember that persimmons germinate best when the seeds have been "scarified" (have the outer coating of the seed removed). Nature does this by passing them through the digestive systems of animals. The acids in the digestive system burn away the outer coating of the seed. I know it sounds gross, but you will have better germination if you collect the persimmon seeds out of coyote or raccoon poop.

now there's some good info

I have several white oak acorns falling but for some reason very few persimmons, I just figured they were killed out in the late frost but couldn't figure why my white oaks were not affected.

 

[4onaside]

No persimmons, no white oak acorns, and almost no red oak acorns on my place.

Ditto

And ditto NE Decatur county, although I even doubt the "almost" on the red oak acorns. I haven't been all over the place but the ridge gravel road that borders me is usually covered with red oak acorns. This year, zilch!

 

[Trapper John]

I found one persimmon tree holding fruit on our farm in Decatur.

One.

 

[7mm08]

Being up there (higher elevation) say from Knoxpatch, I guess your oaks had not bloomed before the big frost, therefore, you got them as usual. We in the valley are going to be hurting for mast this fall and winter. As soon as the season is OVER I have plans to keep feeding deer and turkeys until spring.

 

[TN deer hunter]

I noticed today that I have 4 that are loaded. It looks like they are still green but it won't be long and it just so happens that they are about 60yds from my food plot. I think I know where I am going to place my stand tomorrow.

 

[Mike Belt]

I haven't found persimmons or white oaks yet but the reds are loaded. The main problem with them are that they generally hold their fruit until later into the season so they won't be worth a flip hunting over during archery.

Just a thought on the persimmon seeds. If you want to plant a bunch of seeds you might be able to stratefy them much like they do ginseng seed. In part because of their coating they have an 18 month germination. To accomplish this dig a hole a little deeper than a 5 gallon bucket. Drill drain holes in the bottom of the bucket. Alternate layers of sand and seed until full. Put the cover on the bucket and bury it in the hole. Dig it up the following Fall and plant. If they're like genseng they'll sprout the following spring.

 

[CPerkins]

I saw a tree loaded with them yesterday. The branches were weighted down and some were starting to drop. Too bad that it was in my in-laws backyard in town.

 

[Anonymous]

I haven't seen any persimmons on our place either. If you have a persimmon tree in a field, you can let a small area around the tree grow up. We did this at home and now we have about a dozen in one spot. The coons and possums will do the work fertilizing right off the branch. When your young trees come up in a few years go back in and thin out the trees that are not persimmons. I believe it takes about 7-8 years for a persimmon to start producing fruit.