This all took good bit of work....clearing the area, assembling plant protectors, and planting and driving stakes. Although they don't all appear in the picture, there are 25 trees. We planted one row exactly on the property line and 20 feet between trees. Then went over 15 feet and planted the second row. Ripped some oak boards for the stakes instead of buying pressure treated. We have lot of it on hand, so it was cheaper. If they rot, not that hard to replace. Put the plant protectors over both the tree and the stake. May have to clear some more trees so they get enough light.

Wouldn't have planted 25 trees, except that was the least number you could order. Persimmon trees ripen in mid sept. Have hopes to plant a few hybrid pears whose fruit ripens in mid Oct and perhaps some crabapples that retain their fruit all winter long.

Plinker

I"ve planted a few around the farm. I graft the varity "john rick" on my seedings, they will then bear fruit in just a couple years. I'm not sure they will do very well in the shaded woods. Shade will kill the smaller trees. Thats why their isn't any small trees in a mature woods. Good luck with them, deers are crazy for them, my John Rick is about 12 feet tall and is loaded every year. They are easy to bud. FNMauser

Have not heard of John Rick, just persimmon trees. I've been reading up on grafting. Have some apple seeds planted with plans to make some dwarf tree grafts to them some day. Never did any grafting, but from what i read you have to cut your scions in Feb and keep them dormant in the refrigerator. Then do the graft in a warmer month like April or May. I think that'd be interesting to improve a plant that way.

Plinker

No you bud in the summer....you just cut a "T" in the bark and slip a bud in and wrap it with a rubber band. Budding can be done from about late may to august. Email me at wisuwrhre4@aol.com and I'll give you the address of where to get a grafted persimon tree. Its worth it. lots of fruit VERY quick and the deer come right up to our house to get them. I could cut you some bud wood and mail it too you this summer. FNMauser

Update for ya, fnmauser.... I ordered a couple of those grafted persimmon trees. They're planted already. Thanks for the info on it. Got one each of the Evelyn and John Rick.

My other persimmons, well you could probably see from the photo it's not a very sunny location. So i transplanted five of them to a sunnier spot. If there's time, may move more of them. I'll try to leave the ones that will need the least clearing around them to let more sun in.

I also did some research and found that the Olympic Giant pear tree bears in mid- to late October. October bearing trees are desirable because that's when bow season comes in.

Another good thing to plant would be plum trees which you could have different varieties ripening from June to October. That can wait till next year, as i've had about enough fun planting stuff for now. ...unless they have them half price clearance at the end of the season.

Plinker

Plinker603, I helped my Dad put several variety's of apple, they were a popular draw to the local deer. We put in some different types of plums, but they were a magnet to the black bears, they would not leave them alone. While living in Oklahoma, I discovered persimmons. After a couple of good freezes, I found them to be very good. For me, that is.

8MM, i'm fairly positive we have no bears around here. If there is, they never walk in the mud to leave any tracks behind. Would imagine a plum tree would be small enough, a bear could wrangle it to the ground to get at the fruits?

Have eaten persimmons. They're okay, but i could stop at one or two.

Plinker

It was kind of funny to see a 300 pound blackie climb in the plum tree, and it "pruned" the tree while doing it. They would go for the apples, but the whitetail loved the apple trees, and yes they do climb trees (the deer).

You can get enough persimmons with just a few, that is true. They have to be hard hit be a freeze to be truly edible, JMHO.

Down in Texas there is a native persimmon tree which bears a small black fruit in the fall. All the critters love it. Best thing about it is the fruit doesn't all ripen the same day. In fact it almost trickles out the ripe fruit from day to day so there is a supply for almost a month. But I don't think this native variety would do well up north.

Most of the persimmon trees did very well and the tops are growing out of the tubes.

I'm glad i planted them because i've only located three growing in the wild. Persimmons will have green fruit visible on them now, so it is a good time to positively identify them. Adult persimmon trees have rough bark; the ridges don't run up and down, it is more of an allegator texture. The leaves are tough, dark green and shiny and they grow in a zig zag pattern rather than across from each other. The leaves are shaped similar to a hickory or ash, and no serrations.

Plinker

Now that it's fall and i know what to look for, i found several more persimmon trees that were already growing in the wild. The leaves are red this time of year (October) or no leaves at all since they seem to be among the first trees to shed their leaves. Land turtles like persimmons, i saw one eating them today. If you see a persimmon tree and there's lot of clean seeds underneath, a turtle has been there. The don't eat the seeds like some animals do.

Plinker

I have ordered a lot of bare rooted trees from West Texas A&M, West Texas Forestry or Texas Tech Forestry, cant remember but the results have been great. If you have an area you can pot them and raise them for a year the suvival rate is nearly 100%. Most of their stuff is focused on wildlife rehab and has good benefits. I'll go back and find out who they are and post it. Now is the time to order and get it planted. I love seeing that you guys like this stuff as much as me. I sometimes think I'm crazy when I go out to the ranch and plant stuff. A least crazy has company.

Perry

I hunt an area that has numerous persimmon trees that generally produce loads. Like stated above, they are not much of a magnet for deer until after a good frost, then the persimmons are all gone very quick. Once ripe they are hammered by most anything that crawls, flys and walks.

A small pear orchard is the biggest treat for deer in my area. Even w/ nearly 3000 acres of acorns and browse, they'll hang around the pear trees like it's the coffee pot at 7-11.

Gary