How to Grow Dwarf Fuyu Persimmons

Fuyu persimmons are short and squat, with a shape resembling a tomato.

Persimmon trees are easy to grow and have practically no pests or diseases. The Japanese fuyu variety is the most common persimmon found in nurseries. A dwarf fuyu seedling is one that has been grafted onto a "dwarfing rootstock," which limits the tree's growth. Europeans have been dwarfing fruit trees for centuries, and in Japan they've been doing it for millennia. Dwarf fruit trees can be grown successfully in containers. Plant in the spring, and expect to wait two to three years for the first fruit.

Things You'll Need

• Dwarf fuyu persimmon seedling
• 15-gallon container
• Spade
• Bagged fruit-tree soil mix or loamy garden soil
• Fertilizer
• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Place your container in a spot with full sun and good air circulation. Persimmons need full sun to ripen. Japanese persimmons such as the fuyu bear seedless fruit, so they don't need a male tree for pollination; planting just one fuyu tree is fine.

2. Fill the pot with bagged soil mix especially for fruit trees; mix in some bagged compost. You could also use loamy garden soil or light sandy soil. Fuyus aren't too picky but do best in a soil that drains well.

3. Fertilize every month during the growing season, unless you've used a prepared fruit-tree soil mix, which will have slow-release fertilizer good for several months. No special fertilizer is needed, but it's a good idea to use less nitrogen in the fall when the fruit is growing.

4. Water regularly and deeply, letting the container almost dry out -- but not completely -- between waterings. Check the container often during hot weather to make sure it's not too dry. Dry soil can make the fruit drop early.

5. Prune regularly in the summer to keep your dwarf fuyu small and shapely, but don't overprune at first. Let your tree grow several inches a year the first few years. After that, don't let the tree grow more than an inch a year.

6. Repot in new soil every spring to keep your dwarf fuyu healthy and vigorous. Fuyu trees can live for 50 to 75 years. Prune an inch of new growth, cut away an inch of the root ball and free up the roots before replanting.

Tips & Warnings

• Persimmons can grow successfully in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 11. Fuyu trees are less hardy than some varieties of persimmon, but keeping them small in containers means it's easier to shelter them in winter if necessary.

References

• "Western Garden Book"; Editors of Sunset Magazine; 2007
• Oregon State University Extension: Growing Tree Fruits and Nuts in the Home Orchard: Persimmons
• National Gardening Association: Fruit Trees in Containers