Exotics on the windowsill - cultivation of persimmons in the home

Many know about indoor growing of exotic plants, but few have tried to grow such a delicacy as a persimmon. Usually, growing persimmon at home scares inexperienced amateur gardeners. And, nevertheless, there are enthusiasts trying to grow this plant at home on the windowsill.

Persimmon is a subtropical deciduous tree of the Ebony family, most often with large fleshy edible orange fruits. It comes from China, but is widely distributed in Japan. Of the more than two hundred species, the most common persimmon is ordinary or Caucasian, eastern and more winter-hardy - Virginia. The fruits of the varieties Sharon and Korolek are very popular.

Experienced lovers of exotics on the windowsill will confirm that growing persimmon at home is a relatively simple matter, you just need to consider some of the peculiarities of this tree. Since in nature the plant reaches 15 m in height, in a confined space of the room this can become a significant problem. Conditions for cultivation of persimmons are not particularly complex, as it is not choosy in the choice of soil, it tolerates excess moisture and the proximity of groundwater well. Illumination can become a problem, because due to the light-loving nature of this plant, persimmon cultivation at home should only take place in a well-lit room. It does not like pests and diseases, so it practically does not require treatment with chemicals. This allows you to grow organic fruits with low financial costs. In addition, the persimmon yields good harvests. That's only for pollination will most likely need a second sapling, and this already requires a larger area.

Usually persimmons are grown from grafted seedlings. Since it is a fruit tree of all the same southern regions, it will be quite difficult to get it in the middle and, especially, northern regions. You can, of course, grow a persimmon and a stone, but this will take more than 5 years. In addition, most likely, will grow wild, and again there will be a problem of vaccination. If you managed to get a grafted seedling, then there will be no further problems with growing. Timely cutting and shaping the crown, feeding fertilizers and in the warm season, exposing the air, you can after 3-4 years to enjoy their own sunny-orange fruits.

So, how to grow a persimmon from a bone at home? Washed and dried bones are put in a pot to a depth of 1-2 centimeters. Covered cellophane film pot leave in a warm place for 1-2 weeks before germination, periodically airing and moisturizing. Sprouted sprout length of 10-15 cm if necessary, you need to help get rid of the stone, which with its thick leaves can prevent normal growth and lead to the death of the tree.

Rapidly growing persimmon sprouts need to be periodically transplanted into large pots to form a normal root system. For the summer, grown plants are recommended to be put on the street in a well-lit but sheltered place from the winds. In this period, for better growth, it needs to be fed 2 times per month with organic and mineral fertilizers. For winter in October-September persimmon is transferred to the premises, creating cold conditions of stay, about 3-5 ̊̊С. Fructify the saplings grown from the stone begins for 5-7 years.

Growing persimmon at home is real, but quite problematic due to the limited space and long waiting for the beginning of fruiting. The grown persimmon in domestic conditions at the raised humidity of air depending on a grade is saved from 1 till 3 months. Cultivate it as an ornamental plant does not make sense, since for the winter it sheds leaves. But if there is a free place, and a desire to have your tropical fruit-bearing garden, the choice of persimmon will be an ideal and very tasty solution.