Persimmon trees can reach an impressive height of up to 30 feet in the wild. However, around here, most gardeners grow them in containers because they can be a bit sensitive to frost. To keep your tree manageable and healthy, regular pruning is definitely the way to go—and luckily, these trees handle a haircut quite well!
Pruning Your Persimmon Tree
The Persimmon (*Diospyros kaki*) is a beautiful deciduous tree known for its lance-shaped leaves and round, apple-like fruit. One of the coolest things about them? They can actually produce fruit without any pollination at all.
These trees originally come from East Asia, where they’ve been cultivated for over 2,000 years. They are generally known for being hardy, low-maintenance, and remarkably resistant to pests and diseases.
Since the Persimmon isn’t fully winter-hardy in many colder climates, it usually needs a little extra help to survive the winter. Once it drops its leaves, you’ll want to move it to a dark, frost-free spot to hibernate.
Getting the Cut Right
Because a Persimmon tree can grow so tall, growing it in a pot means you’ll want to keep that vigorous growth in check.
During the first 2 to 3 years, focus on “training” your tree. This involves shortening the main and side branches to guide them in the direction you want. Depending on the variety and your personal style, you can train your tree to grow as a standard, a half-standard, or even a bushy shrub.
As the tree matures, you can move on to more specific pruning, like thinning out branches to encourage better fruiting or performing a rejuvenation cut if it starts looking a bit tired. For older trees, simply thinning out the canopy by removing any damaged or dead wood will do wonders.
The Best Time to Prune
Persimmons are pretty flexible—they can handle pruning in either the fall or the spring. Most gardeners prefer to grab their shears in late winter or very early spring, just before the new buds start to break.
A few more pro-tips for your pruning routine:
- If you prefer fall pruning, do it right before you move the tree into its winter quarters.
- When thinning the canopy, focus on removing branches that are hanging too low.
- Always try to prune on a dry day when there’s no frost in the air.
Extra Tips for Success
Growing a Persimmon as a container plant is a total game-changer. It makes the tree even easier to care for and allows it to thrive even in chilly regions. Just remember: once the leaves drop, move it to a dark, frost-proof spot and cut back significantly on the watering.
