How to Grow Persimmon Tree from Cutting, Persimmon Propagation From Cuttings

You can grow persimmon tree from cuttings as well as from seeds. But the seed will produce the tree that may be totally different from the parent tree. Growing a persimmon tree from cutting is the best way to produce the exact duplicate or identical to the parent persimmon tree. So the question is can you really grow persimmon tree from cutting? Will persimmon cuttings root?

Persimmon Tree

Propagate Persimmon Tree from Stem Cutting

Following are the steps involved in growing persimmons trees from cuttings, the method is same for propagation of all types of persimmons from cuttings including Fuyu persimmons) or Fuji persimmons.

Step 1: Taking Persimmon Cuttings

1. Before taking cuttings, ensure that your cutting shears or knife is clean and disinfected in bleach solution.
2. When to take persimmon cuttings: Taking correct persimmon cuttings at the proper time is very important for the success of rooting persimmon cuttings.
3. Take persimmon cuttings in late Autumn or Fall from a healthy persimmon tree.
4. Take the persimmon cuttings from young branches that have grown in the same growing season, that is from Spring to Summer. These stems are old enough for propagation and less likely to mold.
5. Size Of Cuttings: The cuttings should be about a pencil size, 15  to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) long and 3-5 mm (1/4-inch) thick. 
6. Take about 10 persimmon cuttings as the success rate is low and a high percentage of the cuttings will fail.
7. Wrap the cuttings in a damp newspaper, while you bring them to home or prepare for other things.
8. Keep the cuttings with their one end dipped in water for one hour.

Step 2: Select a Pot For Rooting Persimmon Cuttings

Take a small pot having several holes at its bottoms to drain excess water. Standing water in the pot will rot the cuttings resulting in failure.

Step 3: Rooting Medium For Rooting Persimmon Cuttings

Fill the pot with a mixture of crushed perlite or river sand and vermiculite. I have used either river sand or a mixture of fine potting mix and river sand in equal parts to propagate cuttings of many fruit and flower plants with high success.

Step 4: Watering

Water the pot thoroughly, ensure that the rooting medium is damp at all points. Keep the pot aside for half an hour to drain excess water in shade while you prepare for other things.

Step 5: Prepare Persimmon Cuttings For Propagation

Remove all the lower leaves and cut the upper leaves into half. Remove any fruits or flowers.

Step 6: Planting Persimmon Cuttings

Planted Persimmon Cuttings

1. Apply rooting hormone at the lower end of the persimmon stem cutting. Then make a deep hole in the soil by a stick and insert the cutting in the hole (DO NOT PUSH cutting), at least 2 inch deep or about 1 inch above the bottom of the pot. Press the soil around the cutting.
2. You can plant 4-5 cuttings in the same pot. DO NOT WATER again.
3. You can use chemical rooting hormone or natural homemade rooting hormone like aloe Vera gel.

Step 7: Create a Mini Green House For Persimmon Cutting Propagation

Planted Persimmon Cuttings in a Bag to create high humidity

1. To create high humidity around the planted cuttings, enclose and seal the pot in a clear polythene bag. The bag will keep moisture within it, you will see water drops on inside of the bag.
2. Place the bag in shade at a warm place. If the outdoor temperature is below 20°C, then keep the pot indoors.

Step 8: Mist the Persimmon Cuttings

1. Open the bag every 2 weeks and mist or add a few drops on soil if the soil is dry, otherwise seal the bag again. I did not need to water for at least 4 weeks.
2. Over-watering will rot the cuttings but if the soil dries out, the cuttings may die.

Step 9: Open the Bag To See if the Persimmon Cuttings have Rooted

1. The persimmon cuttings will take 4 to 10 weeks to grow roots and new leaves depending on several factors including temperature and size of cuttings.
2. You will see the growth of a new leaf and you may also seed some roots coming out of the hole.
3. Open the covering from the persimmon cuttings for half an hour. If the leaf stays okay, then open the bag for 1 hour daily for 1 week, keeping the pot in shade.
4. Open the bag for half day and keep it in bright shade for another week, away from direct sun light.
5. Open the bag and keep it in bright shade for another week, away from direct sun light.
6. Now you can expose the new growth to the morning sun for two weeks.

Step 10: Transplanting the Persimmon Cuttings

Persimmon Cuttings New Growth

The above picture shows strong roots grown on persimmon cuttings (How to grow Persimmon from cuttings youtube video)

By this time the cuttings would have developed strong roots and can be transplanted into a new pot containing  free-draining nutrition rich soil or in the garden.

This is how you can propagate persimmon cuttings with success. The cuttings may fail to root if you have not provided the humidity and warmness to the cuttings. 

I started rooting persimmon cuttings in Sydney in Autumn, but the temperature went down below 15°C during the 3 months of the whole process, so I kept the bag and rooted cuttings indoors in a warm bright room until Spring.

Videos on Persimmon Tree