Persimmon fruits are a real treasure trove of vitamins and minerals. In the wild, this culture grows only in the warm countries of Asia and the Mediterranean. In a difficult Russian climate, this plant, with the exception of a few specially bred varieties, simply does not survive. However, growing persimmons in an apartment is, of course, quite real and doable.
Of course, you can try to grow this southern crop at home and from a seedling. But finding such planting material is, of course, quite problematic. However, growing persimmons at home can be quite successful when using seeds taken out of the fruit.
What should be the planting material
To take seeds for growing persimmon should, of course, only from ripe, healthy fruits. It is also advisable to ensure that the peel of the latter has an even orange color. Not too ripe fruits can be kept in the refrigerator for several days until fully ripe.
After the bones are removed from the pulp, they must be rinsed with running water. Further, at the planting material, you should slightly grind off the upper hard layer with a file. Otherwise, in the future, the sprouts may simply not hatch.
In order for the persimmon to not get sick in the apartment, before planting, the seeds must be dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for about 20 minutes. You can also treat the planting material of persimmon with some kind of growth stimulant.
It is not recommended to store the seeds of this culture, if you wish, to grow a tree from them. It is advisable to plant the planting immediately after the planting material is removed from the pulp.
Where to plant and what soil is needed
The risk that the persimmon seed will not germinate or the sprout will die due to the adhesion of the peel in the initial stages is quite high. Therefore, it is advisable to plant persimmons as seedlings - in a small box. In this case, you need to use several bones at once. In this case, in the future, for growing in room conditions, it will be possible to select the healthiest and strongest germinated and accepted plant.
Persimmon loves thin and light soil. Ideal for this culture is, for example, a mixture of sand and peat in equal amounts.
How to plant
A couple of days before planting, the soil in a box prepared for persimmon should be well shed. After a little drying, it should also be thoroughly loosened. To deepen the seeds of persimmon into the ground relies on about 1.5 cm. In this case, you need to put the planting material in the pits not flat, but on the edge. After all the bones are in the ground, the box must be covered with foil, thus arranging a mini-greenhouse.
Sprout care
After the sprouts have sprouted, they may need to be helped to get rid of the adhering halves of the bone rind. In the event that the latter does not fall off in 3 days, the plant, unfortunately, will die. You can save the sprouts by covering the pot overnight with a plastic bag (after spraying and watering) and removing the halves of the seeds with tweezers in the morning.
You can transfer your favorite persimmon sprout from the box to the pot immediately after the first real leaves appear on it. It is not necessary to take too large a container for the plant. A pot of 20 cm in diameter will be enough for a small persimmon. The same sand and peat should be used as soil in containers for this crop. But for a better growing result, you can also add a little meadow humus to the pot.
Growing persimmons at home: the first transshipment
In a 20 cm pot, a persimmon seedling should grow for about 3 months. Next, you need to do the transshipment. The next pot should be about 3-4 cm larger than the first one. It is not recommended to transplant persimmons into too large a container. If its roots do not occupy the entire space of the container, the free earth will surely begin to sour. Which in turn will adversely affect the health of the plant itself.
Persimmon: growing conditions
Taking care of the grown persimmon as a houseplant is not too difficult. The main thing is to create suitable growth conditions for her. In winter, this culture will have to be additionally illuminated for several hours. In the warm season, caring for persimmons will mainly consist of timely watering and feeding.
The persimmon plant is not too hygrophilous. Due to excessive moisture in the soil in the pot, it can get sick. Therefore, it is necessary only when the soil in the container begins to dry out. Fertilize this plant only in the warm season. In this case, fertilizing is applied at a frequency of about once every two months.
Tree pruning
For the cultivation of persimmons in an apartment to be successful, its crown must be shaped. You can get a spectacular tree at home by initially leaving three branches on the plant in the first tier. This will create a lush crown. For the formation of the actual lateral branches, the plant must be pinched at a distance of about 30 cm from the soil surface.
When to do transshipment
From the first pot, persimmons are thus transplanted at the age of about 3 months. Subsequently, transshipments are supposed to be done once a year. At the same time, new containers must also be selected 3-4 cm larger than the previous ones. Persimmons are transplanted, like any other indoor plant, in late February - early March.
These are the features of the cultivation of persimmon from the stone in the apartment. As you can see, caring for this plant at home is not particularly difficult. In any case, even an inexperienced amateur florist is quite capable of coping with this task. The main thing when growing this crop in a room is not to forget to water it, cut it off and feed it from time to time.
