Correct fruit size for Persimmon?

Ruth_10 · February 20, 2007

What is the correct fruit size range for Persimmon? TGS and Sandhill say 1-2 pounds but Seeds of Change catalog says 5-7 ounces. Other references as I'm remembering them (sometimes risky

) say the larger size. The reason I ask is that the Persimmon I planted in 2006 was the freebie from TGS, but the fruit size was definitely in the 5-7 oz. range rather than 1+ lb range. I was wondering if something was amiss.

**nctomatoman** · February 20, 2007

Persimmon is a biggie- I first grew it in 1987, got it from SSE (who got it from Seeds Blum, they were the first company to offer it) - I kept records!!! - picked 39 fruit, 33 pounds total, average weight about 14 ounces with quite a few at 1.2-1.5 pounds. I regrew it twice here in NC, with the same outcome - nice, large, pale orange oblate fruit.

There is a variety from Russia called Russian Persimmon which is shorter growing, much more orange colored (deeper hue) and that 5-7 ounce size - wonder if they got it confused???

**carolyn137** · February 20, 2007

Ruth, I scanned several back SSE Yearbooks and no one reports fruits as small as Seeds of Change. The range for lots of folks in different areas who list it are in about the 1-2# range, with only Bill Minkey going a bit lower and saying 8-24 oz.

I don't know why you got such small fruits from your TGS seeds b'c they trial everything before they offer a variety and wouldn't have said in the 1-2# range if they got smaller fruits.

Bitwise Gamgee · February 21, 2007

I grew the TGS Persimmon freebie last year and got fruit size in the 1-2lb range as advertised.

Ruth_10 · February 21, 2007

Hunh. Interesting. Thanks for the feedback.

Okay, full disclosure time. I didn't think I had planted any orange tomato last summer. The seedling was supposed to be Aker's West Virginia, which I started from seed from TGS. But when the orange fruits appeared I thought perhaps I had screwed up and grabbed the vial of Persimmon that TGS had sent. But then I noticed all the reports of the 1+ lb. fruits from Persimmon and that didn't match what I had. The only other orange tomatoes I had seed for last spring were Sungold and Kellogg's Breakfast, both of which I've grown for many years and this was neither of those.

Whatever it was, it was pretty tasty--not up to the pink beefsteak level, but pretty good. Regular leaf foliage.

February 20, 2007	#1
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	Correct fruit size for Persimmon? What is the correct fruit size range for Persimmon? TGS and Sandhill say 1-2 pounds but Seeds of Change catalog says 5-7 ounces. Other references as I'm remembering them (sometimes risky ) say the larger size. The reason I ask is that the Persimmon I planted in 2006 was the freebie from TGS, but the fruit size was definitely in the 5-7 oz. range rather than 1+ lb range. I was wondering if something was amiss. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

February 20, 2007	#2
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Persimmon is a biggie- I first grew it in 1987, got it from SSE (who got it from Seeds Blum, they were the first company to offer it) - I kept records!!! - picked 39 fruit, 33 pounds total, average weight about 14 ounces with quite a few at 1.2-1.5 pounds. I regrew it twice here in NC, with the same outcome - nice, large, pale orange oblate fruit. There is a variety from Russia called Russian Persimmon which is shorter growing, much more orange colored (deeper hue) and that 5-7 ounce size - wonder if they got it confused??? __________________ Craig

February 20, 2007	#3
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Ruth, I scanned several back SSE Yearbooks and no one reports fruits as small as Seeds of Change. The range for lots of folks in different areas who list it are in about the 1-2# range, with only Bill Minkey going a bit lower and saying 8-24 oz. I don't know why you got such small fruits from your TGS seeds b'c they trial everything before they offer a variety and wouldn't have said in the 1-2# range if they got smaller fruits. __________________ Carolyn

February 21, 2007	#5
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	Hunh. Interesting. Thanks for the feedback. Okay, full disclosure time. I didn't think I had planted any orange tomato last summer. The seedling was supposed to be Aker's West Virginia, which I started from seed from TGS. But when the orange fruits appeared I thought perhaps I had screwed up and grabbed the vial of Persimmon that TGS had sent. But then I noticed all the reports of the 1+ lb. fruits from Persimmon and that didn't match what I had. The only other orange tomatoes I had seed for last spring were Sungold and Kellogg's Breakfast, both of which I've grown for many years and this was neither of those. Whatever it was, it was pretty tasty--not up to the pink beefsteak level, but pretty good. Regular leaf foliage. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

February 21, 2007	#4
Bitwise Gamgee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: TN z6 Posts: 103	I grew the TGS Persimmon freebie last year and got fruit size in the 1-2lb range as advertised.