Persimmon trees provide not only delicious (and sometimes copious) fruit, but also year-round beauty. (File photo by Sam Gangwer)

Q: Could you provide some guidance as to the care of fig and persimmon trees? I planted two persimmons and one fig this spring. The fig and one of the persimmons seem healthy, but the second persimmon’s leaves are dry and falling off. I planted them in a mix of potting soil and regular dirt and applied chicken manure and Epsom salt. I was watering once per week but have recently increased to twice a week.

A: Both fig and persimmon trees should do well in southern California.

Edible fig is native to western Asia and the eastern Mediterranean area, which is very similar to our climate. It can grow quickly in poor soil to over 30 feet tall with a very wide spread. If you don’t have a lot of room (or know a hundred people who love fresh figs), the tree can adapt to life in a large container. For the record, I am talking about a half-whiskey barrel, not a shipping container, though that could work.

Figs benefit from winter pruning. They often naturally develop into a multi-trunk form. Prune the oldest shoots to the ground to allow the younger, more productive shoots to flourish. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers (such as chicken manure).

Persimmon trees provide not only delicious (and sometimes copious) fruit, but also year-round beauty. In the spring, the leaves are bright green and kind of fuzzy. During the summer, they become dark green and leathery. In the fall, the leaves turn red, orange, or yellow. After fall, bright orange fruits remain on the bare trees.

Persimmon trees are not particularly demanding. They like regular, but not excessive watering. Make sure that the tree is not waterlogged, as this will kill it faster than underwatering. Fertilize once a year in the early spring. I would recommend against applying chicken manure, as this is an extremely high nitrogen fertilizer.

I would only advise application of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) if there is evidence of a magnesium deficiency. Yellowing between the veins of older leaves, followed by leaf drop are the usual symptoms of magnesium deficiency.

The dried and falling leaves can be caused by either over- or underwatering, excessive urea salts from uncomposted chicken manure, or even graft incompatibility in the affected tree.

Q: Last winter I transplanted a well-established double delight rose. It looks healthy and is producing a lot of flowers, but they have no scent. How can I get my roses to smell good again?

A: The scent produced by roses can be affected by several factors. If the plant is unhealthy, its flowers will often lose their scent. This doesn’t appear to be your problem.

A rose’s perfume is made up of a combination of volatile organic compounds (alcohols and oils, mostly). If these compounds become dissipated or evaporate, the fragrance can become undetectable. Any change in air circulation, excess heat, or lower humidity can all result in loss of scent.

Have gardening questions? Email


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