A persimmon is a fruit tree in the Ebenaceae family. There are many varieties of persimmons, most commonly the Oriental persimmon, Japanese persimmon and Kaki. American persimmons are native to a little over 1/3 of the southeastern United States. The wood from the persimmon tree is very hard and used to make golf club heads among other things. The fruit is a small, soft, yellow to red berry that may be up to 2 inches in diameter. They are sweet and seedy when allowed to ripen on the tree, but can be very soft to almost mush by then. Commercial growers use ripening agents to ripen the fruit while it is still firm.
Open a persimmon and take out the seeds. Rinse the excess flesh from the seeds and lay them out on a counter to dry for at least 24 hours.
Wrap the seeds in a moist paper towel and place them in a zipper-type sandwich bag. Wring out the paper towel to the point that no more water will come out of it. Place the bag in the refrigerator for three months.
Prepare small flower pots by mixing potting soil and sand to a 50/50 ratio. Moisten the soil and place it on top of your refrigerator for two days to warm the soil to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the seeds out of the refrigerator and soak them in lukewarm water while the soil is warming. Change the water at least twice a day.
Make a half inch indent in the soil and place a seed in the indent. Cover with a half inch of the moist soil. Keep the soil evenly moist and place the pots in a sunny window to germinate and grow.
Plant outdoors when the soil temperature reaches 60 F, by digging a hole 18 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Clean the dug out soil of all debris and mix it with 1 part compost to 1 part soil. Fill the hole back in with the amended soil.
Dig out a small hole from the amended soil and remove the seedling from the pot. Place it in the planting hole at the same level it was in the pot. Persimmons have a long tap root and need well draining, loose soil for it to develop. Water the seedling well to help establish the roots to the new soil.
Apply a granular 10-10-10 fertilizer around the soil and water in as soon as there is growth. Fertilize only once a year unless the foliage starts to fade to a light green. If that happens, apply fertilizer again. Too much nitrogen, however, will cause fruit drop. Refer to manufacturer's directions as to the amount to apply.