So the last few persimmons that K2 brought me from the neighbors got saved.
Saved and washed. Washed and rinsed. Rinsed and dried.
Persimmon seeds are quite beautiful when they're clean. They're not so pretty when they show up elsewhere. But they're really pretty when they're washed and ready to be sprouted.
Eric looked up what we have to do to sprout the seeds and this is what we learned.
1. Gather the seeds in the fall.
2. Stratify the seeds at 40 degrees for 2-3 months. [i.e. keep them cold during the winter]
3. Sow in the spring. they prefer 70-85 degrees for germination.
4. Plant at a depth of 2 inches and mulch the seedbeds.
5. Seedlings will have a strong taproot. Since taproots do not like to be disturbed, the seedlings should be planted where you want them to be at the end of the first season.
This means that we're going to put them in a plastic bag in the fridge until spring. Then I'll plant them at the same time I plant the melons, which also love warm soil. After the first season, we'll decide where we want them permanently and plant them there.
Then my persimmon trees will burst forth with growth and in about twenty years I'll have my own persimmons.
I can't wait.