Persimmons are usually referred to as deer candy because of their attractive taste and nutrition. The fruit contains sugar and is ahigh in carbohydrates, iron, starches, potassium, vitamin C, and phosphorus. Persimmon trees for deer are low in protein, calcium, and fat, but they are a delicious and efficient high-energy snack for deer to build body reserves for the coldest months of the year.

Persimmons are self-producing females; thus, you don’t have to worry about planting and caring for a male persimmon They are cloned to carry 100 percent of the genetics from the parent trees.

This guide will help you understand ways to care for your permission trees to ensure they bear lots for fruits to lure deer into your property:

Growing Conditions

Persimmons must be planted under direct exposure to the sun with some air movement in inland areas. Those grown in cooler areas must have a full sun with protection from cooling breezes. The trees fit well in the landscape.

The persimmon tree can withstand a wide range of conditions when the soil is not overly salty. However, it does best in deep, well-drained loam. It prefers a soil with 6.5 pH to 7.5 pH. It has a strong tap root that may require digging a deeper hole than usual when planting. With regular water, it will have bigger and higher-quality fruit. The majority of persimmon trees do well with a minimum fertilizing. To avoid fruit drop, it should get just enough amount of nitrogen.

Harvesting

Some persimmons bear astringent fruit until they are soft ripe while others bear non-astringent fruits. Within these categories, there are cultivars with fruits influenced by pollination and those unaffected by pollination. An astringent cultivar is jelly soft before it is fit for consumption and best adopted to cooler regions. A non-astringent cultivar can be consumed when it’s crisp as an apple. It needs hot summers and the fruit might retain some astringency when grown in cooler regions.

Astringent cultivars are ready to harvest when they are hard but fully colored. They ripen off the tree when stored at room temperature. Meanwhile, non-astringent cultivars must be harvested when they are fully colored; however, for the best flavor, they should be allowed to soften slightly after harvest.

General Pruning Care

Pruning persimmons must be done in late winter or early in spring. Use a sharp pair of shears for cutting the broken and diseased branches and cutting them back until you reach the tree’s trunk. The trees must be pruned to develop a strong framework of main branches while they are young.