PERSIMMON Fuyu Seeds | Diospyros kaki

STEP 1 - Seeds require 8-10 weeks of cold stratification at 1°C prior to sowing. We have completed this step for you.

STEP 2 - Fill a humidity dome seedling tray with high quality Seed Raising Mix and plant the seeds 15mm deep.

STEP 3 - Water the seeds until the soil is damp to the touch. Make sure not to overwater or else the seeds will become waterlogged and rot.

STEP 4 - Keep the tray in a well-lit area. The seedlings should be kept in a bright and warm area, like a windowsill, so they can grow. Remember that the more light a plant gets, the more water the plant will need. In 4 - 8 weeks, you should notice seedlings emerge.

STEP 5 - Wait until the seedlings have 4 true leaves. The first leaves that you’ll see on your seedlings are cotyledons and not true leaves. True leaves will develop over time and will resemble leaves from a fully grown pear tree. Once there are at least 4 true leaves on your seedling, they are ready to transplant.

STEP 6 - Transplant the seedlings to individual pots or into the garden. Spring is the ideal time to do this. Once you have unearthed a seedling, put it in a hole slightly larger than the root ball and fill in with Citrus Potting Mix.

The stem bark is astringent and styptic. The fruit is said to have different properties depending on its stage of ripeness, though it is generally anti-tussive, astringent, laxative, nutritive and stomachic. The fresh fully ripe fruit is used raw in the treatment of constipation and haemorrhoids and when cooked is used to treat diarrhoea.

The dried ripe fruit is used in the treatment of bronchial complaints, whilst when ground into a powder it is used to treat dry coughs. Juice from the unripe fruit is used in the treatment of hypertension. The fruits, picked green and ripened in containers with the leaves, become very sweet and are considered to be anti-febrile, anti-vinous and demulcent.

The fruits are also peeled and then exposed to sunlight by day and dew by night. They become encrusted with a white powder and are then considered to be anthelmintic, anti-haemorrhagic, anti-vinous, expectorant, febrifuge and restorative. The peduncle is used to treat coughs and hiccups. A decoction of the calyx and fruit stem is sometimes taken to relieve hiccups, coughs and laboured respiration

Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruit has an exquisitely rich flavour when it is very soft and fully ripe (almost at the point of going bad), but the fruit of many other cultivars is very harsh and astringent before then. In Australia, the fruit needs to be harvested whilst it is still very hard. This is done very late in the season, it is then stored in a cool but frost-free place until very soft and fully ripe.

The fruit can also be used in pies, cakes, bread and desserts. It contains 25% sugars. The fruit can also be dried for later use. The fruit is about 7.5cm in diameter. The peel of the fruit can be powdered and used as a sweetener. The leaves are used to improve the flavour of pickled radishes. The roasted seeds are a coffee substitute.

Apart from Tannins, Triterpenoid compounds such as α-Amyrin, Uvaol, Ursolic Acid, 19α-Hydroxy Ursolic Acid and 19 α,24-Dihydroxy Ursolic Acid can be isolated from the leaves  The high content of the Carotenoids β-Cryptoxanthin, β-Carotene and Zeaxanthin, along with some Lutein and α-carotene makes the Persimmon fruit nutritionally valuable.