It is SO SURREAL! I cannot believe that this will be the last season I will be harvesting Persimmon from my beloved Giant Fuyu Persimmon tree - The Autumn Queen of my San Diego orchard. The tree is too established; almost 17 years old, and too big to be transplanted. Regretfully, so far, air layering has failed to produce any viable plants. I am just going to have to buy plant one or two of the Giant Fuyu Persimmon for Temecula garden.
The sight of bird eaten Persimmons finally kicked me into action. Each time I decided I was going into the garden to wrap the ripening Fuyu Persimmon, I mentally kicked myself because I had made yet another trip to the grocery store without buying the needed paper lunch bags!!! Finally, I had to make my third and specific trip to buy the necessary lunch bags.
As usual, despite all good intent, I did not thin out the fruits. However, the tree did its own thing. There was quite a substantial fruit drop. I cannot complain. There was still a good quantity of fruits on the tree.
Since there were so many fruits closed together on the same or neighboring branches, I bagged a few fruits together in a single bag. This meant I had to clean up the branches, removing surplus leaves so the fruits could all fit in the bag. Removing the surplus leaves, also gave a length of branch to secure the bag to. I label the bags with a notation as to how many fruits were in the bag.
Since there were so many fruits closed together on the same or neighboring branches, I bagged a few fruits together in a single bag. This meant I had to clean up the branches, removing surplus leaves so the fruits could all fit in the bag. Removing the surplus leaves, also gave a length of branch to secure the bag to. I label the bags with a notation as to how many fruits were in the bag.
Bagging the Persimmon is a tedious job. You are reaching out, more often than not, above yourself to take hold of branches and fruits to bag. Neck strain and dirt falling into the eye, is part of the territory. I do it because for me, it is the best way to protect the fruit without causing harm to birds. I have used nets thrown over the whole tree before. Some birds get caught in the net or trapped in netted space.
In the end, you get a Paper Bag Tree which promises good eats. It may garners strange stares from most passersby except perhaps for some Asian. The Paper Bag tree brings a smile as they remember the practice by older members of their families. Grandmother knew best. If your grandmother was anything like mine, she would have used old newspaper and skewers or toothpicks to fasten the paper protection. They stop and remise about their family fruit orchard and we meander down delicious memories of luscious tropical fruits. We laugh and share information as to where we could source certain favorite fruit or fruit trees.
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