La Puce wrote:

Cat(h) wrote:
During my last passage in my ancestral home (SW France) for Xmas, my
entire childhood flashed before my eyes as I was given - for the first
time in years - ripe kaki fruit to eat.
Many of the local gardens and orchards have one or more of those, and
as few people used to eat them, we kids used to gorge around Nov/Dec
each year on the soft, incredibly exotically sweet orange juicy flesh.
In a fierce fit of virulent nostalgia, I promised myself to try and
plant one one in my garden (East Midlands of Ireland).
Has anyone any experience of growing diospyros kaki in the British
Isles? I believe it originates in China, and it is quite robust in the
face of very low temperatures. But I am wondering about things such as
sunshine hours in the summer, tolerance of wet conditions, and such.
Any wisdom on this?

I'm from Bordeaux. The ones you've perhaps tasted are the easiest ones
to grow, beside China, Israel etc. and are suitable to lower
temperatures, is those 3 varieties: Hatchya, Muscat and Pomme. However,
you must realise that these are grown in full sunshine during whole
days!

Gasp. You are confirming my worst fears.

As far as the East Midlands of Ireland is concerned - I couldn't
tell how suitable it is.


No, I won't let you burst my bubble!! ;-)

I didn't like them when I was little - I liked figs and prunes, but
didn't like plaqueminiers (kaki's French name), because I was scared to
find an earwig in them )

When we were kids, the kakis were mostly left on the trees, because
people didn't know how to eat them. They are very astringent until
November or so, when they start nearly going "off". When they are
totally squishy soft, they are positively divine.
A bit like the nefles - medlars in English - which are only edible
after they have been hit by frosts - only much more worth the bother
:-)

Has anyone else on here ever tried to grow kakis in the British Isles?
They're also known as persimmon. And some varieties as sharon fruit.

Cat(h)