Diospyros Species, Black Persimmon, Black Sapote, Chocolate Pudding Tree, Axle Grease Plant

I germinated 4 out of 5 black sapote seeds that I brought from Mexico recently. I had to wait a long time for them to germinate. I used t...Read Morehose little red drinking cups and made openings using a blade for drainage. The potting soil I used was Scotts SuperSoil Potting mix from Home Depot. I also used a grow light with an automatic on/off switch that turned on all night since it was winter.

The red cups the seeds were in got infested with fungus gnats, but they didn't harm the persimmon seeds at all. In fact, I think they helped keep them from rotting by feeding on the fungus in the soil.

When they germinated, I took them out because I was tired of all the gnats (it got pretty bad). The temperature outside at night was in the lower 40s and they got burned by the cold. The leaves and stems turned really black, so I stared to take all 4 inside the house every night. By this time, I had transplanted them in 6 inch high containers using the same soil.

They are steadily growing here in Southern California (9b) and I've noticed that one of them was producing rounded leaves rather than pointed leaves as a seedling - could it be a different gender tree (persimmons come in male or female)?

Since I live in Tacoma, Wa, I could only grow it inside. My pudding tree grew to four-to-five feet tall, never flowered, and lived for ab...Read Moreout seven years before losing its leaves and dying from some bug or disease (I never found out what killed it). It was a pleasant tree to have and added ambience to the room.

I started my black sapote from seed which I brought from Mexico. I started it in may 2008 and it is now 14 inches tall and very beautiful...Read More.

Im wondering if I should expose it to full sun or still keep it somewhat protected? Any ideas on this? Truly a beautiful plant. Hopefully it will get big enough to get fruit someday, but nevertheless it is still a great plant to have indoors.

It has taken 4 months but I finally have a sprout. Growing one here is considered marginal but I am going to give it my best shot. Not ...Read Moresure if it is temperature or dry fall air or wet winters that kill them off but I will mitigate against all those and hope for the best.