Miracle Grow causing second flowering in Princess Persimmons

[Bonsai Nut]

I wanted to share this info for all the princess persimmon lovers out there. All of my princess persimmons are experiencing a second flowering this year... including some that have never flowered before (including this spring) but have taken it upon themselves to flower now.

Because I have so many princess persimmons at all stages of development I want to make sure to emphasize - these are five or six year old seedlings... or older trees.

Background: I usually fertilize my princess persimmons with organic fertilizer pellets, because they are easy to apply when you are working on many trees in the spring. In the last month, I noticed two things (1) we had a very hot, and very dry summer and (2) some of my princess persimmons were showing mild chlorosis (for one reason or another). So I started supplementing my organic fertilizer with Miracle Grow water soluble - which I use on my Japanese maples, and with which I get good results

Imagine my surprise when (within a couple of weeks) I started to see what I thought was leaf bud expansion... but it turned out be expanding flower buds. The majority of my princess persimmons are now flowering - including those that are currently bearing fruit - including my bigger landscape trees that I use for propagation. Is this good? Bad? I don't know. We'll have to wait until next spring to see if this disrupts their normal cycle.

Photos: this tree has never bloomed before...


I spent more time trying to get the fruit in focus, but this tree is flowering - with fruit.


This is one of my tagged males... flowers everywhere.


Not sure what to think. Good/bad? Wanted to share with folks like @NaoTK

 

[vp999]

Thanks for the infos! I have a bunch of persimmon also and waiting to see how yours fare next year before I use it.

 

[NaoTK]

I have never seen this behavior in my plants. Are all your flowering plants from the same genetic lineage? There are a few cultivars that flower continuously, so there may be some predisposition in your plants. If they stabilize with this behavior then you hit the jackpot because you can display a tree with multiple colors of fruit...green to orange all at once. keep us posted

I also fertilize continuously with Miracle Gro, but maybe if your plants were "deprived" of nitrogen and then suddenly oversupplied they were triggered to flower?

 

[JudyB]

So interesting, and wonderful! As long as the tree doesn't think it's expiring and putting on buds for that reason... They look healthy though, other than the munchy bits.