Interested in persimmon (Japani phal, amphal) and want to know if it can be grown here and what climate it needs.
4 Answers
Persimmon, sometimes called Japani phal or amphal, is a temperate to subtropical fruit grown in the cooler hills of Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and the Nilgiris. It needs a defined winter with some chilling and is fairly hardy once established, doing well on deep, well-drained soil. There are astringent types that must be fully ripe or treated before eating and non-astringent types that can be eaten firm, so variety choice affects how you market the fruit. It is a long-term tree crop that takes a few years to come into bearing. It is still a relatively minor crop in India with a limited but growing market. Confirm the recommended variety and suitability for Kullu, and a genuine plant source, with your KVK or a horticulture university.
Grows well and hardy in our valley. Just teach buyers to eat the astringent type only when soft.
It grows well in our valley and the trees are hardy. The tricky part is the astringent types, people need to know to eat them only when fully soft.
Spring frost can hit the flowers some years, so site it where cold does not settle.