WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Diospyros kaki, WUCOLS IV

How often to water persimmon trees in California

In July in the Central Valley, established persimmon trees in loam need a deep watering about every 8 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 47 gallons a week. Persimmon carries its fruit late in the year, so moisture checks need to continue beyond midsummer. Its broad leaves and developing crop depend on water reaching the deeper roots. Keep that supply steady without swinging from parched soil to saturation around the crown.

TreeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water persimmon trees, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
10 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for persimmon trees and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 6 to 12 inches down beneath the canopy signals that an established persimmon needs a deep soak
  • Broad leaves still dull and drooping the next morning can indicate thirst when the soil is dry
  • Fruit drop beyond the normal early shedding can accompany a dry spell, but check other causes before increasing water
  • Yellow, limp leaves over persistently wet soil can indicate poor drainage around persimmon roots
  • Small fruit can accompany dryness during sizing, so inspect soil moisture rather than diagnosing by fruit size alone

How to water it

  • Water beneath the full persimmon canopy and beyond the branch tips, keeping the trunk and crown dry
  • Moisten soil about 2 feet deep beneath an established persimmon, then check the upper root zone before watering again
  • Spread several drip emitters beneath the canopy and move them outward as branches extend
  • Keep wood-chip mulch over the fruiting tree's root area while leaving a gap around the trunk
  • Use a low mound on soggy ground and apply water slowly so the persimmon crown does not stay wet

Through the seasons

Keep a new persimmon root ball evenly moist through its first summer and extend coverage as roots spread. Established trees need deeper soakings across a wider root area while fruit sizes. Irrigation matters from late spring into fall, including warm, dry weather near harvest. Persimmons lose their leaves and rest in winter, when demand falls. Coastal and Central Valley rain can supply dormant trees; check both deserts through dry winter gaps. WUCOLS rates persimmon low water on the north-central coast and moderate water in the other five climate zones.

In pots

A potted persimmon needs a large, deep container with room for its taproot beneath the fruiting canopy. Check the top two to three inches of mix often in California summer heat and water when they dry. Soak until excess leaves the drainage holes, then empty the saucer. Avoid sharp wet-to-dry swings as fruit grows. In winter the tree stands bare and uses little water, but check through rainless spells so its confined root ball does not dry completely.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Persimmon Trees: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.780.780.740.78
Feb0.210.650.810.870.930.93
Mar0.351.091.151.31.461.52
Apr0.471.521.41.611.891.95
May0.582.081.611.952.392.45
Jun0.642.481.742.292.852.79
Jul0.642.671.982.513.042.85
Aug0.62.391.862.332.792.6
Sep0.51.81.491.862.142.08
Oct0.351.181.151.331.461.49
Nov0.190.560.840.90.930.96
Dec0.120.340.650.680.650.68
Year4.817.1115.518.4121.2721.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like persimmon trees. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Citrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese MapleAcer palmatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAvocado TreesPersea americanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMagnolia TreesMagnolia grandiflora ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPalm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyApple TreesMalus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPeach TreesPrunus spp. ediblemoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAmur MapleAcer ginnalamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernleaf MapleAcer japonicummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBox ElderAcer negundomoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyNorway MapleAcer platanoidesmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed MapleAcer rubrummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyChinese MapleAcer truncatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed HorsechestnutAesculus x carneamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyItalian AlderAlnus cordatamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than persimmon trees in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes persimmon trees, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water persimmon trees in summer?

In July, established persimmon trees in loam need a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water do persimmon trees need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established persimmon trees need about 6.8 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 27 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for persimmon trees change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates persimmon trees separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

How do I water a newly planted persimmon?

Feel the original root ball separately from the surrounding ground. Nursery mix can dry faster than the bed beside it. Expand the wet circle as roots move beyond the planting hole instead of watering the same small spot for years.

Do Fuyu and Hachiya need different watering?

Their basic moisture needs are similar, but a later crop extends the period of fruit checks. Hachiya can be picked fully colored while still firm and softened indoors. It does not need to soften on the branch to ripen.

Can you overwater a persimmon?

Yes. Persistently saturated ground leaves its roots without enough air. Pause irrigation and address drainage before another soaking if the deeper ground remains wet.

Why is my persimmon dropping fruit?

Young trees normally shed some early fruit. Heavy losses can also follow dryness or excess nitrogen that encourages vigorous shoot growth. Check moisture and feeding history before reaching for the hose.

Why are my persimmon leaf edges brown?

Dry soil and hot wind can scorch leaf margins. Salty irrigation water can leave a similar pattern, so increasing watering frequency alone may not help. Thorough soakings through draining soil can move accumulated salts below the roots.

Do young persimmons need winter checks?

Yes, including during a rainless spell that is not especially warm. A recently planted root ball can dry while nearby ground still feels moist. Check that ball and any sheltered containers before deciding to water.

More plant watering guides

Red HorsechestnutCarpet BugleItalian AlderBlack AlderWestern ServiceberrySnowdrop WindflowerNorfolk Island PineGreen Supreme Manzanita

Sources