When should Asian persimmons be harvested? Do they need to be fully colored and soft? I’d like to pick them before the crows and raccoons get them this year!
The answer to your question depends on whether you are growing an astringent or non-astringent variety of Asian persimmon. For example, Hachiya and Saijo are astringent, while Fuyu, Izu, and Jiro are non-astringent.
Asian persimmon (Diospyros kaki) can be picked when completely colored but still firm, as this link from University of California Master Gardeners of Napa County describes:
“When harvesting persimmons, allow the fruit to remain on the tree until it develops good color. Use pruning shears to cut the stem, leaving a short stem and the green calyx attached to the fruit. If the fruit is snapped off rather than clipped, the fruit may bruise.
“Astringent types such as ‘Hachiya’ can be left on the tree until they become soft-ripe, or you can harvest them when they have reached full color but are still firm. In that case, let them soften at room temperature before eating.”
In your situation, I recommend not leaving the fruit on the tree to soften if you want to keep the critters from harvesting it!
The California Rare Fruit Growers website has a thorough guide to growing Asian persimmons.