Q: My two-year-old Asian persimmon tree has been dropping developing fruit. Is it poor pollination? How can I stop the drop?

A: Fruit trees vary in their ability to hold fruit while they become established in a growing site. There is a constant “hormonal conversation” between the roots, buds and leaves about what resources are available and what is needed to ripen the fruit. If the root system is not adequate to support many fruit, the plant responds by aborting some of them. This is common in peaches and apples. Unlike American persimmon, Asian persimmons are self-pollinating. As long as your tree is growing healthily, it will eventually reward you with lots of persimmons in fall.