I have been eating my American persimmons and noticing that the last fruits tend to have a lot more seeds that the earlier fruits. I wonder if this is generally true among other persimmons or other fruit.
In some ways, it makes sense. The tree might want to hold onto the fruit with seeds a little longer to make sure that the seeds are fully mature. That's the whole point of making the fruit. The seedless fruit doesn't have this same need, because there are no seeds to mature.
Whaddya think?
John S
PDX OR
It also applies to the apples and pears that I have seen codling moth damage on. Every year my favorite summer japanese/asian pear set two crops. The first 5-10% of the crop is seen turning yellow and sweeter then the green ones at the last of July due to no seeds and vacant larvae. The next 90% come on another 10 days later than the first. So both the moth larvae and I (with my extended summer harvest) get what each of us bargained for.
I don't understand the way it is why my first crop gets so sweet. There are always so many curious things and unanswered questions about fruit we don't know for sure.
Come to think of it, I have seen many fruits with codling moth drop early. Obviously, the seeds aren't viable, as the codling moth feeds on it. It makes sense for the tree to stop investing in it, and perhaps leave it on the ground for the earliest, hungriest animals to munch completely first, saving the seeds for partial munching on mature fruit later.
John S
PDX OR
Hnuh?
An apple under Codling Moth attack, tries it's best to ripen, before insects completely destroy it.
Thus it ripens very early, and falls. Thereafter, it quickly rots.
For many years, my Ashmead's Kernel, apple tree was largely bare by September.
Every piece of fruit was badly damaged by worms.
This year, due to improved orchard clean-up, some apples were not attacked.
Still hanging on the tree, in fact.