If you're anything like me, the first signs of summer wrapping up evoke a feeling of excitement for the incoming cozy season. As a keen gardener, though, I'm also eager to find out what kind of weather we can expect this winter and how to prepare my yard accordingly. That's when I stumbled across a fun piece of folklore to give me some answers: cutting open persimmon seeds for a winter weather prediction.
If you have planted persimmon seeds in your yard and have successfully grown persimmon fruit to harvest this fall, you're in luck. By collecting seeds from your persimmon, you can have a weather prediction, according to an old wives' tale. You simply have to cut open a seed and see what shape lies within. Here's the fun part: they're all cutlery shapes.
The below TikTok video from @nanatcraft shows a spoon in a persimmon seed, predicting snow. Meanwhile, a fork is thought to foreshadow a milder winter, and a knife predicts a harsh winter with cutting winds. Intrigued to find out more? Here's how you can take part in using persimmon seeds to predict winter weather and what the folklore says your findings reveal.
What are the persimmon seed weather predictions?
Before jumping in with how to use persimmon seeds to predict winter weather, you first need to know how to harvest persimmon seeds.
Of course, it makes sense this folklore requires you to use seeds from persimmons grown in your yard or local area, predicting the kind of weather that will land there this winter. So, you first need to get your persimmon tree to fruit to take part in this practice.
'You will need to collect ripened persimmons if you want to harvest healthy, viable seeds. You'll know when they are ready, as the fruit will turn deep orange, and some might even begin to drop from the tree,' explains Homes & Gardens' Gardens Content Editor Thomas Rutter.
'Simply select one fruit, and, using a sharp knife (or your hands), remove the flesh to find the darkened seeds inside in the center of the fruit. To note, there can be half a dozen or more seeds to a fruit.'
You can then take a knife (like these kitchen knives from Walmart) and carefully cut along the seed ridge. It should then pop open to reveal the inside. Here's what each of the three shapes are thought to mean for your winter garden this year:
Spoon in persimmon seed
What does it mean to have a spoon in persimmon seeds? It indicates a very snowy winter.
It's thought to represent the need to shovel snow, with the spoon being reminiscent of a snow shovel.
If your persimmon seeds show a spoon symbol, you might want to prepare your yard to ensure your planting isn't wiped out by a snowstorm. This includes becoming familiar with whether you should remove snow from plants, knowing what to do with snow on grass, and making sure not to remove any from places you shouldn't clear snow, where it could damage garden structures.
You may also want to protect plants from snow with frost cloths (from Amazon).
Knife in persimmon seed
If you have a knife shape in your persimmon seeds, it's an indication of an extremely cold and frosty winter. The old wives' tale says some snow can be expected, although not as much snow as a spoon predicts.
If this is the case for you when using persimmon seeds to predict winter weather, take steps to overwinter your garden, protect plants from frost, and get together some essential tools, like this burlap from Amazon to wrap pots and even a mini greenhouse (from Amazon) to store tender plants in.
Don't forget to look after your persimmon tree during a frosty winter, too, as fruit trees also need protecting from frost.
Fork in persimmon seed
Lastly, a fork in persimmon seeds indicates a much milder winter. If this is your result from using persimmon seeds to predict winter weather, you should turn your attention to managing rainfall over frost and snow.
It can be wise to aerate your lawn and take measures to reduce surface water run-off if you're expecting heavy rain. Likewise, if your yard is prone to flooding, consider incorporating ideas to make your yard flood-resilient.
It's important not to make watering mistakes during a wetter fall and winter, too, to prevent oversaturating the soil and rotting plant roots. A soil moisture meter (from Amazon) can help you manage this.
FAQs
When is the best time to collect persimmon seeds?
The best time to collect persimmon seeds is during fall and early winter, when the fruit is fully ripe. Whether you're using persimmon seeds to predict winter weather or you want to save them for replanting, it's important to allow them to dry first. You can do this by removing the mucilage and leaving the seeds in a dry, sealed container. Place drying agents in the container (like these silica gel packets from Amazon) to help draw out moisture more quickly.
Using persimmon seeds to predict winter weather is fun folklore and many have success stories of the predictions coming true. Of course, it's important to note this isn't a reliable way to check your winter forecast, especially considering the shape inside persimmon seeds is scientifically explained by the structure of the cotyledon, which is the embryonic leaf within the seed.
To get a more accurate understanding of the winter weather you can predict, keep up to date with local weather forecasts. You may also wish to check out the Farmers' Almanac winter forecast 2025.
Having said that, there's no harm in taking part in this folklore practice to see what happens – it might even become a returning item on your winter gardening checklist.
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