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Pick two or three seeds to see how they grow, side by side: sprouting, spacing, sun, water, frost and pet safety in one table.

Comparing Sorghum vs. American Persimmon vs. Apple Tree

The comparison

Sorghum vs. American Persimmon vs. Apple Tree

Units
Growing facts for Sorghum, American Persimmon and Apple Tree, side by side
Fact
SorghumSorghum bicolor
American PersimmonDiospyros virginiana
Apple TreeMalus domestica
DifficultyModerateChallengingModerate
Life cycleNot yet verifiedPerennialPerennial
Germination temperature16–18 °C61–64 °FNot yet verifiedNot yet verified
Sowing depth2.5–5 cm1–2 inNot yet verifiedNot yet verified
SunFull sunFull sun, partial shadeFull sun, partial shade
WaterNot yet verifiedNot yet verifiedModerate
ContainersNot yet verifiedNot suited to potsNot yet verified
Frost toleranceTender (no frost)HardyNot yet verified
Soil pHpH 6.0–6.5Not yet verifiedpH 5.8–6.5
Links
How to grow sorghumRemove sorghum
How to grow american persimmonRemove american persimmon
How to grow apple treeRemove apple tree

Up close

Meet the seeds

What each one is, in a few lines, with the full growing guide one click away.

  • Sorghum field with reddish-brown seed heads growing in rows, with green trees and houses in the backgroundFruits & other

    Sorghum

    Sorghum bicolor

    Difficulty: Moderate

    Sorghum is a tall warm-season grass grown from seed for edible grain, feed and brooms. It likes full sun and dry-tolerant soil, but birds, insects and weeds can be a problem.

    How to grow sorghum
  • American persimmon tree with small orange fruits on bare branches against a blue skyFruits & other

    American Persimmon

    Diospyros virginiana

    Difficulty: Challenging

    A native US tree grown for sweet fall fruit, colorful leaves and checkerboard bark. Trees grown from seed can take four to nine years to bear fruit, and you usually need both male and female trees.

    How to grow american persimmon
  • Cluster of red apples hanging among green leaves on an apple tree branchFruits & other

    Apple Tree

    Malus domestica

    Difficulty: Moderate

    Apple trees are perennial, deciduous fruit trees that grow best in full sun. Trees grown from seed won't match the parent fruit, so most apple trees are grafted.

    How to grow apple tree

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The table, row by row

How to read a comparison

Every row is a fact from each seed's own profile, lined up so the differences stand out.

  1. Sprouting

    Germination time and temperature

    How many days the seeds take to sprout, and the temperature range they sprout in.

  2. Sowing

    Sowing depth and spacing

    How deep to sow each seed and how far apart the plants should grow. “On the surface” means the seed isn't covered.

  3. Timing

    Days to maturity and life cycle

    How long until the plant is ready, counted from sowing or from transplanting (each value says which). Annuals live one year, biennials two, perennials longer.

  4. Light and water

    Sun and water

    Full sun means 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, partial shade a few hours. Water needs are rated low, moderate or high.

  5. Space and weather

    Containers, frost tolerance and soil pH

    Whether it grows in a pot, with the smallest pot when it's known. Frost tolerance runs from tender (no frost) to hardy. Soil pH 7 is neutral.

  6. Pets

    Toxicity to cats and dogs

    Whether the plant is toxic to cats and dogs.

Quick wins

Fastest to sprout

Days from sowing until the first shoots appear, in good conditions.

Pet friendly

Safe around cats and dogs

Listed as non-toxic to both cats and dogs. Each seed's page has the details.

Not safe for pets: borage, buckwheat, caraway, carnation and 14 more.

Comparing

Questions about comparing

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Two or three at a time. Pick them in the boxes at the top, or start from any seed's page with “Compare with another seed”.
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Yes. Every comparison has its own address, like /compare-seeds/?seeds=sorghum,persimmon, so you can copy the link from your browser and send it.
Where do the facts come from?
From each seed's profile. Every fact there is researched and reviewed by our editors before it goes live.
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Both. The table picks the units that match your browser's language, and the switch above it changes them. Your choice is remembered in this browser.
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Each seed's page explains how to grow it from seed, with facts researched and reviewed by our editors.

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