Jujube

[plantsnobin]

I got a couple trees from Clifford England, one already had ripe fruit on it. I tasted several while we were at Cliffs, and the fruit on my tree actually stayed on through the 3 hour trip back home, planting and even a couple of light frosts. Some kinds don't stay keep well on the tree and rot instead of drying, but the one I got it great. While I was mowing yesterday I picked up a few of the fruits that had dropped and I have to say that I really like them. They are small and oblong, with one seed inside, not like an apple core. The texture is kind of apple like, but not juicy. There is not much sweetnees, but a nice hint. Due to their small size it isn't like you are going to have too many of them to eat, but a nice little snack as you are doing your chores. I already had one tree that is too young to bear, so I hope that my area will be good for getting fruit from them. I wouldn't put much hopes in growing a tasty one from seed, as I tasted the straight species at Cliffs. The tasty one I got was 'R7T2'. I can really recommend that variety if anyone is looking for jujubes.

[grungy]

Karen, if and when you get a chance to have a few spare seeds of the jujubes, could I impose on you for a care package?

[castanea]

Karen, how are they doing this year? Are they flowering yet?

[plantsnobin]

Yes, indeed they are blooming now. I am very excited. The Li I bought maybe 3 or 4 years ago, I thought was dead, but is now growing. So, I have 3 different ones and two I bought from Clifford are the ones blooming. They are late to leaf out and I was worried that they hadn't made it.

[castanea]

The flowers are reknowned in China for making a very nice honey. I've tried it and it is very good.

[plantsnobin]

Interesting about the honey. We don't have hives here, but when we find our 'place in the country' I would like to. I would love to have acres of the Jujube, but they are a little pricey. My plants are still so small that I hate to try to take any cuttings from them.

[castanea]

They are pricey. My plan when I get my "place in the country" is to plant seeds. The downside is that you will get some seedlings with small fruit or sour fruit or tasteless fruit, but you can use them for rootstock. I've never seen any study as to what percentage of seedlings are good, so I guess I will find out.

I have a couple of seedlings here. One has smallish fruit but is highly productive with a wonderful sweet tangy flavor, one of my favorite jujbes. The other has even smaller fruit that is somewhat mealy but the flavor is OK, nothing special but certainly palatable.

[plantsnobin]

Well, I was afraid that my plants weren't going to set any fruit, even though they bloomed. Guess my eyesite isn't what it used to be. Alan was here the other day and he saw fruit that I hadn't. So I am very excited, indeed. One of the fruits is starting to turn just a hint of color. And they sucker like crazy too, and one of the suckers also has fruit, though pretty small. It will be interesting to see what the sucker tastes like. Of all the various types of fungal problems many fruit trees are having here this year, the jujubes are just perfect. Not a blemish on any of the leaves.

[steev]

This is a good year for my jujubes; the Li is quite productive. I'm thinking it's time to start planting seeds for rootstock, so as to increase the Li by grafting. Jujubes resent much water, and I think I can ensure a limited supply of that.

[castanea]

Sept 25, 2013 21:03:45 GMT -5 steev said:

This is a good year for my jujubes; the Li is quite productive. I'm thinking it's time to start planting seeds for rootstock, so as to increase the Li by grafting. Jujubes resent much water, and I think I can ensure a limited supply of that.

Are you aware that Li does not usually have viable seeds?

[steev]

I didn't know that. In any event, I have two trees that lost their grafts, which are very productive of dinky, unappetizing fruit, the seeds of which sprout readily; those are what I'm thinking of using for rootstock.