Fall planting out sour jujube rootstock in 6b - good idea?

General Fruit Growing
#1

I’m hoping to plant out some sour jujube rootstocks that I’ve been growing from seed in order to eventually graft onto. I’ve heard varying reports on the hardiness of sour jujube. Would anyone have concerns with fall planting of jujube rootstock based on hardiness? I’ve been using this source for the seeds and the trees have grown really well this first year: Chinese Date Tree Seeds | Ziziphus jujube var spinosa

#2

They are very Hardy. -18F without any die back.

Tony

#3

Hello Tim, I didn’t know you was on here also. There sure are a lot of F4F members on here. I was just talking about your Enola Italian #1 fig and how it is my favorite fig. Glad to see you are still growing fruits.
I too am growing a few seedling jujubes for future rootstocks. last winter my seedlings didn’t have any issues and they where unprotected and in pots but I’m in zone 7b. I even got some fruits this year but I still don’t feel like they are large enough to graft on yet. I’m looking forward to spring 2018 they should be good to go by then. How large are yours?

#4

think i remember you from last year, and really glad to hear your seedlings grew fast. Where am at, juju seedlings behave like okra–starting slow, then speed up at a certain caliper/age, usually only after 2nd yr.

as for planting directly on the ground on its first year, and in PA winters, i agree with @tonyOmahaz5 that it is probably safe since spinosas are quite tough to freezing temps, especially if with large enough calipers.
of course it won’t hurt to wait until late spring, as it is always possible the tiniest ones may be too small to be constantly buried in snow, or get trampled or nibbled on by winter-starved deer/rabbits.

1 Like
#5

I was always puzzled by the hardiness of Jujube. Our winter has never been below -18F, but my jujube die back to ground every winter. My thinking is it’s also related to water. Jujubes tolerate dry winter very well, but for wet ones, not so good. I will protect my trees this winter to make sure they survive this time. Also the ripeness is related to water too, I went back to China this summer, my hometown is at northwest in zone 5. The summer is dry and hot, but the grow season is short, jujube can ripe without problem, but at western New York, it seems struggle to ripe.

#6

James,

Try to grow Honey Jar. They ripened for me in September in Zone 5.

Tony

#7

Yeah, I have Honey Jar and Sugar Cane planted this spring. Will protect them well this winter and give them some head-start next spring.

1 Like
#8

especially if trees have thin trunks.

some insulation should work, or just to prevent solid ice forming on the main trunks/branches.
You could try protecting them during winter for a few years, at least to bulk up the main trunks or branches above the graft.

#9

Thanks all. Jujubes have been perfectly hardy here even though a couple rough winters. I’m puzzled by the information I find on ‘spinosa’ as most info I find only has it hardy to 6b. I’ll plant out half of the rootstocks to see how they do. I’m tired of storing plants in my garage :slight_smile:

1 Like
#10

Curious how the rootstocks are doing?

#11

They’re about grafting size now. Didn’t end up planting them out but rather kept them in pots. Super thorny with tiny little horrible thorns :slight_smile:

1 Like