Jujube Propagation

[Blake]

Has anybody had actual success with jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) propagation BESIDES through grafting or digging suckers? Anybody successful with air layers or cuttings? Please share your process and how it went!

[jujubemulberry]

Had better success rates with airlayering than with cuttings, but thats basing on negligible sample sizes and at hostile conditions-- las vegas…

We posted a step-by-step video link below

Mature viewers only -- explicit Jujube videos/photos

from recent memory, birds and stink bugs do seem to converge on HJ more, probably due to its thin skin, but have seen them attack other cultivars. Wild type jujubes are either too sour, or too bland, but have seen some being eaten by birds(don’t remember stink bugs doing that though)

[RedSun]

I always curious to see how viable the jujube plants are on own roots, not grafted. Do they thrive?

[Blake]

Very informative video! Have you ever utilized an intermittent mist system instead of plastic bags for humidity? Also, when grafting to roots, what type of cut are you making on the scion and root (whip and tongue, cleft etc?) When planting the grafted root, do you leave a bit of it exposed above soil so it becomes more like a small trunk for the scion?

[jujubemulberry]

@RedSun

always curious to see how viable the jujube plants are on own roots, not grafted. Do they thrive?

not sure how old the cultivar clone sihong is, but it seems quite able exhibiting vigorous growth when strategically deflowered(as a self-rooted lateral)
honey jar was a totally different story for me. Runty for two or three years, then died.
one of our seed-grown jujus(vegas booty) has exhibited vigor as suckers, and am optimistic would be the same for its stem cuttings/airlayers since the clones are relative juveniles.

maybe honey jar is a really old cultivar clone that may no longer live healthily on its own roots.

@Blake

Very informative video! Have you ever utilized an intermittent mist system instead of plastic bags for humidity?

Thanks @Blake ! Btw, we never tried intermittent misting, but quite sure it would result in higher batting averages than what we have experienced here.

@Blake

Also, when grafting to roots, what type of cut are you making on the scion and root (whip and tongue, cleft etc?)

we used simple cleft-grafts as shown below, and almost certain whip and tongue would be just as good yields, if not better.The hj stem has greenish-white sapwood, whereas the rootcutting is pink

and below is the toy story analogy. While auto-grafting obviously increases chances of producing a viable self-rooted specimen, we find it too cumbersome to do, basing on success rates. Failure is probably more of a root-failure and not total absence of viable adventitious buds…

if had a microscope at my disposal i would perform sagittal cuts of juju root cuttings to gauge preponderance(or lack of) adventitious buds in jujube roots. The bossy/pushy me is tempted to volun-tell @Livinginawe to do just that, if he hasn’t craigslisted his microscope

hoping that univ of alabama or nmsu will find it a worthy study/endeavor…

@Blake

When planting the grafted root, do you leave a bit of it exposed above soil so it becomes more like a small trunk for the scion?

yes, i orient it at a diagonal, with the bud-side up and exposed. I also wrap it with plastic film (over the parafilm) to minimize microbial access.

i see you’re in kentucky-- almost certain you’ll have better success rates there than here. Keep us posted
Our growing season here is too hot and too dry for cuttings/airlayers of any fruit species… The fact that we managed to do it here(albeit just ~30% success rate)-- it bodes so well for everybody else outside our growing conditions

[Jenna1]

Just love this! Autografts to increase chances of survival . I agree self rooted apples are likely to be doomed. Jujubes are so intriguing