Over the winter and spring, I updated the below thread with my Jujube orders. Now that they have been growing for a while, I’ll give an update and summary.
*- Cost includes shipping and assumes an order size of 4 trees. Figure is exact when I was able to calculate it based on the site’s formula and rounded to the nearest dollar when estimated.
Trees of Antiquity- Nice big trees, with 5/8" to 15/16" calipers.They also have a decent selection, with Shanxi Li (which I got 2 of) and a few others beyond the normal Li and Lang. These trees have really taken off and done well for me this year, probably the fastest growing of my new additions.
Sanhedrin- I only got one from them, but it was absolutely huge- 1.25" diameter rootstock and a scion of almost 1". I put it in one of the more challenging locations (lots of sun, but not so much water), so while it has grown, it hasn’t really taken off this year. I’ve mulched it and have started watering it more, so hopefully I can correct that. I wish I’d gotten a couple and mixed them in with the ToA trees for a better comparison.
Just Fruit and Exotics- They sell very nice potted trees (1/2"+ caliper) and are who I got my first So from in 2011. This time I got two more and a Tigertooth and planted in mid-October. The Tigertooth has grown well, almost as good as the ToA trees. The So both had a lot of die-back, one to the ground and the other to within a few inches of it. I emailed them to ask if they were grafted or propagated from cuttings, as I wasn’t able to locate a graft union. They responded that they propagate them from softwood cuttings in summer, so all the re-growth should be So and not a wild rootstock. This seems like a big benefit to me, and not just in die-back situations (which should be pretty rare, as my old So has never died back). I’ve got several suckers from it, one of which I’ve transplanted and grafted. I had plans to do the same with the others, but now I can just transplant them without grafting. @forestandfarm may be particularly interested in this.
Burnt Ridge- I got two trees from them, one a regular (Honey Jar) and one a “Large” (Coco). The regular was about 3/8" caliper and Large was 5/8", both 3.5-4’ tall. Not quite as nice as the ToA and DW trees, but much bigger than the next two on the list. They were also the cheapest on the list, which may start to become a consideration given how pricey jujube trees can be.
Rolling River- Rolling River only sends potted plants and while their berry bushes (currants, gooseberries, etc) are great, their trees are sometimes on the small side. This is true of the jujubes as well, as both were pretty small- maybe 1/4" caliper. One of the two I got from them didn’t make it through the winter (Ant Admire), despite having a nice root system when I planted it. Rather than make them re-ship another tree, I asked if they could send me some scionwood next spring and they agreed. As evidenced by Ant Admire and Norris #1 (the other tree), they are offering some unusual varieties. But, you need to watch their inventory (or email them), as quantities seem limited and aren’t there for long.
One Green World- These trees were also potted and were the smallest I received (3/16"). They were also among the most expensive, at least in part due to shipping costs. The main reason I can see going to them is to get one of the varieties that only they offer (Black Sea and Massandra).
Bottom line:
Trees of Antiquity and Sanhedrin for the largest trees at a premium price.
Just Fruit and Exotics- nice trees, sometimes on own roots at a very premium price (edited)
Burnt Ridge- the value play for pretty good trees
Rolling River- good value, lots of variety, small trees
One Green World- small tree, high price, exclusive varieties
Additions (Jan 2019):
GrowOrganic- Large trees in the 5/8-3/4" range. Price is less than JFaE and on par with ToA, but you can sometimes catch a sale which drops it $10. Similar to ToA, the choice in varieties is limited. Have ordered twice and impressed both times.
Bay Laurel- Similar to ToA and GO, but they root prune their trees more aggressively.
England’s- Probably the widest selection of varieties. Decent price, which varies by size. Size can range from small (like OGW) to large (ToA).
Chinese Red Date Orchard- Lot’s of exciting new varieties. Placed my first order for Spring 2019. A wide selection of interesting varieties, some of which are recent imports and only available here. Trees are about the same size as Burnt Ridge (most 3/8" to 1/2"), but the root systems are very full and have lots of fine hairs. Cost for many varieties is $30, a cost-effective price. For the newer exclusive varieties, the cost is $50, about the same as you would pay for a larger tree of a less exciting variety at some of the other top nurseries.
Isons- I haven’t ordered from them, but reports from others on the forums indicate that the trees are quite large. If you catch a sale, they can be $30 or even less, which is a great deal for a big tree. They only have Li and Lang, so the variety selection is quite limited.
For spring 2020, I only ordered from GrowOrganic and Chinese Red Date, both of which were repeat business.
