Jujubes- Our New Adventure

[zazlev]

Do it! Jujubes are very addicting and fun

[Susu]

You guys create fruit addicts (or maybe people join this group because they are already fruit addicts) all I know is that when I joined here couple of years ago I had two fruit trees. Now I got 9 trees! That’s after 3 dead trees this spring. Totally getting addicted to this. But loving it.

[castanea]

Different cultivars definitely have different growth patterns. Jin tends to be very erect with a columnar type growth pattern. Sherwood has a slightly weeping type look. Chico droops more than weeps. Jujube wood is very strong.

[BobVance]

I don’t know how sturdy are their branches but the trees last over thousands of years

I know from grafting that the wood is very tough. Not the easiest to work…

I am trying to convince my hubby to let me put a So in the front yard.

So makes a great tree for the front yard. This spring, I put one into both my own yard, and also a co-worker’s. The co-worker is more concerned than I about aesthetics and is pleased with it. It helped that I got 6’ tall Contorted from England’s, so they are starting out pretty tall.

Try to keep it 20-30ft away from the house or any flower beds. Once in a while the roots can be invasive. I know a couple who took theirs out because the roots kept popping up in flower beds and they’re thorny. Another person I know was concerned about their foundation. I’ve never had any problems, but if the tree needs water the jujubee roots will keep spreading until they find it.

I’m not sure it would be as much of an issue on the east coast- there is plenty of water, so they don’t need to go all the way to a foundation to find it. Until this year, I’ve only gotten suckers from my oldest (7 years), and even then, the furthest any of the 5-6 went was about 6’. This year I got one from a 3 year old tree and it was maybe 1-2’ from the trunk. I actually wouldn’t mind more, as I transplant and graft them.

I have 2 large maple trees and my trees have to fight for water and food.

Just make sure that the maples aren’t blocking the sun for the new jujubes. If they don’t have enough sun, then they will just be ornamental and not fruit.

Sherwood has a slightly weeping type look.

I was almost sure that I had read that Sherwood is a thin, upright (almost columnar) tree. But, the two Sherwood I have seem to match your description (weeping). Both have been putting on quite a bit of growth this year. Here’s a pic of one from a few days ago at a rental. I didn’t do any branch bending at all- the tree (planted in spring 2017 as a 1" caliper monster from Trees of Antiquity) took this form on its own.

[castanea]

Hard to tell in this photo of Sherwood, but the ends of branches tend to weep. This tree is around 25 years old and maybe 15 feet tall.

[jujubemulberry]

So makes a great tree for the front yard. This spring, I put one into both my own yard, and also a co-worker’s. The co-worker is more concerned than I about aesthetics and is pleased with it. It helped that I got 6’ tall Contorted from England’s, so they are starting out pretty tall.

it is hands down the most attractive when fully leafed out; with foliage growing densely like fur. And may grow them like giant bonsai’s. Fruiting profusely too at 6’-8’ tall

and has a striking stance in winter due to the gyrations and corkscrew branching

[tonyOmahaz5]

Raf,

Do you have the photos of Redlands and Jin Chang. Texture? Size ?Taste between the two?

Thanks

Tony

[Susu]

That tree is beautiful, specially without the leaves!
How do you think it would take to vase shape pruning? Or is it just not done with jujubes?

[jujubemulberry]

have the photos of Redlands and Jin Chang. Texture? Size ?Taste between the two?

lost my tags for redlands but we have a pic or two at lasvegasjujubes.wordpress.com

still remember where our chang graft is so will take a photo when get the chance, but also have pics of that at our webpage. Redlands is better than chang(jin-chang) in taste and texture. Chang is relatively big for a juju, but redlands is bigger. We didn’t take redlands too seriously because it is somewhat similar to li in quality, and li seems to be better overall. Of course taste is subjective and depends on individual preference, apart from being influenced by climate conditions. Would be wrong to be prejudiced against any cultivar, or any fruit for that matter!

That tree is beautiful, specially without the leaves!

How do you think it would take to vase shape pruning? Or is it just not done with jujubes?

Thanks @Susu . Among deciduous trees, jujus are probably the most resilient to hard pruning. Here in vegas, or in many areas with early summers and late falls, it won’t set you back a year’s waiting even if you get rid of all its old wood/fruiting spurs, because it will still bear fruit on this year’s green growth. You could do vase-shape, or wantonly remove laterals and/or remove uprights, or even coppice it down to the ground and your jujus will bounce back with green growth bearing flowers then fruits. Any pruning will do-- as long as it is above the graft and tree is getting plenty sunlight You may refer to our other webpage for that most cruel technique of jujube cultivation. You need to scroll down to the bottom of that page to see how jujus are literally grown like bell peppers in some parts of the orient. Too low to the ground in fact, lol!

[k8tpayaso]

Picture of my Jin Chang fruit. There are three…this one is closest to ripe. Just had big rains and one of them is splitting. I’m guessing I should pick the one that is splitting?

Katy

[jujubemulberry]

am really curious @k8tpayaso , did i give you budwood for jin chang?

[k8tpayaso]

Yes but it didn’t take (another one of my “learning experiences”. This is one from England’s and I’m not sure that it matches pictures from your site. And I’m confused because there is Jin and there is Chang and this was sold as Jin Chang.

Katy

PS. I think the wood from you was labeled Chang. Can’t remember.

[jujubemulberry]

well am confused too, because if jin-chang was another cultivar, then it equates to three cultivars with bridged names. And looking at that picture, it is clearly not the chang we have, and not the jin we have.

so there is 1)jin, 2)chang, and then 3) jin-chang, lol

hope you keep us posted re: quality

[k8tpayaso]

I’ve been looking at photos lately and one reason I posted here because of the mismatch. It’s kinda strange to look at too…has always looked “heavy”. Dark green. And now it has this “speckled” ripening pattern with a dark yellow base that is so different from my other cultivars. So, yes I will. Do I need to pick the split one? Do they spoil when split?

Katy

[jujubemulberry]

found my invoice and it says “jin chang”, so not really sure which is what, lol
but at the end of day, what really matters is that what you’ve received is a good quality cultivar.

names shouldn’t really matter much anyway-- if you remember the lyrics to that song ‘oh what a night’

[jujubemulberry]

Do I need to pick the split one? Do they spoil when split?

Katy

if it is humid, probably better to pick them once they split. Unfortunately-- many pear-shaped jujus have the tendency to split.

[k8tpayaso]

It still doesn’t make the fruit match up…lol.

Katy

Will let you know what this tastes like…

[tonyOmahaz5]

There are at least 4 Li so a couple Jin/ Chang is OK.

[k8tpayaso]

[castanea]

Roger Meyer and most California jujube enthusiasts call it Jin. Papaya Tree Nursery calls it Chang. To avoid confusion some people call it Jin Chang. Unfortunately that has just created more confusion. It’s just one cultivar and despite the size of the fruit and the very erect growth pattern, not a memorable one. It just doesn’t have enough sweetness or flavor.