Old Jujube Rootstocks

General Fruit Growing
#1

I got a couple old jujube rootstocks from failed grafts. They have sent out a couple stems and become more like bushes. I can cut those branches to leave one trunk and to graft next season.

I just wonder if it is possible to mount soil on top the root-ball and try to get those trunks to grow roots and cut as offsets? This way, I can possibly harvest a couple jujube rootstocks.

Just do not know if the extra soil will kill the roots…

PS: I also have a Chinese hawthorn that in the same condition. I’d like to save this rootstock and try to find scion to graft.

#2

I have not done this with jujube rootstock, but I have done it with other rootstock with success. I don’t use soil though, I use wood mulch and/or hay. Do you have access to that or sand. I have seen sand work too.

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#3

I can certainly get wood chip mulch. Mounding is a stated propagation method. Some may say to mound slowly, inch by inch or so. But that takes a long time. For my failed apricot, I’ve mounded 6" of soil on top of the multi-stem rootstock. It looks fine. But this is much older and stronger rootstock.

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#4

I have also coppiced a few types of mature trees. Ash, Maple, Willow. I have never piled anything thing around the offshoots, but I’m sure they would root if I did. Maybe you could coppice first. If I did that, I would seal the top to avoid loss of moisture.

Anyway, I hope you keep us updated on which direction you take and how it goes for you. I am just now getting into JuJube growing and trying to learn the least expensive way to have lots of varieties (which is usually grafting).

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#5

I just dug a couple of jujube rootstocks and replanted them deeper. Also mound the soil above the stems. Hope they grow roots at the base.

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Here is the apricot rootstock. It is much stronger. The tree was lost to borers.

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#6

You can craft one and cut off the rest, but I would graft to several. That way, you can either keep a multi stemmed tree(built in pollination, if you use different varieties), or have some back ups in case one or more of the graft fail.

I don’t think it would kill them, but there is no certainty that they will root anytime soon either. I tried to tip root a branch by burying the tip and nothing happened after a year.

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#7

you can do that, but will need to girdle them first. Jujube stems are not that easy to get to root even when girdled and treated with rooting hormones(at least from my experience here in the desert)

probably easier to poach the rootball for root cuttings, which will be forced to grow vegetatively from adventitious buds

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#8

I’ve dug 4 jujube root-balls. I also scraped them at the base.

Will see any remaining roots sprout or not.

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#9

you can also try to graft a stem to each of those root cuttings. We posted some pics on the video below

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#10

I know that. I have a lot room to plant. And I like to get the “tree” form that line up nicely.