A Detailed Guide to Planting Jujube Saplings: Methods and Precautions

Red dates (jujubes) are very widely consumed in our country. Whether fresh red dates are eaten directly raw, or dried red dates are brewed as tea or used in soups, they are all very popular. Red dates are an excellent tonic for nourishing the blood, so the demand for red dates is generally quite large. Therefore, growing red dates is not very difficult when it comes to sales; the key point is the quality of the red dates produced.

How to plant jujube saplings

Planting jujube trees is the same as with other fruit trees: planting in large holes is preferable, and the width and depth of the holes must not be less than 70 cm, whether square or round. When digging the planting holes, the topsoil and subsoil should be piled separately, and the bottom of the hole should be flat, avoiding a pot-bottom shape, to prevent root curling. Apply about 30 kg of organic fertilizer per hole, mix it with the topsoil, then fill it into the hole and firm it down, making it into a mound shape that is high in the middle and low around the edges. After that, plant the sapling so that the root system spreads out, and finally fill in the remaining topsoil. When filling with soil, gently lift the sapling upward, and place the subsoil on the upper layer to facilitate wind and sun exposure and accelerate maturation. At the same time, be careful to firm the soil so that the roots are in close contact with the soil.

The soil should not be buried too deep or too shallow. If the soil is buried too deep, the ground temperature in the lower part of the hole is relatively low, which is not conducive to root development; if the soil is buried too shallow, the root system is likely to be exposed, which hinders survival and is also not conducive to the sapling's drought resistance. During operation, it is best to keep the planting depth consistent with the original depth at which the sapling was previously planted. The excess soil can be used to make a tree basin, so that timely irrigation can settle the soil and further bring the root system into close contact with the soil. After the water infiltrates, loose soil can be spread over the surface and mounded up to retain moisture and prevent the sapling from swaying, which is beneficial to survival.

If the sapling is found to be dehydrated before planting, the root system can be placed in water to soak for one day so that it absorbs enough water before planting. According to experiments by the Forestry Bureau of Yangqu County, Shanxi Province, during planting, soaking the sapling root system in a 0.1% concentration of naphthalene acetic acid or indolebutyric acid, or a 0.05% concentration solution of rooting powder, for 5-10 seconds significantly improves the survival rate and can also promote the growth of the root system and the aboveground parts. Recently, in some areas, after planting jujube trees, the planting holes are immediately covered with about 1 sq m of plastic film, with fine soil scattered on top and the edges pressed firm, leaving no gaps, to prevent air leakage and the film being blown away by the wind. This can retain moisture and increase temperature, which is beneficial to the healing of root wounds and can greatly improve the survival rate.

Jujube sapling planting methods and precautions

1. Site selection: Jujube trees have relatively strong adaptability and do not have strict requirements for soil conditions, so wasteland and saline-alkali land can be fully utilized for cultivation in various places. However, in order to achieve relatively high economic benefits and produce high-quality, pollution-free products, it is best to choose a site where the air, water source, soil and other environments are not polluted, the terrain is flat and open, drainage conditions are good, the soil has strong permeability and good aeration, the groundwater level is relatively high, and the soil is fertile. When planting jujube trees in mountainous and hilly areas, choose sunny slopes with deep soil layers; shady slopes are not suitable for planting.

2. Planting varieties: There are quite many varieties of jujube trees. A high-quality variety must have good tree vigor, strong resistance to pests and diseases, cracking-resistant fruit, good fruit shape, good fruit color, high nutrient content, and good taste. At present, excellent varieties used for drying include Jinsifeng, Jinsimi, Wuhehong, Wuhe No. 1, Wuhe No. 3, Zanhuang jujube, etc. Among early-maturing varieties, excellent varieties for fresh eating include Zaocuiwang, Jingwei fresh jujube, early-maturing pear jujube, etc., and excellent varieties for processing include pear jujube, Zanhuang jujube, etc. Late-maturing varieties are mainly used for fresh eating, and high-quality varieties include Jingwei large snow jujube, winter jujube, etc. New and special varieties include Mopan jujube, gourd jujube, etc., with peculiar fruit shapes, and Tailihong, dragon-whisker jujube, etc., with peculiar tree shapes.

3. Cultivation mode: The first is dwarf and close-planting cultivation, mainly suitable for varieties that bear fruit early and have small tree types, with a plant-row spacing of 2 m × 3 m or 3 m × 2 m. The second is intercropping cultivation, mainly suitable for varieties with medium or larger tree types that bear fruit relatively late, with a row spacing of 8-10 m and a plant spacing of 3-5 m. Other crops can be interplanted between the trees in the early stage.

4. Cultivation time: Jujube trees can be planted throughout the entire dormant period from leaf fall to germination the following year, and this is divided into spring planting and autumn planting. According to many years of cultivation experience, when planting with 2-year-old and older root-sucker saplings, spring-planted trees that are immediately given a thorough watering can easily achieve a survival rate of more than 90%, while autumn-planted trees, even if watered after planting, can hardly achieve a survival rate of more than 90%. However, autumn-planted trees can still achieve a survival rate of more than 70% even without watering after planting, while spring-planted trees that are not watered have a survival rate clearly inferior to that of autumn planting.

Growth habits of jujube trees

Jujube grows in mountainous areas, hills, or plains below an altitude of 1700 m. It is a temperature-loving fruit tree, with an average annual temperature in production areas of about 15°C. The temperature during the bud break period needs to be 13-15°C, during the shoot growth and leaf expansion period it is 17°C, during the flowering and fruit-setting period it is 22-25°C, and during the fruit ripening period it needs to be 18-22°C. Jujube trees have relatively strong drought and waterlogging tolerance, but the flowering period requires relatively high air humidity, otherwise pollination and fruit setting are unfavorable. In addition, jujube has strong light-loving characteristics, is relatively sensitive to light response, has strong adaptability to soil, and tolerates barren and saline-alkali soil. However, it is afraid of wind, so when establishing an orchard, care should be taken to avoid windy openings.

How many years until jujube trees bear fruit after planting

After jujube saplings are planted, they generally bear fruit in the second year. As the saying goes, “Peaches take three years, plums four, pears five; walnuts and persimmons six or seven; mulberry trees can feed silkworms in seven years; plant a jujube tree and you can sell it for money.” This refers to the short fruiting period of jujube trees.

The planting techniques for red date saplings are described in relatively detailed terms in this article. Red dates are basically considered to have the shortest investment return period among all fruit trees, because generally red date trees can bear fruit in the very year they are planted, so choosing to plant red dates is also a good choice if you want to obtain returns in a short period of time.