When is the best time to plant jujube trees?
The planting of jujube trees has been rising steadily along with the expansion of the jujube market. However, growing fruit trees is not an easy task and requires a great deal of specialized technique and knowledge. So what should you pay attention to when planting jujube trees? What time is suitable for planting them? Let's learn about it together below.
Planting time for jujube trees
In fact, jujube trees planted in autumn have the best survival rate.
The planting period for jujube trees can be divided into autumn planting and spring planting. Autumn planting can be carried out from after leaf drop in autumn until the soil freezes.
The earlier the autumn planting, the better. If the saplings do not need long-distance transport, you can plant them with leaves still on in late September, which can raise the survival rate (about 1/2-2/3 of the leaves should be removed). For spring planting the following year, you can plant somewhat later; if you are not planting on a large scale, planting when the jujube buds have just begun to swell gives a relatively high survival rate. Theoretically, autumn planting of jujube trees should give a higher survival rate than spring planting the following year, since with good soil moisture in autumn and low salt return (in saline-alkali soil), the roots become active before the above-ground parts the following year. But in practice the result is that late spring planting gives a higher survival rate, mainly because the saplings lose water. This is because from autumn planting to bud break the following year takes half a year, and in winter the north is affected by cold low temperatures, “dry air and strong winds, and other factors, causing the saplings to lose water.
In addition, the jujube tree is a warmth-loving tree species, and the soil temperature required for root activity and the start of growth is higher than for other northern deciduous tree species. After leaf drop in autumn, the soil temperature is already lower than the soil temperature needed for root growth and activity, so the roots no longer have the function of absorbing water, making it difficult to replenish the water needed by the above-ground parts and causing the saplings to die.
Advantages of autumn-planted jujube saplings
1. The autumn planting window for jujube trees is long. From the start of late October to the end of November, planting can be done, and it also allows the planted jujube trees to heal root wounds over a long period before the ground freezes, giving them good growth in spring.
2. The temperature is more suitable. In autumn, because the air temperature trends gradually downward, the transpiration of water from jujube trees after planting gradually weakens, which is more favorable for sapling survival. Also, because soil temperature drops more slowly than air temperature, even with late-autumn planting the physiological activity of the root system can continue, and new roots can grow that same year to restore vitality.
3. Sapling quality is reliable. Autumn-planted jujube saplings are all saplings still growing in the nursery, fresh and full of vitality, and generally there is no situation as with spring-planted saplings where they are lifted early for heeling-in because the next round of nursery stock is needed, or lifted and then held for sale. Selling jujube saplings effectively avoids the situation where long-term poor storage reduces the survival capacity of the saplings or even causes death.
4. Saves labor and time. In autumn, because soil moisture is high, soil moisture conditions are good, air temperature is low, water evaporation is small, and water demand is low, the number of waterings can be reduced.
When to transplant jujube trees
Although planting is possible in both spring and autumn, because jujube saplings require higher temperatures for rooting and sprouting, and jujube saplings sprout late, in actual production autumn planting is not advocated, and spring planting is the main approach. Under the same conditions, transplanting during the spring bud-break period can give a survival rate as high as above 90%. In northern regions this is about late February to early May (air temperature above 18°C), because at this time the sap is already flowing, the jujube saplings begin to grow, injured roots are easily restored and regenerated, and underground nutrients can be transported to the above-ground parts in time, making survival easy. If planted too early in spring, jujube saplings will lose too much water, the roots will find it hard to replenish it, and survival will be affected.
Precautions for planting jujube trees in autumn
1. Key points for lifting saplings
When lifting saplings, try to avoid damaging the root system. To make planting easier, after lifting you can lightly prune the main root to help the sapling absorb water and raise the survival rate. When transporting the saplings, tie 50-100 of them into a bundle, wrap them well with plastic film, tie the bundle firmly, and then transport.
2. Key points for digging the hole
Dig a tree hole 50-60 cm square so that the sapling's root system can spread out fully in the hole. When digging the hole, place the topsoil and subsoil separately, then put the topsoil into the bottom of the hole.
3. Key points for fertilizing
After digging the tree hole, apply 5 kg of high-quality organic fertilizer in the bottom layer, or mix the dug-out subsoil with 20 kg of organic fertilizer and fill it into the hole when planting the sapling.
4. Key points for soaking the roots
Before planting the sapling, soak the root area in a solution of phosphate fertilizer plus rooting powder for 20 minutes, or dip it in phosphate fertilizer solution and plant immediately; the injured roots of the sapling will not only heal quickly but also readily send out roots.
5. Key points for planting the sapling
The sapling should be planted in the center of the tree hole. When filling with soil, put the fertile topsoil at the root zone and the subsoil in the upper layer; the soil should be filled in layers, and each layer tamped down as it is filled. The burial depth should be 3-5 cm deeper than the original soil mark from when the sapling grew in the nursery. When planting, shake the sapling while filling the soil so that the root system spreads out fully and fits closely with the soil.
6. Key points for watering
After the sapling roots are fixed in place, water heavily, then shape the tree basin and mound it into a round heap to help with wind protection and moisture conservation.
7. Key points for mulching with film
Cover the tree basin of the already planted jujube tree with plastic film; this can conserve moisture, help the sapling overwinter safely, and give a high survival rate for the jujube sapling.
8. Key points for cold protection
Jujube saplings have thin bark and low water content, and water evaporates easily, so methods such as film mulching and wrapping can be used for cold protection, and burying with soil can also be used for cold protection, raising the survival rate of the jujube saplings. First build a 30 cm high soil mound at the base of the sapling to secure it, then mound soil 25 cm high in the direction in which the sapling will be bent over; after softening the base of the sapling, gently bend it over onto the soil mound, then cover the branches with 20 cm of moist fine soil to prevent “dead bends.” Jujube trees only begin to sprout when the spring air temperature reaches 13-15°C, so the time for removing the cold-protection soil should be appropriately later, shortening as much as possible the time the sapling is exposed before bud break, and the soil should be scraped away only after the sapling has sprouted.
After reading the article above, we know that jujube trees are divided into spring planting and autumn planting, and autumn planting is the best time and is suitable for jujube tree planting. By following the correct planting methods and planting jujube trees reasonably and scientifically, you can certainly grow healthy jujube trees and obtain relatively large returns.