Key Cultivation Techniques and Planting Methods for Indian Jujube Explained

Indian jujube, also known as Taiwan green jujube, Indian jujube, and apple jujube, belongs to the genus Ziziphus in the Rhamnaceae family and originated in India. It is a fast-growing, high-yielding, high-quality fruit tree that has won favor among consumers for its unique flavor and rich content of various nutrients, and has rapidly developed into an emerging fruit. Its cultivation techniques are as follows:

I. Orchard Establishment

Indian jujube has wide adaptability to soil, and can be grown on various soil types whether on hillsides or flat land. When establishing an orchard, choose a site with ample sunlight, convenient drainage and irrigation, convenient transportation, and shelter from wind and facing the sun. Areas with mountain slopes greater than 30 degrees, or those that are damp and shady, frost-prone, dry and lacking water, barren, or windy are not suitable for cultivation.

II. Planting Techniques

1. Planting time: Indian jujube should be planted in the evening during the rainy season in March—April. In areas with good irrigation and climatic conditions, or when using nutrient-bag seedlings, planting can be done in all four seasons.

2. Planting density: Hillside land and plots with poor soil can be planted somewhat more densely, while orchards with fertile soil can be planted somewhat more sparsely. The general spacing between plants and rows is 5×5 m, and after three years, thinning should be carried out according to growth vigor down to 18—20 plants per 667 sq m.

3. Planting method: Before planting, first dig planting holes measuring 50 cm square. Apply 25—50 kg of farmyard manure, 1 kg of ternary compound fertilizer (hereinafter referred to as compound fertilizer), 1 kg of calcium magnesium phosphate, and an appropriate amount of boron and magnesium sulfate per hole; if conditions permit, add 1—2 kg of peanut cake fertilizer, mix thoroughly, and use as base fertilizer. For strongly acidic soil, add an appropriate amount of lime powder to neutralize the acidity.

After planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots, cover with rice straw or plastic film to retain moisture, and if sunny weather occurs, water once every 1—2 days until the plants survive.

4. Arranging pollinizer trees: Indian jujube has a low self-fruit-setting rate, so pollinizer trees must be arranged in cultivation. The arrangement of pollinizer trees should pair morning-blooming types with afternoon-blooming types and match their full bloom periods (for example, pairing Gaolang No. 1 with Biyun). The proportion of pollinizer trees should be kept at around 10—20%.

III. Scientific Fertilization

1. Base fertilizer: Apply base fertilizer heavily. Generally, after fruit harvest in March—April, after branch and shoot pruning and heading back, apply 30—50 kg of organic fertilizer, 0.1 kg of urea, 0.5 kg of calcium magnesium phosphate, and 0.5 kg of compound fertilizer as base fertilizer in holes combined with hole expansion and soil improvement. If the tree vigor is weak, increase nitrogen fertilizer as appropriate.

2. Topdressing: After newly planted trees survive, apply 1—2% urea solution or decomposed dilute human and livestock manure once every 15 days for 3 consecutive applications. After that, apply 75—100 g of compound fertilizer per plant each time about every 30 days. During the young fruit stage, an additional 20—25 g of urea can be added per plant each time. During the peak fruit expansion stage, apply an additional 1 kg of decomposed peanut cake or 25 kg of human and livestock manure per plant to increase yield and quality.

For mature trees more than two years old, apply flower-promoting fertilizer before the full bloom period in June—July, with 0.3 kg of compound fertilizer plus 0.1 kg of urea per plant; apply fruit-setting fertilizer during the young fruit stage in September—October, with 0.7 kg of compound fertilizer per plant to promote fruit flesh cell proliferation; apply fruit-strengthening fertilizer during the fruit expansion stage in November—December, mainly potassium fertilizer this time, to promote fruit expansion.

During the flowering period in July and the young fruit stage in October, according to tree growth vigor, spray the leaves as appropriate with 0.1% Yangfucheng vitality essence or a solution of 0.5% monopotassium phosphate plus 0.2% borax, zinc sulfate, magnesium sulfate, etc., to promote pollination and fertilization, increase the fruit-setting rate, promote fruit expansion, and prevent deficiency symptoms.

IV. Water Management

For Indian jujube, during the month before flowering and during the young fruit stage, the soil should be kept dry and irrigation should not be carried out. At other times, the orchard should be kept moist. When the fruit grows to a diameter of 1.5 cm and begins to expand rapidly, it needs a large amount of water; begin irrigation and keep the orchard moist. Avoid heavy irrigation during the harvest period, and in rainy and typhoon seasons, do a good job of orchard drainage and waterlogging prevention.

V. Pruning and Trellising

Indian jujube has a large amount of branch and shoot growth, and the branches are slender and fragile and bear many fruits, making it very prone to canopy shading and wind damage. Pruning must be done well to achieve high and stable yields. After planting and survival, in May—June select and retain 3—4 vigorous branches growing obliquely above the graft union and evenly distributed as the main branches for the year, and prune off other young branches and rootstock shoots. One-year-old plants only need to have crossing and overlapping branches and shoots pruned off. Trees more than two years old should be properly pruned by removing shaded branches and overlapping branches inside the canopy to maintain good ventilation and light penetration, and the main trunk needs to be headed back and renewed once each year.

Indian jujube has strong growth vigor and a large fruit load, and the branches are easily broken or droop under excessive weight. In addition to timely pruning, trellises also need to be set up to facilitate its growth and development and prevent wind damage.

VI. Flower Thinning, Fruit Thinning, and Bagging

Fruit thinning is generally carried out in late September—early October, when the fruit diameter is 0.5 cm. Fruit thinning should follow the principle of keeping the good and removing the poor, removing small fruits, deformed fruits, and diseased and insect-damaged fruits, and keeping one fruit every 2—3 nodes.

In November—December, when the fruit diameter is 2—3 cm, after fruit thinning and one pesticide application to control diseases and insect pests, use yellow breathable film or white transparent food bags for single-fruit bagging.

During the growth period, pay attention to the prevention and control of diseases and insect pests. Harvest promptly when the fruit skin color fades from green to white or yellow.