Jujube Tree Cultivation Technical Tutorial: Detailed Explanation of the Latest Growing Methods
Red jujube, also known as zaozi, dazao, cizao, guanzao and others, is a deciduous small tree of the genus Ziziphus in the Rhamnaceae family. It originated in China and is now commonly cultivated in Asia, Europe and the Americas. It is rich in vitamin C and vitamin P. Besides being eaten fresh, it can often be made into preserves and candied fruits such as candied jujubes, red jujubes, smoked jujubes, black jujubes, wine jujubes and ya jujubes. It can also be made into jujube paste, jujube flour, jujube wine, jujube vinegar and other products, and has high cultivation value.
Jujube Tree Growth Habits
Jujube trees grow in mountainous areas, hills or plains below 1700 m in altitude. They are warmth-loving fruit trees. The average annual temperature in production areas is around 15°C. During bud break, the temperature needs to be 13-15°C; during the shoot and leaf expansion stage, the temperature is 17°C; during flowering and fruit set, the temperature is 22-25°C; and during fruit ripening, the temperature needs to be 18-22°C. Jujube trees are relatively tolerant of drought and waterlogging, but during flowering they require relatively high air humidity, otherwise pollination and fruit set are adversely affected. In addition, jujube has a strong light requirement and is relatively sensitive to light response. It has strong adaptability to soil and tolerates poor soil and salinity-alkalinity. However, it is afraid of wind, so wind gaps should be avoided when establishing an orchard.
Jujube Tree Propagation Methods
1. Grafting: The main grafting methods are woody bud grafting and scion grafting. The key points of the grafting technique can be summarized in six characters. “Fresh”: keep the scion fresh with no water loss. “Flat”: the cut surface of the scion must be flat. “Accurate”: the cambium of the scion and rootstock must be aligned. “Tight”: after grafting, wrap tightly and bind firmly. “Fast”: the operation speed must be fast. “Moist”: after grafting, cover with soil or a plastic bag to maintain moisture. At the same time, 5-7 days before grafting, irrigate the rootstock nursery to make the bark easier to separate.
2. Root cutting: Select own-rooted plants of superior varieties. Before sprouting, dig a trench 30-40 cm wide and about 50 cm deep around the outer edge of the canopy, cut off roots with a diameter of 2 cm or less, apply organic fertilizer in the root-cutting trench, and backfill immediately. During the growing season, root suckers can emerge. In the following spring, dig out the root suckers, treat them with ABT rooting powder or other hormones, replant them in the nursery, and cultivate strong seedlings.
3. Root cuttings: In late autumn, in combination with autumn plowing, collect roots from robust jujube trees, cut them into root segments 20-30 cm long and 1-4 cm in diameter, and store them in sand in a cellar. In the following spring, open a trench for raising seedlings, insert the root segments into the trench at a 45-degree angle, with 2 cm exposed above the ground, and water immediately after insertion. Treating the root segments with rooting hormones and covering with plastic film gives better results.
4. Cuttings: Before cutting, first moisten the sand bed. The moisture standard is that after holes are made in the sand bed, the holes do not collapse. When cutting, use a small wooden stick to make holes in the sand bed while dipping the cuttings in slurry and inserting them. The diameter of the small holes must be larger than the diameter of the slurry-coated cuttings, so that the medicinal solution is not squeezed off by the walls of the holes and its effectiveness reduced. The cutting depth is about 3 cm. Too deep easily causes basal rot; too shallow causes the cuttings to topple and the roots to be exposed after rooting. After cutting, press the holes tightly so that the river sand and cuttings are in close contact.
Jujube Tree Cultivation Techniques
1. Orchard site selection: Jujube trees have relatively strong adaptability and do not have strict requirements for soil conditions. Various places can make full use of wasteland and saline-alkali land for cultivation. However, in order to achieve relatively high economic benefits and produce high-quality, pollution-free products, it is best to choose orchard sites where the air, water sources, soil and other environments are not polluted, the terrain is flat and open, drainage conditions are good, soil permeability is strong, aeration is good, the groundwater level is relatively high, and the soil is fertile. When planting jujube trees in mountainous and hilly areas, sunny slopes with deep soil layers should be selected; shady slopes are not suitable for planting.
2. Planting varieties: There are many varieties of jujube trees. A high-quality variety must have good tree vigor, strong resistance to pests and diseases, fruit that resists cracking, 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 Dazao and others. Among early-maturing varieties, excellent varieties for fresh eating include Zaocuiwang, Jingwei Xianzao, Zaoshu Lizao and others, while excellent varieties for processing include Lizao, Zanhuang Dazao and others. Late-maturing varieties are mainly used for fresh eating, and high-quality varieties include Jingwei Daxuezao, Dongzao and others. New and special varieties include Mopanzao, Hul-uzao and others with peculiar fruit shapes, and Tailihong, Longxuzao and others with peculiar tree shapes.
3. Cultivation patterns: The first is dwarf dense planting, mainly suitable for varieties that bear early and have small tree types, with a plant spacing of 2 m × 3 m or 3 m × 2 m. The second is intercropping cultivation, mainly suitable for varieties with medium or relatively large tree types and later fruiting, with a row spacing of 8-10 m and a plant spacing of 3-5 m. Other crops can be interplanted among the trees in the early stage.
4. Cultivation time: Jujube trees can be planted throughout the entire dormant period from leaf fall to sprouting 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 seedlings, spring-planted trees that are watered thoroughly immediately are very likely to achieve a survival rate of over 90%, while autumn-planted trees are unlikely to achieve a survival rate of over 90% even if watered after planting. However, autumn-planted trees can still achieve a survival rate of over 70% even without watering after planting, while spring-planted trees without watering have a survival rate clearly lower than that of autumn planting.