Detailed Cultivation Techniques for the Extra-Early Crisp Honey King Jujube

"Extra-Early Crisp Honey King Jujube" is a rare extra-early-maturing fresh-eating jujube variety in China. This variety has medium tree vigor, a naturally open growth angle, and branches that do not grow excessively. The fruit is cylindrical; at the crisp-ripe stage the fruit surface is white, and at the fully ripe stage the fruit surface is bright red and glossy. The single fruit weighs about 30 grams, and the fruit size is uniform and consistent, with a small pit and thick flesh, and an edible rate of about 98%. It also has the following characteristics:

1. Extremely early maturity. The maturity period is in late July, about 1 month earlier than the Pear Jujube, making it an extra-early-maturing fresh-eating jujube variety.

2. Extremely large fruit. The average single fruit weighs about 30 grams, with the largest reaching more than 100 grams, the same size as the Pear Jujube.

3. Strong disease resistance and stress resistance. This variety is resistant to drought, resistant to fruit cracking, resistant to fruit drop, resistant to anthracnose and rust, and tolerant of poor soil and saline-alkali conditions.

4. Good early bearing and high yield. This variety is self-fruitful and has a high fruit-setting rate. Under normal conditions, planting in the current year can bear fruit in the same year; in the second year the yield per plant can reach about 2.5 kg, and in the third year the yield per 667 sq m (1 mu) can reach more than 1500 kg.

5. Excellent quality. The fruit has an attractive color, is sweet, crisp and juicy, with no residue, and the sugar content at the fully ripe stage reaches as high as more than 30%, with quality comparable to the Winter Jujube.

6. Key cultivation points. ① It can be planted in both northern and southern China wherever jujube trees can be grown; plant on raised ridges, with a ridge height of about 20 cm, planting 110 plants per 667 sq m, with a spacing of 2 m x 3 m between plants and rows. ② Pruning: mainly summer pruning. For fruit seedlings planted in the current year, keep only 3-4 bud points per plant, with a trunk height of about 50 cm. When the jujube head grows to 8-9 secondary branches, the jujube head should be removed. In the second year, it is best not to let it bear fruit; remove all secondary branches and let the main branches regrow. When there are 7-9 secondary branches (that is, bearing branches), remove the jujube head. In this way, the tree canopy can be formed in the second year, and it can enter the high-yield period in the third year. ③ Tree shape: mainly open-center shape and two-layer shape. ④ Fertilizer and water management: fertilization is mainly in autumn, mainly by digging trenches and burying farmyard manure, applying about 5000 kg of farmyard manure per 667 sq m; during full bloom, before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m., spray 0.3% urea; after fruit setting following flower drop until fruit enlargement, spray foliar fertilizer or growth regulators or trace elements once a week to increase the fruit-setting rate, promote fruit enlargement and improve fruit quality. ⑤ Pest and disease control: when clearing the orchard in winter, before bud break spray 3 degrees Baume lime-sulfur mixture to kill overwintering pathogens and insect eggs; at bud break, spray a pyrethroid insecticide once to prevent insect pests; after fruit setting and before fruit enlargement, spray Bordeaux mixture or Fenxiuning or Tanjuling once every 10 days to control jujube rust and anthracnose.