The Chinese date Unabi is a wonderful plant that has many names: chilon, jujube, breastberry, jujube, ilan jida, jojoba.
There are about 400 varieties of unabi. Northern China, Iran, and India are considered the homeland of wild jujube. In Russia, jujube grows wild in the North Caucasus.
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Jujube combines many qualities that make it popular among gardeners. Unpretentiousness, decorativeness, high productivity, extremely beneficial features fruits have led to the fact that unabi is readily grown all over the world in climatic zones where summers are hot and dry and winters are moderately cold. The south of Europe, some areas of Asia, America, and northern Africa have the conditions necessary for the successful growth of the Chinese date, so the height of unabi in those areas reaches 9 meters.
Jujube is grown in central Russia, as well as in Ukraine, giving it the shape of a bush or low tree no more than 3 meters high. For example, the Crimean jujube is known. It is recommended to choose the earliest ripening varieties in order to plant it, for example, in the Moscow region.
Description of Unabi
Jojoba leaves grow alternately on thin green-brown shoots. The shoots end in spiny cone-shaped formations, so unabi are shaped like spiny balls, reaching 3-4 meters in diameter.
The leaves are entire, with three characteristic veins, from 2 to 7 cm long. There are species that shed leaves, and there are evergreen species. Flowers They resemble yellow stars with a green tint.
Jujube fruits resemble date palm fruits in taste and density. The shape of unabi fruits can be round or oval, slightly curved. The color is yellow-brown, red or black depending on the variety.
Characteristics of Chinese date varieties
Most popular varieties of jujube are:
Growing Chinese dates
Jujube unpretentious. Successfully growing Chinese dates will not require much effort if the characteristic features of the plant are taken into account.
Methods of propagation and planting of Chinese date
Jujube breeding seeds(bones), using Cherenkov(very rarely), root shoots, layering, grafting. Jujube can be grown from seed, but in this way it is impossible to obtain seedlings of large-fruited varieties. All varietal characteristics are lost during seed propagation. Typically, the seeds are used by breeders to germinate specific dates, so it is better to propagate jujube using cuttings or layering.
Stages of growing unabi from seed
Propagate jujube root shoots are easiest. The young tree is carefully dug up and, together with a lump of earth, transplanted to a new place, not forgetting to follow all planting rules.
Breast berries are propagated by layering if the plant has the shape of a bush. Elongated young shoots are bent to the ground and sprinkled with soil.
Then the soil, which spreads after watering, is added again and again. In spring, cuttings are cut from the parent tree and planted in a permanent place in the garden. When growing jujube, grafting is widely used. They are held in May or July - August.
Features of caring for jujube
Watering. Jujube is drought-resistant; it easily tolerates lack of moisture and heat. The roots of a mature plant are designed in such a way that jujube does not suffer from moisture deficiency. During the rooting period, seedlings need systematic watering, Special attention Hydration needs to be taken care of on hot days.
When watering jujube it is important to maintain a balance. Over-wetting the soil will lead to the death of the date; too dry soil will reduce fruitfulness. Chilon requires rare and moderate watering. In June, the plant goes through the fruit formation stage and at this stage of development, jujube does not need watering.
Top dressing.
The Chinese date must be weeded to rid the plant of weeds. The application of complex mineral fertilizers is of particular importance. Feed unabi 2 times during the season with a small amount of fertilizer. Fertilizers containing nitrogen are applied in the fall to help prepare the Chinese date for the winter. Phosphorus-potassium complexes are good in spring.
Crown formation. Trimming. The first year after planting, unabi grows slowly, which should not cause concern; this is a normal period of development for jujube. Because of this feature, you need to start forming a crown in the second year of the plant’s life.
The most common option that gardeners choose is cupped crown. The bowl is formed by 4 - 5 large branches growing around the main trunk. The main trunk must be shortened by 20 cm. The length of large branches remains the same. The crown of jujube is also given the shape of a bush, which increases the yield and quality of the fruit. Without the leading shoot, the remaining branches become more fruitful.
Sanitary pruning is necessary as well as crown-forming pruning. Removing weakened, diseased shoots is an important condition for successfully growing jujube.
Fruitfulness. Varietal Chinese dates bear fruit the next year after planting. The ovaries are formed mainly on the side shoots; the most abundant harvests are brought by small-fruited varieties of jujube.
Preparing for winter.
Chilon is frost-resistant; lowering the temperature to -25 degrees does not harm it. Even if in the cold winter some shoots freeze and die, this will not affect appearance jujube crowns.
If in cold winters some shoots freeze and die, then recovery comes quickly. Jujube is not afraid of frost in the spring, as it blooms late. Mature trees do not need special preparation for winter, only in areas where temperatures can drop to -35 degrees. Young unabi are hilled up before the onset of cold weather and the tops of the shoots are wrapped in special material.
Growing and caring for unabi does not require much stress or experience. Therefore, the Chinese date is liked by both professional and amateur gardeners. Jujube rarely suffers from pests and diseases.
The plant lives for a long time, has good decorative qualities, and its fruits are a storehouse of useful substances. The flowering period of jujube lasts 2 months, a pleasant aroma spreads around, during these months unabi serves as a special decoration for the garden. Jujube fruits are consumed fresh, frozen, dried, dried, and prepared into marmalade, preserves, compotes, and purees. They also love these fruits for their healing properties.
Photo of Chinese date Unabi
When choosing Chinese date seedlings, you should give preference to early frost-resistant varieties, which are planted from March to May.
Jujube simply needs light, so it grows very poorly in shady areas, and the flowers always turn out to be empty flowers. For unabi, it is necessary to choose a place on the site that is protected from drafts, but has maximum access to sunlight. The plant tolerates direct sunlight well. Even at temperatures above +40C° and without regular watering, the leaves do not dry out, and the fruits continue to develop normally.
It is preferable to plant seedlings in early spring, since with autumn planting there is a serious probability of unabi freezing with the onset of early frosts. The upper and lower parts of the southern and southwestern slopes, as well as flat areas protected from the wind, are ideal for planting Chinese dates. The distance between neighboring plants should not be less than 2-3 m.
Planting pits measuring one meter by one meter must be prepared in advance and mineral fertilizers must be added to them along with diluted cow manure.
Young plants are buried into the hole no more than 10 cm, covered with soil and compacted, and then watered abundantly. For the best survival rate, it is necessary to mulch the soil under young plants, which replaces digging. When mulching, organic matter is periodically added to the soil.
Jujube is a cross-pollinated plant that is not capable of bearing fruit on its own. Therefore, to obtain a harvest, it is necessary to plant several varieties of unabi on your site at once. The closer they are to each other (of course, taking into account the permissible requirements), the easier it will be for pollination.
Growing unabi on the site will not be difficult, and caring for it is simple. Quite unpretentious to the composition of the soil, the plant will respond to additional fertilizer with a bountiful harvest. Loamy soils are best suited for the plant, although it will grow well on black soils and gray soils. On strongly fertile soils The Chinese date will have strong leaves and side branches. They will need to be pruned regularly to ensure they do not obscure the fruiting parts of the tree.
Watering should be done rarely and in small quantities, especially when there is no precipitation for a long time. Due to the structure of its root system, jujube easily copes with drought; excessive moisture is detrimental to the plant, so watering must be dosed. Although complete drying out of the soil is harmful for the development of unabi and can lead to a rather meager harvest. But in June, when fruit sets, the plants need dryness, so watering should be stopped completely.
With the onset of the first growing season, you can fertilize jujube. It is performed twice per season. With the onset of full fruiting, the amount of fertilizing is increased, using ready-made mineral fertilizers for these purposes.
Caring for the Chinese date also includes timely cleaning of the area from weeds, which are extremely undesirable neighbors of this plant.
Unabi is quite frost-hardy. Before the onset of the winter cold season, young seedlings are hilled up and their tops are wrapped in non-woven material. Depending on the variety, an adult plant can withstand cold temperatures from -15 to -30°C. Adult plants need to be insulated only in those regions where the temperature in winter drops below -35 °C.
Unabi is practically not susceptible to diseases and pests. It has a high ability to regenerate - after damage (breaks, prolonged drought), the bark and crown are quickly restored.
The Chinese date needs crown formation, but since a characteristic feature of this plant is its slow growth in the first year after planting, crown formation can be started no earlier than a year or two after planting.
Most often, the crown is cup-shaped with the help of 4-5 main branches that are placed around the trunk. In this case, the main shoot should be cut to 15-20 cm, and other branches should be shortened at the same level as it. An open crown, in which the tree does not have a leader shoot, allows you to increase the quantity and quality of the jujube harvest. You can also form a crown in the form of a bush. In this case, the root shoots are cut off or dug up for replanting.
As the tree grows, sanitary pruning of branches that grow inward is also periodically carried out. A beautifully designed and elegant plant will decorate any garden, will be healthy and will be able to delight you with its flowering and harvest for a long time.
Varietal jujube seedlings, subject to high-quality rooting and good care, can bear berries in the first year after planting in open ground.
Jujube blooms late, which allows it to avoid residual spring frosts. Outwardly not particularly attractive, but a lot of fragrant flowers appear, and their very pleasant, sweetish smell attracts a large number of insects The flowering period lasts about 60 days. Despite the fact that some of the flowers remain unpollinated, when fruiting, unabi, depending on the variety, can produce up to 25-30 kg, and record-breaking varieties - up to 60-80 kg of fruit from one adult plant. The non-simultaneous flowering of jujube also affects the ripening of fruits, which also occurs unevenly. In a fine, warm autumn, fruit harvesting can stretch from the beginning of September to the end of October, or even into December (in the southern regions). If autumn is rainy, the harvest is harvested unripe, and unabi reaches ripeness later; In dry autumn, it is better not to rush into harvesting, but to let the fruits dry on the branches - then they will become tastier.
For fresh consumption, it is necessary to wait until jujube fruits are fully ripened, and for processing, they are removed from the branches when a light brown outer color appears on a third of the surface. In general, unabi fruits can not be removed from the tree for a long time.
To carefully remove the fruits, special “combs” with teeth every 1 cm are used. With this “comb”, jujube fruits are combed onto a film, after which they are separated from the fruiting shoots and leaves.
The Chinese date is a long-liver. Many unabi live more than 100 years. They actively bear fruit for about 50 years; for another 25 years, the amount of harvest is reduced by 30-50%, but the fruits retain their high taste.
The tree can be propagated using seeds, cuttings, and also by grafting or planting root suckers.
Growing jujube indoors
This exotic miracle tree can also be grown in a pot. This is an excellent plant for winter gardens, insulated verandas and loggias. In a room or winter garden, jujube grows up to 2-3 m.
It is easy to grow at home by germinating a soaked seed under a film in moist soil. Then the plant is transplanted into a small pot filled with a mixture of leaf and turf soil and coarse sand in a 1:1:1 ratio.
At a young age, transplantation into a larger pot is carried out annually, and from 4-5 years of age - once every 3-4 years. Transplantation is carried out only while preserving the earthen coma. The pot should be 15-20 cm in diameter larger than the previous one. It is better to replant jujube in soil fermented with phosphate fertilizers. Then the root system will grow better. After transplanting, water the soil a little and place the pot in the sunniest place.
The Chinese date is not afraid of direct sun. In winter, the temperature should be within +5...+10°C. In summer, the plant can be taken out into the garden, onto the balcony or terrace. The plant easily tolerates dry indoor air. Watering in summer is required moderate, in winter - minimal. The soil clod should not be allowed to dry out.
It is also necessary to fertilize with complete mineral fertilizer once a month from April to August. You can use leaf humus as an organic fertilizer, and add peat to the pot every two months in winter and spring.
Growing unabi in central Russia
Thanks to the work of breeders and the emergence of frost-resistant varieties, the Chinese date, although slowly, still goes beyond the tropical and subtropical regions. In our country, it is now cultivated not only in Crimea and in the south of the Krasnodar Territory. Thanks to the efforts of experienced amateur gardeners in the Rostov and Voronezh regions and even the Moscow region, jujube pleases its owners with delicious fruits. Although, of course, you have to tinker with a delicate tree, too much depends on the vagaries of the weather and not every summer you can harvest a good harvest.
Experienced gardeners advise choosing for middle zone early varieties with small fruits, as they are more hardy. Among such varieties, for example, are Chinese 60 and 2A, Khurman, Candy, Yuzhanin, Sinit. To make it easier to prepare the “eastern guest” for frost, it is better to form it not into a tree, but into a bush with a wide crown.
In the case when Chinese dates do not have time to fully ripen, the crop will still have to be harvested before the first cold weather, and then put into storage and wait for ripening.
Undoubtedly, growing Chinese dates on the plot will bring joy to any gardener. Unabi requires no more attention than most garden plants we are accustomed to. But unlike many other plants, jujube is a real long-liver, capable of delighting with its beauty and tasty and useful fruits a whole century. In addition, the plant is very decorative. Every summer, its branches will be completely covered with flowers, filling the garden with a light sweet aroma and attracting bees and bumblebees. Only after two months the flowers will fade, but in their place a lot of fruits will appear - tasty and healthy, which can be eaten fresh, dried, dried, frozen, and used to prepare a variety of delicacies. In the countries of the eastern region, it is not for nothing that the Chinese date is considered a sacred tree; plant it in your garden and you will give health and longevity not only to yourself and your children, but even to your grandchildren and great-grandchildren!
Jujube, unabi, breast berry, Chinese date, jujube - there are many names, but we are talking about the same plant - from the genus Jujube.
Jujube is an ancient fruit plant that has spread throughout the globe in areas with warm climates, cultivated probably seven to eight thousand years ago. In China, unabi has long been recognized as one of the leading fruit crops. A collection of large-fruited Chinese varieties of jujube has been created in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in Crimea.
Yasuaki KobayashiDescription of Jujube
Plants are distinguished by early fruiting and drought resistance. The fruits are very nutritious, rich in sugars, vitamins, medicinal properties. The roots and bark are also used for medicinal purposes. More important than other types of jujube is jujube, or true jujube.
Real jujube, chapyzhnik, unabi, jujube, jujub, Chinese date ( Ziziphus jujuba) - a species of plants of the genus Jujube ( Ziziphus) family Buckthorn ( Rhamnaceae).
A jujube shrub or tree 3-5(10) m high. The shoots are geniculate, glabrous, red-brown, on bends with thorns up to 3 cm long and thin, straight, greenish fruiting shoots, reminiscent of a compound leaf. Jujube fruits are spherical, oblong or pear-shaped, 1.5 cm long, from light brown to dark brown, shiny, weighing 1-20 (50) g.
Growing jujube
The plant is heat-resistant, unpretentious to soil. Despite its southern origin, it is quite winter-hardy even in the regions of Northern China, where winter air temperatures drop to minus 25°. In case of frosting, jujube quickly recovers. Early varieties of jujube require a sum of effective temperatures (more than 10°) during the growing season of 1600-1800°.
Jujube has a late beginning of the growing season - in April-May, and, accordingly, late flowering, which begins in June-July and lasts one to three months. Jujube is cross-pollinated by insects. Self-pollination of jujube is possible, but it is not significant.
Growing jujube from seeds
Seeds of large-fruited jujube varieties have low germination, so small-fruited forms are used to grow seedlings. The fruits are harvested well ripened. Jujube seeds, peeled from pulp, are heated in the sun or periodically poured with water heated to 60° for several days. Warm stratification is also used at a temperature of 20-35° for a month. Sow seeds in heated soil. Germination increases if you cover the crops with film. Two to three year old jujube seedlings begin to bear fruit.
Jujube seedlings with a root collar thickness of 6-10 mm are suitable for budding. It is carried out with a dormant bud in July-August or, if the rootstocks are not suitable, with a germinating bud in May. In the latter case, buds are used from lignified jujube cuttings harvested before the start of the growing season. In May, you can graft with an oblique wedge into the side cut, and behind the bark.
groworganic In addition to the seed method, jujube rootstocks can be grown from root cuttings 8-12 cm long. They are planted vertically level with the soil surface.
If there is root growth, it is separated and grown in the spring.
Jujube also reproduces by vertical and horizontal layering.
Caring for jujube
For spring planting of jujube, choose the upper and lower parts of the southern and southwestern slopes or flat protected areas. The distance of one plant from another is 2-3 m. The seedlings are buried 10 cm.
In areas where winter freezing is frequent, it is better to grow jujube plants in bush form.
Jujube is resistant to pests and diseases.
Webgarden Harvesting jujube
Jujube fruits ripen in late September-October. For processing, they are removed when a brown outer color appears on a third of the surface; for fresh consumption, when they are fully ripe. Jujube fruits can be left in place for a long time, left to wither directly on the tree, and then shaken off. For picking, use “combs” with teeth every 1 cm. Comb the jujube fruits onto a film, and then separate them from the fruiting shoots and leaves. Harvest up to 30 kg per tree. Dried fruits can be stored for two years or longer.
Warning. You should not chew jujube leaves. This can lead to a temporary loss of sweet and bitter taste.
Unabi is a tree or shrub plant native to China. It produces juicy sweet and sour fruits and is also perfect for use for decorative purposes. The Chinese date is considered one of the five most useful and medicinal plants in the world. Planting and caring for the Chinese unabi date can be done at home.
Botanical characteristics
In our latitudes, this tree is still considered exotic and not very common, but in the last 10-15 years it has been gaining increasing popularity among gardeners.
It has several names: “jujube”, “breast berry”, “chapizhnik”, “chilion”, “rem”, “zhuzhut”, “jujube” or simply “Chinese date”. According to historians, this species has existed for approximately 7-8 thousand years, therefore, it is one of the oldest in the world. This species was domesticated much later. It belongs to the kingdom of Plants, class Dicotyledons, family Buckthorn, order Rosaceae.
Distributed throughout Asia, North America, India, Pakistan, Syria, Australia, Africa and Europe.
The root system of unabi can be divided when the plant reaches the age of 5-7 years. This procedure is usually carried out in early spring.
Suitable soil for final replanting is clay or sandy soil rich in minerals and oxygen.
Unabi should be planted in a well-lit place, as the plant loves direct sunlight. It is best to choose the central areas of the garden area. Places subject to constant drafts should be avoided.
The distance between seedlings should be at least 2-3 meters. The date does not tolerate close proximity to other fruit trees. The soil around the plant should be regularly weeded to remove weeds. The depth of the hole when planting should be approximately 80-110 cm.
Disease and pest control
Like most crops, dates can become diseased. Most often, unabi is attacked by the following pests:
- spider mite;
- garden snails;
- purple scale insect;
- unabia fly;
- locusts
The Chinese date is the only plant that can completely cure hypertension. To do this, you need to take a tincture of jujube fruits for 15-17 days.
Unabi is included in various vitamin supplements. Regular consumption of jujube in moderate quantities will have a beneficial effect on your overall health. The fruits of this plant strengthen the immune system.
It is not recommended to eat date fruits at low blood pressure and some contraindications during pregnancy. People who plan to drive in the near future should refrain from consuming jujube, as this plant has a strong hypnotic effect.
Unabi is also used in cooking. Its fruits make excellent wine, jam, jam, sauce, pastille, compote and juice. You can even can the whole berries of this plant. It is also great as a filling for various baked goods.
The wood of the plant is an excellent material for further processing and manufacturing of furniture and decorative items.
In cosmetology, unabi is used to improve the condition of the skin, hair and relieve swelling under the eyes.
Chinese date is a wonderful option for growing in the garden.. It is not only an ornamental, but also a fruit-bearing plant. Jujube will not only decorate your backyard, but will also bring a rich harvest of exotic berries every year. The main advantage is that unabi is very easy to care for and even a novice and inexperienced gardener can cope with its cultivation.