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  • From: bassem@gardener.com
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Jujube a bit of history
  • Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 18:57:04 -0800 (PST)

I visited the middle east and found that Jujube is grown wild in parts of
syria... Jujube is named in arabic "Anaab" which comes from the word "Anab"
means a small grape. The reason why is it's much smaller than the chinese
cultivars.. but very sweet, and the seed is very small... possibly the size
of an olive....
I researched it and found that jujube is native to syria... and the romans
carried the seeds to other parts of asia and europe. The middleeastern
climate is dry long summers. The less the rain the more sugar content in that
fruit..
I would love to collect some scionwood from these wild ones in the middle
east.

Bass Samaan
zone6 pa, 18018

-----Original Message-----
From: MARIE ASHTON <bwoodtx@verizon.net>
Sent: January 9, 2006 8:26:01 PM GMT
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Jujube in a pot; shy jujube production

Korea has a real problem with Jujubes and a disease called witches broom. We
do not have that problem here in the USA but it may be one reason that they
were growing jujubes in pots. The variety they were growing may have been one
of the dwarf cultivars such as our Honey Jar or SO.
As to pollination of jujubes, there has been some research which shows that
although the blooms are open for several days they are only open to
pollination for a few hours. There has been some research showing also that
some cultivars are receptive in the mornings and some are receptive in the
afternoons. There are also known varieties that are self-fertile such Leon
Burk and Honey Jar. We do know that Sherwood will bear better if it goes
through a very cold, dry winter so chill has a bearing on some varieties. So
the answer, is that there are many factors in play with jujubes. The Chinese
in various areas of China have adapted their variety of jujube to their
specific area over several thousand years; making the answer to pollination
and fruiting somewhat of a problem in the USA. They now have over 700
varieties in China, each suited for a specific area and purpose. We do not
know what cultivars do best where in the various parts of our country, it is
just now being worked out by people like NAFEX'ers.
There is something else I would like to make a note of, that is that the
jujube fruit do really taste like a date when dried on the tree. But that
only happens when they are grown in a dry area, if they are grown in a humid
area or an area with heavy fall rains, they will rot before they dry.
There is one other thing and that is that the Chinese in some areas with some
varieties "girdle" their trees for better production. So it may be possible
that by cutting on or grafting on other varieties that a tree will produce
better, this needs to be tested.
For those of you that want a little more information on varieties and history
of jujubes you can go to my website www.oakcreekorchard.com . I am not
trying to sell anything just provide information.
Regards
Richard Ashton
Brownwood, Texas
7b/8a AHS 9

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Moyer
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 1:18 PM
Subject: [NAFEX] Jujube in a pot; shy jujube production


While living in Seoul, Korea a few years ago, walked to work past many
apartments and small houses, a number of which had small jujube trees in
pots. Pots ranged from a few to over 20 gallons. Folks there with small
yards had kaki persimmons, goumi, apricots and other prunus planted in the
ground, but virtually all the jujube plants I saw in various neighborhoods
were in pots, often on porches or roofs. We were not there in the fall, so
did not see them in fruit, with the prevalence of jujube in certain Korean
dishes, I assume these plants fruited.

Li, Lang and Sherwood are shy bearers in the upper south and mid-Atlantic
states, as far as I've observed here and for several other growers. Any of
you out there getting hundreds of Li, Lang or Sherwood per tree, especially
in mid-Atlantic, mid-west or northeast locations? If we get 5-10, we feel
blessed on these cultivars. Surely they must bear better somewhere.

Far and away, our best jujube producers are from a TVA planting near
Knoxville, TN, which bear thousands of fruit per older tree. When
transplanted to east TN, these trees bear hundreds of times more fruit than
the Lang or Sherwood cultivars blooming beside them (so much fruit that I let
the late ones rot). But one large TVA-transplanted tree bears only 0-5
fruit/year from tens of thousands of blooms, again with several potential
pollinators nearby. Haven't tried putting this selection in a pot.

So agreed with Lee's post. Jujube pollination is yet to be worked out. My
suspicion is that some cultivars are much better suited to certain growing
conditions than others, and that potted culture may be able to push some of
these shy bearers into production.
Richard Moyer
East TN, Zone 6


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  • Re: [NAFEX] Jujube a bit of history, bassem, 01/09/2006

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