Tips For Getting A Jujube Tree To Produce More Fruit

Did you know that the jujube tree (Ziziphus jujuba) is one of the oldest fruit-bearing trees grown in cultivation? In its country of origin, China, this tree's domestication goes back more than 7,000 years. In fact, the fruit, commonly known as the Chinese date, is relished and enjoyed regularly by over 1 billion people. If you're now quite intrigued and want to grow this coveted tree, or you've already taken the leap and planted one in your yard, there are some tips to getting it to produce more fruit that you'll want to familiarize yourself with. One of the most important tips is that, even though the tree is self-pollinating, having two trees will definitely increase the harvest — but it's important to get the right partner.

These trees are quite interesting in that their flowering is affected by the temperature and whether they're a morning or afternoon blooming variety. To explain further, while some species or cultivars may have flowers that are open and pollen receptive in the early morning, pollen may only be produced in the afternoon and production stops in the evening. Other types may produce pollen both in the afternoon and the following morning. So, like some other fast-growing fruit trees you'll want to plant in your yard, you need to find at least two cultivars that are compatible for perfect pollination. 

Now that you know that two jujube trees are better than one to increase fruit production, the best thing to do is to pair a morning blooming tree with an afternoon blooming variety. Morning bloomers include cultivars such as 'Chico', 'Globe', and 'Lang', while afternoon bloomers include 'Li', 'Honeyjar', and 'Sherwood'. Another thing to remember is that these trees need at least six hours of sunlight daily and it could take around three to five years from planting for trees to start fruiting. Although jujube trees are extremely drought tolerant, giving them adequate irrigation when they start flowering may also help to increase fruit production, especially in younger trees.

You should also note that these trees fruit on new wood, so a little formative pruning of young ones can actually be quite beneficial. Essentially, you want to trim back the secondary branches as these then produce new growth from the remaining nodes. These new smaller stems are the ones that will produce the fruits, and interestingly, they'll self-prune by easily snapping off after they've finished fruiting. Over the years, these nodes will continue to produce new fruit-bearing branches, as they form raised cones. This means that, like another hardy tree that survives in poor conditions and provides tasty fruit, your jujube will require only minimal pruning in later years. Finally, you might also be interested in a range of other uncommon fruit trees you can grow in your garden.