🍒 CULTURE GUIDE – Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba)

🍒 Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba)

Sweet Chinese dates, a hardy and productive fruit tree.

The jujube tree produces small red-brown fruits with an apple-date taste, rich in vitamin C.

Full sun required. Minimum 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day for good fruit production.

Water moderately. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Very drought-tolerant once established. Reduce watering significantly in winter.

Ideal temperature: 20-30°C. Hardy down to -20°C. Requires a period of winter cold to fruit well. Can overwinter outdoors in Quebec.

Apply a balanced fertilizer in spring and early summer. The jujube tree is not very demanding in terms of nutrients.

Repot every 2-3 years in spring. Use well-draining soil. The jujube tree tolerates poor and calcareous soils.

Prune in late winter to maintain a compact shape. Watch out for thorns on some varieties. Fruits on new wood.

Can produce fruit from 3-4 years old. Green fruits turning reddish-brown when ripe. Tastes like fresh apple or dried date. Harvest in autumn.

Tropico-Québec Tip: The jujube tree is very hardy and can overwinter outdoors in Quebec. Perfect for growing in pots!