Chinese date unabi, beneficial properties and contraindications. Chinese date: planting and care

This plant will be a real gift to the gardener who loves exotic beauty and takes care of your health. Chinese date, also known as unabi and jujube, is a tree or shrub that has an original appearance. And its fruits are not only very tasty, but also healthy. In addition, the leaves, even the bark and roots of unabi, contain medicinal substances. It can grow on the poorest land, in special care does not need. Although there is a significant problem - the Chinese date is too thermophilic, and not all varieties can withstand Russian frosts without loss. Therefore, until recently, unabi was grown only in the southern regions. But if you choose the right variety, you can get your own dates in harsher climates.

Unabi jujube: what an exotic thing

For most of us, unabi is an exotic plant. However, in the East he has been known for a long time. According to some sources, jujube was domesticated in China and India two thousand years ago. A little later, it began to be grown in Mediterranean countries. And only in the last century, the Chinese date began to be grown in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Transcaucasia, Krasnodar Territory, Crimea and southern Ukraine.

Unabi is the champion in the number of titles. IN different countries it acquired not one, but several names at once. In total there were about one and a half dozen of them: jujube, jujuba, jujube, chapyzhnik, chaylon, anab, chilion, Jilan jida, planjiba, tsao, yanap (or anab), arnap, ilan jida. In France, the plant is called breast berry, and in Russia, Chinese date.

In China, unabi is called the tree of youth for the ability of its fruits and leaves to rid the body of toxins, cholesterol, cleanse blood vessels and strengthen capillaries

The native climate for unabi is the tropics and subtropics. For a long time it was believed that this plant does not survive and does not bear fruit in central Russia. But in last years More winter-hardy forms appeared, and gardeners adapted to the continental climate.

New cold-resistant forms of subtropical Chinese dates can be grown in the middle zone

The Chinese date in cultivation is a small deciduous tree (up to 5 meters) or a tall shrub. Slightly drooping shoots may have sparse thorns. The leaves are oval, with characteristic longitudinal veins. The crown is harmoniously shaped, pyramidal or spherical. Unabi is characterized by a late start of the growing season. The plant wakes up by mid-May and even a little later. Therefore, it is not afraid of return frosts.

Most jujube varieties require cross-pollination, so to obtain good harvest It is necessary to plant 2-3 trees nearby.

Jujube can have both flowers and fruit ovaries on the same branch

The flowering of unabi is extended, greenish-yellow flowers bloom over the course of one and a half to two months. They don't look too good, but they smell wonderful. Bees find this smell very attractive. The fruits set and ripen unevenly: the first ones can ripen by the end of summer, the last ones - in October, or even in December. If autumn is rainy, the harvest is harvested unripe, and unabi reaches ripeness later; In dry autumn, gardeners recommend not to rush into picking, but to let the fruits dry on the branches - then they become tastier. By the way, up to 25 kg of harvest can be harvested from one mature tree, and there are also record-breaking varieties that yield 80 kg.

Most varieties of unabi produce high yields

Fruit different varieties unabi differ significantly from each other. Their weight varies from 2.5 to 35 grams. The shape can be spherical, oval, pear-shaped. Color ranges from red-orange to chocolate brown. Lightish specks are visible on the skin of some varieties. Ripe fruits are tender and juicy. The pulp, sometimes mealy, combines sour and sweet tastes in different variations. The seed is small; in some varieties it does not develop completely, remaining semi-soft.

Dried unabi fruits are very similar to real dates

The Chinese date (or unabi) has nothing to do with the real date. The plant received its popular name due to the external similarity of the fruits and slightly similar taste.

Unabi fruits are eaten fresh, prepared from them (compotes, jam, syrup, candied fruits) or dried. In any form, Chinese dates are good for health. They contain more ascorbic acid than citrus fruits, as well as flavonoids, pectin, carotene, rutin, iodine, cobalt and other elements.

Fruits of different varieties differ in color and size, but are equally useful

Jujube fruits help with respiratory diseases, hypertension, anemia, and vitamin deficiency. To lower blood pressure, Chinese doctors advise eating 20 fresh or dried dates three times a day after meals. A decoction of the fruits calms and helps restore healthy sleep.

Birds may eat the unabi crop. To protect it, nets are placed over the trees.

The sweet and sour fruits of jujube resemble dates, pineapples and pears at the same time.

Healing agents are also prepared from unabi leaves, bark and roots (rich in tannins, saponins and rutin), which are used internally and externally. The decoction has a diuretic, expectorant and antibacterial effect.

Video: why unabi (jujube) attracts gardeners

Description of popular jujube varieties

There are approximately forty species of plants in the buckthorn family in the genus Unabi. Most cultivated varieties have been bred on the basis of jujube, which are divided into two groups according to the size of the fruits (small and large-fruited). Chinese, Central Asian, Krasnodar and Crimean biologists were involved in the selection of unabi. Scientists have noted a number of interesting features. For example, they found that small-fruited plants contain more vitamin C and are better able to withstand cold temperatures. Large varieties sweeter. But size does not affect the yield. Unabi are divided into three groups according to the time of harvest ripening: early, middle, late.

Early

Harvesting from trees of early varieties begins at the end of August and ends in September. These dates are mostly small or average size. Large-fruited early varieties- rarity.

Vakhsh

Bred by Tajik breeders. The tree is tall (4–5 meters), with a pyramidal crown, medium-sized fruits (up to 18 g), ripen in mid-September. They resemble a cylinder in shape, the skin is light chocolate color. The variety is characterized by high productivity.

Vakhsh - early and high-yielding variety unabi

Maury Ger

Jujube variety Mori Ger is the result of the work of breeders from Moldova. The tree itself is medium in size, and the fruits are large (up to 35 g), elongated and cylindrical. They reach ripeness by the second ten days of September. The plant can withstand temperatures down to -25 o C.

Unabi variety Mori jer can withstand short-term frosts

Chinese 60

This is one of the smallest varieties of unabi. The diameter of the crown is no more than one and a half meters, height - up to 3 m. The fruits are elongated, slightly pointed at the top and bottom, small and medium in size (up to 12 g), covered with a brown-plum skin. They taste sweet and sour. The harvest is ready for harvest in mid-September.

Chinese 60 - the most compact variety with spindle-shaped fruits

Candy

This unabi produces stable and high yields by mid-September. The tree is low, with a spherical crown. The fruits are small, weighing only 6–8 g, but there are usually so many of them that the greenery is not visible. The thin, brick-red skin covers the very sweet and juicy flesh.

The Candy variety lives up to its name with an abundance of sweet fruits.

Sinit

Jujube variety bred by Nikitsky scientists botanical garden. A tree of medium height with a branched crown. The fruits are small (up to 6 g), but ripen record early. Sinita is harvested in late August or early September. The seed is small, the sour-sweet pulp is hidden under a brown, durable skin. The fruits are good for fresh, suitable for drying and canning.

The Crimean variety Sinit gives a record early harvest

Hourman

This is one of the most productive and at the same time large-fruited varieties unabi. An average of 80 days pass from flowering to ripening. The fruit harvest lasts for 2–3 weeks. The warmer and sunnier the summer, the sweeter this Chinese date will be.

Large fruits of the Khurman variety, which ripen very early, can be harvested in 2–3 weeks

Southerner

The author of this variety is the breeder Massover B.L. Jujube grows up to 4 meters. The crown of the tree is spreading. Pale brown large fruits (up to 20 g) are slightly reminiscent of a pear in appearance: they are narrower at the top than at the bottom. The pulp is a little dry, but the taste is pleasant, sweet, with a slight sourness. The Yuzhanin variety is productive. The fruits are stored after drying for several months.

The pear-shaped fruits of unabi variety Yuzhanin are a bit dry, but are stored for a long time

Ta-Yan-Zao (other names - Lang, Chinese 1)

Early (reaches ripeness in the second half of September) and large-fruited unabi from China. One of the first cultivated varieties. This tall, branchy tree begins to bear fruit in the 2nd–3rd year. The dates are large, the average weight is 15 g, the maximum is 35. In shape, they look like miniature pears of a yellowish or brownish red hue. The taste is sweet, the pulp contains up to 35% sugar. Very often the fruits have no seed or it is poorly developed. Productivity is average. Ta-Yan-Zao is very sensitive to humidity. Due to rainy weather, the fruits become overly juicy and covered with cracks.

The name of the variety Ta-Yang-Zao translated from Manchu means “be healthy”

Video: acquaintance with ultra-early unabi growing in Belarus

Mid-season

Chinese dates of these varieties gain sweetness and are ready to leave the tree at the very end of September or October. They produce medium and large sizes. Resistant to low temperatures Most of these varieties have average.

Shirvan

This variety was bred in Central Asia. The fruits are small (average weight 3.5 g), barrel-shaped. The color of the skin is pale brown, the flesh is dense, milky-chocolate in color, and sour-sweet. The variety gives high yields.

The Shirvan variety produces very beautiful, but small fruits

Apsheronsky

Jujube Apsheronsky was created by Krasnodar breeders. They managed to develop a fruitful variety that is quite frost-resistant for its region. The average fruit weight is 6–8 g. They are chocolate brown in color and shaped like real dates. The pulp is tender, vanilla in color, the taste is bright, combining sweetness and slight sourness. Full ripeness of the fruit occurs in the second half of October.

Apsheronsky - variety Russian selection with a bright fruit taste similar to real dates

Chinese 2A (or 52)

A proven variety with almost a century of history, it is well known in the world. From China he first came to America, and only then to Russia. Large (up to 25 g) fruits ripen by the end of October. Oval-elongated dates acquire a rich chestnut color when ripe. The light flesh is juicy and sweet. The sour taste is weakly expressed.

Chinese 2A - one of the first cultivated unabi varieties

The medium-ripening variety was bred by botanists in Tajikistan and became widespread in Central Asia. Now it can be bought in Russian nurseries. The elongated, rounded fruits weigh on average 15–20 g. They are light brown in color. The pulp has a delicate consistency and harmonious taste. Disadvantage of the variety - when high humidity During ripening, the fruits may crack.

Delicate soft fruits of the Soviet variety can crack if there is excess moisture

Tasty

Trees of this jujube variety grow very quickly. The fruits are large, weighing up to 35 g, and ripen in October or November. Under the light brown skin there is sweet, cream-colored flesh. The yield and frost resistance of the Lakomy variety are average.

A fast-growing tree of the Lakomy variety produces large fruits

Ya-Zao

This Chinese variety can't boast large fruits, their weight is usually no more than 7 g. But its advantage is abundant harvests. On high tree there are no thorns, and by mid-October the branches are covered with fruits, the color of which gradually becomes chestnut. Their greenish flesh has a pleasant sweet-sour taste. The variety is suitable for fresh use and is good for preparations.

Ya-Zao is a variety that gives bountiful harvest in almost any conditions

Friendship

One of the newest unabi. The fruits are not the smallest, but not large either, the usual weight is 10–15 g. Their shape is pear-shaped, and the color is unusual - plum-chocolate. Productivity is low. A special feature of the Druzhba variety is its resistance to frost is slightly above average.

Pear-shaped fruits of unabi Druzhba of unusual color - plum-chocolate

Tavrika

A now popular variety of jujube, the fruits of which ripen in October. “Dates” Tauriki are spherical or barrel-like. Their average weight is 12–16 g. The skin color is orange-chestnut. Pulp with a characteristic pleasant taste. This variety is distinguished not only by good resistance to frost, but also by increased yield.

Frost-resistant Tavrika has round, bright fruits

Late

There are not many varieties of jujube whose fruits ripen late. It is not very popular because the harvest is delayed until late autumn. It starts at the end of October and ends in November and sometimes December. It happens that a tree completely sheds its leaves, the first snow falls, and the dates have not yet been collected. Of course, such a tree looks elegant and original. But only gardeners living in the hot south can afford such a luxury.

Kara-Dag

The variety created in Crimea fits well into local conditions. It tolerates dry summers and slightly frosty winters without any problems. Large pear-shaped fruits, their weight can reach 35 g, ripen by October-November. But gardeners are in no hurry to pick them. They wait until the reddish-chocolate skin wrinkles slightly. Dried fruits are tastier and sweeter than juicy ones. And besides, they last longer.

Kara-Dag unabi fruits are left on the tree until the skin wrinkles: this way they will become sweeter and will be stored longer

Koktebel

Another variety of unabi with Crimean registration. The breeders of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden can be proud of their pet. Dates of the Koktebel variety grow not just big, but huge, they gain weight up to 50 g. The fruits are round, irregular shape. The orange-brown skin hides pistachio-white flesh. It is not too juicy, but has a delicate sweet and sour taste. But the harvest begins to ripen towards the end of October, and northern gardeners risk not waiting for it. In all other respects, unabi Koktebel is a beautiful, strong tree. By the way, its productivity is also amazing. The authors of the variety claim that up to 80 kg of fruit can be harvested from an adult plant.

Koktebel is a productive but late variety that can only be grown in the south

The best varieties of unabi for Crimea

Jujube loves warmth and light and is not afraid of drought. Therefore, this plant feels great on the Crimean Peninsula. The Chinese date will grow even in dry and poor soil. True, lack of nutrition will affect the volume of the harvest.

Even in a dry summer, unabi fruits will be tasty, but without watering the harvest will decrease

Any variety of jujube is suitable for Crimean gardens. The gardener just needs to decide what is more interesting for him to grow and when he needs the harvest. Of course, the most the best choice- late unabi of the Crimean selection. These fruits can be collected when winter comes; it will be a wonderful vitamin dessert for New Year's table. And dried Chinese dates can be eaten until the first summer berries ripen.

Varieties for Ukraine

In the southern regions of Ukraine, almost all varieties of unabi can be grown. Mild winter and long hot summers are what exotics will enjoy. However, the further north you go, the less choice. Late varieties will not be able to produce a harvest before the onset of cold weather. When the fruits are touched by frost, they will lose their keeping quality. Therefore, you need to choose unabi with medium or early fruit ripening. For example, varieties Druzhba, Tavrika, Candy, Apsheronsky, Chinese 60. It is better to give preference to small-fruited varieties. They are more resistant to frost.

Jujube (or unabi) decorates the garden all autumn

In mid-latitudes, growing unabi is associated with certain troubles. First of all, you need to choose the right place to plant. It should be well lit and quiet, protected from drafts.

A young tree must be insulated on the eve of winter by tying the stem and crown with covering material. And the roots need to be covered with leaves, grass, and then snow. If the branches do freeze, the unabi quickly recovers. And with age, the Chinese date becomes more resilient.

Video: how to prepare a unabi seedling for winter

Frost-resistant unabi varieties for the middle zone

The Chinese date has expanded beyond the tropical and subtropical regions. It is now cultivated not only in Crimea, in the south of the Krasnodar Territory and Ukraine. IN Lately gardeners living in the Dnepropetrovsk, Rostov, Voronezh regions and even in the Moscow region and Belarus talk about their successes in growing unabi. Although they admit: you have to tinker with a delicate tree, and not every summer you manage to reap a good harvest.

Chinese dates, especially dried ones, can be stored for a very long time.

Experienced gardeners advise choosing for middle zone early varieties with small fruits, they are more hardy. It is worth paying attention, for example, to unabi Chinese 60 and 2A, Khurman, Candy, Yuzhanin, Sinit. And form them not into a tree, but into a bush with a wide crown. Such a plant is easier to prepare for frost.

Unabi fruits can ripen when all the leaves have already fallen

In the event that the fruits do not have time to ripen, the harvest will still have to be harvested before the first cold weather. And then put the Chinese dates in storage and wait for them to ripen.

Video: unabi in cool climates - from planting to harvest

Lumps of greenish jujube inflorescences located in a row along the pagon are unattractive, but the sweetish pulp of the fruit actually tastes like dates, but they ripen not on a palm tree, but on a bush.

The genus Jujube of the Buckthorn family, according to various sources, includes from 40 to 53 species of thorny shrubs and small trees, distributed throughout the globe in warm temperate latitudes and subtropics. The oldest of plants, jujubes were cultivated approximately 7-8 thousand years ago and are remembered in many historical documents, literary monuments, myths and fairy tales. The plants are truly long-lived - they live and bear fruit up to a hundred years of age.

The leaves of jujubes are arranged alternately on thin brownish-green shoots, which often end in a cone-shaped prickly point, turning the bushes into ruffly tangles with a circumference of 3-4 m. The leaf blades are entire, up to 2-7 cm in length, with three pronounced main veins. Some species are deciduous, others are evergreen. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, similar to yellow-green stars. Fruits are edible drupes of yellow-brown, red or black color, round or oblong in shape with sickly sweet and medicinal pulp, reminiscent of fruits in texture and taste date palm.

Types and varieties of jujube

Real, or jujube, unabi, Chinese date (jujuba) - a shrub or tree from 3-5 to 10 m high with cranked red-brown branches, on the bends of which thorns up to 3 cm in length are formed. The fruiting stems are thin and greenish. The fruits are pear-shaped or spherical drupes, from light terracotta to dark brown, weighing from 20 to 50 g.

The most popular varieties among gardeners:

Chinese 2A - with large elastic fruits weighing 10-20 g, used for preparations;
Chinese 93 is a mid-early variety with small fruits weighing 5-10 g, oblong, slightly curved;
Candy - an early ripening shrub with small, very juicy and sweet berries up to 4-8 g;
Koktebel is a late-ripening variety with large fruits weighing up to 52 g.

Florida(celata) is a small thorny shrub about 2 m tall, endemic to central Florida. The species was first discovered in 1948 near the town of Sebring on the County plateau. In place of inflorescences, very fragrant tiny flowers form bunches of yellow-orange fruits. Listed as an endangered plant in the United States.

Lotus(lotus) is a deciduous shrub native to the Mediterranean region, including Morocco and the Sahara. Reaches 2-5 m high, multiple thin branches covered with shiny bright green leaves oval shape about 5 cm long. The fruits are dark yellow spherical drupes up to 1.5 cm in circumference. It is believed that this particular plant is mentioned in the famous Homer's Odyssey as the lotus tree.

coined(nummularia) - native to the Thar Desert, the species is distributed in Western India, Southeast Pakistan and Southern Iran. A shrub up to 2 m high with rounded, pubescent leaves on the upper side, it forms dense thickets. Used in sand dune reclamation. The fruits are affected by the larvae of a small butterfly, Tarucus balkanicus, which lives in Central and Western Asia, India and North Africa.

Parry(parryi) - grows in the Colorado Desert and the southern edge of the Mojave Desert, on the eastern slopes of the ridges in Southern California. Shrub with many intricate branches forming a thorny tangle up to 4 m high. Olive green sheet plates none most years, and the plant stands bare, entirely consisting of numerous grayish or brownish branches, at the ends pointed to a prickly thorn. Inflorescences are bunches of miniature star-shaped yellowish or light green flowers. The fruit is a dry drupe with one seed.

Care and cultivation of jujube

Gardeners with experience in cultivating jujube in the southern regions of temperate latitudes are advised to plant the plant in areas protected from northern winds places: on the southern slopes of hills, on the southern side of buildings, although the plants are quite winter-hardy and can withstand temperatures down to 25 degrees below zero, however, fruiting in such conditions is not abundant, and the bushes often freeze to the root collar.

Varietal jujube is fast-growing - the harvest ripens already in next year after planting - and is drought-resistant; in hot weather conditions, cultivation is much more effective than in a humid climate, since the fruits crack from moisture and rot.

The shrub is undemanding to soil and grows in ordinary garden soil. Add a little humus and mineral fertilizers to the holes located at a distance of at least 2-3 m from each other, water and place the seedling in the center, burying it 10 cm into the soil. Cover it with earth and compact it. Jujube planted in early spring. Autumn planting much more vulnerable to low winter temperatures. Since the plants are cross-pollinated, it is advisable to plant several seedlings in the garden.

Caring for jujubes consists of timely removal of weeds and periodic addition of organic matter; regular watering is not necessary - the shrub reacts negatively to excess moisture, but during the period of ovary and fruit ripening, the shrub needs watering, which turns out to be prophylactic protection from insect pests. The formation of the crown by pruning is carried out 1-2 years after planting.

Jujube propagation

The shrub is propagated by seeds, layering, root shoots, and grafting. Cuttings are also acceptable, but this method of propagating jujubes is rarely practiced among gardeners, except perhaps for the sake of experiment.

The seed method is not used if it is necessary to obtain seedlings of large-fruited varietal jujubes. As a rule, many characteristics of a particular variety are lost when growing plants from seeds. However, species of jujubes from seeds are often germinated using scarification and stratification for at least 60 days.

Scarified planting material deepen into warm soil 3-4 cm. Crops are covered plastic film. After 20 days, shoots appear; they are carefully moved with a lump of earth into individual containers for growing. They are transplanted to a permanent place of growth the following year.

Propagating jujube by root shoots is perhaps easier than other methods - carefully, without damaging the roots, dig up the young plant and replant it in another place, observing the basic rules of planting.

Overgrown pagons over 20-30 cm in length are used as layering. They are bent to the ground and covered with soil, constantly moistening and enlarging the mound, which spreads during watering. Spring layerings are cut off from mother plant in the fall and transplanted to a permanent place in the garden.

In the reproduction of jujubes experienced gardeners They practice grafting: in July-August - with a dormant bud, in May - sprouting behind the bark or into a side cut with an oblique wedge.

Diseases and pests

The main condition for protection against the unabia fly is, first of all, compliance with the agricultural techniques for growing jujube: regular watering during the ripening of the fruit, as well as before the flight of adult specimens of the fly, digging up the circle around the trunk in the spring in order to destroy false cocoons overwintering in the soil. In case of mass destruction, jujubes are treated with chemicals - actellik, sumithion, zolone.

Medicinal properties and uses of jujube

People have known about the healing qualities of jujube fruits for a long time. The dry pulp of the berries contains pectin, carbohydrates, protein, acids - malic and succinic, and tannins. Together, they have a beneficial effect on the body of older people, have therapeutic effect for patients with cholelithiasis and urolithiasis, liver problems, reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients, remove toxins from the body, excess cholesterol and heavy metals. As an aid, jujube fruits are used for diseases of the respiratory system.

In cooking, Chinese date berries are used to make marmalades, jams, candied fruits, compotes, sweets, purees, and also as additives to porridges and bread.

Jujube in photographs

Despite their exotic nature, the fruits of the Chinese fruit are also available for cultivation in Russia, in the southern regions with a warm climate. The plant, also called jujuba or jujube, is one of the oldest fruit trees in the world. According to historians, it was cultivated about 7-8 thousand years ago. During this time, unabi spread throughout the globe. With the help of photos and opinions of gardeners, the article will tell you about the features overseas fruit, planting and caring for it, common diseases.

Description of the Chinese date. Beneficial features

Unabi grows as a small tree up to 7 m in height. Sharp thorns can be seen on the branches of some varieties. The foliage of the tree is dense and leathery. During the flowering period, the plant is covered with small pale green flowers. By mid-autumn, fruits grow in their place:

shape - spherical or pear-shaped;
size - 1.5 cm in length;
weight - on average about 20 g;
color - from light yellow to rich red or even brown;
taste - sweet and sour or sweet, vaguely reminiscent of dates, pears and pineapples.

Unabi fruits

Unabi fruits are eaten fresh, pre-dried or used in culinary recipes. They are used to make jam and preserves, compote and juice, sweets, marmalade and candied fruits. In any form, jujuba contains many useful microelements and vitamins. IN folk medicine leaves and shoots of the plant are also used.

Useful properties of unabi:

decreased blood pressure;
help with atherosclerosis, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary system;
beneficial effect on the nervous system;
anesthetic effect;
cough help;
treatment of skin diseases.

The length of the growing season of the tree is 160-190 days. Jujuba lives up to 150 years. Ripe unabi fruits remain on the tree without spoiling for 2-4 weeks. Their taste even improves when dried in the sun. Chinese dates are stored in the refrigerator at +4°C for quite a long time (about 2 months), and they tolerate transportation well.

Attention! This crop is also used against soil erosion and in the fight against landslides. The root of the tree goes 5-6 m deep.

Features of planting jujube

The Chinese date is thermophilic. In a cool climate, the tree will also grow, but it is unlikely to bear fruit even in a greenhouse. And under open air extreme cold can freeze the crop to its roots, but the tree will not die and will recover fairly quickly. The growing season for unabi begins in April or May. In some years it may fluctuate due to weather conditions.

Flowering occurs in the summer and can last up to 3 months. The culture prefers cross-pollination. Therefore, a representative of a different variety should grow nearby. Fruiting occurs in the 2-3rd season of life in the garden. At this age, the yield is 10-16 c/ha. Over time, the tree's fertility continues to increase until it reaches 150-300 c.

Unabi tree

Jujube is grown from seeds or cuttings. Seed propagation relevant only for small-fruited varieties. In species with large fruits, seeds have poor germination. For landing:

Pick well-ripened fruits.
Remove the pulp.
Warm up the seeds. To do this, place them in the sun or keep them in warm water(60°C).
For 1 month. give the material a warm stratification (20-35°C).
Pre-heat the soil: water warm water and cover with film.
Seal the seeds to 3-4 cm and cover the ground again with film.
After about 20 days, shoots will appear in the ground. Transplant each one into an individual container.
To take root on permanent place Jujuba will be ready in a season.

Advice. Before planting a seed, gardeners recommend lightly tapping the seed with a hammer. Then it will be easier for the sprout to break through the dense shell.

Chinese date trees grown from seeds will not have varietal characteristics, will bloom later and will be less fertile compared to their parents. Such samples are usually grafted to correct these shortcomings. Chinese date rootstocks are also grown using root cuttings. Select samples at least 8-12 cm and plant them flush with the ground level.

You can also graft a plant seedling with a bud - budding. Rootstocks should be 6-10 mm in diameter at the root. The bud can be either dormant (late summer) or germinating (May). Graft it with a side wedge behind the bark or into a side incision.

Growing and caring for Chinese dates

Jujube is heat-loving, drought-resistant and can produce crops only in a well-lit area. The tree feels great even at +50°C. In the conditions of the southern regions of the Russian Federation, jujube will grow even in dry areas where grapes cannot survive. Although watering and fertilizing mineral fertilizers will only benefit the plant. The Chinese date is undemanding to the composition of the soil, but does not like highly saline and heavy soils.

The culture tolerates heat and lack of moisture well

In spring the tree is planted on flat areas, as well as in the upper or lower part on the southern or southwestern slope. Bury the seedlings 10 cm. There should be at least 2 m between them. In warm regions, grow jujuba in the form of a tree. In places where the ground may freeze in winter - in the form of a bush.

Jujube is resistant to diseases and insect pests. The plant needs to be pushed too hard for it to become infected with a fungus or virus. But the birds may be tempted by the harvest. Therefore, you need to either scare them away or collect them faster ripe fruits.

Varieties of Chinese date

The cultivated plant has many varieties. You can choose based on your personal needs regarding the timing of fruit ripening, their size, and intended purpose. For example, large and dense fruits of the Chinese 2A variety are perfect for preservation as a whole in the form of candied fruits or for jam. They like to eat candy fresh - it is very juicy, ripens early and has a high yield. Late variety Koktebel has very large fruits, up to 52 g.

Also in domestic gardens there are varieties:

large-fruited - Khurman, Finik, also Vakhsh, Yuzhanin;
with medium fruits - Chinese 60, Chinese 93, Burnim;
small-fruited Sochi 1.

Unabi is still far from popular in the Russian Federation. Therefore, you can take advantage of the moment and surprise your friends and family with jam or compote with an unusual taste.

True jujube (Ziziphus jujuba).

Other names: unabi, Chinese date, jujube, French breastberry.

Description. Deciduous, thorny, spreading bush or small tree (up to 5 m) of the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae) with a spreading or pyramidal crown. The plant has quite a powerful root system with vertical roots penetrating to a depth of 3 m or more.
The bark of the true jujube is dark gray and thick. Young branches are jointed, with red-brown bark, and have spines at the nodes. The leaves are alternate, on short petioles, leathery, broadly lanceolate or elongated-ovate, entire or obtusely serrate, 3-6 cm long, 1-3 cm wide.
The flowers are bisexual, small, greenish-white, five-membered, axillary, collected in bunches of 2-5 pieces. Each flower lives a little more than a day. If during this time the flower does not have time to pollinate, it falls off. Flowers are frost resistant. In our climatic conditions, unabi blooms from June to mid-August.
Fruit ripening is uneven, from September to October. The fruit is a small round, ovoid or oblong, juicy drupe with sweet pulp. The length of the fruits is 2-6 cm, and their diameter is 1-3 cm. The weight of the fruits is 3-20 grams. Unripe fruits are green; when ripe, they become dark red or yellow-brown. The shape, weight, color of jujube fruits, as well as their ripening time depend on the variety.
Real jujube is tropical plant, whose homeland is China. It is cultivated in Central Asia and Transcaucasia. Unabies are also grown in the zone temperate climate. To obtain a good harvest, it is necessary to plant varieties that are best suited to these climatic conditions. The following varieties are considered successful for cultivation: Sinit, Ta-Yan-Zao, Chinese 93, Chinese 2A ( early date maturation); Vakhsh, Ya-Zao, Southerner, Koktebel ( average term maturation).
Date unabi - heat-loving plant, which tolerates heat, drought, and winter frosts. Plants should be planted in sunny areas, preferably protected from cold winds. Despite the drought resistance of jujube, to obtain a good harvest, the plants must be watered regularly. The unabi date begins to bear fruit early, fruiting is abundant and regular.

Collection and preparation of raw materials. For medicinal purposes, the fruits, leaves, and less commonly the bark and roots of jujube are used and prepared. The fruits are harvested after they are ripe. The leaves are harvested during the fruiting period. The collected jujube leaves are dried in the shade on outdoors or in a room with normal ventilation, spread it out in a thin layer on paper. Best before date dried leaves 1 year.
The roots are harvested in late autumn, and the bark of the branches in early spring, when sap flow begins. Three-year-old branches are used to harvest bark. The shelf life of dried bark and roots is 2 years.
Unabi fruits are consumed fresh, dried, dried, made into compotes, jams, preserves, marinades, juices, and used in confectionery production. Fresh fruits collected at room temperature are stored for no more than 4-5 days. IN refrigeration chamber at a temperature of 5°C they can be stored for up to 1 month.
Unabi fruits are dried after enzyme inactivation. To do this, the fruits are kept in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Next, the fruits are laid out on a cloth to dry them from the water and then placed on a baking sheet. Dry in the oven at 60-65°C for 7-10 hours. Can be dried in a dryer at the same temperature.
If unabi fruits need to be dried, then the drying time will be 2 times less. The shelf life of dried fruits is 2 years.

Composition of the plant. The fruits and leaves of jujube contain flavonoids, tannins and resins, sugars, organic acids, carotene, coumarins, vitamin P, and ascorbic acid. Fresh fruits contain 750-900 mg% ascorbic acid, dried with enzyme inactivation - 1550-2000 mg%, and fruits dried without enzyme inactivation contain no more than 10 mg% ascorbic acid. The fruits also contain pectins, fatty oil, potassium salts, and phosphorus. The leaves also contain anesthetic substances.

Useful properties, application, treatment.
Jujube fruits have diuretic, hypotensive, sedative, anesthetic, tonic, antimicrobial, expectorant, antitussive, antisclerotic properties, also regulate metabolism, help the body get rid of “bad” cholesterol, toxic substances and heavy metals.
Jujube fruits (fresh and dried with enzyme inactivation) contain a lot of vitamin C, which, in combination with vitamin P, has a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels, making them more elastic and durable. This is a good prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Unabi fruits are considered good remedy for hypertension. It has been experimentally established that a 10% decoction of unabi fruits, taken in a third of a glass 4-6 times a day, or eaten fresh or dried fruits 8-10 pieces 3-4 times a day, exhibits the greatest therapeutic effect for lowering blood pressure. If the doses are reduced, then the hypotensive effect will be less. Also, when taking the fruits or decoction, headaches, tinnitus, palpitations decrease or stop, performance increases, mood and sleep quality improve.
In folk medicine, a decoction of the fruit is taken as an anti-inflammatory and emollient for inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, fever, intestinal infections, intestinal ulcers, and for the treatment and prevention of iron deficiency anemia.
Fresh ripe unabi fruits will be useful for constipation, and unripe fruits are taken for diarrhea and dysentery. An infusion of jujube leaves is taken orally for inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, for the treatment of gastritis, purulent wounds, and abscesses. Externally, an infusion of leaves is used as a rinse for inflammation of the oral cavity, as a wash and as a lotion for the treatment of poorly healing wounds and ulcers. An ointment is also prepared from fresh leaves.
In case of hair loss, to strengthen it and stimulate growth, a decoction of the bark of the branches or roots of jujube is used externally. For a month, the scalp is moistened with this decoction once a day. Jujube is one of the five best medicinal plants. In China they say that a person who consumes unabi fruits does not need to see a doctor.

Dosage forms and doses.
For health purposes Take jujube fruits 8-10 pieces 2 times a day. The course of admission is 3 months. During the year they do 2 such courses.
A decoction of fruits for the treatment of hypertension. The decoction is prepared at the rate of 20 grams of fruit per 200 ml of water. Cook over low heat for 12-15 minutes. After cooling, strain, squeeze, and boiled water bring the volume of the decoction to the original volume. Take half a glass 4-6 times a day. The course of treatment is 15 days.
To treat hypertension, you can also consume fresh, dried or dried unabi fruits, 8-10 pieces 3-4 times a day for 15 days.

Infusion of jujube leaves. 1 dessert spoon of dry crushed leaves is poured with a glass of boiling water, left for 1 hour, filtered. Take a quarter glass 3-4 r. in a day.
Infusion of leaves for external use prepared at the rate of 1 tablespoon of dry crushed leaves per glass of boiling water.
A decoction of the roots or bark of the branches. Prepare at the rate of 2 tablespoons of crushed raw materials per 400 ml of water. Cook over low heat for 12-15 minutes, after cooling, strain.

Chinese dates are a variety of fruits that taste and healing properties resemble the fruits of a date palm. The delicacy is widely used in cooking due to its characteristics and beneficial properties.

What are the benefits of Chinese dates?

The Chinese date is the fruit of a tree in the buckthorn family. It is also called unabi, jujube, jujuba, jida. The plant itself can be not only a tree, but also a shrub with a luxurious crown. The leaves have a smooth and shiny surface with three veins. One is located strictly in the center, and the other two are located at the edges of the sheet. When the juice is released, the leaves have an anesthetic property, so when chewed on short period Over time, a person loses the ability to distinguish between bitter and sweet tastes.

This crop is unpretentious in care, so it can grow in almost any soil and under any climatic conditions.

The fruits of such a plant are oval or spherical in shape and are the size of a chicken egg. The fruit contains a seed inside. The surface of the skin is colored Brown color with shine. According to its taste characteristics, the Chinese date is sweet and sour or sweet, very similar to the taste of an ordinary date. The only difference is in the seed: in the Chinese fruit it is a little thinner and sharper at the edges.

Useful properties of Chinese dates

Chinese dates are not only tasty, but also healthy. It is used as additional means for the treatment of many diseases. For example, jujube fruits are effective in eliminating asthma attacks, inflammation in bladder, with urolithiasis.

Since ancient times, the Chinese date has been considered a tree of health, youth and prosperity.

The ripeness of the fruit has different impact on human body. If you eat ripe dates, you can get rid of constipation, and if you have diarrhea, it is advisable to eat unripe unabi fruits.

This product is suitable for the treatment of hypertension. In this case, a daily intake of sufficient large quantity fruits, which leads to a rapid improvement in the body’s condition and normalization of blood pressure.

With regular consumption of Chinese dates, your overall health improves: they disappear different kinds pain in the head, cardiac system, internal organs. The beneficial substances contained in dates enrich the body with vitamins and important microelements.

You will read about haircuts for triangular faces in the next article.