皇帝ナツメなど Emperor jujube etc

 昨日も一日中よく降りました。今朝の散歩前に庭の様子を見ると、桃花ヒガンバナも咲き始めていました。

It rained all day yesterday again.  When I looked into the garden before this morning's walk, I saw the pink spider lilies starting to flower.

桃花ヒガンバナは繊細なイメージです。

Unlike the Lycoris radiata, flowers of this pink variety are delicate looking.

対して、リコリス・オーレアはハデハデ。

In contrast, the Lycoris aurea flower is very showy.

今年の春に地植えにした皇帝ナツメは、木の成長を優先して実があまり着かなかった上に、その希少な幼果の多くはコガネ成虫に齧られて汚損果になっていました。今朝の様子を見たら、たぶん雨に打たれたせいで2個の実が落ちていました。しかも、この１個は齧られている。

I planted the Emperor jujube in the ground in spring this year.  The tree concentrated its energy in growing branches, producing only a few fruits.  Sadly, many of those precious young fruits were nibbled at by Japanese green beetles.  This morning, I noticed two fruits had fallen from the tree.  This one had been partially eaten.

傷跡からして、野鳥が突いたのではなく、落ちた実を野ネズミが齧ったようです。

Looking at the damaged surface, I think the culprit was a rat rather than a bird.

もう１個のほうは生き物による害は受けていないけど、多少のキズはついています。

The other fruit seemed free of damage by creatures, although it had a few scratches that naturally occurred on the tree.

不思議なのは、昨日の夕方までここ↓にあった最大果が見当たらないことです。でも、その実はコガネ被害が最悪で齧られた跡が黒く縮んで実全体的にボコボコだったので、惜しくはないです。

I was puzzled to find that the largest fruit of this year was gone without trace - it was here until yesterday evening.  That fruit had the worst damage from the green beetle, with black streaks running the side of the fruit, which produced a bumpy appearance, so not a  great loss.

齧られていない方の実は試食しても大丈夫なので、重さを測ったら38gでした。今朝になって行方不明の最大果は重量を計る目的で木に残していたので、実際にはどれくらいだったか興味あります。来年以降、摘果しながら育てれば大実が期待できそう。

The bite-free fruit should be safe for tasting.  It weighed 38g which is not bad.  This makes me curious as to how much the missing largest fruit might have weighed - the only reason I had left it on the tree was to weigh it eventually.  Anyway, from next year onwards, I will take better care of the young fruits by picking and thinning them in order to promote the fruit size.

恒例の糖度測定。あくまでも糖度計の数値ですが、切り離した部分は46.3%。

As always, check the sugar content - the piece on the left showed 46.3% (if we believe the gadget).

種の入っている本体部分は46.2%でした。ただし、食感は水分が少なすぎ。過去２年の試食から言うと、もっと色づいてからのほうがずっと美味しいです。

また、皇帝ナツメは硬い果肉のせいか、１月以上ほぼ毎日雨が降ったあとでも裂果が見られないのが嬉しいです。

The other piece with the stone inside showed 46.2%.  Both are extremely high figures, but the fruit lacked juiciness.  From the tasting of this variety over the last 2 years, I know that it should taste sweeter when the fruit is more than half brown on the outside.

Another thing to note is that, in spite of the rains we have had almost every day for more than 1 month, there is no cracking on the fruit, probably because of the hard flesh of this variety.

秋の気配 Signs of autumn

 毎年ヒガンバナより一足先に開花する、洋物リコリスが咲いています。花柄が大きく、花びらは分厚くてしっかりしているのに加え、濃い黄色の蛍光色で目立ちます。

This lycoris aurea starts flowering ahead of spider lilies.  Its flowers are larger than those of the spider lily and the petals are strong.  Most of all, I love the bright golden colour which I find to be stunningly beautiful.

リコリスの手前には桃花ヒガンバナも上がってきました。こちらは本物のヒガンバナで、デリケートなピンクの花色です。

In front of the lycoris aurea, flower stems of the pink spider lilies are starting to come out of the ground.  In contrast to the red spider lily (lycoris radiata), this variety's colour is delicate pink.

赤花ヒガンバナも咲き始めています。

The lycoris radiata are starting to flower.

2024年に購入した日本ナツメが色づき始めています。うちでは数種類のナツメを育てていますが、去年 挿し木が成功した日本ナツメ以外はトゲ無しなので管理が楽です。よって、この↓苗もトゲ無し。この苗のヒコバエから育てた２株は写真上のほうのバルコニーに置いてありますが、まだ青々しています。

Fruits of the Japanese jujube tree that I bought in 2024 are turning yellow.  I grow several varieties of jujube and, with the exception of the Japanese jujube tree developed from a cutting last year, all of them are thornless, which makes it easier to look after them.  I have trees developed from the suckers of this tree, and they are peeping out of the trellis in the top part of this photo.  Their fruits are still green.

これくらい色づけば十分甘くてジューシーです。

The fruit is already very sweet and juicy with this much of brown on the skin.

果肉の色を示した写真を載せたくて、なるべく歯形を残さないよう努力しました。この↓ような果肉が白のタイプが私の好みです。

It is rude/bad mannered in Japan to show the bite mark, but I wanted to show the colour of the flesh.  So, I tried to avoid the teeth mark as much as possible.  I like jujubes with milky white flesh like this.

８月24日に購入した売れ残りパッションフルーツとビラフランカレモン苗は、この植え付け時の状態から順調に育っています。

The leftover passion fruit and Villafranca lemon that I bought on 24th August this year have grown significantly from this↓.

パッションフルーツのツルの長さは、元の状態と比べて３倍ちかくに伸びています。

The passion fruit's vine is 3 times that of the original height.

しかも節々に蕾も出ています。冬は室内越冬になるので、できるだけ成長を抑えたいところ。

Moreover, each node has a flower bud.  I will be keeping this plant indoors during the winter, so I hope the plant does not grow too much henceforth.

レモン苗は葉っぱが増えてきました。

The lemon tree is becoming leafy.

また、最初から着いていた２個の実のうち小さいほうの実が２倍くらいに肥大しています。

Of the two fruits that were already there when I bought the plant, the smaller fruit has grown visibly.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

午後になっても雨が降らなかったので、散歩がてらにタイガのオヤツを買いに出かけました。

Today, it did not rain even in the afternoon, so we went out for a walk and to buy Taiga's treats.

雨の合間 Respite from the rain

 今日のお昼前に一旦雨が止んだので、バルコニーの排水口が詰まらないよう掃除をしました。雨で無核金絲ナツメの実が落ちていました。

We had a break in the rain during mid-morning, and I decided to clean the balcony floor so that the water pipes would not get clogged up.  Some of the fruits on Seedless Gold Thread Jujube had fallen due to the rain.

苗全体的に完熟までには時間がかかりそうですが、わずかに黄色くなって裂果が見られるこの実を試し撮り。

The fruits on the whole tree are nowhere near ripe yet, but this one is turning yellow and has cracks from the rain.  So, I decided to try the taste.

完熟ではないけれど、糖度計では46.1%を示していました。左側の半割に種が入っています。

Although not ripe yet, it was already sweet.  The Brix meter indicated sugar content of 46.1% (of which I am not sure).  The half fruit on the left contains the pit.

取り出した種の硬い木質の殻（核）を割ってみると、ちゃんと種子も入っています。

I took the pit out and opened it to find that the seed was there.  Why is this variety called 'Seedless'?

その種を殻から取り出して皮をむいてみました。瑞々しい胚が現れました。もしかして、うちの苗は「無核金絲棗」ではなく品種違い？

I then took the seed out of the hard shell and removed a small part of the seed coat - everything looked fresh and viable.  I am beginning to wonder if they have not sent me a wrong variety.

８月下旬に地面に仮植えしたパンザオは、新芽（黄色い葉っぱ）が成長を続けています。連日の雨のおかげなのか、それとも地植えパワーのおかげなのか分かりませんが、これで枯れ込みにストップをかけられたようです。

I planted the Panzao tree in the ground in late August, in an effort to save the plant from going totally brown and dead.  Thanks to the continual rain as well as the benefits of the ground, the new leaves are growing well.  What a relief.

パンザオを地植えにした際、ダメ元で細い枝を近くの日本棗に高接ぎしておきました。接ぎ穂となった枝には節が２箇所あったので、うまく活着すれば来年用の芽が節の真下にできるだろうと思っていました。が、これも雨のおかげか、もう芽吹きが始まっています。

At the same time as planting the Panzao tree in the ground, I took a small twig and grafted it onto a Japanese jujube nearby.  The scion had two branches.  If the grafting went well, I hoped that there would grow a node under each of the branches for next year's budding.  To my surprise, I see a node already budding out under each branch, probably again thanks to the rains.

上の写真の青丸の芽を異なる角度から見ると、こう。来年の初夏から夏にかけて取り木を掛けて発根すれば、切り離すと事実上の接ぎ木苗ができます。

Looking at the bud in the blue circle from another angle, a node is definitely growing into a new bud.  If I air-layer this section next summer and cut it off when it has rooted, it will virtually become a grafted plant.

６月16日に届いた極小の「静浜クコ」苗の2個は、７月の猛暑の間に枯れたような状態になっていました。秋に涼しくなったら片付けようと日陰に置いてあったのが、雨に打たれているうちに復活したようです。これは2個のうちの特に小さく貧弱だった苗ですが、開花が始まっています。

I bought two goji berry plants in June this year.  They were tiny and weak looking, and they eventually went dead, or so it seemed.  I was going to get rid of them once the weather turned cool and dry.  Recently, I noticed that they came back to life.  This plant is the smaller of the two and flowers are starting to open.

小さな蕾がたくさん着いている。

I can see quite a few flower buds in waiting.

こちらは2個のうち大き目の苗。もう開花が終わっています。

This was the larger of the two plants.  It has already finished flowering.

ローゼルのガクがだんだん大きくなってきました。今年の苗は「パープル」に分類されるもので、花はピンクでガクの底のフリルも赤色です。

The roselle calyces are growing and looking pretty.  The roselles I am growing this year belong to the group called 'purple' - the flowers are pink, and the whole calyx is red (the type I grew last year had a green base for the calyx).

これは、２，３日前にほんの一瞬 日がさしたときの写真。花は午前中に萎んで落ちてしまいますが、なかなか可愛い花です。

I managed to catch these flowers a few days ago when the sun was out for about 10 minutes.  The flowers curl and drop before noon, but I find these pink ones pretty.

近所のJAで見つけたアロエベラとコモンセージ。アロエは「木立」なら普通に買えるけど、「ベラ」はあまり出回らないので、見つけられて嬉しいです。

I found this Aloe Vera, together with the common sage, at the nearby JA this morning.  I can find Aloe arborescens at any plant shop, but Aloe Vera is not very common.  So, I was happy when I saw this in the shop.

冬ナツメ収穫 Winter Jujube

 冬ナツメが色づき始めました。まだまだ全体的な完熟には程遠いですが、８月以来の連日の雨で裂果が相当ひどいので、一部収穫しました。

The fruits on the Winter Jujube are turning red gradually.  Although not yet fully ripe, I picked some of them since the cracks on the fruits are getting worse, due to the continual rain since the middle of August.

これは去年の６月末に苗が届いた日の写真で、10号鉢に植え付けたところ。夏の間に２本の枝がV字型に伸びて、今年の結果枝の基礎ができていました。

This is how the tree looked when it arrived at the end of August last year.  I planted it in a 30 cm diameter pot.  It grew vigorously during the summer with two branches forming into a V shape.

これは現在の樹姿。木の下半分の塊りが去年のV字型の枝が元になっています。上半分の塊りは全て今年の春以降の成長からきたもので、木全体として今も２本の主枝から成っています。

This is how the tree looks now.  The mass at the lower half of the tree is from last year's V-shaped branches, on which there are a lot of limbs with fruits.  The upper half of the tree is formed entirely from this year's growth.

採取した実は甘くて美味しいけれど、小さい！もともと冬ナツメは小さめの実がなる品種なので、その初成りの年だからか、予想を下回るサイズです。来年以降に期待です。

The fruits picked today were very sweet and delicious, but they are so tiny!  Now, this variety is known for its smallish fruits, so it is probably not surprising to see these, particularly since this is the first year of fruiting.  I am hoping for a better result next year.

パンザオなど Panzao jujube etc

もう９月。今年の東京は台風の影響から８月のほとんどが曇り日で、しかもほぼ毎日 何時間か雨も降っていました。本当に晴れた日は４-5日だった印象です。

 10日以上前に、２階バルコニーのパンザオを下ろしてきて地面に仮植えしました。真夏に落葉樹を植え替えするなんて非常識ですが、今年の春から初夏にかけて展開した葉っぱの日焼けが止まらなかったので、もう失うものが無いと思ったからです。

鉢から引っ張り出してみると、根の痛みは特に見られませんでした。ただし、10号菊鉢で鉢底に鹿沼をたっぷり敷いたあとは、土の量が少なすぎたようです。これでひと冬過ごして、来年の３月に元から予定していたスッポットに植え付けします。

It is already September.  Due to the effects of passing typhoons one after another, the weather in Tokyo during August was mostly cloudy with occasional rains every day.  I think we had only 4-5 days of sunshine for the whole month.

I brought down the Panzao jujube more than 10 days ago and planted it in the ground.  This is a temporary arrangement.  No doubt it was mad to transplant a large deciduous tree in the middle of the summer.  However, the leaves on Panzao kept turning brown and I felt I had nothing to lose.

When I pulled the plant out of the pot, I did not find anything serious with the roots.  However, the amount of soil in the pot was insufficient for the size of the plant.  So, this tree should be happier where it is now.  In March next year, I will be replanting it in the spot that I am preparing for the purpose.

右に写り込んでいるのは、ネット掛けした皇帝ナツメ。

The tree on the right is the Emperor jujube with nets to keep green beetles out.

地植えにしてから何度も雨が降っているので、新芽が伸びてきました。

After planting Panzao in the ground, we have had a lot of rainy days which encouraged new buds.

幼果が着いていますが、どこまで育つか見守ります。

I would be interested to see if any of the young fruits would grow to maturity this autumn.

初夏の開花から唯一生ったこの１個はどう見ても腐りかけているので、写真のあと取り除きました。

This is the only fruit resulting from the flowering season during June/July.  I removed it after taking the photo, since it looks like a dud.

去年の３月に挿し木した枝が発根して、今年 苗木らしく成長した日本ナツメが色づいてきました。

These are the fruits on the tree that was developed from a cutting of March 2025.  The plant rapidly grew into a small tree this spring and produced several fruits.  They seem to be ripening.

連日の雨で裂果がみえます。美味しそうに色づいているので、この１個を試し採り。

Due to the frequent rain, cracks are appearing on the fruit.  However, it looks inviting and I decided to try the taste.

実の長さは４センチ足らず。

The length of the fruit falls short of 4 cm.

あくまでも糖度計の数値ですが、47.1%。実際に食べてみると、とても美味しかったです。甘くて、酸味もあり、もう１種類の日本ナツメに負けないジューシーさがありました。

This is solely according to the brix meter, but the sugar content was 47.1% which is extremely high.  When I tasted it, it was indeed very sweet, with acidity (which I value in jujubes), and with enough juiciness.  It was as juicy as the other Japanese variety that I have been growing since 2024.