最近の寒さでナツメの葉っぱがすっかりボロボロになりました。これ↓は無核金絲棗。全部で5個の実があり、写真では熟しているように見えますが、実際に実に触るとブヨブヨして柔らかいです。まるで寒さで根っこが機能停止したため、水やりをしても果実には水分が送られていないかのよう。これが夏の間なら、炎天下で土がカラカラになり実が柔らかくなっても、水やりすると直ぐに実が石のように硬くなっていました。
Due to the recent cold weather, the leaves of jujube plants have become tattered. This is Seedless Gold Thread Jujube. It produced 5 fruits. Although they may look nearly ripe, the actual fruits are squishy and not promising. It is as though the roots have stopped functioning, and watering does not lead to supplying moisture to the fruits. In contrast, during the summer months, even when the soil had become dry and the fruits soft, the moment I watered the plant, the fruits became rock hard.
The fruit may look ready for consumption, but it is soft and I can tell that it will not be juicy to eat.
半割りにして糖度を計ると高い数値ですが、実際に食べると、甘くても水分とシャキシャキの食感が無いので不味いです。
I cut the fruit in half to measure the sugar content which was extremely high. It was indeed sweet but very dry and not nice at all.
味に関しては来年以降に期待できますが、ここで予期せぬ事実を発見。硬い種が有る。
Regarding the taste, I can expect it to improve next year onwards, since the tree will start growing earlier like a regular, established jujube plant. However, a new finding: the fruit has a seed, although it is called 'seedless'.
どうやら、カタログの「無核」というのは決して一般的な「種無し」の意味ではなく、殻＝シイナは有ります、けど「核＝仁」はありません、という意味のようです。
It seems the definition of 'seedless' in this cultivar means that the fruit does not have the embryo, but it comes with the hard shell. I think it is misleading to say the least.
こちらは早脆王。２個の実が生りました。
カタログ写真を見て、すっかり私は勘違いしたようです。木質の殻ではなく、種子を覆う皮が入っている程度、と思っていましたから。
When you look at this picture saying it is a 'seedless' cultivar, wouldn't you think it comes with a seed coat, not a hard wooden shell?
モサモサの果肉なので残りの味見をする気はありませんでしたが、念のため半割にしてみたら、どれも硬い殻が入っていました。
Since the flesh was very dry, I did not bother to taste the rest. However, I cut every one of them into halves and confirmed that they contained a hard, wooden core each.
This is Early Crisp King Jujube which produced two fruits.
実を触ってみると、２個とも石のように硬いので問題ありません。
On feeling the fruits, they were both as hard as a rock, so no problem.
栽培初年度なので実は小さいけれど、ジューシーで美味しかったです。
これでナツメの2025年は終了です。来年以降は通常の芽吹きや開花が期待できるので、実の収穫も気温が高くて苗が活動中にできるでしょう。
Since this is the initial year of growth for the tree, the fruits are small. However, they were sweet and juicy, and very enjoyable.
This concludes 2025 for my jujube trees. These imported first-year trees (Panzao, Seedless Gold Thread, and Early Crisp King) will start growing at a regular timing, and their fruits will ripen while the weather is warm, and their roots are still active.
