大雪棗など Big Snow Jujube etc

 東向きバルコニーに置いてある大雪棗に、1個だけ色づいた実があります。これは８月の開花からの実ですが、他の枝の日陰になっている７月開花からの実よりも陽当たりが良いから早いのかも。

The Big Snow Jujube sits on the east-facing balcony, and one of the young fruits seems ripe.  This fruit is a result of August flowering.  Unlike the two larger fruits from July flowering which are hidden under other branches, this fruit is exposed to the morning sun.  That is perhaps why it is maturing before the fruits from July-flowering.

写真左下にも色づき始めた実がありますが、やはり朝日が良く当たる箇所です。

In this photo below, there is another fruit starting to ripen, in the bottom lefthand corner.  This one is also exposed to the early morning sun.

でも今回の着目はこれ。果皮がテカテカで、果肉がスポンジ化していないことが明らか。

However, this is the fruit I am interested in for now.  The skin is shiny which means that I can expect firm flesh, instead of spongy one.

試食のために採ってみました。これが最初から見えていた側面。

I picked it for tasting.  This is the side I was looking at earlier.

その裏側はまだ完全に赤くなってはいませんでしたが、全体として食すに最適のタイミングです。

The other side was not yet totally red.  However, as a whole, this is the best timing to taste the fruit.

重さを計ると15gで、意外と軽い・小さい。まあ、苗の栽培初年度だし８月の開花からのものなので文句は言えません。

The fruit weighed 15g, which was below my expectation.  Never mind, this is the initial year of growth for the plant which arrived in poor condition in the previous winter.

半割にして糖度を計ると、種のあるほうは46.5度。

I cut the fruit into halves, and the one on the left showed sugar content of 46.5%.

もう一方は46.4度でした。実際に食べてみると、果肉はサクサク、酸味と甘みが十分あって、とても美味しいです。

The other half's sugar content was 46.4%.  When I ate them, they were crunchy and delicious with enough acidity and sweetness.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

去年の春に買った中国大実棗は、１年で育ちすぎたので今年の春に盆栽風に仕立てようとしたら、結果は大失敗でした。

This is another Chinese variety, but whose proper name is not known (the street name in Japanese is meaningless).  I bought it in spring last year and it grew vigorously during the summer.  So, early this year, I tried to re-shape it into a bonsai tree - I failed miserably.

新しい恒常的な枝が出てこない一方、一年限りの枝は陽光面にだけ着いたので、裏側は坊主です。

No new permanent branches came out, while the annual limbs grew only on the sunny side.  The other side of the tree is bare.

そして実は２個だけ。うち１個が色づいてきました。去年は豊産性がありました。

Last year, this tree proved to be prolific, but this year, it produced only 2 fruits.

採ってみると、裏面もほぼ着色済みです。

I picked it off the tree.  The other side was almost all red as well.

果重は、これも15g。

This one also weighs 15g.

糖度は種のあるほうが45.9度で

The sugar content was 45.9% with the one on the left, 

もう一方は46.3度でした。食感も風味も大雪棗とそっくりで、サクサクの果肉に味は酸味と甘みが強くて美味しかったです。

and 46.3% with the other half.  The crunchiness and taste were also very similar to those of the Big Snow Jujube - they were both very delicious.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

種の形は実の形を反映して、左の丸っこいのが大雪棗、右が中国大実の種です。

The shape of the seed reflects the shape of the fruit: Big Snow Jujube on the left, and no-name variety on the right.

日本ナツメなど Japanese jujube etc

この苗は、2024年夏に日本ナツメの大苗を買ったあと、その秋に出てきたヒコバエを鉢上げしたものです。高さ60cmくらいのところで摘心しましたが、去年・今年と樹高は基本的に同じです。 上に伸びられないので、毎年 一年限りの結果枝がたくさん出てきて、しだれた樹姿になります。

今年は夏の長雨で、実が小さいうちの落果が多かったですが、ここ２，３日の晴天で色づいてきました。

This jujube plant was one of the suckers that appeared a few months after I got the Japanese jujube tree in summer 2024.  In winter that year, I cut the trunk at about 60 cm high, and the tree's height has remained the same ever since.  As it was stunted upwards, the tree produces a lot of little limbs with fruits, with the result that the tree looks weeping.

This year, a lot of young fruits dropped off the tree due to the long rainy months caused by passing typhoons.  The weather has been dry and warm for the last few days, and the fruits started to turn red at last.

上の角度をアップにすると、こう。

Looking at the above tree up close.

これは苗の反対側からのようす。

Looking at the same tree from the other side.

ほぼ全部収穫しました。実は小さいけど、甘酸っぱくて美味しいです。

I picked most of the fruits.  These fruits are tiny, but they are delicious with sweet and sour taste.

その日本ナツメの横に置いてある大雪棗は、この１個に赤味がさしてきました。この品種は晩成なので収穫はまだまだ先のことです。

Standing next to the Japanese jujube is this Big Snow Jujube.  One of the young fruits seems to be turning red.  This variety is late ripening, so real harvesting is away weeks in the future.

７月中旬の開花からこの２個だけが着果して、現在着いている他の幼果は全て８月の開花からのものです。実のサイズはこの２個が最大です。

From the first flowering in mid-July this year, these two were the only fruit setting.  All the other young fruits are from August flowering.  These two fruits stand out in size.

ただし実の形は多少いびつで、カタログ写真のリンゴ型ではありません。これら２個は少し扁平で、むしろ蟠棗のような形をしています。蟠棗は梨棗の枝替わりで、あの扁平な形を固定させたものですが、他に冬棗の枝替わりから油蟠脆棗も開発されていて、こちらは更に極端な扁平です。もしかしたら、この大雪棗からも平べったい品種が生まれる可能性があるのでは？

However, the shapes of these two fruits do not conform to the catalogue picture which shows apple-like fruits.  Instead, these are looking a little flat, rather like the fruits of Panzao.  Now, the Panzao was developed from a bud mutation found on Li Jujube.  Likewise, Yupancui was developed from a bud mutation found on Winter Jujube.  The shape of Yupancui is even flatter than that of Panzao.  

Looking at these two young fruits, it might be able to develop a flat fruit variety from the Big Snow Jujube, too.

無核大金絲棗 v.s. 七月早脆王 Seedless Silk Thread v.s. Early Crisp King

 無核大金絲棗（以下、「無核」）と七月早脆王（以下、「七月」）の比較 

Comparison between Seedless Gold Thread Jujube ('Seedless') and Early Crisp King Jujube (Early)

１）　樹姿：左が無核、右が七月

　　　評価：苗の成長は両方とも速かったが、七月のほうがより旺盛

           Growth habit: Seedless (left) and Early (right)

           Review: They both grew rapidly, but Early was more vigorous.

２）葉の形状：左が無核、右が七月

　　　評価：葉は酷似

         Leaves:  Seedless (left) and Early (right)

         Review: They look almost identical

３）実の形状：左の無核を小枝ごと採って、右の七月の横に持って行く

         Take the limb off from Seedless (left), and place it next to that of Early (right)

　　

４）実の形状の評価：ほぼ同じ

　　　ただし、枝とカメラの位置関係で実のサイズの相対比較に影響が出るので、

        Shapes of fruits:  They are almost identical.

        Early on the left and Seedless on the right, in each of the picture.  

        However, size comparison can be affected by how I hold the Seedless limb, 

        relative to the camera.

５）上の枝を採って同じ平面上で比較：左が七月、右が無核

         So, I placed both limbs on a flat surface, ensuring the same distance from the camera.

         Early on the left and Seedless on the right, as above.

　　　評価：実、葉ともに見分けがつかないほど似ている

             Review: Both the fruits and leaves look identical.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

なお、七月早脆王に関する疑問点：下掲の写真の実と我が家の苗の実は、全く別物に思える。

The following photos show the fruits of Early Crisp King growing in China, with a variety name plate on the tree.  The fruits on my Early look nothing like these.

写真の出所 (Source)：

沧州市永成枣业种植有限公司
网址：www.bfzao.com
联系人：陈经理
订购电话：18731756151
技术服务：15833759620
基地地址：河北省献县城东15公里307国道北侧
公司地址：河北省献县郭庄镇金丝小枣产业园

蟠棗など Panzao jujube etc

 昨日も今日も、毎日雨です。小ぶりになった間に、蟠棗の高接ぎ枝の状況をチェック。

家の中で死ぬほど退屈しているタイガは、玄関ドアが開く気配がするとすっ飛んできます。

It continues to rain due to another typhoon, this time No. 26.  During a short intermission, I went to check the new buds on the Panzao scion that I grafted onto a Japanese jujube tree.  

Taiga is bored all day inside the house, and she did not miss the chance to get out.

鉢植えの日本ナツメに高接ぎした蟠棗の枝には２箇所に新芽が出ています。上の節に出た枝は、長いほうで10cmを超えました。でも、両方とも一年限りの枝で、葉腋には蕾も出ています。

The Panzao scion had two nodes.  The upper one has produced two limbs, one of which is already longer than 10 cm.  Both are temporary limbs that will fall off before winter, but they have flower buds at the base of each leaf.

下の節の芽吹きがより重要。２本の一年限りの枝の間に、恒常的な枝が出始めています。

What is happening with the lower node is more interesting.  Between the two limbs, a permanent branch has started to come out.

よりアップで見ると分かりやすい。来年の夏に採り木して独立の苗にすれば、この恒常的な枝が将来の主幹になるでしょう。

Up close, the permanent branch.  If I am successful in air-layering the branch next summer, this permanent branch will become the future trunk of the new tree.

皇帝ナツメはコガネ成虫に散々幼果を齧られたあと、4個しか実が残っていません。うち１個が色づいてきました。

Most of the young fruits of the Emperor jujube were damaged by Japanese green beetles, and there are only 4 intact fruits left.  One of them is turning golden and red.

皇帝ナツメにしてはかなり小さいですが、味見できるだけでも有難い。

For an Emperor jujube fruit, this one is really tiny, but I could not wait to taste it.

齧ってみると、何と、梨のようにジューシー！ これはたぶん、今年の異常なほどの降雨のおかげでしょう。味は砂糖水のように爽やかな甘さで、皮の付近にありがちなナツメ独特のクセのある香りは感じられませんでした。サクサクの食感も最高です。去年・一昨年の夏は普通の降水量で果実は石のように硬かったので、今年のサクサク食感や梨のようなジューシーさは、やはり雨の効果だと思います。この1個は、今まで食べたナツメ果の中で最高でした。

When I took a bite, it was incredibly juicy, just like a pear!  This is probably thanks to the rainy months we had.  It tasted like fresh syrup, and I did not feel any distinctly jujube flavour that normally exists in the skin.  The flesh was crispy and pleasant.  The flesh of this variety last year and the year before was rock hard, not crispy.  Again, I think the unusual amount of rainfall was responsible for the crispiness.  Actually, this fruit was the best jujube I have ever eaten.

無核大金絲ナツメ Seedless Silk Thread Jujube

 「無核」ナツメとは名ばかりで、去年も今年も全ての実に種が入っていたので、記録目的で動画を作成。

This jujube variety is supposed to be 'seedless'.  However, since each and every one of the fruits that I harvested last year and this year had a seed, I decided to make a video for the record.

大雪ナツメなど Daxue Jujube etc

 今年が栽培初年度の大雪ナツメ苗は、７月以降 急激に枝葉が繁茂し始めました。苗を置いている場所は東向きバルコニーで、10号ロングスリット鉢に植わっています。

The Daxue Jujube (Big Snow Jujube) plant is in its first year of growth, and since the start of July, a lot of new branches came out.  The tree is placed on the east side of the house and grows in a 30 cm in diameter tall pot.

７月の開花からは５個ほどの着果があり、幼果は順調に肥大しています。

The flowering in July resulted in about 5 young fruits, and they are growing nicely.

その後、８月中旬頃に伸び出した小枝に沢山の花が咲いたと思ったら、今では鈴なり状態です。

Then around mid-August, a lot of new limbs started to grow followed by heavy flowering which resulted in fruiting.

この房は上の写真で右側のかたまり。まるで苗のカタログ写真のようです。うちで育てたナツメ苗でこのような着果の仕方は初めてみました。

This bunch is a close-up of the limb on the right in the above photo.  The bunch looks like something out of a sales catalogue.  I have never seen anything like it before among the jujube trees in my garden.

ナツメという果樹はとにかく日光と高温を必要としますが、今年の夏は毎日のように雨が降るので、幼果の成長に悪影響が出ないか心配しています。

Now, jujube trees require both lots of sunshine and high temperature.  This summer, we had rainy days almost non-stop since August, and I am worried if the young fruits will grow to maturity before winter.

こちらは大雪ナツメの右側に置いてある日本ナツメのうち、樹高が低いほう。まだ色づいていません。

This is a Japanese jujube, grown from a sucker, and sits next to the Daxue Jujube.  Its fruits are still looking green.

これはそのまた右側にある、日本ナツメの樹高の高いほう。

This is another Japanese jujube from a sucker and is the taller of the two.  

少しずつ色づいています。

Its fruits are slowly maturing.

甘酸っぱくて、なかなか美味しい。

It tastes very sweet and sour and pleasant to eat.

玄関前の通路脇に植えてある赤花ヒガンバナが満開になりました。通るたびに目を引かれます。

The red spider lilies (Lycoris radiata) are in full bloom.  They grow by the footpath in front of the front door, so they catch my eyes every time I pass.

カメラを近づけると明るく写そうとする傾向がありますが、実物は黒味を帯びた濃い赤で、朱色っぽいヒガンバナよりこちらの方が好みです。

When I put my camera up close, it tends to make the picture too light, but the actual flowers are dark red, as opposed to orangey red which is found in some Lycoris radiata.