中国大実ナツメ Jujube cultivar unknown

 今年の春に練馬の渋谷園芸本店で買った品種不明の棗です。名札落ち苗で、そのお店が過去に「中国大実ナツメ」のタグで苗を販売していたうちの１本かも知れないということでした。葉っぱの形状から日本種でないことは確実だったので買ってみました。非常に豊産性で、最終的に10個残して後は摘果。色づき次第食べていたので、その10個のうち今は３個だけ残っています。

This is the jujube tree that I bought at a large nursery in Nerima in spring this year.  The tree had no name tag and the only thing the shop assistants could tell me was that they used to sell a Chinese variety and this tree might be a leftover from those days.  Judging by the shape of the leaves, I knew that it was not a Japanese jujube, so I brought it home.  This tree has proved to be extremely prolific, and I kept removing young fruits until I was left with 10 to mature.  Of the 10 fruits, I now have only 3 left, since I have been picking others as they became ripe.

以下は、３個残っている実の大きい順に掲載。

The following are the 3 fruits, in descending order.

葉っぱと幼果の形状から一時は「郎棗」かと思っていましたが、最終的な実の形がこんなに丸っこいなら郎棗ではないと思います。

Looking at the shape of the leaves and the cylindrical young fruits, I at first though the tree was Lang jujube.  However, the shape of the fruits became roundish as they matured, and I no longer think this to be Lang.

一番大きい実を切ってみました。糖度計によると47.1%
I cut the largest one to see how sweet it was, and the Brix meter showed 47.1%.

こちらは48.0%。あくまでも糖度計の数値ですが、これまでで一番高いです。

食べてみると確かに甘い。そして熟すと果肉が白くなる皇帝やうちの日本種の実にはない、独特の旨味があります（写真ではこの果肉は白っぽいですが、実際は薄緑色）。

This half's sugar content hit 48.0%, according to the gadget.  This is the highest I have seen.  When I ate it, it was indeed sweet.  Moreover, there was a unique taste that I had not tasted in jujubes whose flesh turn white when ripe such as Emperor jujube or the Japanese variety (in the photo, the flesh may look pale, but it was light green).

今年は皇帝、日本種、中国大実を味見できました。あと残るは早脆王（２個）と無核金絲棗（5個）の実で、これらは完熟にはまだ時間がかかりそうです。

収穫済みの品種を比較すると、以下のようになります：

実の大きさ：　皇帝＞中国大実＞日本種

糖度：　　　　中国大実＞皇帝＝日本種

酸味：　　　　日本種＞中国大実＞皇帝

果汁の多さ：　日本種＞皇帝＝中国大実

糖度と酸味を重視する私にとって、今のところ日本種が一番好みです。日本種の実の糖度は今年は測っていませんが、去年の10月14日の記事では最高で47.0%が出ています。酸味に関しては、以前育てていた輸入苗の台木が酸棗だったようで、直径1.5cmほどのまん丸の実が生りました。うちの日本種の実の一部には、その酸棗よりも酸っぱい場合がありました。日本ナツメには果汁が十分あります。唯一の難点は、実が小さいこと。

This year, so far, I have tasted Emperor jujube, Japanese jujube and today's unknown variety.  There yet remain Early Crisp King (2 young fruits) and Seedless Gold Thread (5 young fruits).  They will take a little longer to ripen.

Of the varieties I have tasted, the following is my personal observation:

Size of fruit:        Emperor ＞ Unknown variety ＞ Japanese

Sugar content:  Unknown variety ＞Emperor ＝ Japanese

Tartness:             Japanese ＞ Unknown variety ＞ Emperor

Juiciness:           Japanese ＞ Emperor ＝ Unknown variety

I value sweetness and tartness in jujube fruits more than anything, so my favourite as of now is the Japanese jujube.  I did not measure the sugar content of the Japanese jujube this year, but the article on 14th October 2024 shows its sugar content is about the same as Emperor jujube's.  As to tartness, the Japanese jujube was as sour as the fruits of the Sour Jujube, and sometimes even more sour.  (I once grew a sucker from an imported jujube tree's root stock, and it turned out to be the Sour Jujube.  Sour jujube is the most commonly used wild jujube as root stocks in China.)  Also, the Japanese jujube is sufficiently juicy.  The only snag is its small size.

日本種ナツメ Japanese Jujube

 去年の８月に買った日本種のナツメからは、秋までに３本のヒコバエが出てきました。これ↓はそのうちの１本で、いま実が熟し始めたところです。樹高は摘心したあと上には伸びず、現在60 cmくらいしかありません。初年度から実を沢山つけて非常に優秀です。実はとても甘いだけでなく、果汁たっぷりで酸味も十分あります。これはナツメの中では非常に貴重な要素なので、これからも大切に育てていきます。

This is a sucker from a parent tree that I bought in August last year - a nameless Japanese jujube growing on its own roots.  By autumn, 3 suckers came out of the ground, and this tree is one of them.  Growing in a pot, the tree is currently about 60cm tall (I cut the top of the tree in early summer to keep it small).  Although in its initial year of growth, the tree has a lot of fruits.  The fruits are not only very sweet, but they also have lots of juice and tartness.  Among jujube fruits juiciness and tartness are rare.  Although the fruits are small, I am going to cherish this variety.

種無しスダチなど Seedless Sudachi etc

 もう９月下旬なので、スダチが利用可能な時期です。この苗を地植えにして以来、３年ぶりで実がつきました。３個だけですが。でも、10号鉢で鈴なりだった頃の実と比べると大きくて、お店で売られているのと変わりありません。

It is already the end of September and the Sudachi fruits should be ready for consumption.  Since planting this tree in the ground 3 years ago, it produced fruits for the first time this year, although only 3.  However, the fruits are much larger than they used to be when the tree was growing in a 30 cm pot.  Moreover, the fruits are no smaller than those of commercial growers.

枝ごと収穫。サンマを１尾買ってきました。私はお肉派なので、このサンマはスダチの味見にほんの一部だけ自分で消費して、あとは魚大好きワンコのタイガにあげます。

I picked the whole twig.  I got a Pacific saury which is considered to be a must-eat item in September in Japan.  With this fish, you need Sudachi to eat it properly.  

The only thing is, I am a meat eater and not keen on fish.  So, the purpose of getting this fish was to see the quality of this year's Sudachi, and most of the fish will go to Taiga who loves fish.  

半割りにしました。うちのは「種無しスダチ」で、種は１個入る程度です。実の大きさは普通のスダチと同じで、かつ種が無いのでその分果肉がぎっしり詰まっています。おまけに苗はトゲ無しで世話しやすい。採ったばかりの実には強烈な風味があり、魚の味が分からなくなるほどでした。

I cut the fruit in half.  My Sudachi is a 'seedless' cultivar and containing one pit is allowable.  With the size of the fruit as large as those of regular Sudachi, this variety gives you a lot more flesh for the absence of seeds.  Moreover, this cultivar is thornless, too.  

The freshly harvested Sudachi flavour was so strong that I could hardly taste the fish.

パンザオで失敗。最近実の色が薄くなり始めたので、完熟まであとどれくらい？と思いながら実をくるくる回して観察していたら、小枝が付け根からもげてしまいました。アーッ、と思ったときはもう遅い。来年に期待です。

I made a blunder with Panzao jujube today.  This is the only fruit it had on the tree.  Recently, its outer colour seemed to become paler and gave me hope that it might be ripening soon.  Due to the strange shape of the fruit, I was turning it around to have a better look, and then the limb came off from the branch!  When I realised what had happened, it was too late.

皇帝ナツメの実との比較。パンザオも熟すと皇帝ナツメ同様、果肉が白くなる品種なので外皮も同じよな色づき方です。あまりにも早く終わってしまいました。

Comparison with a mature Emperor jujube.  When ripe, Panzao's flesh also turns white, and the outer skin will have similar colouring to that of Emperor jujube.  Panzao's year ended too early.

供養のため糖度計を出して味見もしました。甘味は感じられるけど糖度計の数値ほどではなく、またジューシーさはなく青臭い風味でした。

Not to let it go to waste, I measured the sugar content which was extremely high according to the gadget.  In reality, it did not taste as sweet, and there was no juiciness.  The flavour was green like eating a vegetable.

門の横に植えてあるピンクのヒガンバナが２本上がってきました。スモモの木の陰に位置するので、庭の南側のよりも遅い開花です。

Two pink spider lily flowers have come out in the spot near the gate.  These are growing in the shade of a plum tree and took longer to come out than those on the south side.

南側のは咲き終わりの花も出てきました。秋のほんの一瞬の輝きです。

The ones on the south side seem to have passed its peak.  They are just a sparkle in autumn.

皇帝ナツメ収穫 Emperor jujube

 皇帝ナツメが先週から色づき始めました。去年は10個がほぼ同時に色づいたのに、今年は「順次」だったので、約20個残してあった実のうち４個を既に採ったあとです。

The emperor jujube started to ripen last week.  Last year, the 10 fruits matured almost simultaneously.  This year, the ripening is staggered.  Of the 20 fruits that I had left to ripen, I have already picked 4, and today I am picking most of the remainder.

中国大実棗に食害 Jujube nibbled by insect?

数か月前に練馬の渋谷園芸本店で買った、中国大実棗がなかなか色づかないのでしばらく記事にしていませんでしたが、最近うっすらと茶色がさして来ました。非常に豊産性で、夏の間に摘果して最終的に10個だけ残しておきました。

I bought a jujube tree a few months ago, which had lost its name tag in the shop - I think it is Lang, judging by the leaves unique to that variety.  Although the fruit setting occurred much earlier than other varieties, it is taking a long time to ripen.  Only recently, the fruits began to turn brown.  This tree is prolific, so I kept picking the young fruits during summer, ultimately leaving 10 to ripen.

左側の枝に5個、右側の枝にも5個です。

There are 5 fruits on the left branch and another 5 on the right branch.

これは左の枝。

This is the left branch up close.

一番上の実がこの枝で最も大きいもの。

This is the largest fruit of the left branch (at the top).

これは右の枝。

This is the right branch.

右端の実がこの枝で最も大きいもの。最大果でこの程度なので、皇帝棗に比べるとかなり見劣りします。

The fruit on the extreme right is the largest on this branch.  These largest fruits on either branch are way smaller than the fruits of the Emperor jujube.

その右の枝の実の１個が齧られていました。

This afternoon, I noticed that one of the fruits on the right branch had been nibbled at.

傷口は乾燥して縮み始めているので、昨日かその前の出来事だと思います。また、傷の状態から野鳥に突かれたのではなく、昆虫がジミに齧ったような浅い傷跡です。庭に置いてある日本棗の親苗はコガネに齧られて１個も無傷な実は残りませんでしたが、傷口が似ていました。（実際に何度かコガネを現行犯で捕まえたので、これに関しては間違いありませんでした。）

The rim of the scar is already drying up, so it probably happened yesterday or before.  Also, the bite is shallow, and it was likely made by an insect, not a wild bird.  The Japanese jujube tree I have in the garden suffered similar damage on its fruits with large scars, leaving not a single fruit intact on that tree (I actually caught scarab beetles on several occasions, so I know who the culprits were with that tree).

試しに、食害の影響が及んでいない裏側を味見したら、とても甘かったです。水分の少ない筆柿を食べているような風味でした。この写真では果肉が白っぽく写っていますが、実際には以前育てていた新疆棗のように緑色で、２,３日前に試食した日本棗のヒコバエの実が非常にジューシーだったこともあり、この実はモサモサっぽく感じられます。

I tried the taste by taking a small piece on the other side, away from the damaged part.  It was very sweet and reminded me of a persimmon variety called 'Fudegaki' which tends to lack juiciness.  In this photo, the flesh looks white, but it was actually green.  I much prefer jujubes with white flesh because they seem to be juicier than the varieties that stay green.  The two varieties from Xinjian that I used to grow were green and dry to the end.

１個の実全体を試食するために、最も茶色くなっているこの↓実を採りました。

I thought I would try an unspoiled fruit for proper tasting.  This one was closer to maturity than others.

普通は横にナイフを入れて半割にするのですが、あまりに小さい実なので、

Normally, I would cut the fruit in half sideway, but this one is too small for the purpose of taking photos.

縦に切り込みを入れました。一番右のかけらに糖度計を当ててみると24.6%

So, I cut it lengthwise.  On applying the brix meter to the piece on the right, it indicated 24.6%.

真ん中のは42.4%

The one in the middle showed 42.4%.

左の最も茶色くなっている部分に当てると47.6%と出ました。甘いことは甘いですが、個人的にはやはり、熟すと果肉が白になる品種が生食用に好みです。

By applying the gadget to the brownest spot of the piece on the left, I got 47.6% which is extremely high.  These pieces were actually sweet, but I still prefer varieties with white flesh for fresh eating.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

夕方散歩で、タイガはまた石神井川を城北公園とは逆の練馬方面へ向けて歩きました。ただし、いつもは左側の遊歩道の岸を歩きますが、今日は右側の車道のほうです。

For our evening walk, Taiga again chose the direction opposite to the Johoku Park, along the Shakujii River.  Normally, we walk the pedestrian path on the left bank, but she chose the right bank with normal traffic.

いつものオヤツスポットで一休みしてから、丘の上の住宅街を歩いて帰宅しました。

We stopped at the spot where we normally have a break, then headed for the residential area on the hill.

日本ナツメひこばえ Japanese Jujube Suckers

 天気予報では今日の午後3時頃から雷雨になり、その後は明日の午前中まで雨が続くというものでした。少なくとも今朝の散歩のときの空は、水彩画のように爽やかな秋空でした（実際には蒸し暑かった）。これはうちの前の坂道を降りていった近くにある空き地。夏草が私の身長よりも高くなっています。

According to the weather forecast, we were going to get thunderstorm at around 3 p.m. this afternoon, followed by rain that would last up to noon tomorrow.  When we went out for our early morning walk, the autumn sky looked beautiful like a watercolour painting (it was muggy as usual).  This photo was taken from the empty plot near my home - the grass was last cut in early summer, and it is now taller than my height.

帰宅して、雷雨が始まる前に、バルコニーの排水口が詰まらないよう掃除をしました。ついでに日本ナツメの現状を記録。去年の夏に買った日本ナツメの大株には、秋に３本のヒコバエが生えてきました。冬の前に鉢上げしておいたものが、今年の夏にはもう幼果が鈴なり。この写真はそのうちの２本です。初夏に主幹を摘芯したあと木の成長はストップして、栄養は実を着けることに集中したようです。決して一才ナツメではないのですが、これらのヒコバエは現在70cmくらいの樹高です。

Back home, I cleaned the balcony floor so as to prevent the drainage getting blocked.  After that, I took these photos.  I bought a large Japanese jujube tree last summer, which produced 3 suckers by autumn.  I planted them in individual pots before winter, and they started producing fruits this summer.  These are two of the 3 suckers.  I cut the top of the plants in early summer, since they were growing like grass.  Since then, nutrition seems to have been concentrated in growing young fruits.  These plants are currently about 70cm tall.

これは右側の苗で、素直に主幹型。

This is the one on the right in the photo above.  Its branches are growing around the tree trunk, looking normal.

左側の苗は、枝が左右に１本ずつ垂れてウチワのような平べったい形。

This is the tree on the left in the above photo.  It has 2 major branches which hang on either side of the branch, forming the shape of a fan.

これは右側の枝。

This is the branch on the right.

これは左側の枝。

This is the branch on the left.

写真を撮るために苗を移動させていたら、枝どうしが擦れて幼果が落ちてしまいました。

As I was moving the plants in such a narrow space, two young fruits dropped off from jostling.

試しに齧ってみると、酸っぱくてジューシー。酸味もジューシーさも、ナツメの中では非常に稀な要素です。やはり私はこの実のように、熟すと果肉が白くなるタイプが好みです。

I tried the taste - it was sour and juicy.  Both sourness and juiciness are rare qualities in jujube fruits.  I love this type of jujube fruits, with the flesh turning white when the fruit is ripe.

３本あったヒコバエのうちのもう１本はというと、夏の間に地上25cmくらいのところで切ってしまいました。他の２本よりも一早く実が肥大して成長目覚ましかったので、陽当たりが最も良い場所に鉢を置いて期待してました。それが、幼果が育つにつれ、毎日なにかの昆虫に齧られるようになりました。相手の正体も分からずスプレーを掛けているうちに葉っぱが焼けてきたので、思い切ってバツリ。幸い、他の２本のヒコバエは3メートルほど離れたところにあったのに、実が齧られることはありませんでした。

Of the 3 suckers from autumn last year, one of them grew faster than the above two plants.  I had to cut it short at around 25cm above the ground during this summer.  It grew a lot of young fruits ahead of the other two plants and I placed the pot in the best spot on the balcony.  However, some insects started eating the young fruits in early summer.  It was disheartening to find every morning more damaged fruits.  I kept spraying the plant without even knowing what kind of insect, and the leaves got the biggest damage.  So, I chopped the plant short.  Fortunately, there was no damage done to the other two trees, even though they were only 3 meters away.

ここで切ったあと、新芽が伸びてきて今の姿になりました。被害にあって元の計画から脱線しても、実験をして学べるので興味が尽きません。この苗の場合、試しに主幹を切り詰めるまでは３本のうち最も太かったのに、今では他の２本に追い越されています。これは、地上25cmの坊主になったあと新たな枝葉が出てくるまで、根っことの栄養のサイクルが絶たれたことを証明するものだと思います。

結局、今日雨が降ることはありませんでした。

This is where I chopped the plant.  A new branch sprang out after that.  Although it was upsetting, it allowed me to try an experiment from which I might learn something new.  For example, this tree used to be the biggest by the tree trunk's size.  Now, the other two trees' trunks are fatter.   This demonstrates that by cutting the tree trunk to 25cm leaving no branches or leaves whatsoever, the cycle of nutrition between the roots and the tree above the ground was cut off, until the new branch and leaves came out.

Despite the weather forecast, there was no thunderstorm today - not even a drop of rain.

朝散歩など Morning Walk etc

 今日は最高気温が35℃で蒸し蒸しする一日でした。朝の公園からして暑い！  四中横の草地では、萩の花が先日よりも咲き進んでフヨウと共に綺麗でした。

It was another hot day with the maximum temperature reaching 35℃.  The day was muggy from the very start.  In the field next to a Junior High School, the Japanese bush clover behind the Hibiscus mutabilis was looking more advanced in blooming than the other day.

少しでも日陰のある隣の草地へ移動。タイガはサラダバーでリフレッシュしたあとは、

We moved to the next field where we could get shades under the cherry trees.  Taiga refreshed herself at the salad bar, 

いつもの草風呂です。

and then started her usual 'grass bath'.

更に大通りの向こうの築山へ移動。ここは近くにある大木が朝日を遮り陰になります。

We then moved to the field across the road, where there is a mound which is in the shadow of tall trees at this time of the morning.

お約束のオヤツタイム。

Much awaited treat time.

オヤツを出したとたん、どこからかカラスが一羽舞い降りてきました。きっと、ずっと私たちの行動を見張っていたのでしょう。

The moment I pulled out the treat, a crow flew down out of the blue.  It must have been watching us all the while.

しかも、カァカァうるさいです。

It kept cawing.

カラスを気にせずハイ、オヤツ。

The crow's persistent cawing did not stop us enjoying the treat time.

もう一羽やって来ました。

Another one flew down.

タイガも私もカラスは怖くないので無視。自宅の庭では冬の間、スズメにシードを、メジロには半割のオレンジを吊るして与えていますが、公園で野鳥にエサやりは禁止されているので、この２羽のカラスを無視。

Neither Taiga nor I are scared of crows, so we ignored them.  During winter, I leave seeds in my garden for sparrows, and orange halves for the Japanese white eye.  However, in the park, the rule is that one must not feed the wild birds, so I kept ignoring them.

帰りに通った草地では大きなキノコが発生していました。最近の湿気の影響でしょうか。

In the field that we passed on our way home, there were newly sprung mushrooms.  Perhaps the recent muggy weather has caused this?

私の手の平との比較では、こう。

This shows how large the mushrooms are.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

皇帝ナツメの実は、去年は10個、今年は20個まで間引いて減らしました。最近、そのうちの１個に異常が見られます。

On the Emperor jujube tree, I reduced the number of fruits to 20 this year (last year, 10).  Of the 20 jujube fruits, one of them does not look right.

順調に色づき始めたと思っていたのに、このデコボコは腐敗？

I used to think that this fruit was simply browning ahead of others, but now I do not like the look of the wavy surface of the brown part.

もいでみました。茶色い部分は軟化しています。

I pulled it off and found that the brown part was squishy.

半割りにしてみると、心配していた虫の幼虫が入っているのではなく、単に軟化して腐り始めているだけでした。

I cut it in half, so as to ascertain if there was a bug inside.  No bugs, just soft and starting to rot.

いつものように糖度計を出して測ると、赤〇の着いた箇所で42.5%。その部分を食べてみると、確かに甘い。ただし、ナツメなので果汁はあまり無いです。

I applied the brix meter to the spot with the red circle, which showed 42.5%.  When I ate the same part, it was indeed sweet.  However, it being a jujube fruit, it hardly contained juice.

もう半分はというと47.2%で、砂糖菓子のように甘かったです。去年、皇帝ナツメを収穫したのは10月に入ってからだったので、あと少しの辛抱です。

As to the other half, the spot with the red circle showed 47.2%, which is extremely high.  It tasted like a sugary biscuit.  Last year, I picked all the 10 fruits of the Emperor jujube in October, so a few more weeks to go before picking.