Chinese date is a popular plant that has healing properties. Today, many varieties of this culture are known, each of which has certain characteristics. In order to grow a full-fledged plant at home or on the site, you must clearly follow the agrotechnical recommendations.
Chinese date - what is this plant
This plant is native to China. It is also called red date, jujube or unabi. It is a large bush or tree, reaching a height of 8 m. The culture is characterized by a spreading crown and leaves that fall in the winter.
Chinese date is a valuable plant that benefits
Wild plant species have large spines. However, most cultivated plants are devoid of thorns. They have large fruits, reaching 30-40 g. This plant is characterized by many useful properties.
Useful properties and application in medicine
Fruits, foliage, seeds of plants have long been used in Chinese medicine. Culture has healing properties. It is used in such situations:
- high pressure;
- pathology of the digestive system;
- stress
- pathology of the respiratory system;
- low hemoglobin;
- heart disease.
Important!The fruits of the plant can be used to strengthen the immune system - they are eaten raw or used for harvesting.
The foliage of the Chinese date palm is used for the preparation of medicinal decoctions or infusions. There is a special substance in it - zizifin. It contributes to the dulling of taste buds. Therefore, the substance is very often used to make bitter medicines.
Cultivated species and varieties
Today, many varieties of plants are known, some of them are frost-resistant. Therefore, they can be grown in the middle lane and in regions with a cold climate.
The most popular types of Chinese date unabi include the following:
- Koktebel. This variety was obtained in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. It has a late ripening period. Fruits are large and dotted. The plant is characterized by moderate resistance to frost and drought. Moreover, it easily tolerates heat.
- Sinitis. This culture was also bred in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. The berries of the plant taste good.
- Plodivsky. This is a variety of Ukrainian selection. A key advantage is its excellent resistance to drought and low temperature. The fruits are small and covered with green and white pulp.
- Yalita. This is a new variety that has many advantages. It was received by employees of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. Fruits have an early ripening period. They are characterized by excellent productivity and high-quality fruits.
Today there are different varieties of dates that are suitable for growing in different regions.
Growing Features
To grow a strong and powerful culture, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations of specialists.
Place for jujube
Before planting, it is worth choosing the right place. Date requires a sunny area, which is reliably protected from the wind. The soil should be light and drained. Sand and peat are recommended in heavy soil. Poor land should be enriched with fertilizers.
Important!When choosing a site, you must consider the size of the plant. They differ depending on the variety.
Phenicia needs a sunny spot
Unabi planting in the open ground
You can plant a crop in the open ground in autumn or spring. At the same time, it is important to correctly select a variety, taking into account the climatic characteristics of the region.
When choosing seedlings, it is worthwhile to ensure that the shoots and roots are alive. They should not be dry or show signs of decay. It is best to buy plants that have been grown in your region. If planting material is imported from the southern regions, its winter hardiness is reduced.
To plant a date, do the following:
- Dig a hole 50 cm in size.
- At the bottom of the pit, pour a hill of earth, mixing it with rotted compost.
- Place a seedling on a hill and carefully spread its roots.
- Special deepening can not be done. The root neck should be flush with the ground.
- Carefully sprinkle a hole in the ground.
- Water the crop with a bucket of water. In this case, you should use a watering can with a nozzle. It is important to avoid soil erosion.
Cropping methods for different climatic regions
Sanitary pruning is the removal of dry and diseased branches. It must be carried out in any region during the warm season. Formative procedure is performed in the spring. It depends on the area of cultivation.
In the subtropics, unabi does not freeze. For proper lighting of the crown, the plant is formed in the form of a vase or bowl. In this case, it is recommended to leave 4 skeletal branches that grow in a circle.
In the northern regions, unabi freezes by the level of snow or to the root neck. As a result, the culture takes the form of a bush. In this case, it is necessary to thin out the crown so that it does not become too thick.
Chinese date care, basic rules
In order for the plant to develop normally, it needs to provide quality care. It must be comprehensive.
In the conditions of the Crimea and other southern regions of Russia, one plentiful watering once a month is quite enough for a Chinese date. In this case, the soil should become moist at least to a depth of 60 cm.
Immediately after landing, a young unabi develops slowly, so in the first years of life, you need to weed the area around it. When the bush grows the need for such care will disappear.
In the early spring, every year, a small tree is fed. For normal development on the surface around the trunk it will be enough to scatter:
- 1/2 bucket of humus;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of superophosphate;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of potash fertilizer;
- 1-2 tablespoons of ammonium nitrate.
How to form a crown
Formative pruning is carried out for seedlings older than 2 years. Unabi is usually grown in the form of a tree with a free crown. In the second year of growth, the central conductor is cut to 80-90 cm.
The crown is formed in 2 tiers, arranging the branches in a spiral. The distance between tiers should be the same.
Important!At 4 years of growth, the formation of tiers is completed. Subsequent pruning should only be done to thin out the crown.
Unabi propagation
You can propagate dates in different ways. For this, seeds, cuttings, shoots are used.
Seed propagation
You can plant seeds from fully ripened fruits. At the same time, they must be taken from wild small-fruited plant varieties. Seeds of large-fruited crops are distinguished by an underdeveloped germ, so it is impossible to germinate them.
In late autumn, fruit seeds should be planted in the ground and repaired by 3-4 cm. For winter, it is recommended to slightly warm the crops with spruce branches. It must be removed in the spring after the snow melts.
To accelerate the appearance of sprouts, in the spring they should be covered with a transparent film. If the seedlings turned out to be too thick, it is recommended to thin them. There should be a minimum of 20 cm between the bushes.
In hot and dry weather, seedlings require watering once a week. For 1 square meter, 1 bucket of water is required. It is advisable to mulch the soil with improvised materials.
Propagation by cuttings
To propagate the culture, it is permissible to use root cuttings. To do this, do the following:
- In early spring, carefully dig up the soil near the bush and unearth its root 1 cm thick.
- From the selected root, you need to make several cuttings. Their length should be 15 cm.
- Received cuttings to plant horizontally or at a slight slope.
- You need to plant plants on a prepared bed with moist and loose soil. The distance between the cuttings should be 10-15 cm. Planting depth - 5 cm.
- The bed should be moist and loose. After some time, shoots appear from sleeping buds.
- Next spring, seedlings can be moved to a permanent place.
Dates can be propagated in many ways.
Shoots and layering
Reproduction by root shoots is a fairly simple method that is available to everyone. Small-fruited wild-growing cultivars form a large number of root shoots. In early spring or early autumn, it is necessary to carefully dig out several offspring and land them on a permanent site.
Another simple method of reproduction is the use of layering. In early spring, the lower branches must be bent to the ground and firmly fixed. The fixed part must be sprinkled with soil, and the top should be brought out. If possible, give the plant a vertical position.
The soil above the layering should be moist and loose. The soil must be weeded regularly. Under favorable conditions, layering takes root during the summer. In the spring of next year, it is permissible to cut the mother branch and move the seedlings to a permanent site.
Features of fruiting and preparation for winter
Fruiting crops begins 2 years after planting. The plant is characterized by sweet or sour fruits. They combine a large number of unique components.
Dates have excellent yields
In the composition of dates there are trace elements, ascorbic acid, ingredients with P-vitamin activity. Thanks to the use of this product, it is possible to normalize the pressure and make the vessels more elastic.
The resistance of the plant to frost depends on its variety. In the early years, all types of culture must be harbored. To do this, you need to huddle the plantings and cover with non-woven material. Older cultures harboring is very problematic.
Important! Slight freezing of the shoots usually does not affect the yield parameters. In spring, it is necessary to cut off all affected branches.
Diseases and pests, the fight against them
The main enemy of culture is considered to be a unabatic fly. Also sometimes the plant is attacked by spider mites and aphids. To avoid problems, it is necessary to use special insecticidal preparations. But they should be bred in large quantities of water so as not to burn the young shoots.
It is very important to collect all the fallen fruits in the fall. It is in them that diseases arise and pests hibernate, which will launch an attack next year.
Unabi date is a popular plant that brings great health benefits. To achieve success in its cultivation, it is necessary to adhere clearly to agrotechnical recommendations.
