Jujube soil fertilizer and water management
Soil and fertilizer water management is a crucial factor in ensuring the healthy growth of jujube trees and achieving early fruiting. Proper soil and water management not only supports root development but also enhances the tree's ability to absorb, synthesize, and utilize water and nutrients, ultimately improving overall tree nutrition. This leads to better above-ground growth and helps achieve high yields with superior quality. A commonly used approach in jujube cultivation is known as "three fertilizers, three waters, and three loose soils."
The "three fertilizers" include base fertilizer, topdressing, and foliar feeding. Base fertilizer is typically applied after harvest, especially for mid-season varieties like Jinsixiaozao or late-season types like winter jujubes. At this time, the temperature difference between day and night is significant, and leaves still have a high photosynthetic rate, which aids in the accumulation of organic nutrients. The base fertilizer mainly consists of well-decomposed manure and organic compost, often mixed with moderate amounts of quick-acting nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. Phosphate should be blended with organic matter first to improve efficiency.
Topdressing is applied during key growth stages—pre-emergence, flowering, and fruit development. Pre-emergence topdressing focuses on nitrogen, while flowering stage applications combine nitrogen with some phosphate. During the young fruit period, compound fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are preferred, avoiding the use of additional nitrogen. Foliar feeding is another effective method, where liquid fertilizers are sprayed directly onto leaves. This technique is simple, efficient, and saves labor, with common solutions including 0.3–0.5% urea, 0.2–0.3% ammonium sulfate, 0.5–1.0% ammonium phosphate, 0.3% zinc sulfate, 0.3% ferrous sulfate, 0.5–0.7% borax, 2.0% calcium superphosphate leachate, and 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate.
The "three waters" refer to pre-sprouting irrigation, flowering irrigation, and fruit development irrigation. Watering before sprouting helps promote root growth and nutrient uptake, allowing the tree to sprout 5–7 days earlier. This benefits bud differentiation, flower development, and fruit set. Flowering irrigation is essential since jujubes are sensitive to drought during this phase. Watering at the beginning of flowering increases humidity, supports pollen germination, and improves fruit set. Fruit development irrigation, usually around early July, combined with topdressing, encourages cell division and fruit enlargement.
The "three loose soils" involve plowing, weeding, and intercropping green manure. Plowing in late autumn or early spring improves soil aeration and temperature, promoting root development. It also helps control pests by disrupting their overwintering environment. The depth should be 15–30 cm, with shallower tilling near the tree trunk to avoid damaging large roots. Weeding after the growing season, especially following rain or irrigation, helps loosen the soil, reduce competition from weeds, and improve microbial activity. Finally, intercropping green manure crops like legumes, alfalfa, or clover not only provides organic matter but also suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and enhances soil fertility.
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