Jujube

[Cajunrider]

Rescued this tree from the house demolition track hoe. Wonder if I should stick it back in the ground or develop it.

 

[ShadyStump]

I always wonder about these if the fruit comes in different flavors like my favorite candy does.

 

[Cajunrider]

I always wonder about these if the fruit comes in different flavors like my favorite candy does.

No. They are distinctive but the flavor variety is sparse.

 

[ShadyStump]

No. They are distinctive but the flavor variety is sparse.

Well then bonsai that thing!


It's already a decent slant with some nice bark. A couple years building ramification and nebari and you're there.
But then you'd get less fruit.

 

[Cajunrider]

Well then bonsai that thing!


It's already a decent slant with some nice bark. A couple years building ramification and nebari and you're there.
But then you'd get less fruit.

Yep. I will let it re-establish its roots and then I will chop it about an inch below the lip of the current pot.

 

[ShadyStump]

Yep. I will let it re-establish its roots and then I will chop it about an inch below the lip of the current pot.

I'm a suck for nice mature bark, so don't mind my cringing.

 

[Cajunrider]

I'm a suck for nice mature bark, so don't mind my cringing.

So what do you suggest?

 

[ShadyStump]

So what do you suggest?

I'm not sure I actually have a better idea. It'll need cut back hard one way or another just to get you some taper and branching.
I don't think I'd go quite that far down though. Maybe at or just above the level of the rim of the pot. I'm not sure how these grow, but I'm afraid if you go too low you'll essentially wind up with just suckers at the base and be starting from scratch, losing the trunk you already have.

You'd know better than me, though.

 

[Cajunrider]

Tilted the pot for just a week and the main shoot gained a lot of character.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Tilted the pot for just a week and the main shoot gained a lot of character.
View attachment 430578
View attachment 430579

I’m liking this! I don’t think I’d chop it back. It does have nice bark and a nice subtle taper IMO.

 

[Pitoon]

I see that tree can easily be trained as a windswept style.

 

[Cajunrider]

Dug up a big jujube with 2.25” trunk from my land and planted in a shallow 55 gal drum cutoff. Will chop it and put in bonsai pot next year.

 

[Cajunrider]

Moved to a flat today.

 

[Cajunrider]

2 months later

 

[Cajunrider]

Chopped and carved away the knob at the tree turn.

 

[Cajunrider]

 

[Cajunrider]

I struggled so much with figuring out what to do with this tree and finally settled to this. A drastic chop to the curvy top forced the tree to bud in many places to enhance its chance to survive. I tilted the pot to exaggerate the break the hurricanes did right at the base. The regrowth at the base is remarkable. The multiple shoots along the trunk now turn this tree beautifully into a raft. Now I will have to rein in the growth at the leader so the other branches can catch up.

 

[Cajunrider]

I have pruned back the leader hard in an effort to create a some what balanced raft.

 

[Cajunrider]

Repotted the tree yesterday. The trunk is now 1/2" above and parallel to the soil. It looks good.

 

[Cajunrider]

I think I will have to prune the shoots way back soon.