How to Take a Cutting From a Jujube

Native to China, the jujube (Ziziphus jujuba), also known as Chinese date or Chinese jujube, produces a round to ovate, red stone fruit with white flesh. This deciduous tree grows well in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9 where its drought tolerance and bright yellow fall foliage adds further value to landscapes. Although new trees will grow from seed, they do not remain true to the parent plant. Propagation through softwood cuttings ensures that the new plant retains its parent's characteristics. Mid- to late spring proves the best time to collect jujube cuttings.

Garden hose
Paper towels
Plastic zipper bag
50 percent bleach solution
Pruning shears or knife
Cloth
Long-sleeve shirt
Gloves

Instructions

- 1
  Apply three to four inches of water from a garden hose to the jujube tree's root zone one day before taking the cuttings.
- 2
  Fold a paper towel in half and then in half again. Hold the paper towel briefly under running water to moisten it. Squeeze the excess water out. Repeat this process to prepare a paper towel for each cutting you intend to take. Place the paper towels into a plastic zipper bag and seal the bag.
- 3
  Dip the blades of a pair of pruning shears or a knife in a 50 percent bleach solution. Leave the blades submerged for at least five minutes to allow the bleach to sterilize the metal. Pull the tool out of the solution and blot its blades dry with a cloth.
- 4
  Wear a long-sleeve shirt to protect your arms from scratches or cuts. Put on a pair of gloves to protect your hands from the jujube's sharp thorns.
- 5
  Examine the jujube tree's shoots during the morning, when they contain the most moisture. Select a lateral shoot that contains new growth. Cut through the shoot with the pruning shears or knife 1/4 inch above a leaf 4 to 6 inches below the shoot's tip. Bend the cutting in half to discover if it will snap in two. If the cutting snaps, the jujube's new growth is in the softwood stage and ripe for cutting.
- 6
  Look for another lateral limb sporting at least 4 to 6 inches of new growth with a diameter of 1/4 inch on its terminal end. Choose an unblemished, straight limb whose youngest leaves haven't fully matured. Cut through the branch 1/4 inch above a leaf or growth node with the pruning shears or knife 4 to 6 inches from its tip.
- 7
  Trim the cutting by slicing through its bottom end 1/4 inch below its bottommost leaf.
- 8
  Remove a paper towel from the plastic bag and wrap it around the cutting's cut end. Place the cutting in the bag and seal the bag.
- 9
  Place the bag in a refrigerator to keep the stem tissue fresh before processing and planting.

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