Interest in raising the jujube as an alternative fruit crop continues to grow among New Mexicans because of crop reliability and its ability to adapt well to a wide range of soil pH levels and weather conditions.
To help home gardeners and potential commercial growers better understand this fruit-bearing tree of Chinese origin, Shengrui Yao, New Mexico State University College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Extension fruit specialist, will host a workshop on the growing habits of the tree, followed by a pruning demonstration.
The workshop will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on March 29, at NMSU’s Sustainable Agriculture Science Center at Alcalde.
“Our sunny and semi-arid weather makes the jujube fruit quality excellent,” she said. “Jujube fruit is very nutritious, with a vitamin C content of 200 to 600 miligrams per 100 grams of fresh fruit weight, which is four to 10 times higher than oranges.”
Jujube trees leaf and bud out four to six weeks later than most fruit tree species, which allows them to avoid the late frosts.
“With their late season start-up, wide adaptation, nutritional facts and mild flavor, jujubes are a perfect alternative fruit in New Mexico,” Yao said.
Register online at http://rsvp.nmsu.edu/rsvp/jujubehabits or contact Anna at 505-852-4241.
