When to Plant Jujube in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide
What this month normally looks like in Arid / Semi-Arid
In October the Arid / Semi-Arid zone normally runs 32°C by day and 16°C overnight, with about 19 mm of rain over 2 or 3 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was 1.9°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 10 postcodes, SILO.
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This Jujube guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Jul to Sep
- Sun
- Full sun
Jujube, the Chinese date, is a thorny deciduous tree for warm temperate and arid gardens with hot dry summers (Daleys, NMSU).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Arid / Semi-Arid
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul P
- Aug P
- Sep P
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
P = Planting window
Daleys lists arid as a home climate and calls the tree drought hardy and heat tolerant; NMSU says it suits hot, sunny, semi arid areas. Plant while dormant in late winter or early spring (our timing) and water the first summers. Harvest March to May. Suckers are spiny; do not cultivate around the roots.
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How to Grow Jujube in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia
- Soil
- Perfect to good drainage (Daleys); sandy, loam or clay, even poor soils (NMSU).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.3 (Daleys); tolerates 5.0 to 8.5 (NMSU)
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Daleys, NMSU).
- Keep away from
- Vegetable beds that get dug, which triggers suckers, Bushland edges in the dry tropics
Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Jujube
Recommended Varieties
- Li
- Si Hong
- Sugar Cane
- Porterville (early)
Key Challenges
- Spiny suckers
- Birds
- Fruit cracking after rain
Pro Tips
- Do not dig near the roots
- Collect fallen fruit
- Prune to 2 m
Pests and problems for Jujube in Arid / Semi-Arid
Harvesting Jujube
When ready: Fruit goes from green to creamy yellow, then brown red spots, then fully red brown (NMSU). Eat fresh from the creamy stage; dry at full red.
How to harvest: Hand pick fresh fruit; shake drying fruit onto a tarp (NMSU).
Storing and preserving jujube
How to keep it
- Drying. Pick fully red, dry at 60 to 63 C (NMSU, NDSU). Keeps: 6 to 12 months.
- Fresh. Fridge at 4 C. Keeps: 2 weeks or more.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Jujube
When do you plant jujube in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jul to Sep
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jul to Sep
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Aug to Sep
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Sep
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jul to Sep
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jul to Sep
When should I plant Jujube in Alice Springs?
Daleys lists arid as a home climate and calls the tree drought hardy and heat tolerant; NMSU says it suits hot, sunny, semi arid areas. Plant while dormant in late winter or early spring (our timing) and water the first summers. Harvest March to May. Suckers are spiny; do not cultivate around the roots.
How do I know when Jujube are ready to harvest?
Fruit goes from green to creamy yellow, then brown red spots, then fully red brown (NMSU). Eat fresh from the creamy stage; dry at full red.
What are the best Jujube varieties for Alice Springs?
Recommended varieties for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone include: Li, Si Hong, Sugar Cane, Porterville (early).
Are jujube salt tolerant?
No. Jujube are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.