Thai Green Apple Ber

Why Thai Green Apple Plant

• Crunchiest Snack Ever: It’s not soft like the old-style desi ber; it’s juicy and has that “snap” when you bite it.
• Sun Lover: It loves the Indian heat. Even in 40°C+ temperatures, this plant stays happy and green.
• Compact Size: You don’t need a huge field. I’ve seen these fruiting heavily in medium-sized pots on sunny balconies.
• Tons of Vitamin C: It’s a powerhouse of nutrition. One bowl of these is much better than buying expensive imported fruits.
• Low Cost, High Return: You spend very little on its care, but it gives you kilos of fruit every winter season.

Key Characteristics

• Appearance: Round, smooth, and glossy green skin (honestly, it looks exactly like a miniature Granny Smith apple).
• Taste: Sweet with a mild tartness; the flesh is white, crisp, and very refreshing.
• Variety: This is the Thai hybrid variety, which is famous for being way bigger than our local berries.
• Growth Speed: It grows like a weed! You’ll need to prune it often because it loves to spread its branches.

It’s the perfect fruit to eat fresh with a pinch of masala, or you can even dry them like the traditional “bor.”

Uses: Fresh Eating, Fruit Salads, Pickles, Drying, Gift for Gardeners.

How to Plant & Setup

If you’re planting in the ground, give it a 10-foot gap from other trees. For terrace gardening, a 16-inch pot is a good starting point. Pair this with our Red Guava Plant to have a complete Indian “Fruit Chaat” garden at home. When you first get the plant, the branches might have small thorns (be careful!), so wear gloves while repotting.

Nursery Secrets – My Real-World Tips

• The Heavy Pruning Secret: In my nursery, we chop these plants back quite hard after the fruiting season ends (usually around March). This feels scary, but it actually makes the plant grow twice as many fruits next year.
• Watch the Water: While it’s a tough plant, if you give it too much water when the fruits are ripening, they can lose their sweetness and taste watery.
• Support Your Branches: Since it fruits so heavily, the branches often bend. I use a bamboo stick or a simple PVC pipe to prop up the heavy branches so they don’t touch the mud.
• The Finger Soil Test: Before watering, poke your finger into the soil. If it’s damp, skip the water. These plants hate “kichad” (slushy soil) around their roots.
• Winter Sun: Make sure it’s in the sunniest spot of your garden during winter. The more sun it gets, the sweeter the berries will be.

For more professional advice on growing jujubes in Indian climates, check out the National Horticulture Board website.