Top 7 types of date palms and growing from a stone at home

Eating dates suggests trying to grow a date palm from seed; at home, it is possible if you like a tropical tree with soil, humidity and lighting. But arranging a plantation will not work, since the date palm does not bloom under artificial conditions. It is always worth trying to grow an exotic plant, because it is an incredible sight for a city apartment.

Description and characteristics of the plant

The tree's Latin name is Phoenix dactylifera. His homeland is Arabia and North Africa. Characteristics of the date palm:

• height - 30 meters;
• sheet length - 2 meters;
• dioecious plant;
• the leaves are leathery, feathery, bluish green, with thorns at the base;
• 1-2 trunks;
• the flowers are small, yellow, collected in complex inflorescences-panicles;
• the goblet bud consists of three petals;
• the female flower bears a fruit with a seed;
• the seed is fusiform, with a longitudinal groove.

In indoor conditions, the palm grows up to two meters in height, but does not bloom.

Varieties of dates

In supermarkets they sell the fruits of the common date palm. But there are also indoor and rare species.

Common or finger-like

The tree grows in the wild and in plantations.

The date palm shoot is a long, narrow leaf. The plant will look like a palm tree in 5 years.

robelena

The mini date is shy found in China, Laos, Vietnam.

The height of the shy palm starts from two meters, the length of the leaves is 160 centimeters. The tree can withstand frost -3 degrees. The germ of the mini date appears in 1 to 3 months. The tree should be sprayed, like larger species.

Canary

An evergreen tree with an airy crown of thin, feathery leaves loves the sun and partial shade, in the summer it needs abundant watering and spraying.

From October to February, the tree is watered 1-2 times a month, and not sprayed. The height of an adult palm and the length of the leaves are 3 meters.There is enough space for a plant in the hall of an office building, but in a city apartment it will be cramped.

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Curved

The multi-trunked tree reaches eight meters in height, and the leaves are six meters in length.

The curved date grows in African reserves.

forest

For a bone from a forest date, you will have to go to India or Puerto Rico.

Rocky

The Indian mountain date grows up to seven meters in height and begins root growth.

The rocky date palm is in danger of extinction.

Ceylon

A medium-sized date originates from Sri Lanka.

A rare plant seedling can be purchased from collectors.

How to take care of

The date palm is a guest of warm countries, but it does not need exotic conditions to live in a city apartment.

Choice and location of the pot

The date palm has long roots and needs a large pot. A plastic or ceramic container with a diameter of 10 centimeters is suitable for the bone. Drainage holes should be made in the bottom to drain excess moisture.

Temperature and lighting

The date palm develops in moderate heat + 16 ... + 20 degrees.It should not be placed next to a battery or heater, as overheating and dry air will damage the leaves. The palm tree needs bright light. In the shade, the leaves become long and brittle.

air humidity

The average is 50 percent. High humidity is favorable for the plant. In the dry air, the leaves dry out at the tips.

Ground requirements

Ordinary garden soil mixed with peat and sand is suitable for a tropical plant. The main requirement is that the soil should be light, loose, of neutral acidity, pH 6.3-6.5. At your local garden supply store, you can find ready-to-use potting soil specifically for palm trees. Drainage should be placed under the ground - small pebbles, expanded clay.

watering mode

In summer, the palm tree should be watered abundantly, once a day or every 2-3 days. Water can be poured into a tray, the plant can be sprayed up to three times a day.

Transfer

The date palm is replanted every year for five years. In a year, the plant grows roots. He needs more space, so the pot is changed to a bigger one. To transplant a tree, it is pulled out together with a lump of soil and transferred to a new container. The date palm has delicate roots that can be easily damaged.

Top dressing and fertilization

Organic and mineral fertilizers are applied in the summer every week from March to September, when the plant is actively developing. During the dormant period, the palm is fertilized once a month. The tree is fed with a special mixture for palms.

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How to prune correctly

Prune old palm trees. Leaf buds appear in the trunk 4 years before appearing outside.Date palms growing in plantations have up to 30 new young leaves at the top of the tree each year. Old leaves fall off, dry out and make harvesting difficult. Therefore, they are cut: bend down and cut. Branches hanging at an angle of less than 45 degrees are prone to pruning.

You cannot cut off the top of a palm tree, even if it does not fit into the room. At the top of the trunk is the point of formation of new leaves. If you cut it down, the tree will not keep the lower part of the crown green. Old leaves will die, but new ones will not appear. A dry, bare trunk will remain.

Flight

Elimination of lateral processes on the palm is not practiced. Tomatoes and cucumbers grow from childhood, since the proliferation of bushes decreases with the growth of green shoots. There is no fruit on the palm tree. All leaves need food.

Accompaniement

Pruning the upper shoots of garden and indoor plants stimulates their growth in width and flowering. But the procedure will damage a tropical tree. Not only will it not bloom, but it will also stop releasing new leaves.

How to grow from seed

The date seed germinates in the ground for six months under favorable conditions. But the process can be accelerated with heat and humidity.

Selection and preparation of planting material

Both fresh and dried date pits are suitable for sprouting.

Preparation steps:

• cleaning - hold in warm water so that the remnants of pulp come off;
• hard shell processing - scalding with boiling water, rubbing with emery and cutting with a knife accelerate the penetration of moisture into the core and germination;
• soaking - the bone is placed between two thick layers of damp cotton.Gauze, sawdust, or hydrogel will also work;
• sprouting - a bone in a wet winding is placed next to the radiator.

The seed wakes up at high temperature and humidity. Cotton should be periodically moistened or put in a container and filled with water. When the bone swells, it can be planted in a pot.

Instead of damp cotton, the bones are placed in a container with vermiculite, tightly closed and placed in a warm place. The substrate is periodically moistened. In vermiculite, bone will germinate in 7-14 days.

How to choose a floor

The soil is selected based on the properties of the root system of the plant. Pure garden soil, due to its high density, is not suitable for indoor flowers with weak roots. There are two ways to achieve light, loose soil.

First option

You can mix the earth for the palm tree yourself. The mixture will require a quarter of garden soil, peat, sand and humus.

Second

It is easier to plant a date seed in a special mixture for palm trees. It consists of sand, high and low peat, dolomite flour. The advantage of prepared soil is that it contains vermicompost and fertilizers.

Soil disinfection

To prevent insects and mold from growing in the soil, the bones are disinfected before planting:

• a weak solution of manganese;
• fungicide;
• roasted in the oven for 20 minutes.

You need to ignite the soil in the garden, as it may contain weed seeds and insect larvae.

Landing scheme

How to plant a date seed:

• dig a hole in a pot with a depth of one and a half the length of the bone;
• lower one of the pointed ends down;
• cover with soil and water.

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Seedlings will appear 1-3 months after planting.

Later culture

The jar with the bone should be placed in a warm place. In summer, the plant will love the sunny balcony. The land should be watered regularly, but the formation of white blooms on the surface should not be allowed. Its appearance means that a fungus has settled in the waterlogged soil.

Diseases and pests

The palm responds to deviations in the watering regime and environmental conditions with fungal diseases and yellowing of the leaves.

They get rid of pests by spraying insecticides: Fitoverm, Pyrethrum, Phosphamide. At the initial stage of infection, wiping the leaves with soapy water will help. Insect and disease infestations are recognized by their characteristics.

Shield

The parasite settles on the leaves and feeds on their sap. The insect leaves scales.

cochineal

The pest also feeds on the sap of young leaves. Cochineals can be recognized by their white bloom.

Spider

The insect appears on a palm tree in the spring. A sign of infection is the presence of cobwebs between the leaves.

Pink rot

A pink bloom appears at the base of the leaves. The fungus also attacks the roots.

Nematodes

Small worms settle in moist soil and undermine plant roots. As a result, the leaves turn black and fall off.

Thrips

Small pests affect the root part of the stem and the tree dries up.

Gray spot

Old leaves are covered with gray spots, in which later ripen black specks of spores.

yellow leaves

The crown of a palm tree turns yellow from lack of moisture. If green streaks are visible on the leaves, the tree lacks nutrients. The tips of the leaves turn yellow in dry air. The palm should be sprayed.

Lack of growth

If the palm has not grown for six months, it is necessary to apply nitrogen fertilization or transfer the tree to a warm place. For development, he needs soil with a temperature of +20 degrees. In the cooled ground, the palm ceases to grow.

The dry tree

Dried branches on a palm tree appear due to improper care and pest infestation. Hard water for irrigation also becomes the cause.

Common Mistakes

Reasons why the palm tree does not sprout or wither:

• plant an unpeeled seed - the remains of the pulp and skins rot during germination, so the seed must first be washed and dried;
• root damage - the plant can be transplanted no more than once a year, and you also need to make sure that the root does not fall into the drainage hole in the pot.
• pruning of yellowed leaves - only old lowered branches are pruned, the number of pruned leaves should not exceed the number of young ones.

A palm tree in a bathtub is often placed in the corner of a room where there is little light. Poor lighting is compensated by an ultraviolet lamp.

Tips & Tricks

How to grow a date seed to an adult spreading palm:

• it is better to germinate in February, March;
• for early germination, put the seed in hot water for 10 minutes;
• plant 3-5 seeds in a pot. Some of them will definitely germinate. When the shoots reach 10-15 centimeters in length, plant them;
• to make the tree form a symmetrical crown, turn it towards the light in different directions;
• spray in the summer and shower once a week to remove dust from the leaves. Cover soil with aluminum foil before rinsing to prevent waterlogging.

To make it easier to transplant a large, heavy palm tree in the future, it is planted in a ceramic pot, and then it is carefully chopped. The soil ball and roots will remain intact and the tree is placed in a new pot.