Date palm - how the date grows at home
Content:
Large plants are often used to decorate homes and offices. One of these domestic trees is the date palm.
Origin and appearance
In Africa and Eurasia, there are about 20 species of palm trees. The lifespan of trees and shrubs is about 150 years.
It is known that already in the 6th century BC, the date palm was grown in Mesopotamia. Herodotus, Pliny and scholars of antiquity mentioned her in their works.
Indoor date tree
Despite the fact that the homeland of palms is subtropics, they can easily withstand temperatures down to -14 ° C, they can grow on depleted desert soils, salt marshes.
Date fruits are tasty and nutritious enough, contain 3400 kcal.
The tree belongs to the Palm family (Arecaceae). It is characterized by long pinnately-divided leaves with sharp thorns located at its base. Palm flowers are small, yellow in color, collected in panicles. Most species have one trunk.
Date flowers
The date palm grows very slowly. In nature, it grows up to 20-25 m. A domestic tree usually does not exceed 2 m in height.
Types and varieties for indoor breeding
The following types of date palms are most often grown indoors:
- Finger dates are a species that you can grow yourself from seeds. The leaves are tough, have a green-blue color. In the process of growth, the trunk is gradually exposed. The fruits of the tree are edible. They are delicious, sweet. They are dried and used as dried fruits.
- The Robelena date belongs to the undersized species (from 1.5 to 2 m). Under natural conditions, it grows in Laos, in the center and south of China and Vietnam. The length of the leaves is almost equal to the height of the tree (1-2 m). At a young age, they become covered with a whitish coating, and the tree can grow in small shade. The plant has several trunks up to 100 mm in diameter. The fruits of the date are black.
Robellena date
- The Canary date reaches a height of 2 m. The native land of the plant is the Canary Islands. Prefers stony ground. When grown indoors, the tree does not bloom.
Date palm care at home
Watering mode
Taking care of a tree is easy. During the growing season, watering is carried out daily. The main requirement for watering is moderation.
If the soil is waterlogged, then the plant does not develop well, brown spots appear on its leaves. Therefore, a drainage layer is arranged in the flower pot. With rare watering, dry air and dry soil, the tips of the leaves also dry out on the palm tree.
In order for the tree to develop normally, the air humidity must be between 40 and 50%.
To humidify the air, the plant is sprayed with water from a spray bottle or a humidifier is installed. When growing Robellen dates, the air should be more humid than when growing other types of palms.
The plant does not tolerate watering with hard water. Therefore, the tree is watered and moistened with settled cold water. In winter, watering is carried out less frequently.
Top dressing
During the growing season, the plant needs to be fed.If the tree is kept outdoors, then fertilize it once every 7 days, and once every half a month - when kept indoors. As a top dressing, ready-made liquid mineral fertilizers are used for palms or for decorative deciduous plants: Biochelate, Ideal, Bona Forte, Green Paradise, Palm Focus.
In the summer, every month the tree is fed with potassium nitrate (1 gram of saltpeter is dissolved in 1 liter of water).
Home palm tree with proper care
They also carry out top dressing with organic fertilizers. For their preparation, take 1 tsp. chicken droppings (or 1 tbsp. l. mullein) and stir in 1 liter of water. Insist for 25-30 days.
Foliar feeding of the plant is also recommended. It is carried out in case of damage to the root system, before the beginning of the flowering period. It is best to spray in the morning or evening.
In the autumn-winter period, the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers is excluded so as not to stimulate the growth of young leaves.
In winter, feeding is carried out every month.
Growing a dwarf date palm from a stone at home
Often novice flower growers wonder how to grow a date from a stone at home.
Sprouted Date Seeds
Conditions for germinating date pits
During seed germination, the air temperature is maintained within + 25-30С. At low temperatures, dates either fail to germinate, or the seed will take much longer to germinate. You also need to monitor the moisture content of the soil substrate.
Date seed germination stages
How to grow a date from a stone step by step:
- The prepared seed is soaked for 2-3 days in water + 35-40С. When soaking, the cellulose begins to ferment. This makes it easier to separate it from the date seed. Water is periodically replaced with fresh water.
- Soaked seeds are washed under running water.
- The seed takes a long time to germinate, over several months. In order for the sprout to appear faster, the hard shell must be slightly destroyed, for example, by making a shallow file with a file.
- Put prepared sterile, moist soil (treated with boiling water) in cups.
- You need to plant seeds to a depth of 5-10 mm. How to plant a date vertically or horizontally does not matter, since in nature, in what position the fruit fell, the bone is in this position. However, for convenience, flower growers recommend sticking the seed vertically into the soil. After that, the hole above the bone is covered with earth. You can additionally sprinkle the soil on top with fine charcoal crumbs.
- After the first leaf grows to 2-4 cm, the seedling needs to be transplanted to a permanent place. Normal palm soil is used as soil. Young plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight as they can burn the foliage.
Date palm seedlings
- The correct method for replanting a seedling is the transfer method.
How to choose the fruit of the right maturity
The method most often used to propagate dates is growing a tree from seeds. You can use seeds from fruits bought in supermarkets.
The fruit for cultivation must be large and fully ripe. If the date is purchased candied, then the stone can also be used for cultivation. The tree is also grown from a bone from a dried date. The main thing is that the fruit is not pre-processed using a high temperature.
The seed must be completely cleared of pulp, as it contains substances that prevent germination.
Date palm site preparation
The date palm is a light-loving plant, so southern, southeastern windows will be optimal for it. The place for placing the tree should be chosen in a spacious room, because the palm tree does not like stagnant air.
The tree should not be placed under air conditioners, as it does not like drafts. In the process of development, the plant is periodically turned to the light in different directions.
In winter, the ambient temperature is maintained within the range from +10 to + 15С. In the event that the flower pot is on the floor or on the windowsill, it is advisable to spread a thick cloth underneath it. This will save the roots from hypothermia.
It is necessary to position the pot in such a way that the new leaf has a growth direction towards the inside of the room, and not towards the window.
Preparation of soil mixture
Peat mixture, sand, perlite, sphagnum or a combination of these components are used as soil.
The soil is bought in stores or prepared independently. To do this, mix sod and leafy land with sand and peat.
Pot selection
A deep flower pot is selected for the palm tree. A drainage layer several centimeters thick is poured down. Expanded clay, broken brick, river pebbles and other materials are used as drainage. You can make drainage from foam.
Plastic or ceramic containers are used as a pot. The material of the container does not affect the development of the plant.
Date sprout watering mode
Water the seedling in the same way as an adult plant. The main thing when caring for a plant is to prevent the earthen coma from drying out and stagnant water in the pot.
What does a date sprout look like?
Palm shoots are similar to grass, only the leaves are tougher. This is how she will look until about 3 years old. Then the tree begins to take on a familiar look.
Date palms at three and five years old
If you properly prepare the seed material and create optimal conditions for germination, you can grow a beautiful date tree yourself.
