Currently, the indoor palm tree is very popular because the plant looks magnificent and prestigious, but the prices for such magnificence are high. What to do if you want an exotic palm tree, but you can’t afford it? There is a way out - to grow it yourself. Watch carefully and you will notice amazing things begin to happen!

How to grow a date palm from a seed

The date palm is not a capricious plant that can be grown at home without much difficulty, the main thing is to follow the instructions for planting and caring for it. Dates are big sun lovers, so the plant will be comfortable on the south side. For the first five years, the plant looks very modest; the decorative value of the date will appear only after 5-7 years.

Instructions:

1. You can plant a date palm from a fruit seed. To grow this plant, seeds from dried or dried fruits are suitable, which are planted immediately after extraction. It is recommended to take a Robelen date seed. This is a low-growing palm tree growing in several trunks.
2. First, carefully remove the pit from the date and rinse it thoroughly under warm water. Make sure that even the smallest particles of pulp are not left on the seed coat, which could cause rotting processes in the soil after planting.
3. Lightly sharpen the bone with a nail file or sandpaper. Soak the treated seeds in warm water temperature of approximately 35 degrees for three days, changing the water once every 6 hours. When the seeds have noticeably swollen, they can be planted in the ground.
4. For planting, take a container with drainage holes. Place a layer of any drainage and soil substrate mixed from equal parts sand and peat.
5. Plant the soaked seeds in the ground vertically, not very deep, about 1.5 cm of its length. Place the container with the seed in any warm place. Don't forget to water.
   
6. Seeds grow within 1-6 months. When the first sprouts grow 8-10 cm in length, plant them in separate pots with a diameter of about 9 cm. Flower pot fill with soil mixed from two parts of turf soil, part of leaf soil, the same amount of sand and humus.
   
7. Optimal temperature For date palm is 22-25°C in summer and 16-18°C in winter. Good lighting is equally important for the plant; the main thing is that direct sunlight does not fall on it, especially in summer, otherwise burns cannot be avoided. To water palm trees, warm, settled water is used. Water the tree 3 times a week in spring and summer, and once a week in winter will be enough.
8. It is recommended to replant the young palm tree once a year new pot, the diameter of which is two centimeters larger than the previous one.
   

Agree, growing a date palm at home is absolutely possible. Don't stop there, expand your collection exotic plants and soon you will be able to create a real greenhouse. After all, such winter Garden- the dream of every gardener, which is completely feasible.

All date lovers have probably thought more than once about whether it is possible to grow this plant at home. And if this works, will the date look like a tree growing in wild conditions? Let's say right away that it is possible to grow a palm tree, but you should not expect dates from it, since this plant does not bear fruit indoors. In this article we will tell you how plant dates from pits and what it will take.

Date palm

How to plant dates from pits: where to start?

First of all, we need good sedimentary material. Where can I find it? At the market or in the supermarket. It’s just important to choose a date that has not been processed. An excellent option would be sun-dried dates.

Dried date

It is better to take several seeds to be sure of getting the result. The seeds are carefully cleaned of pulp, since the slightest part of them on the fruit can lead to the formation of fungus. Now the bones need to be lowered into cold water for a couple of days, while periodically refreshing it. After this, check again for any remaining pulp. The planting material is ready, but experts recommend using a couple of tricks to speed up the germination process of date seeds. To do this you can:

1. Pour the seeds for 10 minutes hot water. Thanks to this, the first shoots will appear within a few weeks, instead of waiting months.

Remove the pulp from the bones

To plant a date you need to take care of creating necessary conditions. We'll find out which ones further.

Dates from pits at home: creating the conditions

The soil.

Landing. Planting itself is not difficult: the seed is lowered into the ground vertically and then covered with earth. After this, the seedlings need to be watered with a small amount of water and the container should be placed in a warm place. Any container can be used as a container for planting dates: pots, large bowls, etc. When a small leaf appears from the ground, and then a sprout, it is time to plant the seedlings.

Transfer.

Basic date palm care is simple. She is no different from others indoor plants, which love warmth, moderate moisture and good nutrition, so dates should be fertilized several times a year. The main thing is to prevent the soil from drying out and becoming waterlogged, shower in the summer and ensure that ultraviolet rays. As you can see, planting dates from seeds is easy. And very soon you will enjoy a beautiful palm tree that will decorate your interior.

Looking at the elongated seeds inside the dates loved by children and adults, many lovers of indoor plants wondered: “How does a real date palm grow from such a crumb, and what will happen if you plant the seed at home?”

The sweet dates sold in stores are the fruit of a palm tree of the genus Phoenix dactylifera. In nature, the powerful tree grows to gigantic sizes, producing huge clusters of fruits that are famous all over the world.

For indoor growing More miniature species adapted for indoor use are offered. Such palms can be seen and purchased in flower shops. If you want to independently grow a date palm from a seed, there is a high probability of success.

Of course, it won’t be possible to wait until the tree reaches its true height of 30 meters and produces the first harvest of dates. But watch the growth and development unusual plant Both parents and children will like it.

How to grow a date palm from a seed?

For planting, you will need seeds freshly extracted from ripe fruits. Stones from store-bought dates are quite suitable. The main thing is that they are healthy, not damaged by insects or mold, and do not have time to dry out, otherwise the likelihood of getting seedlings is sharply reduced:

Before the seeds are immersed in the soil, it is sometimes recommended to carefully scratch them to facilitate germination. It is much healthier and safer to germinate them in moist vermiculite. Place the container with the seeds in a warm place and make sure that the substrate does not become completely dry. In this case, after 10–14 days, as soon as the gardener notices the first roots, the seeds are transferred to the soil and the pots are placed in a warm, well-lit place.

If the sprout does not appear in due time, there is no need to despair. Perhaps the seed dried out before planting and will need more time to “revive”. Sometimes date palm seedlings were found even six months after the seeds were planted in the ground.

A date palm emerging from a seed is afraid of damage to the roots, so it is important to carry out all replanting procedures very carefully and carefully. Otherwise, the small seedling will take an extremely long time to acclimatize or may even die.

How to further care for palm trees at home? Unlike ordinary indoor plants, even the first pot for a date palm needs a very impressive size. A seedling with a single, still closed “baby” leaf is transferred into containers of 0.3–0.5 liters. The next transplant is carried out until the long taproot of the plant penetrates the drainage hole.

Seedlings need a bright place where the plant will not be in the dark, but will not be disturbed by the midday sun. for date palm from the pit and after germination should be stingy. Overmoistening threatens the development of rot and the death of a fragile plant, but you should not overdry the earthen lump.

How to care for a palm tree at home?

The date palm, like other tree crops, does not grow quickly. But the plant reacts immediately to discomfort and insufficient care of the palm tree at home. This especially applies to young specimens.

What conditions are needed for a palm tree to make the plant feel “at home” and respond well to care?

Whether it is a home-grown date palm from a seed or a plant brought from a flower shop, the crop needs to find a place with suitable lighting. In nature, large trees easily tolerate the scorching sun, but the light-loving indoor palm tree It’s better not to subject yourself to such tests. The optimal location is in the back of the room, facing south, as well as on east or west windows.

Already in May, when the average daily temperature exceeds 12 °C, nothing threatens the date palm. Therefore, plants can be safely transferred outdoors under the protection of larger crops, to a loggia or balcony.

If the grower does not have the opportunity to take the palm tree out into the air, the plant develops well at normal room temperature. But in winter, it is optimal to keep it in cooler air, warmed up to only 16–18 °C. Cooling down to 12 °C is considered critical for the date palm. In this case, growth stops, the palm tree stops feeding and may suffer from root rot if watering is not stopped in time.

The plant has no special requirements for ambient air humidity. But in the hot season, as well as in winter, when the heating is on in the room, regular care of the palm tree at home includes spraying the crown and wiping the foliage with a damp cloth.

The plant does not tolerate stagnation of water. Therefore, when caring at home, the date palm is watered so that the soil does not dry out, but is not constantly wet. In summer, watering is carried out more often; in winter, the intervals between procedures are increased and are aimed at drying 2–3 cm of the surface layer of the substrate. If irrigation water penetrates from the pot into the pan, it is immediately removed and the bottom of the container is wiped. Do not forget about the powerful drainage layer. The larger the date palm and the pot intended for it, the thicker the layer of expanded clay or brick chips at the bottom.

The date palm readily accepts spring-summer fertilizing, for which liquid fertilizers are used for large decorative leafy crops. If the palm tree is taken out into the garden for the summer, the plant can be fed with bird droppings every 7–10 days, using a granular form or infusion.

The frequency of replanting the date palm shown in the photo when caring for it at home depends on the age and size of the plant. Young seedlings are transferred to a larger pot approximately once a year, and adults try not to disturb them in vain. If transshipment is necessary, it is carried out by first thoroughly pouring the earthen ball and trying not to damage the sensitive roots of the plant. Date palm transplantation is carried out in ready-made soil, offered by specialized stores.

To arrange drainage, you can take brick chips or expanded clay according to the size of the drainage holes. If the roots of the date palm are still visible at the bottom of the pot, you can get by in the spring by replacing the top layer of soil. The old substrate is carefully removed, and fresh nutrient soil is poured in its place. After which the palm tree is watered.

Experience growing dates at home - video

Needless to say, there are plenty of exotic plants on the windowsills of modern gardeners. However, the absence of a real date palm in the flower collection is a serious incentive for a new achievement. To grow a tropical beauty at home, you only need a date seed, a great desire and a solid supply of patience.

Of course, an indoor tree will not bear fruit and will not grow to the height of its wild relatives (35 m), but it will look amazing in the interior. The home date is unpretentious in its maintenance, but take a few useful recommendations will be useful.

Selection of planting material

To the great joy of lovers of indoor exotics, purchasing a seed for planting in our time is not difficult. Of the 17 date palm species that grow in nature, only the following are adapted for home cultivation:

• The Canary date has a feathery trunk and narrow, hard leaves, growing up to 2 m in height.
• Robelena - has a chic, densely leafy crown and grows up to 1.5–2 m in height.
• The palmate date is not as chic in appearance as the previous ones, but the most unpretentious and fastest-growing species.

Besides purchased seeds, as a landing suitable material a seed from a dried fruit purchased in grocery store. By the way, the dried fruit will grow into a palmate date, the berries of which are famous throughout the world for their unusual honey-sweet taste.

Pre-sowing seed preparation

In order for the seedlings to turn out healthy and of high quality, the seed (or several, if you want to be on the safe side) must go through several stages of processing before sowing:

• Cleaning - the pit is removed from the date and thoroughly washed under warm, running water. It is important that there are not even the smallest particles of pulp left on the seed coat, which could cause rotting processes in the soil after planting. The washed seeds are allowed to sit for a day.
• Awakening - to speed up germination, put the seeds in a colander and pour boiling water over them or immerse them in hot (about +70°) water for several hours.
• Soaking - the treated seeds are placed in “cocoons” made of cotton wool, abundantly moistened with water, placed in a shallow bowl and put in a very warm place (about +30...+35 °C) until they swell. To prevent the material from drying out, add a little water to the mini-incubator every day.

When the seeds noticeably swell, it is time for sowing. The best time For this procedure, the end of February - beginning of March is considered.

Many experienced flower growers It is recommended to break the integrity of the seed shell before sowing - rub it with sandpaper, cut it with a knife, pierce it with a needle. However, as practice shows, well-swollen seeds germinate successfully even without these procedures, and in the absence of experience they are very easy to damage.

Features of sowing

The container for sowing date seeds can be a small plastic container or individual pots about 8 cm high. Nutrient substrate prepared from turf soil, humus, sand and peat (2: 2: 4: 2) with the addition of a small amount charcoal. The seeds are planted vertically, covering them with a layer of soil about 1 cm thick. The surface of the substrate is covered with sphagnum moss or the container is covered with a transparent film. While waiting for germination, the crops are kept warm (about +25 °C), maintaining soil moisture. Date seeds are difficult to germinate; the process can take from 3 to 6 months.

Recipe for the occasion::

With the appearance of the first shoots, the shelter is removed, and when the seedlings grow to a height of 10–15 cm, they are transferred to permanent place. The composition of the substrate does not change, but the capacity should be higher - about 10–12 cm. Required condition for the full development of palms - good drainage.

Conditions of detention

A gardener who wants to grow a real date palm needs to be patient. Young plants do not look very impressive, and for them to become a luxurious element of the interior, at least 5 years must pass. In the meantime, the pet is growing and becoming prettier, it should be provided with proper care:

• The pot with a young palm tree must be systematically (preferably every 10–15 days) rotated 180° around its own axis so that all leaves are equally illuminated. From prolonged exposure to shade, leaf blades become brittle and elongated, develop unevenly and gradually stop growing. In addition, uneven lighting can cause a palm tree to grow lopsided and unstable.
• It is very important to protect your pet from drafts, which are harmful to her.
• Normal room temperature from +22 to +26 °C is quite comfortable for palm trees. With sufficient humidity, it easily tolerates heat up to +35 °C. In winter, if possible, it is recommended to reduce the temperature to +18 °C.
• The soil under the tree should always be slightly moist, so it is very important to properly organize the watering regime. IN summer time the procedure is carried out at least 3-4 times a week; in winter, 1-2 times every 7-10 days will be enough. For irrigation, it is recommended to use settled, warm (about +20 °C), preferably non-chlorinated water.
• The date palm is also sensitive to ambient humidity. Every day the crown of the tree must be sprayed with a spray bottle and the leaves must be wiped from dust with a damp sponge, and once a week the plant is given a warm shower, during which the soil is covered with polyethylene. Regular water procedures not only provide the pet with a well-groomed appearance, but also serve effective measure against insect pest attacks.

Note! It is strictly forbidden to trim or break off the crown of a palm tree, since it is the only point of growth of the tree.

In the spring, when it gets significantly warmer outside, it is useful to take home dates out into the open air. The “walk” time is increased gradually, but the tree can be left in the garden or on the balcony at night only when the danger of return frosts has completely passed. On outdoors It is recommended to place a young palm tree in light shade from buildings or spreading trees, so that tender leaves were not harmed by the burning rays. Despite the fact that in natural conditions The date spends most of its life under scorching sun, an indoor tree may not survive such a test.

Top dressing

In the warm season, dates are fed with complete complex fertilizer every 2 weeks. For this purpose, special fertilizers for palm trees or for decorative deciduous crops, which can be purchased at a flower shop, are suitable. The palm tree also responds gratefully to the application of potassium nitrate dissolved in irrigation water in a ratio of 10 g / 10 l. In winter, the plant enters a period of natural dormancy, and its development slows down; the supply of food at this time is completely canceled.

Transfer

Palm trees under 5 years of age are replanted annually, choosing a larger pot (3–4 cm). Mature trees are “relocated” to a new container as the root system grows, but not more than once every 2 years. You can determine that the plant has become cramped in the old pot by the roots emerging from the drainage hole. If there is no particular need for the procedure, then a layer of depleted soil 4–5 cm thick is simply removed from under an adult date and the free space is filled with fertile substrate.

Regardless of age, the date palm tree is very painful to transplant, so it should be done with the utmost caution:

• A day before the procedure, the soil under the palm tree should be shed generously with warm water to make it easier to remove the tree from the container.
• A drainage layer is placed in a pre-selected new pot, a little soil is added, and then the plant is transferred into it, trying not to damage the old earthen ball and root system. Take care of the top!
• After transshipment, the voids are filled with fresh soil mixture, lightly compacted and watered.

Replanting a date is a rather complicated procedure, especially if the tree is mature and heavy. In cases where it is problematic to remove the palm tree from the pot without damaging the roots, it is better to sacrifice the container and break it.

Possible problems

Despite the fact that the date palm is not too capricious, not every gardener can avoid difficulties in the process of growing it. In order to notice and eliminate the problem in time, you need to carefully observe the appearance of your pet:

Only surrounded by care and attention, the date palm quickly grows and after a few years turns into an exotic beauty, allowing you to turn the most ordinary room into a real cozy oasis.

Product Matrix: 🥄

The date palm is a great opportunity to decorate any room, be it ordinary apartment or office. This idea can be implemented in several ways. The easiest way is to purchase a plant that has the appropriate size and appearance. However, growing a date palm on your own will bring much more joy to a person. Naturally, to do this, you will first have to get acquainted with the agricultural technology of working in our climate, which is an order of magnitude different from the tropics.

Selection of seeds and their preparation for planting

Regardless of the tree that you are going to grow at home, the first thing you need to do is prepare planting material and provide it with favorable conditions for development. If you want to get a beautiful date palm from a pit, you should choose a variety that can grow in indoors. To do this, you do not have to seek help from specialists, since any dates that have not undergone heat treatment are suitable for this.

Most suitable planting material are fresh dates. You don’t need photos for this, because if you don’t have them, you can replace them with dry fruits, which can be found at any market.

When choosing dried dates for growing ornamental palm trees, it doesn’t hurt to first ask the seller if they were boiled in sugar syrup. You should not buy fruits that have undergone such heat treatment, since the seeds taken from them will not germinate.

Preparation of planting material

When you have seeds, you can start preparing them for planting:

One more way can be proposed to speed up the ripening process. To do this, the prepared bones are placed in hot water, heated to a temperature of 80 degrees, and kept in it for one to two minutes. A sign that the seeds are ready for planting will be their swelling.

Conditions for growing date palms

The photo of the tree should make it clear that growing a beautiful date tree is not so easy as you need to be careful at every stage.

Even before you plant the seeds in the soil, you need to decide important questions:

• find a suitable room where the date palm will grow best;
• find a container of suitable size;
• prepare the ground.

Considering that the natural habitat of palm trees is the tropics, they can grow well with sufficient lighting and air humidity. But this should not be considered as a recommendation that in the tub you need to create conditions reminiscent of a swamp. For normal development Date seedlings must not only be watered frequently, but also be provided with direct sunlight for at least three to four hours a day. The most favorable conditions for growing date palms can be created on the south side.

However, keep in mind that the date palm is a fairly tall tree that can reach up to 30 meters. But it is unlikely to grow as high in room conditions, usually its height is limited to 2–3 meters. Moreover, to reach such a mark, it will take at least 5 years. To avoid delays in palm development must be ensured optimal quantity lighting throughout life. In the first years, it is allowed to grow young shoots in a pot on the windowsill. However, when the seedling matures, you will have to find a suitable place for it, well lit by the sun.

You can grow date palms in any suitable sized pots. But we must remember that in the first years of life they form a root, after which they form leaves. Growing palm trees begins with planting seeds in a common bed, from which the seedlings are planted in separate tubs.

The soil

To plant seeds you will need soil of a suitable composition. The easiest way to buy it is at a flower shop. However, this must be a special soil, where there is an indication “for palm trees”. If you want to be sure of the quality of the planting soil, it is recommended to prepare it yourself.

A good base for soil will be raw sawdust, peat and sand, taken in equal quantities. Other types of soil looseners, such as perlite, are also suitable for this. Before filling the pot with soil mixture, drainage is placed at the bottom. Subsequently, when the palm tree continues to mature, it must be replanted, each time preparing new soil.

Stages of transplanting a date palm from a seed at home: from seed to palm

Proper preparation of seeds before planting is certainly an important step. However, this does not guarantee that they will grow into strong beautiful plants. If you do not follow the care rules at one of the subsequent stages, then at any moment the tree may wither and die. This can be avoided if you carry out the following activities throughout the life of the plant:

Specimens at the age of 5 years must be replanted every year. Subsequently, replanting is carried out taking into account the size of the plants. This can be determined by the roots sticking out of the ground.

When the time comes for replanting, it is imperative to shorten the felt layer formed by the roots. This will prepare the young palm tree for artificial growing conditions, thereby increasing its survival rate.

Home date palms: photos

Rules for caring for a date tree

If you want to enjoy appearance date palm, you will have to provide appropriate care. Considering that she is used to growing in the tropics, the following will be useful for her:

• sunlight;
• moderate humidity;
• soft loose soil;
• periodic shower, which can be replaced by wiping the leaves with a damp cloth;
• high temperature;
• space. It is possible to grow a date palm only if there is a large enough free area so that light reaches it from all directions.

Other factors that are not included in this list are harmful to the palm tree. You can determine the deterioration of a tree by changes in leaves. They usually turn black. Most probable cause This is due to lack of sunlight or poor watering. It should also be taken into account that the plant can be affected by disease if there is a draft from the window in the room. For this reason, you need to ensure that there are no sudden temperature fluctuations in the room.

Having realized that the plant has begun to feel worse, you need to immediately take urgent measures to correct the situation. It can often be helped by increasing the air humidity, which can be done by spraying it with plain water from a spray bottle.

Conclusion

The date palm is interesting not only because it is a representative of a tropical climate, but also because of its original appearance. Even at a height of 2–3 meters, it can make the interior of any room attractive.. Growing dates at home is not so difficult if you start paying attention to the plant from the stage of sowing the seeds. It is important to remember that a date palm will only grow well if it is given enough space. Therefore, at the moment when she becomes high enough, it is necessary to find her optimal place, where she will not feel constrained.