In our time, indoor palm trees have become very popular. Tropical or subtropical tree will decorate any interior, creating the feeling of a jungle or a small green oasis. The palm family has over 3402 species and 185 genera. Woody plants are represented by two large groups with a difference in leaf shape:

1. Pinnate (for example: coconut, howea, dates);
2. Fan leaves (for example: chamerops, trachyaprus).

Like any plant, representatives of the palm family need certain conditions in order to develop and grow well.

For the peoples of the world, the palm branch has, and had different meanings:

• in ancient China, this plant carries a symbol of dignity and fertility;
• in the Arabian state - is associated with the tree of life;
• in Christianity - a symbol of immortality, divine blessing and eden, victory over death;
• in the early period of Catholicism, it is a funerary symbol.

A branch of a palm tree is also present in the emblematic symbolism of ancient peoples. In the modern world, a palm branch is also used in heraldry: Bolivia, Cuba, Cyprus, Sierra Leone and so on. Here it symbolizes the territorial location of states and their economic priorities.

Basic conditions for growing palm houses

Is it possible to grow your palm tree at home, in an ordinary apartment? Can. And it is quite within the power of anyone who loves green pets. The main requirements for normal plant growth include:

• Bright room, diffused light (dries out in a dark place).
• Compliance with the temperature regime: without sudden changes. No drafts.
• Being near other plants is not welcome - the palm tree is a single plant.
• Compliance with the rules of watering and humidity. If the air is dry, it is recommended to regularly spray the leaves on both sides with warm water. It is also recommended to wipe the leaves with a damp sponge dipped in water. As a prophylaxis against pests, you can use a weak decoction of chamomile.
• Regular fertilization of plants during growth (from March to September) - once a week, in autumn - 2 times a month, in winter - 1 time per month.
• For young plants, top dressing is carried out 6 months after transplantation, using conventional fertilizers for flowers.

Transfer

The date palm will perfectly complement any interior. This tropical plant with a chic crown, feathery bright green leaves pleases the eye and looks unusual. And most importantly, this beauty is easy to grow in apartment conditions.

This variety of palm in the world has about a dozen species. And only four of them are grown in our country. The most common type is the date palm. Unfortunately, the palm tree will not bear fruit in the apartments, since the air temperature must be at least 36 ° C.

A plant can be grown at home in two ways: by layering (but it is worth considering that it is very difficult to find the desired palm shoot) or grow your own tree from a fresh date or dried fruit. Below we will talk about the second method of growing a room date palm at home, from a seed, with recommendations for planting, transplanting and caring for photos and videos.

Preparatory work, planting and transplanting plants

To increase the chances of a positive result, it is better to prepare several seeds for planting, given that the germination percentage ranges from 40 to 60 percent. In order for the seed to germinate faster, it is necessary to clean it from the pulp, so as not to provoke the process of decay in the soil. The bone must be washed and dried.

Then the seed is placed in a small container, poured with warm water, and placed under direct sunlight or on a battery for a couple of days, periodically changing the water.

When the bone swells, transplant into pots. Before planting, you need to mix sawdust and sand in equal parts, and add this mixture to a pot filled with peat.

Watering. After that, the pot is cleaned in a warm place, the air temperature is not lower than 25 ° C and watered regularly. To achieve the best result, you can make an imitation of the greenhouse effect - cover the container with a transparent film.

Bones germinate, as a rule, in one and a half to two months. By this time, the sprout must be transplanted into a larger pot (300 ml). And slightly change the composition of the soil: four parts of sand, two parts of turf, peat, humus and one part of charcoal. The bottom must be covered with drainage (small pebbles or expanded clay). A pot with a planted sprout is placed in a well-lit place, avoiding direct sunlight. The plant is regularly watered and sprayed.

In order for the plant to please the happy grower with its appearance for a long time, you need to know how to properly care for the date palm at home. Pots with a palm tree need to be rotated periodically. Otherwise, the light will be distributed unevenly. It is important to water the plant regularly. It is not worth over-wetting the soil. In the warm season, when the plant is actively growing, watering is supplemented with special top dressing, which can be easily purchased at the store. You need to do this once a week. In winter, it is enough to feed a palm tree no more than once a month. If brown spots appear on the plant, then the soil is very waterlogged. If the leaves turn yellow, then there is not enough moisture. Do not forget about spraying with water from a spray bottle.

Although the date loves good lighting, burns should not be allowed on the plant. The presence of pale leaves indicates that the palm tree should be removed from direct sunlight.

To combat bugs and other pests, the stem and leaves are wiped with a sponge dipped in a solution of laundry soap, or the plant is sprayed with garlic infusion. It is not worth trimming the branches of a palm tree, since its growth occurs at the top of the trunk. The first 5 years, the date is transplanted once a year. Then every three years. It is not difficult to understand that it is time to transplant the plant: the root system completely fills the pot.

Date lovers, eating amazing fruits, probably think - can a date palm grow from a seed? If so, will it look like a plant growing in nature?

It is realistic to grow a homemade date from a seed, but such a palm tree in an apartment will never bear fruit.

It will fit perfectly into a modern interior, will not require enhanced care, and some plants will even begin to bloom, so why not try it?

Date home palm tree - photo of cozy interiors

The desire to have a home greenhouse very often arises after a bright vacation among exotic nature. It will never be possible to fully implement the idea of ​​a winter garden in an ordinary standard apartment, but a few unusual indoor plants can become an excellent decor, decoration for a living room, bedroom or kitchen.

As can be seen from the photo, the date palm in the interior requires a lot of space, since the plant has branches that are both high and wide. To create real tropics at home, an adult palm tree should be placed only in those rooms where there is not a lot of furniture.

The date in the interior will not look spectacular if you put it in the corners or too close to the walls. For the interior of rooms in a Mediterranean or nautical style, this houseplant is the most ideal option.

A properly selected pot will add style - it can be both stylized medieval barrels and specially aged clay flowerpots. If your apartment has small rooms, then this is not at all a reason to refuse an interesting experiment - to grow a date palm from a stone.

It will grow for a long time, the plant does not belong to those species that stretch out in a year or two, so in the first years there will be enough space for it on the windowsill.

Then it will be possible to give it to relatives, friends, or take it to work - there is usually always enough space in offices. It is also possible that after some time your living situation will improve and you will already have a wonderful decoration for your new home!

Believe me: it is very interesting to watch the gradual transformation of the palm tree every day, how the leaves appear, how they increase, how the seedling completely changes.

Date palm from the stone - photo

See what a date palm will look like at home so you don't have to worry that your pet is growing slowly. Fans of indoor plants, who have learned how to grow a palm tree from a date seed, are happy to share photos of their favorites:

This is how the date palm looks at the age of 2-3 years, it is not very beautiful yet.

These palms are about 5 years old: already have feathery leaves, but not enough height.

The date from the stone will be obtained only if it has not undergone heat treatment. Both fresh fruits brought from vacation and dried fruits from the store are suitable for this.

For the sake of experiment, many simply try to stick a bone into a flower pot and surprisingly: it usually takes root. In an apartment, this can take up to 5-6 months, is it possible to speed up the process?

How to sprout a date seed:

1. The bones must be thoroughly cleaned and washed so that the process of decay does not begin in the soil. In the washed form, they should lie down for a day until the next stage - soaking.

2. The date seed is very hard. To speed up the germination time of the bone, a variety of methods are used:

- its surface is scratched or rubbed with sandpaper for faster penetration of water inside;

- incisions are made so that the shell splits more easily;

- for this, you can simply scald the bone with hot water.

3. The most effective soaking is with cotton wool. A piece of cotton wool in a small container (for example, in a plate) is abundantly moistened with water, a bone is placed on it, covered with another layer of moistened cotton wool on top to prevent rapid evaporation of moisture. Cotton wool can be replaced with gauze, sawdust, hydrogel.

4. Germination requires a high temperature, so the container with cotton wool can be placed on the battery. Every day you need to look after the moisture content of cotton wool and add a little water.

5. When the bone swells well, it can be transplanted into the ground.

Thanks to soaking, several months are saved. The best time to start germination is February-March. Even if you want to grow only one date from a seed, you need to take several seeds. Some sprouts will die due to diseases or your inept actions during transplantation, so a safety net will not hurt.

How to grow date palm from seed further:

1. All seeds are immersed in the prepared soil (land from the forest, peat or a mixture of earth with sawdust) vertically to a depth equal to one and a half seed lengths.

2. The container with the earth is placed in a warm place. See that the earth is constantly moistened.

3. The first sprouts can be seen in 1-3 months. When their length reaches 10-15 cm, each sprout will need to be transplanted into a separate pot with a diameter of about 10 cm. The pot should not be too wide, its height is important, since the dates will have long roots.

4. At the bottom of the pot, there must be good drainage (expanded clay, charcoal, pebbles), since stagnant water is detrimental to the plant. Special soil for palm trees is bought or the soil is mixed independently, it is taken:

- clay-turf land - 2 parts;

- humus-leaf land - 2 parts;

- peat - 1 part;

- rotted manure - 1 part;

- sand - 1 part.

The small palm will need to be repotted every year, always increasing the size of the pot a little. The plant has very delicate roots, so transplanting should be done by transshipment to avoid damage to the root system.

Date palm at home - how to care for and transplant

It is pleasant and prestigious to have an exotic palm tree at home, because an adult houseplant is expensive. Growing a date from a seed is an excellent way out for everyone who does not have the opportunity to purchase a grown seedling, but not everyone can do it.

Why does not every plant look like in our photos? The main reason that the sprout did not become a tall and lush tree is that complete information on the care of this exotic plant was not received in time.

We offer short instructions on:

• The temperature in the room where the pet will stand should be moderate 16-20°C. Near heating appliances do not need to be placed, so as not to provoke the death of the plant. In summer, the best place is outdoors without drafts.
• Humidity in the room should be within 50%. Spraying the leaves will increase it, this can be done up to several times a day.
• Lighting should be sufficient so that the leaves do not become brittle, elongated. Even direct sunlight is possible. The pot should be periodically unrolled to form a uniform beautiful crown.
• Watering is plentiful - only in summer, at this time you can leave water even in the pan. In winter, watering is the most minimal. It is necessary to strictly control so that there is no overdrying of the coma, but also water does not stagnate due to poor drainage.
• Transshipment is the only way to transplant. Everyone is looking for information on how to plant a date seed, but then they forget that up to 5 years the plant needs to be replanted every year. A large palm tree requires a transplant as the roots grow.
• Spraying and rubbing the leaves will increase the moisture and give the plant a beautiful appearance. Once a week it is desirable to transfer it to the shower, but it is necessary to carefully protect the earthen ball from excess moisture.
• Fertilizers (mineral and organic) are introduced in sufficient quantities during the period of active growth - from March to September weekly, and once a month in winter.

A date palm from a stone can both decorate a house and completely destroy coziness and comfort. When a plant is sick, it looks very unsightly - the leaves turn yellow, darken, fall off, the trunks become soft, a putrid smell appears. Diseases arise from improper care or due to pest attacks. Help your pet: how to deal with these problems on our website there is detailed information.

To date, it has become popular to decorate houses, offices and administrative institutions with exotic plants. Most often, palm trees are preferred, as the plant is quite decorative and without flowering. In this article, we will talk about the date palm, whether it is possible to grow a palm tree from a date seed and how to do it.

Soil for planting

For seed germination, experienced growers advise using a mixture of peat and sand. After transplanting a sprouted plant, the substrate must be replaced with a more suitable one. There are soils for palm plants on sale, but it is better to prepare the soil yourself by adding all the substances necessary for the development of the plant.

So, we prepare the soil for the date palm from the following components:

• A mixture of clay-turf land - two parts;
• A mixture of humus with leafy soil - two parts;
• Sand, peat - one part each;
• A good pinch of charcoal.

Important! A good drainage layer is a prerequisite for growing. You can use expanded clay or pebbles, any other material.

How to prepare dates for planting

We will figure out which seeds are suitable for planting and how to prepare in order to successfully germinate a date seed. A stone for planting is best taken from a fresh fruit, but it can also be from a dry one - in this case, ask if the dates have been heat treated. If not, the bones are suitable; if so, such a bone will not rise.

Prepare about eight seeds, flesh aside, wash and dry the seeds. It is better to plant a date palm from a stone at home in the winter - at this time the plant does not need as much sunlight as in a further period of development.

The bones should be soaked in warm water for several days and put in a warm place (you can attach it to or near the heater), change the water daily. Option two: wrap the bone in several layers of moistened cotton wool or gauze.

Then, in one or two areas of the surface of the seed, make punctures (according to some recommendations, cuts are made on the bone) so that water gets inside and stimulates germination. Leave it in the water for another three to four days. Seeds are ready to plant when they are slightly swollen.

Planting date seeds in the ground

Next, we will consider in detail how to plant a date seed. To germinate the seeds, we take a common container, plant six to eight seeds at some distance from each other in the prepared soil. The substrate described above is prepared for an already sprouted plant, the bone can be germinated in a mixture of earth and sawdust.

Planting depth should be equal to the length of the seed plus half. Landing is carried out in moist soil, watering is not carried out from above. The container with crops must be placed in a warm place.

How to plant a date palm from seeds - figured it out, now you need to create all the conditions for the plant.

Did you know? Date palms are masculine and feminine. "Men" differ in the type and shape of flowers. Ancient people knew: for a large harvest, one male copy is needed for a couple of dozen female ones, while one palm tree gives up to 250 kg of dates.

Conditions for germination and care of crops

If the substrate is moist, the first shoots will appear in one to three months. The substrate must be precisely moistened, so it is better to moisten it by spraying, and not by watering, like an adult plant.

Sprouts that have grown a strong leaf of four centimeters, it's time to transplant into separate pots. The pots should be tall, designed for the long roots of the plant, the width does not play a role. Drainage is necessarily placed at the bottom: small pebbles, pebbles, expanded clay.

It is not difficult to grow a date palm into an adult lush plant: provide it with the right care from a small, from seedlings. The date is photophilous, the lighting should be bright and constant. Choose a room with windows facing west, south, east.

A sharp change in temperature, excessive moisture in the soil is detrimental to date palm seedlings.

Did you know? In countries with a dry, hot climate, dates have long been called "bread of the desert." Going on long trips, be sure to take a few bags of these fruits with you. Eating dates alone can saturate the body with moisture, and all the necessary nutrients and vitamins.

How to care for seedlings

In nature, date palms grow in conditions of tropical heat and often drought, but how do dates grow at home? A palm tree needs light, all its leaves are drawn to the light, so the pot with seedlings must be regularly turned towards the sun with each side of it, otherwise the foliage will stretch unevenly.

Dry air is contraindicated for the plant, which means that in winter we remove the plant away from batteries and other heating devices. In the summer, the plant must be taken out to fresh air, gradually hardening.

When weather permits, ventilate the room where the palm tree is growing. In extreme heat, spray the foliage and airspace around the palm tree. Warm shower procedures once a week are not prohibited, the only condition is well-covered ground.

Important! When watering, observe the measure - you need to water when the top layer of soil dries. In case of overflow, the plant will hurt, its roots do not tolerate excess moisture. Water for irrigation should be free from chlorine and other hard impurities.

For successful cultivation at home, a date palm must be fed twice a month in warm seasons, and once a month in the winter season. For this, both mineral fertilizers and organic matter are used.

In gardening stores you can buy ready-made complex dressings balanced for palm plants. For dates, it is desirable to use water-soluble preparations.

Adult plants for proper growth and giving them a decorative look will need to be cut regularly. There are a few simple rules here: remove the number of leaves equal to what has grown in a year, no more; remove damaged and lower drooping leaves.

At the beginning of palm formation, all side shoots are removed - the plant should have one strong central stem. You can not cut the top of the palm tree - this will lead to death.

The date palm is a plant of the palm family. In total there are about 20 species. It grows mainly in Africa and Eurasia. This plant has been known to mankind for over two thousand years. The first mention dates back to the VI century BC - already at that time the date palm was grown in Mesopotamia (the territory of modern Iraq).

The tree belongs to the feathery species of palm trees. In nature, it can reach up to 30 m. The fruits of the date palm are a well-known and beloved delicacy grown on an industrial scale by many. The juice is used to make sugar. However, indoor date palms have long gained popularity, interest in which has especially increased when it became known that they can be successfully grown from date pits. But before growing a date from a seed, you need to know the conditions for growing a plant in nature.

Growing conditions

In nature, it is a squat shrub or tree with feathery leaves, which are the main decorative advantage of this plant. A date palm at home from a seed can only grow up to 2 meters, but even in this case, this houseplant will require a significant amount of space. Indoors, an adult tree is placed in spacious rooms where there is little furniture. But if it is grown from a seed, you can always allocate space for a small pot at home, because the date will grow for quite a long time.

The date palm blooms in panicles of yellow flowers. But eating dates from this tree will not work: this exotic tree begins to bloom and bear fruit when it reaches a height of 15 meters, which, of course, is simply impossible at home.

Growing date palm from seed

How to grow a date palm from seed? First of all, planting material should be prepared for planting. For reliability, it is advisable to plant several seeds at once. Then prepare the soil for planting. Bones from fresh, dried or candied dates may come up - the most important thing is that the fruits are not subjected to early heat treatment. To get soil suitable for seed germination, sand, raw sawdust and peat should be mixed in equal parts.

The bones are placed vertically in the ground, a layer of 1 cm of the same substrate is poured on top. The container or pot is placed in a fairly warm place where the air temperature is more than 20-25 ºC. It is necessary to ensure that the soil is moist at all times, but not wet. It is recommended to keep it close to a heat source. No need to wait for quick results: the stone in the ground can sit and swell until the sprout appears for 3 or even 6 months.

When the sprouts appear, the container must be transferred to a bright light, but at the same time, the seedlings should be protected from direct rays. The soil should be regularly moistened, and the seedlings should be sprayed with warm water. When the seedlings grow to 10-15 cm, they must be planted in separate pots, the diameter of which is 15 cm. The soil should consist of 4 parts of humus, 1 part of peat soil and two parts of sand, leaf and sod land. You can also add 2 handfuls of charcoal to the mixture. Before planting, everything is thoroughly mixed. Don't forget to put a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot.

A date palm at home from a seed can give leaves only after 3 or even 5 years. The growing point of the plant is located at the top of the trunk, so it should not be cut off or in any way attempted to form the crown of the tree. You need to make sure that the new leaf arrow is turned into a shadow. Also, turn the pot from time to time so that the crown forms evenly.

Date palm from the stone: care

Caring for a home tree is quite simple. It must be kept in a bright, sunny and well-ventilated area. In summer, the air temperature can be any, and in winter - not lower than 12-13 ºC, but not more than 18 ºC.

In the heat, the leaves of the plant can dry out at the ends, so it is advisable to spray them several times a day or wipe them with a wet sponge, and organize a shower for the plant once a week.

In summer, the palm tree should be fed weekly with mineral and organic fertilizers, in the fall it should be fertilized once every two weeks. In winter, it is enough to apply complex fertilizer once a month.

Watering

A date grown from a stone at home requires regular, balanced watering with settled soft water. Balanced watering involves moistening the soil so that the plant has enough moisture, but no more. In order for excess moisture not to stagnate in the roots, you must not forget to lay a thick drainage layer in the pot when transplanting.

Transfer

Young plants that have not reached the age of five are transplanted annually, and those that are older - if necessary, because this tree does not like to be disturbed. When transplanting, they act very carefully so that the root of the date palm is not damaged. The best way to do this is to use the transfer of the plant from the old container to the new one. The pot should be deep enough, as it has long roots, and each next flowerpot should be 3 or even 4 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. If the old container for the palm tree is still fit, but the soil has already lost its useful qualities for the plant, when transplanting, you should carefully remove the top layer of the old substrate and replace it with a fresh one. This is done every six months.

reproduction

At home, the date palm is propagated only by seeds - seeds.

Pests

Most often, the date palm at home from the stone, in violation of the conditions of detention, suffers from the following pests:

• spider mite;
• scale insects;
• mealybugs.

The best way to deal with pests is to correct care mistakes. Removal of insects and tree-destroying traces of their vital activity is best done mechanically by wiping the leaves with a soap and vodka solution. It is prepared as follows: 15 g of any liquid soap, dishwashing detergent or grated solid soap dissolved in warm water is taken and diluted in one liter of warm water. Next, 2 tbsp is added to the solution. spoons of vodka. If necessary, the processing of the leaves is repeated, only you need to remember to protect the soil from the solution getting into it. In case of severe pest infestation, insecticide treatment should be resorted to, the best of which is Aktellik.

Diseases

The date palm, grown at home from the stone, is prone to the following diseases:

• spotting, which disfigures the leaf plate;
• pink rot, affecting both leaves and stem, and causing them to rot.

Fortunately, only sick and weak plants are susceptible to infection with these diseases, therefore, the key to the health of a date is, first of all, compliance with the rules of care. If the date palm, grown from the stone at home, is sick, it is necessary to carry out a double treatment with a fungicide that contains methyl thiophanate and mancozeb.

Why does the date palm begin to dry?

Sometimes the leaves of the plant begin to dry from the tips. This indicates that in the room where the tree is located, the air humidity is low (the normal figure is 50%). There are many ways to increase it to the desired value. Spray and wash the leaves, otherwise the plant will lose its decorative appeal, and it will be a pity for wasted time and effort. Remember, the date palm, grown from the stone at home, dries up only in negligent owners.

Why does the date palm turn yellow?

The reason is irregular spraying of the leaves of the plant, insufficient watering.

Why do date palm leaves turn dark?

If the soil in the pot where the exotic date palm from the stone grows is subjected to constant waterlogging, the leaves gradually begin to darken, turn brown, the plant trunk becomes soft, and the smell of rot emanates from the tree. In this case, stop watering, remove it from the pot and inspect the roots: if they are dark, soft and watery, the palm tree has already died. But if there are still living roots between the rotten roots, then you need to cut off the dead roots, sprinkle the cuts with crushed coal, and then transplant the plant into fresh soil.

The date palm does not grow

As already mentioned, the temperature in a room with a palm tree should not be below 12 ºC in winter. At other times of the year, it is not lower than 18-20 ºC, since root growth stops at 16-17 ºC, root activity slows down significantly, and the palm tree cannot absorb the necessary nutrients. This is what causes growth to stop.

It can cause stunting and high acidity of the soil, which causes a lack of iron and manganese, therefore it is quite important to adhere to the correct temperature regime, as well as maintain soil acidity (pH below 7 units).

So, we looked at how to grow a date palm from a seed. There is nothing complicated about this, and the decorative qualities of the plant, of course, are worth all the effort spent. The tree can perfectly fit into a modern interior.