Date tree from the pit. How to grow dates at home from seeds? How to grow a date palm from a seed

Date palm- this is an excellent 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 suitable sizes 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 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

A photo of a tree should make it clear that it is beautiful. date tree It is not so easy to grow because you need to be careful at every stage.

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

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

Considering that natural environment The 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 the normal development of date seedlings, it is necessary not only to carry out frequent watering, but also provide 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 suitable place, 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 a palm tree begins with planting seeds on common garden bed, from which the seedlings are already planted in separate tubs.

Soil

To plant seeds you will need soil 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 quality planting soil, it is recommended to prepare it yourself.

A good base for the 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 conditions cultivation, thereby increasing its survival rate.

Home date palms: photos

Rules for caring for a date tree

If you want to enjoy the appearance of your date palm, then you will have to provide proper 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 regime;
• 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 a disadvantage 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 ordinary 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.

IN natural conditions date palm grows in Africa, South America and Arabia. It belongs to the cirrus palms. Growing such a tree at home is not very difficult. But you won’t be able to get its fruits.

The dates sold in the store are harvested from the common date. A tree or bush grows 15 m in height, but can reach thirty meters. The size of the beautiful feathery leaves reaches 5 m. They are renewed: the old ones fall off, and new ones grow in return. Gradually, the leaves remain only at the top of the tree, and the straight trunk becomes covered with longitudinal scars left from fallen leaves.

Date palm blossoms in natural conditions yellow flowers, collected in an inflorescence-panicle.

The fruits of the date palm hang down in whole bunches. At home, in desert oases, his life passes in difficult climatic conditions. To extract moisture from the soil, its thick roots penetrate to great depths. At the same time, the water temperature there is quite low. At this time, the top of the palm tree is constantly under the scorching rays of the sun. These conditions are common for the date palm. They ensure the active growth and fruiting of the tree.

At home, Canary date palm and Robelena palm are usually grown. Of course, its dimensions will be much more modest. After all, it is unlikely that it will be possible to create conditions close to natural even in a greenhouse. But even a relatively short palm tree sometimes grows to such a size that it does not fit in the room. The Canary palm tree grows and develops much faster than a tree obtained from a “store-bought” seed.

You can grow a date palm from store-bought fruit seeds. Fruits that cannot be cooked are suitable for this purpose. Usually they are planted not just one, but several, for guarantee. Seeds removed from the fruit can be immediately placed in the soil without drying or stratification. You can soak it for a day in warm water. This will allow you to remove any remaining pulp from their surface. The water is changed several times.

Landing Features:

• It is better to scarify (break) the outer shell, but so that the seed inside is not damaged. This will facilitate and speed up the germination of the sprout from the shell. Each of them must be placed in a separate pot. This will help avoid injury to the roots during replanting.
• The soil for germination is taken special for palm trees or vermiculite is used. You can prepare it yourself by mixing peat in equal proportions with ordinary soil or sawdust.
• The pot must have drainage holes. But they need to be covered with large stones. If this is not done, the roots will quickly find the holes and grow into them. This will complicate the process of replanting the palm tree. After all, its roots are very fragile. The plant may die from their damage.
• Moisten the soil and place date seeds in it. The planting depth is equal to one and a half of its length. Install them vertically.
• The optimal temperature for germination is up to 30°C. At this temperature the soil high content the peat dries out quickly and the sprout dries up.
• Keep it hydrated at all times. It is good to cover it, which retains moisture, or cover it with glass. The soil should not be wet, just damp.

A sprout from the seed may not appear soon; the first ones will appear on the surface in about 2 weeks. But sometimes you have to wait six months. Therefore, there is no need to rush to throw away the pot. If the seeds are germinated in vermiculite all together, you need to take the opportunity to plant them in separate containers.

At first, the vegetation emerging from the palm's growing point bears little resemblance to palm leaves. They are thin and narrow, similar to shoots. Cats love them, so you need to protect the sprout from being close to them. Only in the 4th year of the plant’s life do the shoots begin to turn into feathery leaves.

Growing conditions and care tips:

1. A pot with a palm tree is placed on sunny place. This may be a south or southeast window. Do not allow the earthen clod to dry out completely. This can cause it to dry out.
2. The plant is regularly rotated so that all its sides are exposed to sunlight. If the leaves don't get enough light, they will become brittle. And they will begin to form more on one side, spoiling the shape of the crown. Each time a leaf arrow appears, turn the plant so that it is directed towards the room.
3. Do not place a pot with a date palm in a draft. But the room must be well ventilated.
4. It is a mistake to think that the date palm requires intense heat to grow and develop. The temperature regime for palm trees in summer is 15-20°C. In winter it is even lower, the temperature can be lowered to 12°C.
5. Water the palm tree with soft water. It is better to defend it by waiting until the temperature reaches 18°C. It is unacceptable to water the palm tree with chlorinated water. The amount of moisture should be moderate. Do not overwater the plant. In spring and summer they add more water, in winter – less.
6. The humidity in the room where the date palm grows should be 50%. Date palm leaves are regularly moistened by spraying water from a sprayer or rinsing with a soft sponge. Once a week, give the plant a shower, covering the soil plastic film from water ingress. Of course, this only applies to small plants that can be brought into the bathroom.
7. If the room temperature in summer is below 18°C, then the roots of the date palm stop growing and the plant stops developing. It does not grow even when the soil is too acidic. For normal development, the acidity indicator must be pH 7.0.
8. Feed the date palm with liquid fertilizers weekly in the spring. By autumn, reduce the amount of fertilizing. In winter, it is enough to fertilize once a month.
9. You cannot shape the tree crown. The only point of its growth is the top.

The roots of the date palm are very fragile. Therefore, it is transplanted by transferring it from a smaller pot to another, the diameter of which is 3-5 cm larger than the previous one. The first time this procedure is performed is a month and a half after the sprout appears on the soil surface. You can carefully remove the seed and transplant it along with the sprout into another container. To prevent the roots from being injured, it is better to take the entire contents of a small pot and transfer it to a new, larger one. The resulting holes near the walls are filled with prepared soil. This could be a palm compound mixed with vermiculite. You can mix part by part peat, turf, humus and sand (2 parts), add a handful of charcoal.

The new pot with the transplanted plant is placed in its original place, but the window is covered from direct sunlight during adaptation. Water the soil and spray the above-ground part of the sprout. The next time they are transplanted is another month and a half later. During this time, the plant should grow by approximately 10 cm. The height of the new pot is about 15 cm. A drainage layer is laid at the bottom, this will ensure the outflow of water.

The palm tree must be replanted annually until it reaches the age of five.

Then it becomes problematic. They begin to replant every 3 years, and after reaching 15 years - every 5. Sometimes at this age you can remove top layer soil and replace it with a new one containing nutrients. The roots of the date palm are long, so the pot for it should be high. Each time you replant, increase the thickness of the drainage layer. More turf soil is added to the soil.

Consequences of improper care:

• Sometimes they appear on the leaves of date palms. brown spots. These are signs of chlorosis. They can be caused by watering too much or using hard water. It is necessary to reduce the amount of moisture received by the plant and filter water for irrigation.
• Change in color of leaf tips indicates too dry or cold air, insufficient watering. Having assessed the conditions of detention, change one or more parameters of care.
• If all the leaves turned brown and the trunk became soft, then the roots began to rot. You urgently need to remove the plant from the pot, shake off the soil and carefully examine the roots. Rotten ones are cut off, the cut area is disinfected with crushed charcoal. Prepare new soil and transplant the plant into it. The old soil is thrown away. If there are no living roots, the entire plant is thrown away.
• Palm leaves turn yellow when watering is insufficient. They can go down. White spots appear from burns from direct sunlight. In this case, you need to shade the plant.

Sometimes the date palm is affected by pests that are common to most indoor plants. This spider mite, scale insects and mealybugs. Methods of dealing with them are standard. If it is possible to remove the palm tree from the living space, it can be treated with an insecticide, for example, Actellik or Confidor. If not, treat with a solution of laundry soap, garlic infusion and other folk remedies, removing insects from the plant. In this case, it is necessary to cover the soil from contact with the soap solution. Treatments should be repeated until the pests disappear completely.

Plants adjacent to the palm tree, which can be a breeding ground for pests, are also examined.

Weakened date palms can be affected by fungal diseases: leaf spot and pink rot. Treatment is carried out with fungicides containing the drugs mancozeb and methyl thiophanate. The interval between treatments is a week.

More information can be found in the video:

How to grow a date from a seed

Date lovers, while eating the amazing fruits, are probably wondering - can a date palm grow from a seed? If so, will it look like a plant that grows in nature?

It is possible to grow a homemade date from a seed, but such a palm tree in an apartment will never bear fruit.
She will fit perfectly into modern interior, will not require intensive care and some plants will even begin to bloom, so why not try it?

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

As you can see 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.

Dates in the interior will not look impressive if you place them in corners or too close to the walls. For the interior of rooms in Mediterranean or nautical style This indoor plant is the most ideal option.
A properly selected pot will add style - these can be stylized medieval barrels or specially aged clay flowerpots.

If in your apartment small rooms, then this is not at all a reason to refuse interesting experiment– Grow a date palm from a seed.

It will grow for a long time, the plant is not one of those species that stretches in a year or two, so in the first years there will be enough space for it on the windowsill.
Then you can give it to relatives, friends, or take it to work - in offices there is usually always plenty of space.
Believe me: it is very interesting to watch every day the gradual transformation of a palm tree, how the leaves appear, how they grow, how the seedling completely changes.

See what a date palm will look like at home, so you don’t have to worry that your pet is growing slowly.

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

These palms are about 5 years old: they already have feathery leaves, but lack height.

Tips on how to grow a date palm from a seed

A date from the pit will only work if it has not passed heat treatment. Both fresh fruits brought from vacation and dried fruits from the store are suitable for this.

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

How to germinate a date seed:

1. The seeds must be thoroughly cleaned and washed so that the process of rotting does not begin in the soil. Once washed, they should sit for a day until the next stage - soaking.
2. Date seed is very hard. To speed up the seed germination time, the most various ways:
– scratched or rubbed sandpaper its surface for faster penetration of water;
– cuts are made to make the shell easier to split;
– 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, a plate) is generously moistened with water, a bone is placed on it, and covered with another layer of moistened cotton wool to prevent rapid evaporation of moisture. Cotton wool can be replaced with gauze, sawdust, hydrogel.
4. Germination requires high temperature, so the container with cotton wool can be placed on the battery. Every day you need to monitor the moisture content of the cotton wool and add a little water.
5. When the seed swells well, it can be transplanted into the ground.

Thanks to soaking, several months are saved. Best time to start germination - 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 disease or your inept actions during transplantation, so insurance will not hurt.
How to grow a date palm from a seed further:
1. All seeds are immersed in prepared soil (soil from the forest, peat or a mixture of earth and sawdust) vertically to a depth equal to one and a half lengths of the seed.
2. Place the container with soil in a warm place. Make sure the soil is constantly moist.
3. The first shoots 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 date will have long roots.
4. There must be good drainage at the bottom of the pot (expanded clay, charcoal, pebbles), since stagnation of water is detrimental to the plant. You can buy special soil for palm trees or mix the soil yourself, take:
– clay-turf soil – 2 parts;
– humus-leaf soil – 2 parts;
– peat – 1 part;
– rotted manure – 1 part;
– sand – 1 part.

A small palm tree will need to be replanted every year, always increasing the pot size a little. The plant has very delicate roots, so replanting should be done using the transshipment method to avoid damage to the root system.
Date palm at home - how to care and replant
Have exotic palm at home it is pleasant and prestigious, because an adult indoor plant is expensive. Growing a date from a seed is an excellent solution for everyone who does not have the opportunity to purchase a grown seedling, but not everyone can do it.

Why doesn’t every plant look like in our photos?

The main reason that the sprout did not become a tall and lush tree is that it was not received on time full information data care exotic plant.

The advice is suitable for both adult specimens and seedlings that are only a few years old.

The temperature in the room where the pet will be should be moderate 16-20°C. There is no need to place it near heating devices, so as not to provoke the death of the plant. IN summer period best place– on 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.
The lighting should be sufficient so that the leaves do not become brittle or elongated. Even direct ones are possible sun rays. The pot should be periodically unrolled so that a uniform, beautiful crown is formed.
Water abundantly - only in summer; at this time you can even leave water in the pan. In winter, watering is minimal. It is necessary to strictly control so that the coma does not dry out, but the water does not stagnate due to poor drainage.
Transshipment – the only way transplants. Everyone is looking for information on how to plant a date seed, but then they forget that until the age of 5, the plant needs to be replanted every year. A large palm requires replanting as the roots grow.
Spraying and wiping the leaves will increase humidity and give the plant a beautiful appearance. Once a week it is advisable to take it under the shower, but you must carefully protect the earthen lump from excess moisture.
Fertilizers (mineral and organic) are introduced in sufficient quantities during the period active growth– from March to September weekly, and in winter once a month.

A date palm from a seed can either decorate a home or 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, and a putrid smell appears. Diseases arise from improper care or due to pest attacks. Help your pet: there is detailed information on our website on how to deal with these problems.

Date palm at home

IN wild conditions The date palm grows in India and Africa; scientists know 17 of its species. A tree lives among the hot sand for about 150 years, and during this time many new plants grow around it, growing from its seeds and roots. Is it really possible for a desert palm tree to grow in our apartments without specific care?

Robelena (Phoenix Roebelenii) with a very beautiful dense crown no higher than 1.5-2 meters.
Canary (Phoenix Canariensis) – height up to 2 meters, feathery trunks, hard straight and narrow leaves.
Finger (Phoenix Dactylifera) is the most common form, not very beautiful, but growing relatively quickly. The disadvantage of this plant is that its trunk will gradually become bare over time.

Growing a date at home requires a lot of desire and time, but it can be an excellent hobby for for many years. Many people try to grow date palms from seed; this is an excellent solution for anyone who does not have the opportunity to purchase an adult seedling, which is relatively expensive.

How to care for a date palm

The date tree will not delight you with its beauty for the first five years; decorative value will appear only after 5-7 years. Don’t expect that, having grown a date from a seed, you will be able to have it in just a couple of years. great decor your home.
To decorate your home with an adult indoor date palm, caring for it throughout the years requires several important points:
It must be constantly turned towards the sun so that the sun's rays reach all the leaves. Without light, the leaves stretch, develop unevenly and become brittle.
The plant is very afraid of drafts. When ventilating your home in the autumn-winter period, you need to protect it from cold air currents.
When watering, water should not stagnate at the roots, so good drainage is prerequisite. For irrigation, use settled, soft water without chlorine at a temperature of approximately 20°C.
The leaves need to be sprayed daily, as the tree needs moist air. Once a week, the plant will even need a real shower, but during the procedure, the earthen lump in the pot must be carefully covered with film.
The leaves should also be regularly wiped with damp sponges so that they are not attacked by pests and simply to ensure that the palm tree has a well-groomed appearance.
Under no circumstances should you cut or break off the top of a palm tree. Trimming the top of the stem can result in the death of the plant.
Mineral and organic fertilizers apply twice a month in the warm season and once a month in the winter. Complex preparations for palm trees or decorative foliage indoor plants are suitable. They are applied only to moist soil, in diluted form.

Date palm – replanting, transshipment

The plant often begins to hurt after transplantation. It bears it very hard if everything is done traditional way.

How to replant a date palm, is it necessary to do it at all?

A young date palm (up to 4-5 years old) is replanted annually, and an adult plant - after 2-3 years.

Transplantation is required only when the roots no longer fit in the pot and are clearly visible through the drainage holes, so each replantation (more precisely, transfer) is done into a pot 3-4 cm larger in diameter.

To do this, the bush is carefully transferred into a new container, and the voids are filled with soil.

Experts in caring for date palms at home have noticed: the larger the pot becomes, the more intense the plant begins to grow. But you should not take containers that are too large, as the tree’s growth may stop in them.

For replanting, store-bought soil mixtures “For palm trees” are taken, or the soil is prepared independently based on the following calculation:
2 parts light clay-turf;
2 parts humus-leaf;
1 part peat;
1 part rotted manure;
1 part sand;
some charcoal.

The soil should be loose, soft, permeable to air and moisture. A good drainage layer should be placed at the bottom of the pot to prevent water stagnation as much as possible. The pot should be chosen not wide, but high, so that long roots fit well.

Date palm diseases

It would seem that the indoor date palm is receiving care, but its appearance is not the same. high level– it dries, the leaves turn yellow, darken, and curl. What could be the problem?
Let's look at what date palm diseases can occur due to poor care:
If the leaves become completely dark, almost brown, the trunk becomes soft, and a putrid smell is felt, then this indicates waterlogged soil. After such signs appear, watering stops and you need to wait until the soil dries.
It is necessary to inspect what condition it is in root system To do this, the plant is removed from the container in which it grows. If all the roots are soft, watery, dark, then they have already died and such a palm tree cannot be saved. If there are living roots, then they must be carefully protected from dead ones by cutting them off and sprinkling crushed coal on the cut areas.
If only the tips of the leaves turn brown, this happens as a result of lack of watering, dry air or winter drafts, sharp changes temperatures Brown leaves they're not scary downstairs - it's age-related changes. The darkened leaves have died, so they should be cut off sharp knife, they cannot be restored.
If a date palm turns yellow, it means that it is watered either with hard water or does not receive enough moisture, nutrients. Due to insufficient watering, the leaves droop, and this defect cannot be corrected. You can lift them by tying them to a support.
A pale appearance indicates too much light or red spider mite infestation. To protect the tree from bright solar lighting, you need to slightly shade the plant.
If a date palm dries out, the leaves fall off, darken, curl, and brown plaques appear on their surface - the plant dies from pests.

Pest control - scale insects, mealybugs or spider mites - is standard for all indoor plants. You need to wash the leaves with a solution of laundry soap and spray with garlic extract.
If severe damage is observed, apply a solution of Actellik (a broad-spectrum insecticide) - 1-2 ml per liter of water.

From the seeds. The dates did not let me down - they are growing and will soon look like a small palm tree. Certainly, big tree they will not become home, but unusual decorative palm tree quite.

Date palms grow in Africa, southern Europe and Asia. In natural conditions they range from 15 to 30 meters. There are about 17 species of date palms.

Now in all the details,

Let’s make a reservation right away that you won’t be able to taste the fruits from your own palm tree. But in a few years it may bloom. To produce fruit, you need two trees - a male and a female for cross-pollination.

Preparing the pit

The pit can be taken from any dates that have not been subjected to heat treatment. Dried and dried will do. The seed must be thoroughly cleaned and washed so that the remaining organic matter does not rot in the ground. The seeds need to be dried for a day, then soaked in warm water for a couple of days to swell.

In order for the seed to better allow moisture to pass through, you need to damage its hard shell:

Even if you want to grow only one palm tree, prepare and plant many seeds at once. Not all will sprout, or will not survive the transplant.

Without soaking, date pits can lie in the ground for up to six months. And then germinate successfully. Thanks to soaking we save several months.

The best time for planting is February, March.

Landing

First you need to prepare the soil. Take peat, sand and sawdust in equal parts. Date pits are stuck vertically into the ground so that one cm remains above the pit. Pour with warm water and put in a bag or plant in containers with a lid.

Dates sprout until three months. You need to put the seeds in a warm place (about +25C). It is necessary to ventilate frequently and monitor soil moisture. You will have to wait until the shoots appear; they will appear faster with fresh seeds.

First shoots

The first sprouts of a date palm cannot be confused with other plants. Long and sharp green skewers stretch out before our eyes in the first days. Young seedlings begin to be planted in separate pots when they grow to 15 cm. You can immediately plant the seeds in separate cups.

The date palm usually grows strong and healthy at home. The main thing is to comply simple rules care

Date palm care rules

Location

The best place would be a bright, not hot place. It is not advisable to place it in direct sunlight. For better symmetrical development, you need to rotate the pot around its axis every week. This is necessary so that the plant does not stretch to one side and grows straight and even.

Before planting, think about whether you will be able to provide dates optimal conditions for growth. For healthy beautiful plant you need to observe the temperature regime. In winter the temperature should be around +17C, and in summer up to +30C.

Young plants will fit on a windowsill, but a grown palm tree needs a lot of space. It looks good in a room with minimal furniture.

Transfer

A young palm tree grown from a seed needs to be replanted every year. An adult plant after five years of age is replanted every two to three years. The plant itself will tell you when it’s time to replant - the roots will begin to emerge through the drainage holes, which means the pot is already too small for the palm tree.

The pot must have good drainage. Place a layer of expanded clay, shards, and charcoal on the bottom. Main part soil mixture there should be humus, it should make up half, in the second half mix turf, leaf, peat soil and sand in equal parts. We use this mixture for adult plants. We replant using the transshipment method. Each time we take pots 7-8 cm larger - you don’t need to plant them in big pot"for growth."

Watering and fertilizers

In the spring-summer period, we water well, do not dry out the soil, but there is no need to flood it. And in the autumn-winter period, watering is reduced, during which time the palm tree has a dormant period. Do not use tap water for irrigation - only soft, settled water.

Fertilizer feeding is also carried out in the summer. active period date palm growth. Can be used complex fertilizers or special for palms and exotic plants.

Date trees tolerate the dry air of city apartments well - 50% humidity is enough for them. You can spray the leaves with water and regularly wipe off dust with a damp sponge. Especially in summer, the palm tree will be grateful to you for the additional moisture.

Diseases and pests

• Chlorosis – brown spots are visible on the leaves, plant growth is delayed. Occurs when watering with hard water. It can also occur with excess watering - limit watering!
• The tips of the leaves become brown and dry - there may be several reasons: the air is too dry - we spray the palm tree more often, give it a shower. Lack of watering. Cold air.
• If they turn brown lower leaves, then they just got old - cut them off.
• If the palm tree has completely turned brown, then it is on the verge of death - you flooded it with water and the roots began to rot. We urgently need to save the plant. Take it out of the pot and carefully examine the roots. If they are dark and watery, there is nothing you can do to help them - throw them away. If there are living roots, cut off all damaged parts, sprinkle the wounds with charcoal and plant in fresh soil.
• Leaves yellow they talk about a lack of watering or the need for fertilizing with fertilizers.
• Also, with poor watering, the leaves hang down and this cannot be corrected. You can only tie them later to the support.
• When exposed to direct sunlight, the leaves turn pale and burn.

Pests in palm trees are common for indoor flowers– scale insects, spider mites, mealybugs. Standard control methods - spraying with garlic infusion, washing the leaves laundry soap etc.

Signs of micronutrient deficiency

Now you know how to grow a date palm from a seed at home, the details of care and possible difficulties growing. I wish you a healthy and strong plant.

A date palm in an ordinary home is still more of a curiosity than an ordinary thing. It is not difficult to germinate a seedling from an ordinary seed. However, not everyone has the patience and diligence to properly care for it for several years before the tree becomes an adult. Homemade dates will never bear fruit, but they will fit perfectly into the interior and decorate your home.

The common date can be sprouted from the seeds of the fruit, which are sold in the store. The culture has other varieties - Canarian and Robelena. They are propagated and sold only in flower shops. Dates that have not undergone heat treatment can be used as seed material. For example, dried or dried. Seeds for planting must be processed immediately after receiving them.

It is best to start work in February or March. Prepare several seeds, even if you only want one palm tree. Indeed, during the growing process, young seedlings often die. The procedure should begin with water treatment of the seeds. Impregnating the seeds with moisture will significantly speed up the process of seed germination: 2-3 weeks versus 4 (if you skip this stage).

Subsequence:

1. Remove the seeds from the date and remove as much pulp as possible.
2. Place the seeds in a glass with warm water for 48 hours. Renew the liquid 2 times a day, maintaining the temperature in the container above +22°C.
3. Remove the swollen growths of pulp with a knife.
4. Give the seeds a 5-minute bath of hot water(about 80°C).

Many people use cotton wool during soaking. A cotton pad with a bone is placed in a plate filled with water. Cover it with another damp cotton wool on top. You can also use rolled gauze or sawdust as a material.

Advice. To further reduce the time it takes for the seeds to hatch, you can sand them or scratch them with a knife. A damaged shell allows moisture to pass through more easily, which gives vitality to the sprout.

How to plant a seed correctly

The substrate for indoor flowers from the store is suitable as a soil for planting. You can prepare it yourself: mix peat, raw sawdust and river sand. This soil is optimal for young plant, but in the future, during the first and subsequent transplants, the pot will need to be filled with other soil. Proportions:

• humus - 40%;
• turf land - 20%;
• leaf soil - 20%;
• sand - 20%;
• peat - 10%.

The planting process should be carried out as follows:

1. Place the cleaned and treated seeds into the soil in a strictly vertical position.
2. Sprinkle a centimeter layer of the same soil on top.
3. Place the container and seeds in a warm place (+22...25°C). You can directly on the heating radiator.
4. Water moderately: so that the soil does not dry out, but the water does not stagnate.

Attention! At proper care After 2-3 months, a sprout will emerge from the ground - a juvenile leaf. Then it will grow into an arrow consisting of 2-3 sharp leaves.

Transplantation and further care of date tree seedlings

After the sprouts reach 10 cm, each of them needs to be transplanted into a wider pot. Florists advise doing the procedure annually for the first 5 years of the palm tree’s life. The size of the container must constantly increase to meet the growing needs of the plant's root system. For the final transplant you need a spacious pot.

Advice. After acquiring the date permanent place residence, instead of replanting, periodically change the top layer of soil without disturbing the plant.

Replanting is the most delicate process in caring for a date palm. In inexperienced hands, more than one seedling may die. The reason is the tenderness of the root system of this crop. Even if it hurts a little long root, the plant will die. There is only one method suitable for replanting - transshipment. It involves transferring the root along with a lump of earth.

Plant care has the following features:

1. While the date has not yet formed, it needs weekly feeding in spring and summer. During the dormant period, organic and mineral fertilizers apply no more than once a month.
2. It is important that the soil always remains moist. In summer, water the plant generously, even collecting water in a tray. In winter - least of all.
3. The palm tree responds well to spraying in warm time year. In addition, give the plant a weekly shower with water at room temperature. During the procedure, you need to protect the soil from excess moisture.
4. Dates love a lot of light and will withstand even direct sunlight. Without proper lighting, palm leaves will become long and brittle.
5. The air temperature in the room should be moderate, in the range of +16...+22°C. Placing a palm tree near a heating radiator is risky: it will die from the heat. In summer, the plant is taken out onto the loggia or veranda, limiting drafts. In winter, the temperature can range between +13…14°C.

Even if you care for your date correctly, don’t expect quick results. The palm tree will turn into decorative tree around the 5th year. But after this, the plant will become a real decoration of your home.

Growing a date palm from a seed: video