Date palm - how to grow at home
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You can meet the date palm in large shopping centers, greenhouses, as well as in private interiors. An unpretentious and beautiful plant feels well away from its homeland - Africa. You can grow a date from an ordinary stone, if you have patience.
Date palm: what kind of plant, description, what it looks like
The date (Latin Phoenix) is a dioecious plant, belongs to the Palm family (Latin Arecaceae). The genus includes more than 14 species, most of which are known for their nutritious and sweet fruits.
Fruiting tree
Some species are shrubs, but those that are better known are those that form, during life, a tall single trunk with a lush crown of hard, long pinnately dissected leaves (veela) of a dark green color with sharp spines at the base.
During flowering, long paniculate inflorescences grow, combining many small yellow flowers. Male flowers differ from female flowers in their structure. The female flower has 3 pistils and 3 petals, while the male flower has 6 stamens. The fruit is a berry with one large seed inside.
It looks like a date leaf
Is it possible to keep at home
The date tree is a plant that can be grown in almost any apartment or office, where there is enough free space for it.
A 5-7 year old specimen has a leaf span up to 2.5 m in diameter. He does not need any special lighting, and the air temperature is suitable within the range of +15 .. + 35 ° С.
Female inflorescence
Date palm varieties
On sale in garden shops you can find seeds of two of the most popular varieties of dates. Each of them can be sown at home and after a while grow your own palm.
Phoenix roebelenii
These dates are a dwarf-sized tree that is often referred to simply as shy. It differs from other species in its modest size.
- The height of an adult tree is no more than 3 m, and the leaf length is on average 60-120 cm.
- It blooms with yellow flowers on inflorescences up to 45 cm long.
- The species is grown in apartments, greenhouses and in the open air.
Unlike others, shy is able to withstand frost down to -3 ° C.
The adult is shy in the garden
Canary date (Phoenix canariensis)
One of the most widespread species in the world, native to the Canary Islands, growing in the southern countries of Europe, on the African continent, in the USA, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia.
In Russia, the Canary date can be seen on the streets of Sochi, in the Crimea. The tree of this variety can reach a height of 10-40 m. The leaf of an adult plant reaches 4-6 m in length. The fruit is an orange sweet berry.
Phoenix canariensis
How to grow a date at home
Seeds with a specified variety can be purchased at a specialty store. In addition, bones are easy to find in the supermarket.
It is enough to buy dates, eat the sweet pulp, and plant the seeds in the ground (the variety in this case will remain unknown). The best time to plant is February.
It will take several months for the sprout to appear, but this process can be accelerated.
- A fresh bone is placed in a glass of water heated to + 35 ° C and left for several days.
- Every day the water is changed to clean water.
- As soon as the sprout hatches, it is time to plant the bone in the soil.
Further care consists in regular watering, top dressing in the warm season and transplants as the root mass grows.
Where to get a seedling
Knowing how to plant a date with a bone, most flower growers do this, wanting to propagate a spectacular plant in the right amount. Those who do not want to wait so long should contact flower shops. At the same time, one should be prepared for the fact that the price of a tree will be high. It depends on the size of the palm and its age.
For example, a copy with a height of 1.5 m will cost about 8-9 thousand rubles.
What does a date sprout look like?
For a long time after sprouting from the seed, the date sprout looks like a tough green spear sticking out of the ground. Knowing what a date tree looks like, it is difficult to believe that a palm tree will grow from this sprout over time.
Young leaves do not look like those that will appear on a date in 2-3 years. As they unfold, they look more like a short fan with a small number of "fingers".
Young sprouts
Date palm care at home
Even a beginner in indoor floriculture can organize proper care of the plant. Some difficulties are presented only by the need to transplant a very large specimen, which requires a large tub with a volume of 10 liters or more.
This work is usually carried out together: one person holds the plant by the trunk, and the other covers the roots in the tub with soil. This is the only way to avoid an ugly tilt of the crown to one side.
Watering the plant
The long roots of the date help it to get water from great depths and survive in the most severe drought.
At home, he will need regular watering. To do this, use warm boiled water. The excess from the pallet must be drained.
- From April to October, watered as soon as the top layer of soil in the pot dries out.
- The rest of the time, the palm is dormant, and it is watered 1-2 times a month, otherwise the roots may rot.
How to feed, what fertilizers
You can buy date food at your garden store. Preference is given to fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen in the composition, which is necessary for the growth of green mass.
The palm tree will benefit most from preparations in liquid form, but you can also use dry powders, diluting them in water according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Of the simplest and most affordable fertilizers, potash nitrate is suitable for the date. Dilute it in the proportion: 1 g of powder or granules per 1 liter of water. In the warm season, fertilizers can be applied every 10 days at a minimum dosage, but not after transplanting.
In a new pot, the first feeding is carried out no earlier than 2 months later.
The fact that the palm tree lacks nutrients is signaled by the following signs:
- Lack of nitrogen is manifested by the light color of the leaves, a slowdown in their growth.
- Potassium deficiency is indicated by bronze-brown dots and small specks on the leaves, which later curl up and dry out.
- A yellow edging on the leaves is a symptom of a lack of magnesium.
Complex mineral fertilizers for indoor plants usually contain a wide range of substances that compensate for their lack in the soil. But for greater confidence, you should alternate between different drugs.
How the date palm blooms, periods
Depending on the species and variety, the first flowering and fruiting occurs at the age of 10 to 50 years. In this case, at least two plants are required - male and female.
The flowering period is from February to November. In natural conditions, pollination occurs by the wind, but at home, it will have to be done manually.
It looks like a male inflorescence
Transplanting a date palm at home
It is recommended to carry out transplant work in early June. They do this in two cases: the roots of the palm tree have suffered from the bay or have ceased to fit into the old pot.
A new container for young seedlings is taken more than the previous one by 25% by volume. Adult palms are rarely handled (once every 5 years), so the volume of new containers is increased more significantly - by 30%.
This is how the root ball of an adult plant looks like - it is only transferred without removing the old soil
A 5 cm layer of small stones, broken brick, pebbles, rubble is placed at the bottom of the planting tank. This is an indispensable condition that protects the roots from stagnant water that causes rotting. The soil is prepared in proportions: sand, sod land and compost - in equal proportions. You can use a universal soil from the store with a pH of 5.5-6.5. For looseness, a little wood ash, sand or vermiculite is mixed into it.
Possible difficulties when growing at home
Taking care of a date is not difficult. It should be noted that this plant is very hardy, capable of surviving long droughts and nutrient deficiencies. Root bays and pest infestations can cause the greatest damage. But even in this case, it will be possible to reanimate the affected specimen with a high degree of probability.
Why do the leaves of a room palm turn yellow
It is not recommended to use tap water for irrigation. It must be defended or filtered, and then boiled.
The foliage may turn yellow due to lack of nutrition, additional feeding should be applied.
The fact that the problem is in the roots is indicated by the characteristic smell of rot and the acquisition of a brown tint by the leaves. In this case, the plant is removed from the pot, the roots are washed, the decayed part is cut out, the cuts are sprinkled with crushed coal and planted in fresh soil.
Typical symptom of root problems
Why do leaves dry
Drying leaf tips indicate a lack of moisture. The room temperature is too high and the humidity is too low. It is necessary to increase the frequency of watering and increase the humidity of the air; you can resort to spraying the foliage.
Drying lower leaves are a common occurrence accompanying maturation of the tree. Young foliage grows only at the crown, and old leaves gradually dry out and fall off.
Pests
Curling and dropping of leaves indicates the appearance of pests. The date often affects spider mites, nematodes, mealybugs, scale insects, thrips.
A small number of pests can be washed off with soapy water; spraying with infusions of garlic or tobacco also helps.
- The infusion of garlic is prepared as follows: 4 heads are infused in 1 liter of water for 5 days, and then used.
- Tobacco is insisted in the proportion: 40 g per 1 liter of water, and the exposure is 2 days.
After processing the next day, the leaves are washed with clean water.
Spider mite infestation
The following drugs help against most pests: Fitoverm, Aktellik, Aktara, Confidor. Each drug is used strictly according to the instructions. During processing, the soil in the pot is covered with a bag, and the room must be thoroughly ventilated.
Growing a date palm at home is fun. It grows slowly, but it is all the more amazing to notice after a year or two how much more beautiful this unusual plant becomes with age. By its very presence in the room, it creates an amazing atmosphere.
