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The date stone is very small, but it is quite possible to grow a tall and sprawling date palm from it, and this can be done at home. It should be understood that a date palm grown at home will not bear fruit. However, this is a very beautiful tree that will delight its owners with an aesthetic appearance.
Preparing to grow date palm from seed at home
Seeds extracted from ripe dates are suitable for planting. For this purpose, there is no need to visit gardening shops, you can buy dates in a regular food supermarket. The main thing is to know how to choose dates correctly. The main condition that you should pay attention to when buying is the absence of mold and visible damage to the fruit.
So, after the dates are eaten, the remaining bones must be properly prepared for planting. To do this, they should be immersed in warm water for 1-2 days. During this time, the fluid will need to be changed 3-4 times. Such a procedure will allow you to clean the bone from the remaining pulp, and it will not grow moldy after planting in the ground.
In addition, the date seed swells in water, which makes the root germinate easier. In order for moisture to be better absorbed, you can make a small and not deep scratch on the bone. After that, the seeds are again sent to the water for 2-4 days, not forgetting to change it 1-2 times a day.
Several date seeds should be planted at once, as some of them will not germinate, and the other part will die in the first few years. Provided that the date palm grows for a very long time, and some of the seedlings do not survive, it is better to take care of a sufficient number of them in advance.
The time for germination of date seeds is best chosen in winter, when the sprouts do not yet need a lot of sun.
While the bone is in the water, you need to prepare the ground for it. You can use store-bought soil for palm trees, or make your own. Young palm seedlings prefer a mixture of peat and sand. It is good if sawdust is added to peat and sand. All components are taken in the same proportion.
Date seed planting
After all the stages of preparation have been completed, you can proceed to planting date seeds. This is a very important point that affects the lifespan of a tree and its growth rate.
The following conditions must be observed:
Bones should be planted vertically in the soil in one large masonry.
They should not be buried too deep, just sprinkle the seeds with soil. The maximum planting depth is 1,5 sizes from the bone itself.
After all the bones are in the ground, you need to make a mini-greenhouse. To do this, cover the soil with Sphagnum moss or a plastic jar.
The seed pot should be warm all the time, the optimum air temperature is 30 ° C with a plus sign. Don’t forget high humidity. To do this, you need to water the seeds daily, but this should be done carefully so as not to overmoisten the soil.
The first shoots will appear no earlier than a month later. The maximum germination period of date seeds is 3 months. If after this time the sprouts did not appear, then the bones should be dug up and opened. Most likely, they either soured, or simply turned out to be not viable.
Seedlings are planted after they reach a size of 10 cm. For them, you need to choose pots with a diameter of 9-12 cm. It is important to change the soil, since the composition suitable for germination will not be suitable for a mature tree. Optimal soil for date palms: humus (4 parts) + sand (2 parts) + peat (1 part) + turf or leaf ground (2 parts).
Young seedlings are especially sensitive to transplantation, so all manipulations should be carried out very carefully. Otherwise, the plant may die.
Palm requires an annual transplant until the age of 5 years. After that, the tree will need to be replanted as it becomes short of space in the pot. This will be indicated by roots sticking out of the ground. During transplantation, it will be necessary to trim the felt layer that forms the roots of the plant. Only in this way will it be possible to achieve the maximum survival of trees.
The palm tree is transplanted by transshipment. The earthen ball must remain intact. The pot is increased in size each time. Although an adult plant is transplanted 1 time in 2 or 3 years, at least 1 time in 6 months it will be necessary to remove the top layer of the earth and add fresh soil.
Rules for caring for a date palm
The date palm is an unpretentious plant, but, like all tropical “inhabitants”, it loves sunlight, loose soil, periodic showers, high air temperature and moderate moisture.
The blackened leaves of the plant will indicate that the tree feels uncomfortable. Most often this happens due to lack of sunlight or due to insufficient watering. However, it is possible that the palm freezes, for example, due to constant drafts. Therefore, sudden temperature changes should not be allowed in the room where the tree is located.
Do not worry about the fact that the palm tree is growing slowly. This is quite natural for tree crops. You should choose a place for a palm tree where there will be enough sunlight for it. However, subjecting a date palm grown at home to a test of scorching sunlight is not worth it. It is best to put the plant pot in the back of the room, provided that the windows face south.
Starting in May, you can transfer the plant to the balcony and loggia. The tree is not afraid of temperatures above +12 °C Celsius.
As for the humidity of the air, the tree has no special preferences. However, in the heating season, as well as in the hot season, it is necessary to additionally spray the roots of the plant and wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.
It is important not to overwater the palm tree, as its roots are absolutely intolerant of stagnant water. However, do not allow the soil to dry out. In summer, the tree is watered more often, and less often in winter. The landmark is the drying of the soil surface by 2-3 cm. It is important that there is no water in the pan, if it accumulates there during irrigation, then it must be removed. The liquid for irrigation should be warm. If the plant does not have enough moisture, then spots will appear on its leaves. You should be very careful about watering, as overdried palm leaves cannot be restored.
As for fertilizers, the plant responds well to special top dressing. To do this, you can buy mineral fertilizers for palm trees in the store and apply them according to the instructions.
If you take care of the plant correctly, then it will reach an impressive size and will delight its owners for many years.