Crafts from a date palm. Growing date palm from seed

06.12.2019

For the successful cultivation of date palm seed, there are two quite equal methods.

First way.

We dry the date bone for several days in the open air. Then fill it with hot water and hold for about 24 hours so that the bone swells. Pour sawdust into a small container, place a swollen bone in them and pour generously with water. In this case, sawdust should always be wet.

After 30 days, when the first sprout appears, the sprouted seed can be transplanted into a pot about 70 mm high. We equip a good drainage in a pot and fill it with a mixture consisting of 4 shares of sand, 2 shares of soddy land, 2 shares of humus and one share charcoal. During this procedure, you should be especially careful with the germinated bone, keeping it connected to the germ - the bone provides additional nutrition.

When the sprout reaches a height of 100 mm, the young palm tree should also be carefully transplanted into a pot with a large volume. Given the fact that the palm is susceptible to repotting, the best option would be to simply move the entire plant, along with the soil ball, into a new pot and fill the remaining space with a soil mixture similar to that used when planting.

The first five years of transplantation are carried out annually, then - once every 3 years. In this case, each time you should slightly increase the amount of land. Upon reaching the age of 15, the frequency of transplantation decreases to once every 6 years. Pots should not be wide, but high, because. The palm tree has a long root system. The illumination of the palm tree should be diffused, and in the process of growth, the plant should be turned a little, while orienting the palm tree so that the end of the youngest sprout is directed deep into the room.

Watering is carried out with settled water at room temperature. The frequency of watering increases in hot weather. Constantly wipe the palm leaves with a damp cloth and additionally moisten them with a spray bottle. The introduction of a special nutritional supplement (ready to eat in stores) is carried out once every 2 weeks, during the period of enhanced vegetation - in summer and spring, the frequency increases to 1 time per week.

It is preferable to choose a moderate temperature regime: in winter from 8 to 15 ° C, and in summer - up to 20 ° C. The room is ventilated, but the date is not exposed to drafts. During the summer "walk" of palm trees on the balcony or in the garden, avoid open ventilated places. Remove dried leaves immediately.

The second way.

The method is similar to the first one in almost everything, except for a few features. First, before boarding hard shell the bones are incised in the middle. This is necessary for the faster exit of the sprout from the very strong shell of the date pit. And secondly, after placing the incised bone in a pot, the surface is covered with a film to create a microclimate. Under the film, the soil should be kept moist. The sprout appears after 30-45 days and further operations are completely identical to the first method.

The date palm or date (Phoenix) is a genus of plants that, according to various sources, includes from 14 to 17 species, and belongs to the Palmae (Palm) or Arecaceae (Arek) family.

This palm is common in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. Translated from Latin, "phoenix" means "palm tree".

General information

Representatives of the genus are palm trees with several or one trunk, which can be of various heights with a crown of leaves, leaf sheaths or remnants of petioles on top.

Large, curved, odd-pinnate leaves consist of linear-lanceolate hard leaflets with a single edge, pointed at the top, arranged evenly or in a bunch. Petioles are short, often covered with strong spines. In the axils of the leaves are paniculate inflorescences, consisting of small yellow flowers.

The date is grown both as an ornamental plant and as a fruit crop (date palm). Date fruits are eaten in any form, and they are also fed to camels and horses. From the juice of some species make wine "tari".

This palm tree is also used for medical purposes. Since the juice of the plant excellent remedy for the treatment of burns, wounds, skin diseases, and compresses based on crushed palm leaves are used for mastopathy.

Small date palm species, such as Robelin and Canarian, are widely distributed as an ornamental houseplant. And the palmate date grows very strongly in a short time, so it is better for him to live in winter gardens and greenhouses.

Types of date palms

(Phoenix canariensis) is a plant with a straight, strong trunk that reaches 12 to 18 meters in height and up to 1 meter in diameter and is covered with the remains of leaves.

The dense crown consists of about 200 pinnate, with more than 150 pairs of leaflets and leaves up to 6 meters long. The leaves are about 50 centimeters long and up to 3.5 centimeters wide. Their coloration is bright green.

Relatively short petioles (about 80 centimeters) are covered with strong needle-shaped spikes that are up to 20 centimeters long. Two types of inflorescences are located in the axils of the leaves - female and male. The former are branched, up to 2 meters long, while the latter are much shorter.

Distributed in nature on rocky and rocky places of the Canary Islands, cultivated as ornamental palm trees grown indoors and in greenhouses.

(Phoenix dactylifera) is a plant whose trunk reaches 20 to 30 meters in height and 30 centimeters in diameter. The trunk is covered with remnants of leaf petioles and has lateral shoots at the base.

In the upper part of the trunk there are arcuately bent pinnate leaves up to 6 meters long. The linear-lanceolate leaflets, cut in two at the top, have a length of 20 to 40 centimeters and are often combined into groups.

The thin, long petiole has a bluish-green color. The inflorescence, reaching more than a meter in length, is located in the axils of the leaves and hangs down under the weight of the fruit. The fleshy drupes have an oblong-ovoid shape and a length of 2.5 to 6 centimeters.

Used in food, both raw and dried, very sweet and nutritious. In culture, the date palm is common in North Africa, South Iran, Iraq, and on the Arabian Peninsula. It is used for gardening of greenhouses and rooms.

Curved date palm (Phoenix reclinata)

Multi-stemmed trees with lateral growth, which gives them the appearance of a dense bush. Trunks can reach 8 meters in height and 10-17 centimeters in diameter.

Pinnate, with a drooping apex, curved leaves are about 6 meters long and up to 1 meter wide and consist of more than 100 pairs of leaflets. Hard bright green leaves are covered with whitish hairs that disappear with time, have a length of up to 50 centimeters and a width of about 2-3 centimeters.

The petiole is 1 meter long, covered with single or combined in groups of 2-3 needle-like, thin 3-12 cm spikes, which are directed in different directions. The inflorescences located in the axils of the leaves are highly branched and have a length of up to 90 centimeters.

Under natural conditions, it grows in tropical rainforests of subtropical and tropical regions of Africa. Cultivated as an ornamental plant for growing indoors and greenhouses.

Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii O'Brien)

One of the most compact representatives of the genus, reaching only 2 meters in height. This is a single or multi-stemmed tree, which is covered with the remains of the bases of the leaves.

Arcuate-curved pinnate leaves about 50-70 centimeters long have numerous soft and narrow leaflets, which are very densely placed on a thin rachis. The length of dark green leaves is from 12 to 20 centimeters. Younger leaves are covered with powdery powdery coating and whitish fibers. Axillary inflorescences are slightly branched.

Under natural conditions, this species can be found in the tropical rainforests of India, Laos, Burma. This date is suitable for growing in warm greenhouses and rooms.

(Phoenix rupicola) - a plant with a straight trunk up to 7 meters high and 20 centimeters in diameter. This species forms offspring and is not covered with leaf remnants.

The arcuately curved pinnate leaves are 2-3 meters long and consist of densely arranged green, linear, glabrous, slightly drooping leaflets, up to 40 centimeters long. The short petiole is covered with sharp spines along the edges. Under natural conditions, it grows on the hills and mountains in Sikkim, Assam (India).

Forest date palm (Phoenix sylvestris)

A plant reaching 12 meters in height, with a straight trunk with a diameter of 60 centimeters to 1 meter.

At the top of the trunk there are downward-curved, arcuate-pinnate leaves about 4 meters long in an amount of 150 to 200 pieces. The leaf lobes are densely arranged in groups of 3-4 and have a length of up to 35 centimeters and a width of 4-5 centimeters. The leaves are bluish-gray in color.

The petioles, reaching a length of 1 meter, are covered with brownish fibers at the base, and along the edges with sharp strong spikes (from 3 to 15 centimeters long). The inflorescence with white flowers, directed upwards, has a length of about 90 centimeters. It grows wild in dry areas, river valleys and lowlands of East India.

(Phoenix zeylanica Trimen) - representatives of this species have a straight trunk, reaching from 3 to 6 meters in height and covered with the remains of petioles.

Relatively short pinnate leaves consist of numerous 18-25 cm bluish strong leaves. The short petiole is covered with spines along the edges. A branched short (30-35 centimeters long) inflorescence is located in the axils of the leaves.

Under natural conditions, the species is distributed on the island of Sri Lanka in wet lowlands. Cultivated for growing in cold greenhouses.

Date palm at home care and maintenance

Date loves bright sunlight and needs shading only in the midday summer heat. It is best to place small young plants on the windowsills of the southern and southeastern windows, larger and older plants - next to such windows.

For uniform growth and development of the palm tree crown, it is necessary to rotate it around its axis from time to time. In the summer, the plant will respond well to being kept outdoors in the garden or on the balcony, but if this is not possible, then the room should be regularly ventilated.

If the autumn-winter days did not please with enough sunlight, then in the spring the plant must be gradually accustomed to exposure to direct sunlight in order to avoid foliage burns. They do the same with a palm tree, just brought from the store.

In winter, it is desirable to illuminate the date with fluorescent lamps. With insufficient lighting, palm leaves begin to stretch and hang down, losing their decorative effect.

In the spring and summer, when the date grows, it needs to be kept at a moderate temperature of 20 to 25 degrees. These tropical beauties also love higher temperatures up to 28 degrees Celsius, however, high humidity is also needed, otherwise the tips of the leaves of the plant will begin to dry.

In winter, dates have a dormant period and need a temperature in the range of 15-18 degrees. Robelin date is more thermophilic and the optimal winter temperature for it is from 16 to 18 degrees Celsius.

The Canarian date can spend the winter at a temperature of 8 to 10 degrees, and in adulthood, with a formed trunk, it suffers a short-term decrease to 5 degrees below zero. Palm trees do not like this kind of stagnant air. It is necessary to ensure regular ventilation of the room, while protecting the plants from drafts.

Watering the date palm at home

From April to August, the plant needs abundant watering, after which the water in the pan is left for 2-3 hours, and then drained. In autumn and winter, watering is reduced and produced only on the second day after the top layer of the earthy coma has dried.

At the same time, the lower the temperature of the content of the date, the less it is watered and vice versa. It must be remembered that the soil cannot be either waterlogged or overdried. Water for irrigation is taken warm, soft, separated.

Dates are moisture-loving plants. They love daily spraying, which can be done all year round. Water for spraying is taken settled or, even better, filtered.

To maintain the required humidity, palm pots can be placed in a tray filled with wet expanded clay, moss or pebbles, so that their bottom does not touch the water. Once every two weeks, date leaves are washed with water to remove dust.

Fertilizers for date palm

Starting in April and ending at the end of August, organic fertilizers are applied every 10 days. Sometimes organics need to be alternated with potassium nitrate, which is taken 1 gram per 1 liter of water. In winter, dates are fertilized once a month.

Date palm transplant at home

Dates do not tolerate transplanting well, since during it the root system of the plant is often damaged. Transplantation is carried out by the method of transshipment and only in the spring. At the same time, the earthen lump is not destroyed.

Due to rapid growth, young palm trees have to be replanted annually, while adult plants, as needed, every 3-6 years. If the palm tree is too large and heavy and it is not easy to remove it unscathed from the pot, then it is recommended to break it.

A new pot is taken not much larger than the previous one, while it should be deep and not wide. At the bottom of the pot, there must be a few centimeters of drainage from expanded clay, shards or charcoal with sand.

The soil is renewed annually, removing the top 2-4 centimeters of the old substrate and replacing it with fresh.

Date palm soil

Dates are not very demanding on the composition of the soil and can grow well in both neutral and slightly acidic soils.

To prepare the substrate, sand, humus, soddy soil and compost are mixed in equal amounts. For every 3 liters of the resulting mixture, add 1 tablespoon of superphosphate.

You can also use ready-made soil mixtures for palm trees, which are sold in flower shops.

Date palm from the stone at home

Dates are most often propagated by seeds. For cultivation, it is best to use seeds from fresh fruits, since germination decreases over time, and sprouts may appear a year after planting.

Before planting, date seeds are kept in warm water (30-35 degrees) for 2-3 days. Seeds can be planted in a peat-sand substrate or in a substrate consisting of layers: the lower one is drainage, the middle one is sod land, the upper one is sand with finely chopped moss.

The prepared substrate is moistened with water, seeds are planted and covered with moss or sand. Shoots can be expected for 20-25 days. For successful germination, timely watering and maintaining a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees are needed. Ascended palms are transplanted into soil consisting of light soddy soil, sand and humus, taken in a ratio of 2: 1: 1.

Carry out abundant watering of transplanted plants and place them in a well-lit place, shading from direct sun.

Possible difficulties

Leaves falling down - a signal for the need for watering.
Dry leaves or tips indicates insufficient humidity in the room.
Leaves wither and darken under the influence of low temperatures and drafts.
Growth arrest may be due to a lack of trace elements necessary for the plant.

Date palm at home is no longer a rarity. This exotic plant of hot countries with spreading leaves has become the lawful mistress of city apartments. In this article, you can get acquainted with all the nuances of growing this crop.

Description

Date palm, or date (Phoenix) - plants of the Palm family (Palmae), or Arecaceae (Arecaceae). In nature, it grows in a tropical, subtropical climate. It was mentioned in the writings of Pliny, Theophrastus, Herodotus. It has been grown since the 4th century BC.

She may have one or several trunks. Leaves are pinnate. Long, narrow, pointed at the top. Its fruits are eaten, fed to animals, used to make sugar.

The birthplace of all palm trees is considered to be India and Africa. Under natural conditions, these trees or shrubs live up to 150 years and grow up to 30 m in height. Their trunk is strong. It is known that it is impossible to shake a palm tree and collect fruits from it. To do this, you need to climb the plants themselves.

Palm types

There are about 20 types of palm trees in nature.

All of them belong to the palm family. The following varieties are grown as houseplants:

date ordinary, or finger (Phoenix dactylifera); One of the most famous. Relatively fast growing. It has a significant drawback - as it grows older, the stem of the plant becomes bare.
Robelin date (Phoenix roebelenii O'Brien); Can tolerate some shade. It grows to a height of 2 m. It is considered one of the shortest. The leaves of young trees may be covered with a whitish coating.
Canarian date (Phoenix canariensis); Its growth does not exceed 2 m. The leaves are narrow, hard. The trunk is straight, strong. The petioles are covered with spines.
curved date (Phoenix reclinata); Forms several trunks. Height - up to 8 m. The leaves are covered with white hairs. There are spines on the petioles.
forest date (Phoenix sylvestris); It can reach up to 12 meters in height. Forms a single stem. The petioles are covered with spines.
rocky date (Phoenix rupicola); The trunk is one. Grows up to 7 m in height. There are spines on the petiole.
Ceylon date (Phoenix zeylanica Trimen); A tree with one trunk, the height of which reaches up to 6 m. The leaves are short, with thorns on the petioles.

Complex, pinnate leaves are the main advantage of domestic species.

Palm trees were grown indoors in the 19th century. All of them are highly resistant to pests and diseases. Not demanding on personal care. In flower shops are presented different types of these plants, but the most preferred for the home is the date palm.

Dates on the shelves are most often representatives of the genus Phoenix dactylifera (common date). It is cultivated for industrial purposes in Saudi Arabia, Africa, Iraq, Iran. From its fruits, you can grow a date at home.

Growing from the bone

germinated bones

Any grower, before planting this plant, should know that the date palm can reach a height of up to 2 meters. Therefore, it should be borne in mind that a lot of space for its maintenance will be needed. Best time for landing - February - March.

Seed selection for planting

To get planting material, just go to the nearest grocery store. There is no need to specifically purchase their seeds. You can buy fruits. Eat the pulp and plant the seeds.

Date fruits contain a large number of trace elements, amino acids, vitamins. The most popular are the berries of Iranian origin.

Seeds for planting should be:

freshly extracted from the pulp
no mechanical damage
without traces of damage by insects, diseases

The main condition is that they should not be subjected to heat treatment.

Older seeds that are over a year old may lose their germination capacity. When buying dates for planting, you need to look at the packing date of the product.

Seed preparation

Another way to germinate seeds is with cotton wool. To do this, take a small amount of cotton wool. Moisten it generously with water. Placed in a vessel. A bone is placed on top of the cotton wool. Another moistened lump is placed on top of it. As necessary, cotton wool is moistened with water. The seed is kept under such conditions until it swells.

Instead of cotton, you can use:

sawdust
hydrogel
gauze

For better germination, some flower growers pour boiling water over the seeds, or scratch them with sandpaper, then plant them. But a safer way is to germinate the seeds in wet vermiculite. When the first roots appear, they must be transplanted to a permanent place in the soil.

young seedlings

The capacity for further transplantation is chosen deep, since the plant has long roots. But it shouldn't be too narrow. Its volume should be 20 - 35% more than the previous one.

It is better to opt for light-colored containers made of plastic and wood. They heat up less and evaporate moisture.

When choosing a place for a palm tree, you need to consider that the plant does not tolerate:

drafts
low air temperatures
direct sunlight

The palm container should not be placed on a cold, stone floor or window sill. As soon as the air temperature in the street becomes above 12 ° C, it can be safely transferred to the street.

Soil selection

The soil for planting is chosen loose

With lots of nutrients. It should be breathable and pass water well. In stores there is a special soil for palm trees.

Suitable and universal soil for indoor plants. But you can also do it yourself.

To do this, take in equal parts:

sand
sod land
compost or manure

Superphosphate can be added to the finished soil. Proportions - 1 tbsp. l. for every 3 liters of soil mixture.

Another soil option:

2 parts of leaf, sod land
1 part sand, peat
handful of coal

a weak solution of potassium permanganate
boiling water
calcination in the oven (20 minutes)
in the microwave (3 minutes), etc.

Landing Rules

For convenience, you can plant seeds in peat tablets. After germination, they can be placed in the ground along with the tablet.

The layer of earth above it should be about 1 cm. Sphagnum moss can be laid on top. For its germination, the pot should be placed in a warm place - 20 - 25 ° C. The surface of the soil should always be slightly damp.

For creating greenhouse effect the top of the pot can be covered with a bag. But at the same time, the shelter needs to be removed regularly and the soil ventilated. If the plant was planted during the hot season, shelter may not be needed.

When planting a stone directly into the ground, it is placed vertically in the soil

The first sprout can be seen only after 3-6 months. But fresh seeds can sprout after 20 to 26 days. The longest stored bones germinate the longest. After the emergence of seedlings, the container with the plant is transferred to a well-lit place in the house.

If more than one growth sprouts in one pot, they are transplanted when they reach a height of 10 - 15 cm. The diameter of the new container should be at least 15 cm.

For the first few years, the date palm is not distinguished by its decorative effect. Every year 1 - 2 elongated, narrow new leaves appear. Complex pinnate leaves are formed at 3-5 years of age. At this time, it cannot be cut. The plant shows all its beauty only 5-7 years after planting.

Growing conditions

Considering that these are plants of hot countries, it is necessary to create the most suitable conditions for it.

Home date palm can reach a height of up to 2 m. To grow it, you need to choose a spacious, bright room. A mature tree requires a lot of free space, so there should be a minimum of furniture in the room where the palm tree will grow.

This plant grows quite slowly. If the grower decided to grow a palm tree from a stone, he will reach an impressive size only after a dozen years.

Lighting

In its natural environment, it grows in direct sunlight. But domestic date palms cannot grow in such conditions. The scorching sun can burn its leaves. The best place for her - next to the window overlooking the south, west, east side. On hot days, the tree is recommended to be shaded.

The palm must be rotated regularly, i.e. change the location of the leaves in relation to the light. Otherwise, the leaves of the plant will grow well only on one side.

In daylight

If in the autumn - winter period the plant failed to provide a sufficient amount of sunlight, in the spring it must be gradually accustomed "to the sun". With an adult, a plant just purchased from a store, you should do the same.

With insufficient light, the leaves of the tree may droop or stretch out.

Temperature regime

The optimum air temperature for a date palm is 23 - 25 ° C. In summer, it can tolerate heat up to 30 ° C. But high temperatures must be accompanied by high levels of humidity. Otherwise, the leaves will start to dry.

Date palm in a pot, taken out for the summer in the garden

In winter, there is a dormant period. The temperature in the room should be low - up to 18 ° C, but not lower than 14 ° C. Sudden changes in temperature adversely affect them.

In spring, the plant can be taken out to the balcony, loggia. The temperature must be at least 12°C. First, they take it out into the street for an hour, then increase the time spent in the air. If there is a threat of drafts, the plant is brought into the room at night. But it is better to wait for a stable warm air temperature. Regular movement of a plant from place to place can adversely affect it.

To ensure the optimum temperature for the tree, it is necessary to take into account the variety of the plant.

So, for the date of Robelin for wintering, the air temperature is within 16 - 18 ° C. Canarian can well tolerate a state of rest at 8 - 10 ° C.

The room in which the palm tree is kept should be regularly ventilated.

Care rules

Date palm care includes:

watering
top dressing
pruning
transplant

Watering

For irrigation use settled, soft, warm water - about 20 ° C

In nature, the palm tree grows in conditions with little rainfall. The plant has long roots, due to which it can extract water even in the absence of rain. But in the house she needs to provide a sufficient amount of moisture.

If water collects under the pot, it must be drained. Wipe the bottom of the container. Do not water it with hard, chlorinated water. Watering with hard water is fraught with the appearance of chlorosis.
In the warm season, you can carry out daily spraying of the leaves. Once a week - soft shower. During these procedures, moisture should not enter the soil. The topsoil should be covered with waterproof material.
If the plant was planted from a stone, before a sprout appears, it should be watered occasionally. The soil in the pot should be almost dry at the time of watering.
The soil under a young palm tree is moistened as the top layer dries - 2 - 4 cm. The greatest amount of moisture is required from April to August. In winter, the amount of watering should be minimal, as the plant goes into a dormant state.

top dressing

Flower shops have special fertilizers for palm trees. They are best suited for plant nutrition. Substances for decorative deciduous house plants are also suitable. They contain the largest amount of nitrogen. This nutrient is responsible for the lush growth of green mass.

You can use the following fertilizers:

good power
Uniflor growth
Bona Forte Housing and communal services
Ideal
Garden of Miracles
Etisso
Zniflor-micro
Agricola
Pokon
Giant, etc.

You should choose drugs in liquid form. If fertilizers are in dry form, they must be dissolved in water. Substances are introduced into pre-moistened soil. All fertilizers should be applied in accordance with the instructions. Like any other crop, it is better to underfeed the palm tree than to overfeed it.

There are also fertilizers in the form of tablets, sticks. They are convenient to use - you just need to stick into the ground in a pot with a tree. But some flower growers do not recommend the use of such drugs, explaining this, possible harm from the use of such substances for plant roots.

For its fertilization, both mineral and organic substances can be used.

You can use potassium nitrate. Proportions - 10 g per 1 bucket of water.

In the cold season, palm preparations should contain the least amount of nitrogen.

A tree transferred to the garden for the summer can be fed with chicken manure, cow dung in pellets, or with an infusion once a week. Proportions for preparing a solution from litter - 1:20, for mullein - 1:10.

You can also make and top dressing on the sheet.

Nutrients are allowed to be applied only 2 months after transplantation. The plant should get stronger in a new place. During this time, it will have enough of those substances that are present in the soil.

Under diseased trees affected by insects, nutrient mixtures should not be applied.

Signs of a lack of batteries

With an insufficient amount of nitrogen in the soil, palm leaves acquire a lighter shade, the plant itself stops growing.
During a lack of potassium, the leaves of the plant become covered with bronze-brown spots. Over time, they can curl up and dry out.
Magnesium deficiency is manifested by the formation of a yellow border on the edges of the leaf blade.

pruning

When pruning a palm tree, you need to be extremely careful. It is recommended to remove only yellowed, strongly drooping, damaged leaves of adult plants. The first few years the plant can not be cut.

The upper part of the palm tree should not be cut, since its growth point is located in this part. Cutting off the top can kill the plant.

You can not immediately cut the yellow leaves. You have to wait until they are completely dry.

Air humidity

The optimal indicator of humidity in the room should be 50 - 70%. During the heating season, you can not keep a palm tree next to the radiator. Its leaves must be regularly wiped with a damp cloth.

In summer, in dry weather, hot days, the leaves should be sprayed with warm water once a week.

Does the date palm bear fruit at home?

It blooms with yellow flowers collected in a brush. But you won't be able to see them indoors. Fruiting of a palm tree begins when it reaches a height of 10 - 15 meters. This is not possible indoors.

Another important detail - for the formation of fruits, it is necessary to plant 2 trees - male, female.

Transplant Features

The date palm is difficult to transplant.

The procedure is necessary in 2 cases:

the volume of the pot is not able to accommodate the roots of the plant
the plant was poured, the roots began to rot

Trees can only be replanted in spring.

When transplanting, the depth of the pot should accommodate the entire length of the plant's roots. If the roots begin to protrude from the drainage holes, this is a signal that the plant needs an urgent transplant.

A young palm tree for the first 5 years is transplanted every year. Subsequently, as it grows. Usually every 3 years.

The roots of the plant are very tender. They are easy to damage. Therefore, they transplant it with a clod of earth, by transshipment.

Before pulling out a palm tree from a pot, it is plentifully watered in advance. If the plant cannot be pulled out of the pot, it must be broken or cut.

The new pot should be at least 4 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. The vessel must have drainage holes. If they are not, you need to make them yourself. In the case of plastic pots, the bottom can be pierced with a hardened nail.

You can not immediately plant a palm tree in a large container. Under such conditions, it may stop growing.

Before transplanting, the bottom of the pot is laid with a layer of drainage: small pebbles, broken bricks, gravel, expanded clay, etc. The amount of drainage depends on the size of the plant. The larger the tree, the more expanded clay, broken bricks need to be poured under its pot. After planting, the tree is watered.

If it's time to transplant a palm tree, and its pot is still able to accommodate its roots, to enrich the soil with nutrients, you can sprinkle a new layer of earth on the top of the pot. To do this, carefully remove 2-4 cm of soil from the pot and fill in new soil. This procedure is recommended to be performed once every 6 months.

A rotting plant must be removed from the container. View roots. If they darken, become soft - the palm tree died. It will most likely never be restored. If there are still living roots among the rot, all the dead parts of the roots should be removed and sprinkled with crushed coal and planted in the usual way.

reproduction

Indoors, the date palm can only be grown from the seed. Some types of palms are propagated by cuttings. For example, Robelin's date. But this method should not be used at home.

Possible problems

The date palm is an undemanding plant. With proper care:

watering regimen
enough heat, light
regular feeding.

The likelihood of any problems is minimal. Weakened plants are more susceptible to diseases and pests.

Pests

If the plant turned pale, or complex leaves began to curl and fall off, this may be the reason for the appearance of pests on it.

Most often it affects:

spider mite
nematodes
mealybug
thrips
scab

To combat them, use:

mechanical
chemical
biological control methods

A small number of insects can be collected by hand, destroyed with soap solution, garlic extract, tobacco infusion. After processing the tree, the leaves must be washed with water, dried in a warm room.

When a date palm is affected by nematodes, the plants are destroyed along with the earth and the pot, since the diseased plant is difficult to cure. It can infect nearby flowers.

Recipes for the preparation of natural solutions for processing palm leaves:

No. 1. Soap-vodka solution

It is necessary to take 15 g of any liquid (or 1 tsp of solid laundry) soap and dilute it in 1 liter of water. In the resulting solution, add 2 tbsp. l. vodka. Processing should be done in several steps - 1 time per week.

No. 2. garlic extract

About 4 heads of garlic insist in 1 liter of water for 5 days. For spraying, take 6 g of the extract and dilute it in 1 liter of water.

No. 3. Tobacco infusion

40 g of tobacco is poured into 1 liter of water. Withstand 2 days. To process the leaves, it is necessary to add another 1 liter of water to the resulting infusion.

If folk methods struggles do not give results, you should resort to agrochemical preparations.

You can use the following insecticides:

Fitoverm
Actellik
Intavir
Pyrethrum
Fufanon
Confidor
Aktara
Phosphamide, etc.

Proportions - 2 g per 1 liter of water. But when using it, you must read the instructions for the drug.

Avoid getting any insecticides into the soil. When processing leaves, cover the top layer of soil with a bag.

Diseases

sick palm

With proper care, the date palm rarely suffers from disease. She has fungal diseases such as:

gray spot
pink rot

Used to treat diseased plants. antifungal drugs- fungicides. They are recommended to use no more than 1 time per week.

Why do plant leaves turn yellow?

Watering from the tap, hard water can lead to yellowing of the foliage. For irrigation, it is best to use not only settled, but even filtered water.

Another possible cause of yellow leaves is a lack of nutrients. It is recommended to feed her regularly.

Most often, the cause of darkened leaves is a violation of the irrigation regime. Excessive moisture leads to root rot. At the same time, the smell of rot comes from the plant, and its leaves turn brown.

To help the plant, you need to completely stop watering it until the soil is completely dry.

Drying date leaves

If only the tips of the leaves have darkened on a palm tree, this may be due to a lack of moisture, nutrients, dry air in the room, drafts. It is necessary to adjust the growing conditions, the rules for caring for the plant.

In an adult date palm, the lower leaves may dry, turn brown due to age. Young leaves appear from above, the lower old ones eventually die off. Drying, dying off of the upper part of the tree is a sign of illness.

Watering cold water can also cause tree disease.

What to do if the palm tree has stopped growing?

Palm is a plant of hot countries. For good growth, it needs a sufficient amount of heat. At a temperature of 16 - 17 ° C, it stops growing.

It should be moved to a warmer, brighter room. Cessation of growth in winter time- a natural process for a palm tree. Another reason is that the plant was planted in acidic soil.

Or it lacks essential nutrients. Growth slows down and the roots outgrow the volume of the pot.

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With proper care, there are no problems with growing date palms at home. But this tree has a significant drawback - it grows very slowly. For 3 years, the plant has only a few leaves. A complex leaf can be seen only in the 4th, 5th year of life. If you plant a date seed, you need to take care of it all this time. 2 times a month it needs to be rotated 180 degrees, watered, fed, etc. This plant is for patient gardeners. If, nevertheless, you want to have an exotic beauty in your house, it is better to buy it in a store. But a half-meter tree costs at least 10 thousand rubles.

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Once upon a time date palm was the emblem of India. Her image can be found on coins and medals, the city of Jericho was named after her, which means “the city of palm trees”, she was an ancient calendar, the first sacred books were written on her leaves, the path of Jesus Christ was covered with her leaves at the entrance to Jerusalem. And such an unusual, legendary plant in miniature can appear in your home if you figure out how to grow a date palm. By the way, this is not at all difficult to do. You can do this even with a child, having previously enjoyed delicious dates. At the same time, you will receive the starting material for planting - date pits.

It is best to sow date seeds in February or March. Stock up on clay pots and potting mix for palm trees. You can also prepare it yourself from a mixture of two parts of light clay-turf soil, a small amount of charcoal, two parts of 2 humus-leaf, adding one part of peat, rotted manure and sand to them.

Ready-made soil mixtures for palm trees are suitable.

Your next steps:

1. Peel the pits of eaten dates according to the number of pots from the pulp of the fruit date and let dry for a day.

2. After a day, soak the bones in warm water. Change the water to fresh water every day for five days. During this time, the bone should swell. Sometimes they take tougher actions, scratch the bone or make shallow cuts on it, scald it with boiling water. All this is done so that the sprout quickly breaks through a strong and hard peel.

4. Prepare a pot scalded with boiling water, close the drainage hole with a small pebble, then put a layer of expanded clay on the bottom, fill in the prepared earth mixed with a lot of sand, and bury the bones to a depth equal to 1.5 of its own size.

5. Water the soil in the pot and place it in a warm place. The optimum temperature is from 25 to 30 degrees.

6. Constantly monitor the condition of the earth in the pot - it must be moistened.

7. After one and a half, but possibly even after 3 months from the date of planting, expect the emergence of seedlings of the date palm.

8. After the appearance of the first leaf, transplant the palm into a larger pot (about 8 cm in diameter), using a palm mixture for filling.

9. Next spring, transplant the palms into even larger pots - about 11 cm in diameter.

Consider a few more important points, understanding in detail the question of how to grow a date palm.

Transplantation of the date palm is always carried out by the clumping method, i.e. without shaking off the old earth from the roots.
Use only soft water for watering. If tap water is used, brown spots may appear on the leaves, plant growth will slow down, and chlorosis may develop. It is necessary to water the palm tree every day in summer, but do not allow excessive watering, especially in winter.
Spray the date palm daily with soft warm water (30 degrees) and shower it weekly, covering the potted soil with polyethylene.

Date palm- one of the best ornamental plants - evergreen, with beautiful spreading leaves continuously formed at the top of the stem.

You can grow a real date palm from a date pit you bought in a store.

Yes this is true. You just have to be patient. The stone will germinate in three months, and beautiful spreading leaves will appear on the plant only after a few years. But if you are patient, then proper care a tree up to 2 m tall can grow from a stone.

Plant a few date pits vertically in the ground so that top part the seed was covered with earth by 1 cm. Date seeds germinate well in a mixture of raw sawdust, peat and sand in a ratio of 1:1:1. Cover this mixture with marsh white moss (sphagnum) on top. Until sprouts appear, keep the pot in a warm place at a temperature of at least 25 ° C. Keep the soil moist. Sprouts may appear in 1-3 months. This period depends on how dried the fruits of the date were. Fresh fruits germinate in nature after 1 month.

To speed up the emergence of sprouts, hold the date seeds before planting for several minutes in hot water (80 ° C) or rub them lightly with sandpaper. If cracks appear in the dense shell of the bone, then moisture will get inside faster and the bone will germinate faster.

After the sprouts grow to a height of 10-15 cm, they can be planted in separate small pots. The soil for the date palm should consist of soddy, leafy soil, humus, peat soil and sand (2: 2: 4: 1: 2). It is advisable to add a little crushed charcoal to the pot.

Young plants should be transplanted every year, and palm trees that have reached the age of 5 are transplanted every few years - when the roots fill the entire pot or tub and begin to crawl out of the container. When transplanting, part of the roots forming a felt layer is cut off with a sharp knife so that the plant fits in a new pot. The drainage in the pot must be very good.

The date palm loves a bright, sunny place and fresh air. Therefore, in summer, the plant must be taken out to the balcony or terrace. In summer, dates are watered very abundantly. The soil must not be allowed to dry out. From a lack of moisture, the leaves fall and may no longer restore their former appearance. The plant needs frequent spraying with water at room temperature.

Top dressing must be carried out from April to September weekly, as the date consumes nutrients very quickly during the growth period.

Despite the fact that the date palm comes from the hot oases of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, in winter it needs coolness of 12-14 ° C and moderate watering.

Under natural conditions, beautiful feathery leaves appear on a palm tree for 3 years, and at home this can happen even after five years. In order for the leaves to grow evenly throughout the crown, the pot must be turned towards the sun so that the leaf arrow is directed into the room.

The date palm, like other types of palm trees, has only one growth point - at the top of the trunk. That's why palm tree can not be cut or somehow form its crown. An ordinary date palm at home grows very slowly and rarely grows above 2 m. But it is also a fairly large plant that can eventually grow out of the size of your apartment and you will have to look for a more spacious place for it.

At home, the date palm does not bear fruit.

Problems in growing date palm

Problem	Cause	How to eliminate
yellowing leaves	Insufficient watering	In summer, the roots should not be allowed to dry out the earthy coma
brown leaf tips	Too dry air	In hot weather, spray the leaves regularly. Other possible reasons- insufficient watering, cold air
Brown spots on leaves.	Waterlogging the soil or using very hard water.	Limit watering and use only settled water at room temperature (18-20°C), even if the room temperature is lower.
Leaves turn yellow	Nutrient deficiency	Regular weekly palm feeding.
Leaves turn pale	Too much lighting	In summer, the palm tree needs to be slightly shaded from the bright midday sun.
Brown bottom leaves	Lower leaves darken and die with age.	Old leaves are cut with a sharp knife.
brown leaves	Waterlogging of the soil and the roots of the palm tree begin to rot	It is necessary to pull the plant out of the pot and inspect the root system - if all the roots are watery and darkened, then unfortunately the plant has almost died and will have to be thrown away. If there are living roots, then cut off all the dead and damaged roots, sprinkle the cut points with crushed coal. Plant the palm tree in fresh soil.

Pests- date palms can be attacked by scale insects, spider mites and mealybugs.