Date palm from stone - how to plant at home

Dates are delicious and quite popular fruits. Nowadays, they can be bought at almost any retail outlet. Many people are interested in how to grow a date palm from a stone, and whether it will turn out to be similar to a tree grown in natural conditions.

Date palm from stone: is it possible to grow in this way

In general, if you plant a seed in a pot and provide it with proper care, it is possible to get a palm tree. However, it should be borne in mind that such plants do not bear fruit at home, so you should not expect berries from them.

The date palm grows into a huge tree

How to germinate a date seed at home: step by step instructions

So how to grow a date from a stone at home? Looking specifically for date seeds is not worth it. You can buy fruits at any grocery store. Seeds must be germinated before planting, otherwise they most likely will not sprout or will germinate after a very long time.

Date seeds from which palm trees are grown

Germinate the seeds correctly as follows:

1. Seeds are pulled out of the dates.
2. The bones are carefully examined, damaged or with traces of possible diseases are discarded.
3. The seeds are poured into containers with clean water and left for a day to remove the remaining pulp. The berries themselves contain specific substances that interfere with germination.
4. After a while, the bones are thoroughly washed.
5. The container is filled with loose soil (with vermiculite and hydrogel), a seed is placed, and covered with plastic wrap.
6. It is better to place the pot near the battery, for germination it will take a temperature of about 35 ° C.
7. Seeds germinate within a couple of months, the entire period requires monitoring the moisture content of the soil, removing condensate from the film.

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Preparing the date bone for planting

Growing a palm tree is a rather lengthy process. Normal leaves in the culture will appear only by the third year, flowering at home is quite rare. Over time, the palm tree can grow up to two meters.

Before growing a date from a stone, it is worth carrying out several operations so that later there is no disappointment.

Selection and preparation of planting material

The correct selection of planting material plays an important role. Not all dates are able to germinate. For further planting, you need to choose fresh or dried berries that have not undergone heat treatment.

To speed up the germination of the seed, you can machine it:

• prick the surface with a needle;
• lightly sandpaper;
• cut with a blade;
• pour over with boiling water.

Germination process

Then the seeds are placed in moistened cotton wool, which is placed in a glass and covered. Leave the container in a warm room and make sure that the cotton wool does not dry out.After the sprout appears, it can be rooted and transplanted to a permanent place.

Soil selection

Palm soil is selected with a lot of nutrients. The earth should be good for air and water. It is permissible to purchase ready-made soil for palm trees in the store. A universal primer is also suitable. If you wish, you can prepare the mixture yourself. For this purpose, sand, turf soil, compost or humus are mixed in equal parts.

You can prepare the soil with a slightly different composition: 2 parts of turf are mixed with 1 part of sand and 1 part of peat. Then add a small amount of coal to the mixture.

The first shoots will appear in a few days

Land purchased or prepared independently must be disinfected by any of the following methods:

• roasting in the oven;
• boiling water treatment;
• processing with a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• calcination in a microwave oven.

After all treatments, the seeds can be planted.

Planting a sprouted seedling

A sprouted seed is not difficult to plant and grow. It is placed vertically in the hole, then gradually sprinkled with earth. Sprinkle with a little water, move the pot to a warm place. Special conditions for planting are not required, you can choose any container for germination.

It is recommended to transplant sprouts together with the soil in which they germinated. For each seedling, you need to prepare a suitable deep pot and soil. Expanded clay and charcoal are poured at the bottom of the container, the drainage layer should be at least 2 cm.

How to care for a seed date palm sprout at home

It is not enough just to plant a stone, proper home care for a date palm from a stone is important. It is imperative to follow all rules and conditions so that the small sprout does not die.

Young plants require special care

Location and lighting

The date palm can grow up to 2 m in height, so it is recommended to choose a bright and spacious room for it. An adult flower requires a lot of space, the amount of furniture needs to be reduced. However, the palm tree grows rather slowly, it will reach its full size after 10 years.

In nature, palm trees grow in the sun, but houseplants cannot tolerate direct sunlight. Therefore, it is better to place the pot in a bright place near the southern, western or eastern windows.

It is recommended that you constantly rotate the palm tree so that all the leaves get an even amount of light. Otherwise, the leaves will grow well on only one side.

If in the fall there was not enough light for such a plant, then in the spring they gradually begin to accustom it to the sun. With a lack of light, the leaves wither or stretch.

The normal temperature for a palm tree is 25 ° C. In summer, it can withstand heat up to 30 ° C. However, in such a case, be sure to observe the appropriate humidity. The plant is constantly sprayed.

The winter period is accompanied by plant dormancy. The optimum temperature is considered to be about 18 ° C, but not lower than 14 ° C. Sudden changes are bad for the condition of the palm tree.

Air humidity

The most suitable indicator for air humidity should not exceed 70%. In winter, it is not recommended to leave the palm tree near the radiator.Leaves are regularly wiped with a damp cloth.

It is equally important to follow the rules for watering a flower. In nature, the plant has rather long roots, so it can withstand heat and drought. However, at home, the palm is provided with the necessary amount of moisture. The following rules should be adhered to:

• it is recommended to drain excess water from the sump. For irrigation, use soft, non-chlorinated water;
• in the warm season, the flower can often be sprayed, the palm tree likes it, but moisture should not get into the outlet;
• after planting the bones, they monitor the condition of the soil, it cannot be waterlogged, the ground should be practically dry;
• from April to August, the number of irrigations is increased, in cold weather it is reduced.

It is important not to overfill the plant to avoid the development of fungal diseases.

A young palm tree does not require frequent watering

Requirements for soil and pot

You do not need to take a large pot for a palm tree. When transplanting, the capacity should be 2-3 cm larger than the previous one. However, the flowerpot is required high, because the plant has long roots.

The soil for the palm tree should be loose and nutritious, which allows water and air to pass through well. If necessary, the plant is fed with special fertilizers intended for palm trees.

Transplant timing and technology

If the plant is less than 5 years old, then the transplant is carried out every year, then as needed, because an adult plant is difficult to tolerate such a procedure. An indicator that it is necessary to transplant a flower is protruding roots from the drainage holes. This indicates that the pot has become small.

The best way to transplant is transshipment, because the palm has very delicate roots that can be easily damaged. A drainage layer is poured at the bottom of the new pot, after which a palm tree is placed in it along with a lump of earth. Add new soil and water the plant.

Planting in a large pot is fraught with stopping the growth of the flower.

It is recommended to renew the topsoil every six months to replenish the soil with new nutrients.

An adult plant after 5 years is not transplanted every year, but only the top layer of the earth is renewed

Potential problems with seed growing

If the rules for caring for the plant are not followed, various problems may arise in growing:

• dryness of the tips arises from a lack of moisture, it is worth spraying the flower more often;
• the leaves turn yellow due to the dryness of the soil, you need to monitor watering;
• darkening of the leaves is the result of excess moisture;
• the palm tree does not grow. Most likely, she is just cold, it is worth checking the air temperature in the room;
• yellow or brown spots appear on the leaves - a sign of a lack of potassium;
• the presence of bright yellow spots along the edges indicates a lack of magnesium;
• light leaves, lack of growth - not enough nitrogen, it is worth feeding the flower;
• the appearance of chlorosis of the leaves indicates a lack of manganese. Fertilizers will help.

What can ruin a palm sapling

The date palm is an unpretentious plant, however, it is also prone to various diseases and can be affected by harmful insects. For the palm tree, the danger is:

• spider mite. Appears when the ambient temperature changes frequently. The first symptom is many yellow and brown spots;
• shield. The leaves turn yellow, brown plaques appear on them;
• thrips. A whitish tint appears on the upper part of the sheets, brown on the lower;
• worm. When damaged, the plant quickly withers and dries up.

You can deal with insects with the help of special preparations.It is also permissible to use homemade products.

Palm is an excellent ornamental plant. If desired, at home, it is possible to grow a date tree even from a stone, the main thing is to accurately follow all the rules for germination and planting. Only then, after a few years, you can get a beautiful large plant that will delight you with abundant green foliage. The only negative is that you cannot get fruits at home.