Representatives of the palm family have long adorned the homes of Russian residents. As a houseplant, a date palm is excellent. In total, about 20 species are known. In nature, they grow mainly in Africa and Eurasia. The first samples were found on the territory of modern Iraq in the VI century BC. In the natural environment, the tree reaches 30 meters in height. Palm fruits are used on an industrial scale. They are a favorite treat of many people.
Is it possible to grow a date palm from a stone at home? According to experienced growers, this is quite simple. However, unlike those specimens that grow in the natural environment, such a tree will not bear fruit. Indoor plants play only a decorative role. Their exotic appearance is able to decorate any room. But not only this influenced the popularity of this type of palm tree. The plant is rather naughty, even a beginner grower can take care of it. However, before you engage in the cultivation of this species, it is important to familiarize yourself with some features.
Growing conditions
Decorative palm tree is a bushy tree with leaves in the form of feathers. It is the latter that are its virtue. At home, the plant reaches about 2 meters. He urgently needs free space. Therefore, you need to place the tree in a room where there is little furniture. Accordingly, a large flowerpot will be needed so that the date palm at home can develop well. With proper care, you can see how the plant blooms. Inflorescences have a pleasant yellow tint. However, it is not worth counting on the possibility of enjoying dates. The fact is that only those specimens that have reached a height of 15 meters begin to bear fruit. Well, as you know, in apartments or houses it is simply impossible.
All that has been said above applies to mature trees. But if the florist is only going to grow a date palm at home (how to do this will be described below), then he should not immediately allocate a lot of space for it. It is enough to take care of only the lighting. The fact is that the tree grows slowly, and at first it is planted in a small pot. In the future, of course, it will be necessary to regularly change the capacity to a large one. As a rule, a young plant is replanted every year. First, it is placed on the windowsill, then you can rearrange it on a stand, and only when it grows up, move it to the floor.
How to grow a date palm from a stone?
If you are interested in how to grow a beautiful exotic tree from a stone, then you should read the instructions below.
- The choice of bones. Those palm fruits that have undergone heat treatment do not produce sprouts. It is for this reason that it is necessary to take a bone from dried, fresh or candied dates.
- Bone preparation. In order to sprout faster, it is important to break the shell a little. This can be done with sandpaper. Armed with it, lightly rub the bone.
- Soil preparation. For germination of seeds need special soil. You can cook it yourself. To do this, you need to take raw sawdust, peat, river sand. These components are mixed in equal parts.
- Landing. In order to accurately obtain palm sprouts, it is recommended to plant several seeds, as they say, for reliability. In the soil, previously moistened, they are placed in an upright position. Top need to sprinkle a little substrate. This layer should not exceed one centimeter.
- Optimal conditions. In order for the seed to sprout, the container must be placed in a place where the temperature will be around +25 ºC. It is not recommended to grow palm trees if the room is cool. The minimum temperature limit is +20 ºC. It is also important to pay attention to light sources. It is advisable to install the pot in a shaded place. During the germination period, it is important that the soil is constantly moist. However, do not be zealous, since stagnation of water can lead to rotting of planting material.
Unfortunately, you will have to be patient to grow a date palm. No matter how hard you try, the bones swell for a long time. After planting, the first sprouts appear after about 3 months, and sometimes you have to wait even six months. This process cannot be accelerated, so we can only wait.
When green sprouts appear above the ground, it is imperative to change the conditions. The first step is to rearrange the pot in a place that will be well lit. However, it is better to protect a young plant from direct sunlight. Until the seedlings grow up, they are regularly sprayed with warm water. It is also necessary to moisten the soil, preventing it from drying out. This is exactly what home date palm should receive.
Care for sprouts
As soon as the sprouts reach a height of 10-15 centimeters, they are necessarily planted. For these purposes, any containers are suitable. The only condition is a diameter of at least 15 cm. Planting plants is necessary in order to fully develop the root system.
At this stage, the young date palm should be placed in a special soil. It consists of the following components:
- peat land - one part;
- river sand - 2 parts;
- humus - 4 parts;
- charcoal - two handfuls;
- turf and leaf land - 2 parts each.
The prepared substrate is thoroughly mixed. Then take the pot. At its bottom there should be a hole through which excess water will flow. Also, the drainage layer does not hurt. Make it easy. To do this, beaten tiles or egg shells are laid at the bottom of the pot, you can pour and just sand. After this, the pre-dug processes are carefully placed in the prepared containers, sprinkled with soil and moistened.
Date palm: home care
If the palm tree was planted from the stone, then the first leaves will appear in about 3-4 years. Sometimes this process can drag on for five years. In no case can you cut the top of the trunk. After all, it is she who is the point of growth. A uniform tree crown is formed only by turning to a light source. The main thing is that the new arrow be turned into a shadow.
Both young and adult trees need proper care. A palm tree made from a date seed grown at home needs a lot of sunlight. It is also important to regularly ventilate the room. Caring for the tree itself is completely uncomplicated. In the summer, when the temperature rises above +25 ºC, it is recommended to organize a shower once every seven days. You will also need to wipe the leaves daily with a wet sponge or spray the crown from the bullet machine.
In addition to these procedures, others do it. We are talking about bait, watering and other manipulations, which we will talk about in more detail.
Features of watering
How to water a date palm at home? Plant care is important both in winter and in summer. However, watering will be different. It is recommended to moisten the soil only with soft water, previously settled.
In the summer, you will have to water the tree often. However, care must be taken to ensure that the water does not stagnate, as this can spoil the roots, leading to the death of the palm. But in winter it is recommended to reduce the amount of water. The fact is that the plant is at rest during this period, therefore it does not need strong hydration. Depending on the temperature in the room, the intervals between watering can reach 14-30 days.
Transfer
Transplanting a young plant is the main action that cannot be done without. It must be carried out every year. Until the date palm has reached the age of 5, it is not recommended to plant it immediately in a large pot. The size of the container should increase as gradually as the plant grows. Surprisingly, adults do not really like to be disturbed. Therefore, they need to be transplanted only in case of urgent need.
There are such features that a novice gardener should know about:
- Transplanting a palm tree, one must act carefully, since it is very easy to damage the roots.
- It is recommended to use the transshipment method when transplanting.
- The roots of the plant are quite long, so the pot should be deep.
- When replanting a young plant, it is important to use a flowerpot, which will be 3-4 centimeters larger than the previous one.
- It often happens that the soil is depleted, so in order not to disturb the plant, you can carefully remove the top layer and replace it with a new substrate. This manipulation is recommended to be done no more than once every 6 months.
Lure
In order for the date palm to grow healthy and beautiful at home, it is necessary to feed it. If this is not done, then the growth slows down noticeably, the leaves lose their color, becoming too light, bronze spots may appear. In order to avoid such troubles, it is recommended to use fertilizers, applying them approximately once every 14 days. For these purposes, complex products designed specifically for flowering plants are excellent. It is necessary to start complementary foods from mid-spring - in April. The last dose is introduced in November, after which the plant goes into a dormant state.
Temperature mode
Growing a date palm from a stone, it is important to ensure the correct temperature regime in the room. The young plant develops well in conditions with a temperate climate (up to +25 ° C). This temperature must be provided in the spring-summer period. With the advent of autumn, it is recommended to gradually reduce it. By November, it is best if the room is no higher than + 15 ... + 18 ° C. Surprisingly, there are types of palm trees that can winter and at lower temperatures (+ 8 ... + 10 ° C). The main thing is to protect the plant from drafts.
Humidity
There are no special requirements for humidity levels. However, in winter, when the heating is turned on, it is advisable to remove the palm from the appliances away. You will also need to regularly wipe the leaves with a damp soft cloth. This will help not only moisturize the plant, but will also be an excellent prophylaxis against insects. In the summer, warm baths are arranged on the tree. During this procedure, the palm trunk is reliably covered with a thick film so that moisture does not get inside. This will help prevent wood rot.
Leaf pruning
Caring for a date palm, you will need to learn how to prune leaves correctly. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the plant. Only dried or damaged leaves are pruned. You can also remove those that lean very low.
A decorative palm tree should have only one trunk. Therefore, when lateral shoots appear, they are immediately cut off. This will affect not only the appearance, but also help the tree to develop fully. It is important not to damage the main trunk when pruning, as this will lead to the death of the plant.
The lower branches of the palm turn yellow. It's quite normal. However, you don’t need to cut them off in a hurry until they are completely dry. The fact is that for some time a tree draws useful substances out of them. There is also one more important point: in a year it is impossible to prune leaves more than new ones have grown.
Why is the palm tree not growing?
Why does the date palm tree not grow? The conditions of care were clearly not met if such a problem arose. Non-compliance with the temperature regime can disrupt the development process. Root growth arrest and deceleration of activity occur if the room is quite cool (+ 16-17 ºC). Another reason that can lead to such consequences is the acidity of the soil. When its level rises significantly, a deficiency of iron and manganese is formed. The optimal pH is below seven units.