Date palm- one of the most popular exotic plants, which is grown at home. Moreover, if you provide this plant with comfortable conditions and care for it correctly, then you can enjoy home-grown dates.
The date palm cannot be called a difficult plant to care for; for its active growth and abundant fruiting, only a few mandatory aspects of care are enough: enough light, abundant watering and regular feeding ... How to properly care for this plant at home, we will tell you in today's article.
Choosing the right place
The date palm does not tolerate direct sunlight at all, as they leave burns on its leaves. For this plant it is better to highlight a place where there will be a sufficient amount of scattered light. If the date palm does not have enough light, then the edges of its leaves begin to turn yellow, this is easy to see if you place the flower in partial shade.
Optimal watering of the date palm
V summer time the earthen coma should not be allowed to dry out, therefore the plant needs to be watered often and abundantly, but in winter, when the temperature should be much lower, the plant should be watered when the earth is completely dry.
For irrigation, you need to use settled water room temperature, tap water can cause various diseases in the plant. V summer heat you can add spraying the plant from a spray bottle or wiping the leaves with a damp cloth.
Optimum temperature and humidity
The most difficult task facing a florist who wants to grow a date palm at home is maintaining a suitable temperature regime... Most often, the date palm is placed in rooms with air conditioning, where the temperature, even in summer heat, does not rise above +23 - +24 degrees. Optimum temperature in summer, +17 - +21 degrees, and in winter, the date palm calmly tolerates a drop in temperature to +11 - +12 degrees.
The humidity level should be in the range of 40-50%, therefore this plant should not be left near heating devices that dry the air.
Necessary feeding and fertilization
The amount and frequency of feeding depends solely on the goals that you set for yourself. If it comes just about growing a date palm like decorative decoration different rooms, then this plant can safely tolerate the absence of additional fertilizers. But if you are interested in the fruiting of this plant, then you cannot do without additional fertilizers. On average, it is advisable to fertilize the date palm once every two weeks; complex mineral fertilizers .
Plant transplant
Like many other palms, the date palm does not tolerate transplanting with a complete replacement of soil and cutting off the roots, therefore this plant is transferred from one pot to another, only with the replacement of the top layer of the earth. Transshipment performed every year for young plants and once every 2-3 years for older representatives. For transplanting, either a soil mixture for palm trees or even the simplest one - universal soil for indoor plants is suitable.
If your date palm is still very small, then you should not choose too large a container for it, it is better to start with a small pot, and with each next transplant, choose a slightly larger container for the previous one.
The best time to transship the date palm is mid-spring, or rather - April month. During this period, the active growth of this plant is just beginning, therefore the new soil and free space for the rhizome will contribute to rapid growth your palm tree.
Date palm propagation
The easiest and most popular date palm propagation method is seminal
, the best part is that even bones from dried dates bought on the market will do. First, the bone is freed from the pulp, then it must be left for three days in a container with water. You need to plant a date bone in a container with an earthen mixture, which often consists of leafy soil, turf and sand.
It's good if there is a greenhouse in the house, then the bones will germinate much faster. It is important to remember that the necessary attributes for the active growth of date seeds are an abundance sunlight and a sufficient amount of moisture.
Sakura is most often associated with Japan and its culture. Picnics in the shade flowering trees have long been an integral part of the meeting of spring in the Land of the Rising Sun. The financial and academic year begins here on April 1, when the magnificent cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Therefore, many significant moments in the life of the Japanese are marked by their blossoming. But sakura grows well in cooler regions - certain species can be successfully grown even in Siberia.
We have prepared a hearty, incredibly appetizing and simply elementary dish for you today. This gravy is one hundred percent universal, as it goes with every side dish: vegetables, pasta, or whatever. Gravy with chicken and mushrooms will save you in moments when there is no time or you don't want to think too much about what to cook. Grab your favorite side dish (you can do it ahead of time to keep everything hot), add the gravy and lunch is ready! A real lifesaver.
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I will allow myself to confess my love today. In love for ... lavender. One of the best unpretentious, evergreen and flowering shrubs that can be successfully grown in your garden. And if someone thinks that lavender is Mediterranean, or at least southern, then you are wrong. Lavender grows well in more northern regions, even in the Moscow region. But in order to grow it, you need to know some rules and features. They will be discussed in this article.
Having once tasted such a priceless product as pumpkin, it is already difficult to stop looking for new recipes for serving it to the table. Korean style pumpkin, despite its pungency and spice, has a fresh and delicate taste. After cooking, you will need to cover the salad and let it brew for at least 15 minutes. butternut squash very juicy and sweet, so there is no need to crush it. If the pumpkin is of a different variety, then you can knead it with your hands so that it slightly sips the juice.
Salad, as the earliest and unpretentious green culture, has always been held in high esteem by gardeners. Spring planting most summer residents usually start by sowing lettuce, parsley and radish. Recently, the pursuit of a healthy diet and big choice greens in supermarkets make gardeners wonder which of these plants can be grown in their beds? In this article, we will tell you about nine of the most interesting, in our opinion, types of salad.
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Pollock is best cooked in a casserole, separating the fillets from the skin and bones. Pieces of fish are mixed with a variegated vegetable set, poured over with a sauce of cheese, sour cream and eggs. This fish casserole has a presentable look, and its taste is a whimsical mixture of subtle nuances. Vegetables and fillets are soaked in sour cream, the cheese will harden with a golden brown crust, eggs will tie all the ingredients together. Pieces of fish are abundantly sprinkled with Italian herbs, and pollock acquires an unusual piquancy.
Despite the fact that the calendar spring begins in March, you can truly feel the awakening of nature only with the appearance flowering plants in the garden. Nothing testifies to the arrival of spring as eloquently as the clearing of flowering primroses. Their appearance is always a small holiday, because winter has receded, and a new gardening season awaits us. But, in addition to spring primroses, there is still something to see and admire in the garden in the month of April.
Growing rapidly and turning into wild thickets, hogweed disrupts the existing ecosystem and suppresses all other plants. Essential oils contained in the fruits and leaves of hogweed, cause severe forms of dermatitis. At the same time, it is much more difficult to deal with it than with other common weeds. Fortunately, today a remedy has appeared on the free market that can rid your site of most weeds, including hogweed, in a short time.
Carrots happen different colors: orange, white, yellow, purple. Beta-carotene and lycopene predominate in orange carrots, yellow due to the presence of xanthophylls (lutein); white carrots are high in fiber, while purple carrots contain anthocyanin, beta and alpha carotenes. But, as a rule, gardeners choose carrot varieties for sowing not by the color of the fruit, but by the timing of their ripening. About the best early, middle and late varieties we will explain in this article.
We recommend a fairly easy pie recipe with an appetizing chicken and potato filling. Open Pie with Chicken and Potatoes is an excellent hearty dish that is perfect for a hearty snack, it is very convenient to take a couple of slices of these pastries on the road. The cake is baked in the oven for one hour at 180 degrees. After that we put it on wooden surface, having previously released it from the form. It is enough to slightly cool the baked goods and you can start tasting.
The long-awaited spring for many indoor plants is the start of an active growing season, and for most, the return of their decorative effect. Admiring young leaves and emerging shoots, one should not forget that spring is also a great stress for all indoor plants. Sensitive and versatile, all indoor crops face much more bright lighting, changes in air humidity and temperature conditions.
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Many people love dates. But many have tried them only as dried fruits, and not everyone has seen and tasted this exotic fruit fresh. The date tree can be grown on garden plot or in an apartment. True, you won't be able to wait for fruits from it, but the plant is very decorative.
Dates in the natural environment
The natural distribution area of the date palm is the deserts of Asia and North Africa. The deep root system of these plants is capable of extracting water from great depths. V natural environment the palm tree has a height of up to 20 m and is capable of bearing fruit for about 100 years.
The date palm is also called the phoenix. Its name is consonant with the name of the legendary mythological bird, which was able to burn itself and then rise from the ashes.
Palm plantings today are an important means of combating desertification
The date palm is a sacred tree for the peoples inhabiting the desert territories. Its fruits are called the bread of the desert, as they are the most important food for the local population. Dates are oblong in shape with a hard seed inside. Since ancient times, they were dried and taken with them on a long journey by Egyptian and Phoenician merchants. Dried dates contain a huge supply of nutrients, they are able not to deteriorate and retain their taste even in the most intense heat.
It is believed that a person can live for several years, eating only dates and water.
Popular varieties of dates
In temperate climates, the date palm is grown as ornamental plant... She is not capable of fruiting. V open ground the date won't survive the winter. Even good hiding place heated won't save the day. At a temperature of about 0 ° C, the plant needs low humidity otherwise, its root system will interfere. As a houseplant, the date palm is very popular, as it has a number of positive characteristics:
- decorative, suitable for any interior;
- differs in unpretentiousness to growing conditions;
- shows the greatest resistance to pests and diseases.
Since the beginning of the 19th century, palm trees have been grown in greenhouses, as well as indoor plants.
Of the existing many types of date palms for growing at home, 3 types are most often chosen:
Some other plants and their fruits are sometimes called dates. For example, Zizificus real, belonging to the buckthorn family, is often called the Chinese date. But this is botanically incorrect.
Growing conditions
Inside the fruit of the date palm there is a large and hard oblong stone. It retains germination for a very long time. Even seeds from dried dates can be used as seed material.
When multiplying dates by seeds, we cannot talk about preserving varietal traits plants.
The ideal and affordable seed material is the bones of dried or dried dates.
Preparing the date stone for planting
For germination, seeds of dates that have not undergone heat treatment are suitable. They can simply be stuck into the ground, in most cases shoots appear, but sometimes you have to wait 5-6 months. You can speed up this process as follows:
Even if you only plan to grow one palm, take a few seeds for germination. This will insure you against the death of seedlings due to diseases or unsuccessful experiments when transplanting a plant.
Date palm soil
For planting seeds, universal flower soil or ready-made soil mix for palms that are sold in specialized stores.
Soil for palm trees is produced on the basis of middle peat and vermicompost with the addition of sapropel, sand and vermiculite
You can prepare the soil mixture yourself. The composition will be optimal:
- light loam (2 parts);
- leaf compost (2 parts);
- peat (1 part);
- rotted mullein (1 part);
- sand (1 part);
- Little charcoal.
At the bottom of the planting tank, you need to place a drainage layer of expanded clay or river pebbles. It will prevent stagnant water, which is harmful to the roots of the plant.
Planting dates
Planting a date seed is a simple process and consists of the following steps:
To maintain humidity and keep warm, the planting container can be covered with cling film, but it should be opened daily for ventilation.
Date seedlings care
Most of the problems with growing dates are associated with improper care. It can be difficult to restore the health and appearance of a plant.
How to transplant a date
The date palm does not like transplants. But it is impossible to do without them, because for a young plant, you should choose a small planting capacity corresponding to the size of the root system. When planting in a large pot, it is difficult to prevent waterlogging, and this leads to palm diseases. The plant quickly enough takes nutrients from the soil and depletes it. Roots fill the empty space. If you do not transplant, the palm tree will stop growing.
Non-transplanted date palms do not fluff well, they grow for a long time in one narrow leaf.
It is best to replant the date palm in April. This is the beginning of the plant's activity, so fresh soil and free space for root growth will facilitate the rapid development of the date. For the first 4 years, the plant requires an annual transplant, then it can be carried out once every 2-3 years.
When transplanting a palm, the transfer method is preferable, in which the plant is taken out of the old pot along with a lump of earth, transferred to another pot (it should be several centimeters wider than the previous one). After that, all the voids are covered with new soil mixture.
Handling the palms is carried out carefully, trying not to damage the sensitive roots of the plant.
Optimal lighting and temperature modes
It is preferable to place the palm tree in a well-lit place, but in the hottest time, it is recommended to shade the plant for a short time to prevent sunburn.
In order for the date palm to evenly form leaves, it is periodically turned, directing the top of the plant into the room.
The optimum temperature during the period of active growth (spring and summer months) is 20-25 o C. During the dormant period (autumn and winter months), the recommended temperature regime is 15-18 o C. At this time, the date palm will easily tolerate a short drop in temperature (to 8 о С), it reacts much worse to drafts.
When placing the pot, keep in mind that the coldness of the marble floor or windowsill can negatively affect the delicate root system of the palm tree. In this case, it is recommended to use a variety of stands that will not only protect the roots of the plant, but also organically fit into the interior of the room.
Watering and feeding
In summer, the date palm should be watered frequently and abundantly. When the soil is completely dry, the leaves can droop and it is very difficult to restore their previous position. The plant will need garters and supports to avoid leaf injuries and maintain an attractive appearance... In winter, the palm tree is watered much less often - high humidity at low temperatures it is detrimental to the plant.
It is recommended to use chlorine-free water at room temperature for irrigation. The palm tree does not like calcium-mineralized (hard) water. Leaves will look well-groomed if you wipe them weekly with a damp sponge. The plant responds well to spraying. In the summer they are held daily, and once a week a shower is recommended for the palm tree. When spraying and showering, the earthen lump must be reliably protected from excess moisture.
In spring and summer, daily spraying of the palm crown with warm, settled water is carried out
To fertilize dates, it is recommended to use special preparations for palm trees or deciduous ornamental plants. During the period of active growth, palm tree feeding is carried out every 2 weeks. V winter period- 2 times less often. Fertilizers should be applied in liquid form to the previously watered soil.
Florists give valuable advice, which will help to grow a beautiful exotic plant in a few years:
- placing a date palm near central heating appliances can cause the death of the plant;
- in summer, it is recommended to take the tub with a palm tree to the balcony or garden. Be sure to make sure that there are no drafts harmful to the plant in the new place;
- direct sunlight is beneficial for the normal growth and development of only an adult palm;
- a grown plant can tolerate short periods of complete drought;
- the lifespan of palm leaves is approximately 1 year. Then they turn yellow, dry up, they must be removed. Pruning is done with a sharp tool, leaving a few centimeters from the stem;
- date palm is a single-stemmed plant. If it loses its apical part, it will stop growing.
Video: growing a date palm
Growing problems
Problems can arise with improper care. The diseased plant looks unsightly: dark yellowed leaves, soft trunk, rotting smell.
Table: date palm problems, causes and solutions
| Problem signs | The reasons for their occurrence | Remedies |
| The tips of the leaves turn yellow |
|
|
| Darkening of leaves, softness of the trunk, the appearance of a putrid odor | Waterlogging of the soil. |
|
| The ends of the leaves turned dark |
|
Systematize the modes of spraying and watering the plant. |
| The leaves of the plant go down | Lack of moisture. | Normalize the mode of watering and spraying, install a support for the leaves. |
| Yellowing of leaves | Watering with hard water. | Use settled water at room temperature for watering and spraying. |
| Pale leaves |
|
Shading the plant. |
| Drying of young shoots, rotting of their bases |
|
|
| The palm tree has suspended its growth during the period of activity |
|
|
| Darkening, curling and falling of leaves, brown spots on the surface of leaf plates | Damage by pests (spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs). |
|
Darkening lower leaves plants are a normal age-related phenomenon. Such sheet plates are carefully removed with a sharp instrument.
Flowering time: late spring - early summer. Flowers are of no decorative value, so it is better to remove them at the bud stage.
Temperature
Optimum temperature for winter maintenance:
- P. Canariensis, P. Dactylifera 8-16 0 C, withstand a short-term temperature drop to -5 0 C in an adult state (i.e. if the palm tree has a trunk);
- P. roebelenii 10-13 0 C.
Lighting
Optimal illumination - bright, diffused sunlight.
In order for the plant to maintain symmetry, it is recommended to rotate it around its axis by 180 degrees every two weeks.
The appearance of yellow or brown spots in the summertime, it speaks of excessive lighting.
Watering
In the period from April to August, the frequency of watering is without drying the earthen coma. In the autumn winter time watering frequency - with light drying of the earthen coma.
If the tips of the leaves begin to turn yellow or black, then the plant is receiving too much moisture.
Fertilizer
Top dressing is carried out from April to August with fertilizer for indoor plants. The frequency of feeding is once every two weeks. Optimal N-P-K ratio= 3-1-3. Every month, during the growing season, we carry out foliar dressing with microelements.
Common Nutrient Deficiency Problems
Nitrogen deficiency. Deficiency symptoms - the leaf of the palm tree turns light green, the plant stops growing.
Potassium deficiency: bronze spots appear on the leaf plate. Symptoms occur primarily on old leaves and gradually show on newly formed leaves. Translucent yellow or orange spots may also appear on the leaf blades. Over time, necrotization of spots occurs, and necrosis of the edges appears on the leaves. Later, the leaf dries up and curls (leaf and veins turn orange).
Magnesium deficiency. As with potassium deficiency, symptoms appear first on older leaves. Typical trait: A broad, light yellow stripe along the edge of older leaves, while the center of the leaf remains distinctly green.
Manganese deficiency... Symptoms appear only on new leaves: chlorosis appears, the leaf develops weak, smaller in size than it should be, and with large necrotic stripes. Manganese deficiency is primarily caused by the insolubility of the element at high pH or low soil temperatures in the cold season.
Air humidity
The optimum air humidity is 40-50% (this is the humidity in apartments in the temperate zone when the central heating). The date in the summer is favorable for spraying with rainwater. In the autumn-winter time, spraying is not desirable, since otherwise the likelihood of infection of the plant with fungal diseases increases.
The soil
Optimal acidity potting soil pH 4.5-8.
The composition of the soil mixture: 1 part of sod land + 1 part of leafy soil + 1 part of humus + 1 part of perlite or sand.
Palm transplant
The optimal period for transplanting is April. Transfer to classic version, with the destruction of an earthen coma, it is not recommended to carry out for palms. The date palm, like all palms, is recommended to be replanted while maintaining an earthen clod when the roots fill the entire pot.
Young plants are transplanted every year, adults - once every three years. When transplanting, part of the roots that form the felt layer are cut off sharp knife to fit the plant into the new pot.
Attention! The frequency of transplanting (reloading) is indicated for the optimal development of the plant. In your case, it may be different, therefore, in order not to make a mistake, see the section of this site "Planting / Transplanting".
VIDEO: Transplanting a palm tree at home.
When transferring / reloading, it is impossible to bury the palm tree. After transplanting, the soil level marked on the trunk of the palm tree should match the soil level before transplanting. It is also necessary to choose the correct size of the pot - it is unacceptable to plant small plant in a large pot, this mistake is one of the most common.
Reproduction: date palm from stone
Seed preparation... Most often, seeds are used for planting dates - seeds left over from sweet fruits sold in food supermarkets. Dates are usually sold candied, but this does not affect seed germination.
So, remove (eat) the fruit pulp. The pulp of the fruit contains growth inhibitors that inhibit the germination of the seedling. Removing the pulp before planting will increase seed germination. Pre-soak the date palm seeds in water, soak time 48 - 72 hours. Within 24 hours, the freshest, viable seeds will sink. The water temperature during soaking is 35 - 40 0 С. Soaking causes the cellulose to ferment, which facilitates its removal. Change the water daily. After finishing soaking, rub the seeds between your palms, rinsing them running water... That's it - the seeds are ready for planting.
Seeds of palm trees, including date ones, quickly lose their germination, about 10% every month. Therefore, it is better to sow seeds immediately after harvesting or after purchase. If you buy seeds from a retail chain, pay attention to the date of packing. If the seeds are a year old or more, then the probability that they will germinate is zero.
Planting date palm seeds... We will need:
- fresh seeds;
- disposable cups 100 ml, with drainage holes made in them;
- sterilized potting soil, composition: 1 part leaf earth + 1 part perlite + 1 part vermiculite. The acidity of the mixture is pH 5.5-7.0;
1 ... Soak the seeds in water for 5 days (see the section on seed treatment), remove the fleshy membrane. This activity is necessary to accelerate germination.
2 ... Fill the prepared cups with potting soil and water. The soil level should be 15mm below the edge of the cup. We sow: we press the seeds one by one into the glass, covering them with soil with a layer of 5 mm. Cover the surface of the substrate with crushed charcoal with a layer of 3-5mm. Watering.
Germination conditions:
- soil temperature 32 - 35 0 С;
- lighting - bright diffused light;
- the potting mix should not dry out.
Germination period from 7 to 9 months.
5 ... When the first leaf of the seedling develops up to 2-4 cm in length, the seedlings are transplanted into the substrate as for an adult plant. From April to August, the first year, it is necessary to protect the seedlings from direct sunlight.
Pruning palm leaves
Cropped:
- dead leaves;
- broken leaves;
- leaves that bent below the horizontal (lines parallel to the ground);
- on the date palm P. reclinata, additional shoots must be removed, otherwise the main shoot will stop growing.
Do not cut off leaves that have partially changed their color to yellow or brown. Reason: a palm tree draws out nutrients from dying leaves.
When pruning, be careful not to damage the trunk of the palm tree.
If, during transplantation, an earthen lump collapsed and the roots were exposed, then half of the leaves must be removed in order to reduce evaporation.
Never remove more leaves during the year than they grow in a year.
Leaf care
If the spray of water during irrigation contaminated the palm leaf, then you can clean it with a flannel moistened with a 5% solution of oxalic acid, followed by a warm shower and wiping the leaf dry. Dust should be removed regularly every two weeks by wiping the palm leaf with a damp flannel.
The use of chemical cleaners is not advisable - there is a high probability of leaf chlorosis.
Pests. Caterpillars, mealybugs, leaf-eating beetles, aphids - detailed description and methods of control are described in the section "Pests".
Diseases.
Leaf spots, pink rot.
The disease affects weakened plants that have poorly drained soil or lack of drainage, attacked by pests or other problems. Symptoms: the disease affects the leaf plate, the leaf can rot from the base, young shoots are stunted - damaged by rot. Sometimes the trunk can also rot. Pinkish spore masses can be observed along with a thick brown liquid.
Ways to fight. Treatment of the plant with fungicides containing methyl thiophanate and mankozeb, the interval of treatments is a week. The plant is processed until complete recovery.
Phytophthora (root and stem rot), Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Pythium- for a detailed description of diseases, see the section "Diseases"
Physiological problems of palm
1) Stopping growth.
Symptoms are weak or absent growth, chlorosis of the leaves, especially the lower ones. Control: the soil temperature should be maintained at the level of 25-27 0 С. The main growth of the palm roots stops at 16 - 17 0 С, the root activity slows down, so that the absorption of nutrients is reduced. This decrease in absorption may not be uniform, which is why deficiencies in certain micronutrients occur, which occur in cold weather.
2) Lack of nutrients.
High acidity of the soil can cause deficiencies in manganese and iron, can lead to chlorosis of young leaves. When the situation worsens, chlorotic tissue turns into necrotic spots.
Necessary measures: Maintain soil pH below 7. Application foliar dressing will correct the problem with appropriate substances, the result, as a rule, will not be quick.
3) Marginal leaf burn.
Symptoms are burnt edges of the leaf plate.
Palm trees are sensitive to waterlogged or poorly aerated soils. Marginal leaf burn usually occurs relatively shortly after root damage begins. It is necessary to change the soil substrate (full or partial), in parallel, watering is also reduced.
4) Magnesium deficiency.
Symptoms - chlorosis of the lower leaves, which first develops along the edge of the leaf, eventually progresses to the entire surface of the leaf plate. This is a fairly common flaw.
Method of elimination: when drawing up a soil mixture, add dolomite flour; the situation can also be corrected by the introduction of micronutrient fertilizers (magnesium sulfate) in the form of root or foliar feeding.
5) Fluoride toxicity.
Symptoms The tips of the feathers die off, turn brown.
Avoid known sources of fluoride, especially superphosphate, which is used in many potting mix recipes.
6) Copper toxicity.
Symptoms are elliptical spots on leaf feathers that slightly resemble fungal leaf spots.
Avoid using fungicides that contain copper. The concentration of copper used in blended micronutrients is not considered a potential problem when used at recommended rates.
Articles
The date palm is a plant of the palm family. There are about 20 species in total. It grows mainly in Africa and Eurasia. This plant has been known to mankind for over two thousand years. The first mention dates back to the 6th century BC - already at that time the date palm was grown in Mesopotamia (the territory of modern Iraq).
The tree belongs to the feathery type of palm trees. In nature, it can reach up to 30 m. The fruits of the date palm are a well-known and beloved by many industrial scale... The juice is used to make sugar. However, indoor date palms have long gained popularity, and interest in them has increased especially when it became known that they can be successfully grown from a date stone. But before growing a date from a stone, you need to find out the growing conditions of a plant in nature.
Growing conditions
In nature, it is a squat shrub or tree with feathery leaves, which are the main decorative merit of this plant. A date palm at home from a stone can only grow up to 2 meters, but even in this case, this indoor plant considerable space is required. In room mature tree placed in spacious rooms with little furniture. But if it is grown from seed, you can always make room for a small pot at home, because the date will grow for a long time.
The date palm blooms in panicles of yellow flowers. But it will not work to eat dates from this tree: it will bloom and bear fruit. exotic tree begins when it reaches 15 meters in height, which, of course, is simply impossible at home.
Growing a date palm from seed
How to grow a date palm from seed? First of all, you should prepare for landing planting material... For reliability, it is advisable to plant several seeds at once. Then prepare the soil for planting. Pits from fresh, dried or candied dates may work - the most important thing is that the fruits are not subjected to early heat treatment. To obtain a soil suitable for seed germination, mix equal parts of sand, raw sawdust and peat.
The bones are placed vertically in the ground, a layer of 1 cm of the same substrate is poured on top. The container or pot is placed in a warm enough place where the air temperature is more than 20-25 ºC. It is necessary to ensure that the soil is wet at all times, but not wet. It is recommended to keep it near a heat source. There is no need to wait for quick results: a bone in the ground can sit and swell until a sprout appears for 3 or even 6 months.
When the shoots appear, the container must be transferred to a bright light, but at the same time the seedlings must be protected from direct rays. The soil should be regularly moistened, and the seedlings should be sprayed with warm water. When the seedlings grow up to 10-15 cm, they must be planted in separate pots, the diameter of which is 15 cm. The soil should consist of 4 parts of humus, 1 part of peat soil and two parts of sand, leaf and sod land. You can also add 2 handfuls of charcoal to the mixture. Everything is thoroughly mixed before planting. Do not forget to lay a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot.
A date palm at home from a stone can give leaves only after 3 or even 5 years. The growth point of the plant is located at the top of the trunk, so it should not be cut off or attempted in any way to form the crown of the tree. You need to make sure that the new arrow of the leaf is turned into the shadow. You should also turn the pot from time to time so that the crown forms evenly.
Date palm from stone: care
Home tree maintenance is pretty simple. It must be kept in a bright, sunny and well-ventilated area. In summer, the air temperature can be any, and in winter - not lower than 12-13 ºC, but not more than 18 ºC.
In the heat, the leaves of the plant can dry out at the ends, so it is advisable to spray them several times a day or wipe them with a wet sponge, and once a week organize a shower for the plant.
In summer, the palm tree should be fed weekly with mineral and organic fertilizers, in the fall, fertilize once every two weeks. In winter, it is enough to apply complex fertilizer once a month.
Watering
A date grown from a stone at home requires regular balanced watering with settled soft water. Balanced watering involves moistening the soil so that the plant has enough moisture, but nothing more. In order for excess moisture not to stagnate in the roots, you must remember to put a thick drainage layer in the pot when transplanting.
Transfer
Young plants that have not reached the age of five are transplanted annually, and those that are older - if necessary, because this tree does not like to be disturbed. When transplanting, they act very carefully so that the date palm root does not damage. It is best to use the transfer of the plant from the old container to a new one for this. The pot should be deep enough, since it has long roots, and each next flowerpot should be 3 or even 4 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. If the old container for the palm tree is still fit, but the soil has already lost the qualities useful for the plant, it should be carefully removed during transplantation. upper layer old substrate and replace it with fresh one. This is done every six months.
Reproduction
At home, the date palm is propagated only by seeds - bones.
Pests
Most often, a date palm at home from a stone, if the conditions of detention are violated, suffers from the following pests:
- spider mite;
- scabbards;
- mealybugs.
The best way to control pests is to correct grooming mistakes. Removing insects and tree-destroying traces of their vital activity is best done mechanically wiping the leaves with a soap and vodka solution. It is prepared as follows: take 15 g of any liquid soap, dishwashing detergent or grated solid soap dissolved in warm water and diluted in one liter of warm water. Next, 2 tbsp is added to the solution. spoons of vodka. If necessary, the processing of the leaves is repeated, just remember to protect the soil from the solution getting into it. In case of severe pest infestation, one should resort to insecticide treatment, the best of which is Actellik.
Diseases
Date palm, grown at home from seed, is susceptible to the following diseases:
- spotting that disfigures the leaf plate;
- pink rot, affecting both the leaves and the stem, and causing them to rot.
Fortunately, only sick and weak plants are susceptible to infection with these diseases, therefore, the key to the health of a date is, first of all, compliance with the rules of care. If a date palm, grown from a stone at home, is sick, it is necessary to carry out a double treatment with a fungicide that contains methyl thiophanate and mankozeb.
Why does the date palm start to dry?
Sometimes the leaves of the plant begin to dry from the tips. This indicates that the room where the tree is located has low air humidity (normal value is 50%). There are many ways to increase it to the required value. Spray and wash the leaves, otherwise the plant will lose its decorative appeal, and it will be a pity for wasted time and effort. Remember, a date palm, grown from a stone at home, dries up only from careless owners.
Why does the date palm turn yellow?
The reason is irregular spraying of plant leaves, insufficient watering.
Why do the leaves of the date palm darken?
If the soil in the pot, where the exotic date palm grows from the stone, undergoes constant waterlogging, the leaves gradually begin to darken, turn brown, the trunk of the plant becomes soft, and the smell of rot comes from the tree. In this case, stop watering, remove it from the pot and inspect the roots: if they are dark, soft and watery, the palm has already died. But if there are still living ones between the rotten roots, then you need to cut off the dead roots, sprinkle the cuts with crushed coal, and then transplant the plant into fresh soil.
The date palm does not grow
As already mentioned, the temperature in the room with the palm tree should not be lower than 12 ºC in winter. At other times of the year, at least 18-20 ºC, since root growth at 16-17 ºC stops, root activity slows down significantly, and the palm tree cannot absorb the necessary nutrients. This is what leads to the cessation of growth.
It can cause stagnation of growth and high acidity of the soil, which causes a lack of iron and manganese, therefore it is quite important to adhere to the correct temperature regime, as well as maintain soil acidity (pH below 7 units).
So, we looked at how to grow a date palm from a seed. There is nothing complicated in this, and the decorative qualities of the plant, of course, are worth all the effort spent. Wood can fit perfectly into a modern interior.
