Date palmor otherwisedate palmis a plant that is eagerly grown in our homes. It is valued for its extremely exotic, tropical appearance. However, it is worth knowing that not every date palm is suitable for growing at home, and the care of this palm can be a lot of trouble. See which date palm is best for growing at home, what it looks like to grow such a palm at home and what diseases can threaten the date palm.
Date palm - low date palm
Date palms grow mainly in Arab countries and North Africa. Other species of this genus are found in tropical regions of Africa and Asia, especially India.
The date palmfrom the Canary Islands is most often grown as a pot plant due to its best adaptability to indoor growing conditions. I can confirm this because I have this species in my home collection of potted plants. MyCanary Island Dactylgrows very well, but after several years of cultivation, it is hard to find a suitable place for it, because the plant is very branchy.
Dactylsare slow-growing stem-producing plants, the so-called log (however, in home growing conditions, they do not have a distinct log). In the upper part of the log you can see the characteristic traces of the lower leaves cut off as they dry. From the very top of the stem arise arched leaves made of many lanceolate leaves. The leaves are very variable in shape - some are stiff and upright, others curved and slack. The butt-shaped inflorescence occurs only in older plants and only in nature.
Dactylowiec - species for growing at home
Three types of date palms are the most common in pot growing at home. The first isCanary Island Dactyl(Phoenix canariensis), often also referred to asCanary Island palmbecause it comes from the Canary Islands. The leaves of this erected palm tree, composed of bright green leaves, can reach a length of up to 5 meters in natural conditions. This species grows more slowly than other date plants and produces a thicker log. It is the most durable species and is best suited for home growing.
The date palm(Phoenix dactylifera), that is the typicaldate palm , grows much stronger and faster. In its natural environment, it reaches 20 m in height. In South Africa, South-West Asia and Spain is grown as a fruit tree, producing wonderful dates.
Low date palm(P. roebelinii) is a species native to India, undoubtedly the most beautiful palm among date palm trees.It has very dense and much finer foliage. At the same time, however, it is a bit more difficult to grow - it is mainly suitable for hot greenhouses. Many people, however, cultivate in apartments because this species reaches a smaller size and therefore it is easier to find a place for it at home.
Date palm - cultivation and care
Cultivation site, temperature
Canarian date palmandlow date palmshould stand in a sunny place in summer, but sheltered from direct sunlight. wind (important when the plant is exposed outside). If we grow a date palm at home all year round, it should be in a bright place during the growing season, but not in direct sunlight. It is best to position the palm tree about 0.5 to 2 meters from the window. In winter, it should be provided with a well-lit place with a temperature of 4 ° C. In the case ofCanary Island , this only applies to older specimens over the age of three. Younger specimens of Phoenix canariensis should overwinter at higher temperatures, i.e.8-10 ° C.Low date palmneeds a warm place, the temperature must not drop below 16 ° C.
Date palm - Canary Island date palm
Moisturizing and watering
The air in the room wheredate palmgrows should be humid. This is achieved by pouring expanded clay or small pebbles on the stands under the pots. They must be kept wet all the time, but not flooded with water, so that the pot with the palm tree placed on the pebbles does not stand in the water. During the growing season, water dates abundantly once a week. The soil in the pots should be well drained - after watering, the water should overflow onto the base and after another 20 minutes the soil will absorb this amount of water. In winter we water more sparingly. For wateringdate palmwe use best still, lukewarm water with a pH of 5-6.
Fertilizing the date palm
From March to July we fertilize the palm trees every a week with liquid fertilizers with the correct composition of elements and microelements for them (a special fertilizer for palm trees would be the best).Pour the fertilizer into the water and water the plants with this mixture.Transplanting the date palm
We have to replant young date plants every year. When they are older - only as needed (every two or three years) until the diameter of the pot reaches 50 cm. The soil should be medium heavy with lots of humus. You can use ready-made potting soil compost (for palm trees) with an admixture of roasted sand and clay in a ratio of 6: 3: 1. The pH of the earth should be 5.7 to 6.8.
Date multiplication
Date palmcan only be propagated from seed. It is quite easy, but you have to wait a long time for the effect (it takes from two to six months to create the right microclimate). First, soak the seeds in lukewarm water for two days. Then we prepare the pots with a mixture of earth for palm and sand in the proportion of 1: 1. Place the seeds in the ground to a depth of 1 cm and water them. Put a plastic bag on the pot and attach it to the pot with a rubber band.In this way, we create the desired microclimate for the germination of the seeds (the bag will act as a greenhouse). From the moment of sowing and placing the foil on the pot, until the young seedling is approx. 4 cm high, do not remove the bag from the pot. After this time, we can start hardening the seedling by removing the foil every day (for seven days) for about four hours a day.
Transplant the prepared seedling into a pot filled with soil suitable for palm trees. The pot should not exceed 12 cm in diameter and tapered downwards. In this pot, the seedling spends the first year of cultivation, after which it has to be replanted.
We start fertilizing the youngdate palmonly after the first six months of the seedling's life (it is forbidden to plant seedlings in the ground with already added granulated fertilizer). It is also advisable during the summer period that the pots, both with seedlings and older plants, should be placed on a stand half filled with wet expanded clay and that all plant leaves should be sprinkled at least three times a week.
Date palm - diseases and pests
Dates can be attacked by pests of houseplants, mainly spider mites and mealybugs. One of the spider mites can be used against spider mites. The mealybugs are combated by spraying Provado Plus AE every two weeks, remembering that the plants should be left outside while spraying. Most pest control products should not be used in living quarters. The main reason for the occurrence of these pests is too high temperature and too low air humidity, so we can prevent their reappearance by improving the conditions for growing our palm trees.
Improper growing conditions may also cause palm diseases. Most often these aredate leaf diseasesLack of fresh air often leads to leaf diseases (bacterial or fungal). For this reason, it is worth exposingdate palmson balconies, terraces or in the garden during the summer.This is usually beneficial for the plants. The lack of light causes the appearance of yellow spots and the stretching of the leaves towards the light (as a result, the leaves are long and very slender). However, the browning of the leaf tips can be caused by various reasons:
- soil salinity as a result of too hard water and too high doses of fertilizer,
- watering too abundantly (especially in winter),
- drying of the root ball during the period of new shoots,
- too dry air in the apartment.
Browning leaf tips must be trimmed. When cutting them, leave a narrow strip of dead tissue. If all leaves are removed, use a sharp knife to keep the cut as smooth as possible and cut from the inside of the log downwards to create a typical bevel.
Dactylaceae, and especiallyCanary Island date palm , are plants to be cultivated at home.Providing them with the right conditions, we will get a large, nice plant, thanks to which we will feel a bit like in the tropics. Onlylow date palmshould be grown only in greenhouse conditions or in palm houses, because living in apartments is a bit shorter and requires more care.
