Date palms - These are perennial plants that are common in African and Asian tropical and subtropical areas.
Currently, 17 different varieties of dates are known, many of which are grown as ornamental plants and fruit crops.
Medium sized palm trees can be grown at home and in offices. This plant is also popular because its can be obtained independently from the pits of a datebought in a store or on the market.
Types of date palm (photo and name)
Date palm: species that are more popular.
Canary
It grows in the Canary Islands, preferring rocks and stones. The plant has a straight trunk, which can reach 12-15 meters in height and 1 meter wide in natural habitat. When growing a Canarian date at home, its size is much smaller.
Leaves large, feathery-looking, have a blue-green color. It can bloom only in nature, it does not occur at home.
When growing a Canarian date at home, it is necessary to choose lighted place, the temperature in which in the winter does not fall below 10 degrees. When staying indoors, it should be well ventilated. In the summer the plant is best to take to the air, while placing it in the shade.
Planting dates need to perform in a high pot with a large layer of drainage filler. It is recommended to use sand, turfy soil, compost and humus as an earthy mixture.
How to plant a Canary date, see in the video.
In spring and summer The plant requires abundant watering, but with the exception of stagnant water. In winter watering is noticeably reduced. In addition, it is necessary to constantly spray it with water and wipe the leaves from dust.
Breeding Canarian date occurs with the help of seeds - even immature seeds have an excellent chance of shoot.
Robelena
Grows in areas of the tropics of Laos, central and southern parts of China, Vietnam, on coastal areas and rocks. It is a multi-squat palm tree - this structure allows the plant to withstand numerous floods. Usually date Robelena grows to 1-2 meters, rarely up to 3 meters, with a trunk diameter of up to 10 centimeters. Leaves of feathery type grow 1-2 meters long.
This kind of date very popular in botanical gardens and private greenhouses, due to the small size, slow growth, as well as the relatively unpretentious conditions of its content.
When growing date Robelena at home, it is best to have it near the southern windows. but in summer time, in the period of greatest heat, it is worth considering additional protection from direct exposure to the sun. In winter time for a date, it is necessary to arrange additional lighting so that it receives light for 12-14 hours daily.
In spring and summer time is carried out. abundant watering, avoiding stagnant water. Excess water from the pan after the procedure must be drained. The plant loves moist air - it needs to be regularly sprayed with boiled water and wipe the leaves from dust.
Breeding dates can be produced both with the help of seeds and the separation of subsidiaries from the main plant. Growth from seed occurs rather slowly - from 3 months to 1 year.
Palmate
It grows in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and Iran, in oases located in the Libyan and Nubian deserts. This species plays a big role in the global economy, because Fruits of date palmate actively consumed in dried and fresh form. They are one of the main products in many countries in North Africa and the Middle East. Algeria and Tunisia are currently the world's leading suppliers of dates.
Can grow to 20-30 meterswhile having a fairly thin trunk - up to 30 centimeters in diameter, all covered with remnants of leaf stalks. The leaves themselves are pinnate and up to 6 meters long, arranged in a beam at the very top of the plant.
It can grow at home from the bone of a date. Before planting, it is necessary to hold it in water for several days, and then carefully seal the shell to accelerate germination. The prepared bone is placed vertically in the soil to a depth of about 1 centimeter and requires regular watering. It grows within a few months.
The plant is unpretentious and requires only regular watering and spraying.
It perfectly tolerates high temperatures, and also withstands short-term cooling.
Teofrasta
The plant is of great interest because it is distributed in a small geographical area that covers the island of Crete with some neighboring islands, and part of the south-west coast of Turkey. Phenicus Teofrasta included in the Red Book IUCN due to permanent logging as a species close to a vulnerable position.
Palm grows up to 10 meters. Leaves up to 2-3 meters long have a feathery look. Very often, this plant forms basal shoots, because of which additional trunks develop.
Believed to be the most frost-resistant date palms - according to observations, it maintains frosts down to -11 degrees.
Date of teofrasta enough rarely found in apartments - The plant often suffers from difficulties in creating favorable conditions.
Forest
Distributed in Eastern India - in dry areas, lowlands, along river valleys. Its feature is the fact that trees form whole foreststhat for palm trees is a very rare occurrence. Tree sap Indians are used to produce sugar.
It has a straight trunk, which grows to 10-12 meters in height and 60-80 centimeters in diameter. The leaves are arcuate-pinnate, deflected downwards and grouped into groups of 3-4 pieces. Color - bluish gray.
The most popular types of date palm trees grown at home are Canarian, Robelena and palmate. The fruits of the latter can also be eaten.
it unpretentious plant, does not require special conditions for its content and resistant to pests.
