- Two methods to propagate date palms
- Grow date palm from seed
- Use saplings for propagation
- Do not fertilize in the first year
Date palms can be propagated in two ways. However, you need a lot of patience if you want to grow a date palm from seed yourself. It goes a little faster when the palm tree forms saplings that you can simply cut off and pot.
Date palms can be grown from seed
Two methods to propagate date palms
You can grow a date palm both vegetatively - i.e. via saplings - as well as from seeds.
However, vegetative propagation is only possible if the date palm shoots lateral shoots.
Rearing from seed is very tedious, but usually works well.
Grow date palm from seed
You can get seeds for date palms in stores. If your date palm has flowered and later produced fruit, you can also try harvesting the seeds from it. However, this often does not work. That is why it is safer to use purchased seeds for propagation.
- Prepare seed pots (16.68€).
- Allow seeds to swell
- put in the ground and cover
- set up warm
- keep moist but not wet
The seed pots should be deeper than regular flower pots because date palms develop long taproots. The seeds are very hard-shelled and must therefore be soaked in lukewarm water for at least a day.
Ideally, place the pots with the seeds in a bright, not too sunny spot where the temperature is around 25 degrees. When the seedlings have reached a height of ten centimetres, they are repotted in new pots with palm soil.
Use saplings for propagation
With many date palms, new shoots form laterally in spring. You can cut these off without hesitation and use them to propagate the date palm.
Put the saplings in deeper seed pots. Set up the containers as brightly as possible but not in the sun. The cuttings root best when the soil temperature is quite high. Keep the soil evenly moist, but make sure that no waterlogging develops.
Do not fertilize in the first year
You must not fertilize the seedlings in the first year, as there are sufficient nutrients in the shells of the seeds.
tips
For date palms, you may only cut saplings or brown leaves. The palm tree has only one vegetation point. If you remove this, the date palm cannot continue to grow, but will die after a while.