Beautiful, with luxurious fronds and an elegant silhouette, the date palm reproduces very easily. Walking the path from bone to indoor giant is a real temptation. Moreover, dates have especially decorative dwarf varieties. But no matter how simple dates are considered, problems arise with them much more often than we would like. Not everyone succeeds in obtaining and preserving a truly luxurious palm tree for many years. To do this, you need to follow several rules that guarantee the beauty of the greenery and the health of the plant.
5 main rules for caring for indoor dates. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com heboplant
1. A lighter and warmer place is the first step to a healthy palm
The date palm is not one of those species that thrive in a lack of light. But if young plants can be placed on the windowsill without any problems, then an adult plant on the window simply will not fit. For date palms, they choose places in the interior that are as close as possible to the windows in bright, sunny rooms, oriented to the south, southwest or southeast. Supplementary lighting will not help dates, they need natural light. If for the winter there is an opportunity to rearrange them closer to the window, it is better to use it. This is one of the palms that are not afraid of the direct sun.
The date palm prefers to spend summer on the balcony or in the garden, enjoying the fresh air and bright light.
Any signs of stretching, excessive fragility of the leaves, paleness or yellowing are a direct indication of insufficient lighting.
Fortunately, the date palm is undemanding to temperatures. In summer, it perfectly tolerates any heat, and in winter it can grow both indoors and in the cool. The main thing is that the temperature does not fall below 16 degrees for the Robelen date and 12 degrees for other species. And the heat would be offset by spraying.
The date palm needs a place where it can grow freely, spreading its leaves in all directions. But the main thing is that the air should circulate freely around all the leaves.
In order for the dates to be decorative, compact and lush, their vayam must not only be allowed to spread out in different directions without resting on the wall, but also regularly rotate the palm tree, shifting with respect to the light source and creating a uniform crown. For the date palm, the same rotation standard applies as for large, fruiting, indoor citrus trees: the plant needs to be wrapped 360 degrees per year, offsetting each month by about 30 degrees clockwise.
But there is another very important point: the date palm loves fresh air. You need to ventilate the rooms regularly, protecting the plants from sudden changes in temperature, but still allowing the palm tree to enjoy air baths even in the cold season. This is one of the most draft-resistant species.
The date palm loves fresh air.
2. A categorical “no” to droughts and overflows
The key to the decorativeness and durability of the date palm is to control the degree of drying out of the substrate. Complete drying out of the soil causes the date palms to droop, and then the loss of leaves that are not able to recover. Even small overflows lead to rot. Since this palm cannot stand contact with roots, an emergency transplant and pruning of the affected parts is fatal for it. Therefore, in no case should you risk and expose the date palm to stress.
Watering the plant should not be too abundant, but regularly, drying the top layer of the substrate. In winter, watering is reduced, still preventing the soil from drying out completely, maintaining light humidity and focusing on the temperature in the room. In the cold, watering is limited to 1-2 procedures for the whole winter.
Date palms love spraying. They are vital in hot weather, during summer and in winter when heating systems are in operation, when dates can be sprayed several times a day. If it is possible to carry palm trees, they will not give up on a weekly warm shower. Plants become easy prey for pests without spraying.
For more information about caring for an indoor date, see the article Indoor date palm.
3. Standard feeding without extremes
The date palm needs a very conservative fertilization approach. A complex fertilizer for palms with a special balance of macro- and microelements and a standard frequency of 1 every 2 weeks is better suited for her. Plant fertilizers are applied only in spring and summer, stopping them for the cold season. You should not experiment with the method: fertilizers in liquid form must be added to the water for irrigation at a standard concentration, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
With an excess of nutrients, palms are extremely susceptible to rot, their leaves are deformed, and dry out faster. Lack of nutrients leads to stretching and loss of decorativeness. Both extremes lead to growth problems and reduced resilience.
Only clean and well-groomed dates will look beautiful. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com luxuryplants
4. Hygiene comes first!
For the date palm, they often give unusual advice – do not disturb the plant again. But this norm also needs to be interpreted correctly: dates do not like frequent rearrangements and transplants, contacts with roots, but this does not mean at all that plants cannot be touched in the literal sense.
There are many myths about the date palm. Many growers claim that dates do not like touch. The myth that if you touch their leaves the dates will stop growing is definitely just a myth. But the fact that date palms love cleanliness and need regular hygiene is definitely true. Dust and pollution affect not only decorativeness, but also photosynthesis; they are the most common cause of deformation and stretching of dates even on window sills.
Several times a month, or better – every week, date palm leaves should be wiped from dust with a damp cloth on both sides. Only clean and well-groomed dates will look beautiful and show all their endurance.
Read also our article Real coconut palms are some of the most capricious.
5. Very careful transplant
But with a date palm transplant, it is true, you should be very careful. The containers can be changed annually only at the age of up to 5 years, and even then, if there really is a need for it. As long as there is free soil, the roots have not completely filled the container, you should not rush. Date palms at the age of 5 years and more are transferred with a frequency of 1 every 3-4 years, replacing the transplant with a simple change of the topsoil twice a year (in spring and late summer).
Dates of any age should not disturb the root system too much. The transplant is carried out after the start of growth, in March or April. This palm is hauled over, keeping the earthen lump intact and removing only the contaminated substrate at the top. It is advisable not to touch the roots unnecessarily. And if it is difficult to remove the plant from the old container, you should choose the least traumatic method.
For this type of palm, a high drainage is laid. And, of course, you need to choose the right substrate. Dates develop better in special ready-made soil mixtures for palm trees or rough, loose soil, to which additional portions of coarse sand and any loosening additives (from perlite to coconut soil) have been added.
After transplanting a date palm, it is imperative to create ideal conditions – to protect the plants from drafts and direct sun by placing it in a place with soft diffused lighting and cool temperatures. Water the palm tree in the first few weeks very carefully, maintaining a light moisture content in the substrate and gradually returning the plants to their usual watering. Top dressing can be resumed no earlier than after 5-6 weeks.
If you notice signs of pests on the palm tree or there is a suspicion of root decay, you need to immediately adjust the care, correct the mistakes and start processing – watering and spraying – with insecticides, and when decaying – with fungicides of systemic action. Delay in the fight on this plant threatens its death.
