You can grow a date tree from a date seed easily using store-bought dates or dates you find at the farmer’s market in your area. Here’s what you need.
In the Israeli desert, close to the Dead Sea, near Jordan, date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) grow prolifically.ย In fact, the date palm is a sign that there is an oasis in the desert and a source of water.ย A sight for sore eyes!
The date tree provides shade in the arid environment, as well as nutrition and medicine.ย In the desert climate, dates provide a staple food like potatoes, wheat, and rice in cooler climates.ย You can even grow a date tree from a date seed, found in a grocery store date.
How to grow a date tree from seed
In commercial date orchards around Israel, date trees are grown by cloning adult date trees.ย This brings the trees into fruit production faster, an important consideration in a commercial orchard.ย However, date palms can also be grown from seed.
To grow a date tree from a date pit, soak several date seeds for a week in cold water, changing the water daily to prevent mold or bacterial contamination.
Plant the seeds in a pot in pottingย soil, protected from cold temperatures. ย Since you donโt know which seeds will germinate and which wonโt plant several seeds in one pot. Keep the soil surface moist but not so wet that mold begins to grow.ย I grow mine on a sunny windowsill in the house.ย It takes several weeks for the seeds to show above the surface of the pot.
The seeds will send up a single green shoot that turns into a flat, tall leaf, 12 to 18 inches tall.ย After a few months, a second leaf will join the first leaf.
Once the date leaf is 6 to 8 inches tall, carefully remove the leaf and its seed from the pot and transplant it into a new pot that is at least 8 inches deep.ย Youโll notice that the leaf grows a little ways away from the seed rather than directly above it.ย Carefully remove both the leaf and the root system together so that you donโt damage the plant.
Youโll transplant the date palm into larger pots as it grows.
Donโt give up
Date trees are easy to grow from seed.ย In fact, in Israel, a date tree was grown from a seed that was 2000 years old.ย However, if after a few weeks your date seeds donโt germinate it could be that the dates you bought were irradiated when they were imported into your country.ย Try to find dates that are certified organic in the store, or ask a friend to bring some back with them from a trip in date growing areas like Israel, Jordan, or even Arizona or California.
Both fresh dates and dried dates have pits that will grow.
Growing conditions for date trees
Dates prefer:
- Well-drained, loose soil
- Slightly dry soil
- High magnesium soils
- Full sun
- Fertilize every second year with magnesium sulfate
- Zone 9 to 11 (outdoors)
- Hardy to 20หF (- 6หC)
- Protect newly planted date palms from frost
Garden space needed
Regular date trees grow up to 30 feet tall and have a spread of 20 feet.ย Pygmy dates grow only 10 feet tall with an 8-foot spread.ย If you have a lack of space, choose a pygmy variety of date trees.
How to get dates to produce fruit
Date trees are either male or female.ย You wonโt know from the seed whether you have a male or female tree.ย ย To get date fruit youโll need one male tree and at least one female tree. ย One male tree will fertilize many female trees.
Date palms are pollinated by the wind.ย To ensure fruit set, youโll have to hand pollinate the female flowers with the male pollen.ย Since you will be hand-pollinating you donโt need to have the trees next to each other if space doesnโt allow it.ย In a commercial date orchard, the male pollen sheaths are sometimes purchased in the market, saving the available space for the female trees to increase fruit production.
A date tree planted from seed will produce fruit in 8 years when grown in full sun in a warm Mediterranean climate.ย Cloned date trees produce fruit about 4 years earlier, in just 4 to 6 years.ย In cooler areas, the date tree may fail to produce fruit, while the tree might appear healthy and grow well.
How to hand pollinate a date palm
The male tree produces pollen in sheaths each spring. Gather the male pollen in a bag, when the pollen is ready.
Dust the female flowers with the pollen as they open.
How to care for a date palm
Date palms have long, spiny thorns that grow up the trunk as the plant matures.ย To prevent injury you can snip off these thorns close to the trunk.ย It doesnโt hurt the tree to snip off the spines.
Plants grown indoors or in containers may have problems with spider mites or whitefly.ย Use insecticidal soap to keep indoor plants pest-free.ย Outdoors in North America, date palms are relatively pest-free.
Squirrels and birds will rob date trees once the fruit begins to ripen.ย In a commercial orchard, the ripening dates are kept in mesh bags to preserve them from predators.
Once the dates are ripe the dates fall from the tree.ย Youโll want to harvest them just before they fall.
Container growing of dates
Once the dates reach several feet high with a trunk, youโll want to transplant it outside in the ground.ย Pygmy dates can be grown in a half barrel or other large container.ย Youโll want to allow for the 10-foot height of the tree.ย If youโll be moving the date palm to protect it from winter temperatures (temperatures below freezing) put the container on wheels to make transport easier.
Varieties of dates
There are 20 varieties of dates grown commercially throughout the world. The most common date in supermarkets is the Medjool date.ย Considered the king of dates, Medjool dates are found in many areas of the world.ย Medjool dates are semisoft, with sweet, moist, but firm texture.ย However, in date growing areas, several other varieties can be found.
Israel grows 7 varieties of dates, each known for its special flavor and attributes.
- Barhi dates: are medium-sized, thin-skinned fruit with soft, tender flesh and a sweet flavor. Late ripening.
- Deglet Noor dates: A semisoft date that is seen on the boulevards in Israel. It has firm flesh and a color range from light red to brown when ripe.ย Late ripening.
- Halawi dates: These soft dates are thick-fleshed, caramelly, and sweet. Their appearance is wrinkled and the skin ranges from yellow to amber.ย The flavor and texture are often compared to chocolate.ย Ripens midseason.
- Khadrawy dates: Similar to the Halawis, these soft dates have a caramel-like texture and sweet flavor. Ripens midseason.
- Thoory dates: This is a dry date with firm skin and chewy flesh.ย It is high in fiber.ย Often used in baking.ย Late ripening.
- Zahidi dates: The Zahidi, a semisoft date, with crunchy fibrous flesh, and is often processed for sliced dates and date sugar products.ย Early ripening.
The next time you eat a dried or fresh date, plant a few date seeds and grow a date tree from a date seed.ย And if you are one of the blessed who lives in zones 9 to 11, consider growing dates for their fruit.ย In cooler climates, date trees can be grown for their unique beauty and shade.
And while you are waiting for your date seeds to germinate check out one of these tutorials on growing Meyer lemon trees from store-bought fruitย or Growing Giant Sunflowers.
Thank you for the tips on growing!!! I’ve currently got at least 6 out of 7 date seeds germinating. I started them a bit differently and have not tried your method; but I was so needing to know what to do next. I simply wrapped my seeds in moist paper towels, put them in an airtight container, and put them in a dark and warm place for a week or two …. I am ecstatic that almost all of them have roots now!!!!
That’s awesome.
Can you tell me the white part coming out of the Ajwa date seeds is it a leaf? Or is it root?. This is my first time try. Please help me to understand when I transfer the seed into soil sprout face down in the soil or sprout stays upside?
Both the sprout and the root will come from the same place on the seed so the seed should be planted horizontally in the soil. The white shoot is the root or radical.
We have about 12 trees that actually took root out of about 100 dates. Now that it’s winter, is it best to leave them in the garage or basement or under grow lights? We put them under grow lights but they look like they’re turning brown. If we use grow lights how far away should the light be from the plant? Thank you.
I have started 60 date seed`s 27 germinated as of today 5 are growing 18 inches tall two leaves on all the root`s are the same lengths as the tree as the longest leaf it`s not a tree yet I will keep them in the house where I started them very slow-growing I also have 1 lemon tree 3 inches tall 4 apple trees 10 inches tall all from the fruits that I have eaten I am glad that I found your web site most interesting thank you for you posting`s very nice I will keep you up to date if I remember HA HA HA LOL 6/28/2021 12:47 PM Michigan USA.
Dear Joybilee Farms:
We are very excited that each of the six Medjool date seeds we started in March has a flat leaf. (Each seed is in its own 4-inch diameter pot.) One of the flat leaves is already 7.5 inches tall. We think we see one root coming out of the pot’s drain hole, but it could be something from the potting soil. Would you please clarify the directions below. Should we transfer the plant when the first flat leaf is 6 to 8-inches tall, or when the second flat leaf is 6 to 8-inches tall? We have become very attached to our palm plants; we do not want do anything to hurt them. Thank you for your expertise. Regards, Mj
“The seeds will send up a single green shoot that turns into a flat, tall leaf, 12 to 18 inches tall. After a few months, a second leaf will join the first leaf.
Once the date leaf is 6 to 8 inches tall, carefully remove the leaf and its seed from the pot and transplant it into a new pot that is at least 8 inches deep. Youโll notice that the leaf grows a little ways away from the seed rather than directly above it. Carefully remove both the leaf and the root system together so that you donโt damage the plant.”
You could transplant them now. No problem. If they get bigger the root goes down a long way and you are more likely to damage it.
I planted about 20 date seeds and they all sprouted, I wish someone tell me how to find out which ones are Male and female.
On another website they said males will stand up more while females will layover?
Am in uganda will they grow please?
No harm in trying it out. It is nice and hot climate in your area.
Am sure it grows because I tried with one seed and it is growing now have sprouted about 8 more that I will plant. Because have seen trees in the dates family grow here in Uganda so I donโt think thereโs a reason for dates to fail
Where can I get date seeds to plant?
wherever you buy organic dates!
I kept about 20 seeds. soaked them for about a week or a bit longer (softens them), changing water every day. much to my surprise, I had luck this way! now, the radicals (root growing, are about a half inch – they have sprouted 1 at a time over the last couple weeks. One is gigantic, trying to bust through an end.
Now, I am preparing to plant.
Because it gets pretty cold in the winter here, I will grow as I can indoors. Maybe I will be able to purchase my own plot by then, and can add a greenhouse for winter months keeping ๐
Thanks for providing a quick resource on date production, it gave me some great answers to my questions!
Go ask username Adama as they said they have all male trees.
I have 3 date seeds that have one tall leaf but smaller ones are not developing. How long does it take and what can I do?
Dates are really great fruits, sweet and chewy. I will like to plant some but the time it takes to start fruiting and that I wouldn’t know if they are male or female prior to maturation are quite deflating. I’ll give it a shot anyway, I have space. I guess my kids and grandkids will thank me, that’s 10 years from now.
I have a single green blade about 7 inches long now. I give it as much sun and
fluorescent light as I can.
I bought some Medjool dates at Fred Meyers and ate them. They are verry good. I washed the seeds and put them rolled up in a paper towel in zip lock bags. About 8 seeds each. I also put each bag in different warm locations. 10 weeks later I have one sprouting. Im putting it in a small pot with sterilized soil tomorrow. I washed the seeds every week or so and gave them new paper towels to make sure there wasn’t any mold.
That’s perfect.
Thanks for sharing the major reasons for the grow of trees but if the Plant seeds in a pot in potting soil, protected from cold temperatures. Since you donโt know which seeds will germinate and which wonโt plant several seeds in one pot. Keep the soil surface moist but not so wet that mold begins to grow. I grow mine on a sunny windowsill in the house. It takes several weeks for the seeds to show above the surface of the pot.
Thanks.
We have a date tree that we planted about ten years ago. We live in the NYC area and the plant is out on our deck in summer and in our house in the winter. It is about 8 feet tall and has never developed a trunk but looks otherwise healthy and has a multitude of spreading fronds.
Given our conditions is this the best we can do? Are there any suggestions? The plant has lots of roots coming out the bottom but we have not transplanted it to a larger pot since doing that would make it impossible to bring in during the winter.
How do you tell the difference between male and female?
You can’t until the tree matures.
Once mature, as the tree begins to produce a flower, examine the flower and compare to google images of male/female date palm flowers. Male flowers will release pollen, while female flowers will have sticky pollen receptors. How fitting that the date palm is native to Israel. To me, the Messiah has been like an oasis in the desert. To learn more, visit ComeUntoChrist.org
I planted a date seed about a year plus now.
1. How do you tell the difference between male and female tree?
2. Recently notice the tree shaking from the root, is it still growing?
3. What could be the cause? What’s the remedy?
Thank you
Maybe you have a male tree. Date palms need to be pollinated to produce fruit.
how do we tell a between a male and a female young sappling? is there any way we can treat the seed before planting to direct the new plant towards a particular sex?
i have about 10 date trees but they are all male
Hi
I need help , I planted some Dates seeds few yrs ago the Madjool date
I live in Las Vegas the trees had fiowers but they starting to dry up and when
you touch them they fall off
I read that they have to be pollenated with male pollen
where do i get the pollen I got the dates from palm Desert in CA. Medjool dates
Please help I have many trees
thank you
Shimon Ron
6ยฐC is actually 42.8ยฐF. Your article incorrectly states that it is 20ยฐF.
Yes, it should read. -6. I corrected it.