Q&A for How to Plant Date Seeds

From a date palm seed, it can take several weeks to see the sprout above the soil.

It can take from 4-8 years to see fruit and up to 10 years for a bountiful harvest.

Yes. California is the main growing state in the US for dates, although any place that is overly dry would work.

Many fruit pits contain a little cyanide as the seed is processed in the body. Seeds like apples, pears, and peaches hold this small compound.

It generally takes 4 to 6 years, depending on your growing conditions. Yes, all the parts are edible, except for the seed, of course.

It is usually the root. Many other seeds do the same thing, to suck nutrients.

It might not grow completely or may stop, but it also depends on the type of tree you're growing. Most trees grow to bear fruits and flowers.

Yes, but it will take 4 - 8 years before the tree bears dates, and 7 - 10 years before it produces a significant amount.

There is no visible way until it becomes 3 years old. It's suggest to plant 6 palms and then keep the females only, with perhaps a single male plant. One is enough for 20 females.

Date palms aren't very hardy; the lowest they can take is 20°F. There is no maximum; they can take temperatures over 100°F and frequently do in the arid Southwest U.S.

If the root appears facing upward, just turn it around gently and let the root touch the soil. If you don't do anything to the seed, the root it will naturally turn by itself to find the soil, nutrients and water; likewise, the stem will also right itself in search of sunlight.

Spread the paper towel out on a tray and add a few drops of water directly on top of it. Once the water spreads all over the paper towel, place the dates seeds on either edge and fold over.

No. This tree grows to big sizes and needs a well-developed root system. Keeping it in a pot will result in a state of being root bound, which can seriously impair and possibly kill your tree. You can keep it in a pot, but it won't be healthy and most likely will not produce fruit.

No, rooting powder should only be used on plant cuttings to stimulate growth, and will not have any effect on a seed.

Transplant your date tree into a larger pot if it outgrows its original pot. Once it is root bound, it needs to be transplanted.

London is far too cold to grow dates successfully outdoors. Look for climates that stay above 20 degrees at night.

Once the seeds are washed clean of any fruit and dried thoroughly, they can be stored in an airtight container or baggie. Keep them in a cool, dry place.

Never mess with the root and stem of any plant, doing so is like cutting the nerves of a human. If the tap root is long, transplant it into a bigger pot or directly into soil.

Yes; palm dates were introduced to Ethiopia over 200 years ago by traders from the Middle East, and Ethiopians began cultivating dates soon thereafter.

You can, but it is not recommended. Not soaking the seed could prevent water from being absorbed through the tough outer husk to start the germination process.

Seeds over 2,000 years old have recently been grown into trees in Israel. They were from Biblical Judean archaeological sites and 6 out of 34 of them germinated. So, you can definitely keep your date seeds a few months or even longer and they'll be fine.

The only way before they actually start flowering and producing dates at about 8 years old is a DNA test developed in 2011 in Qatar. Once they are flowering, the inflorescences can be examined and the male branchlets are short and thick; the female branchlets are longer and slimmer.

Yes, date seeds should be in separate pots, in fact you should plant only one seed per pot.

Yes you can grow dates in a humid environment but they are less likely to bear edible fruit.

Yes. scratch the seeds gently with a knife and this greatly speeds up the germinating process.

Date pits do not produce fruit that is "true" to the parent. If your goal is to eventually produce edible fruit, you will have better success with cultured plants or by transplanting pups that sprout at the base of a mature date palm with proven good fruit.

A white root sprouts first from the germinating date pit. The foliage will later emerge from the root as a single pleated leaf that shoots upward. If the shoot emerges white above the soil, it needs more light. Germinating pits grown indoors can immediately be placed in all-day sun.

It helps hold in moisture and regulate the temperature to assist with the seed germination process. I would wet the paper towel so that it is damp, but not sopping. Since the seed is covered, the usual moisture escape won't happen as it normally would under sun and wind, so the initial water should be enough, but if you see the paper towel drying out, you should spray it with a water bottle that has distilled water (or tap water that has set out for at least 2 days).

Yes, but these are not self-germinating plants, as you must have 1 male per about 20 female plants. Here's a tip––use a small soft paintbrush or a toothbrush to lightly share the pollen from flowers to flowers, to ensure large harvests and not have to worry about bees and other insects to do the pollinating. This will work great on tomato plants, also.

Yes, as long as you are planting them somewhere with a bit of a desert hot climate and the production date of the dates isn't longer than 2 years ago.