Date Stones

Just for a bit of fun I decided to try and grow some date stones bought from the supermarket. I bought a box of halwaii dates from Tesco (approx. 20), I removed the flesh and paper like covering from the stones and then filled the box they came in slightly damp vermiculite and put the stones in it; making sure they were all covered. I then put it on top of the boiler in a cupaboard - nice and warm.

From what I'd read I was expecting quite a wait before anything happened, I kept checking every few days and after 2 weeks 18 out of the 20 stones had sprouted a root. I then potted them up, one to a 3 1/2" pot and put them in a heated propergator. Hopefully they will sprout a leaf soon, been waiting 3 weeks now.

Impatience got the better of me and I carefully tipped one out to see what was happening, as I've never tried them before and encouragingly there was a branching root system and a spike that looked like a leaf shoot on it's way up. I carefully potted it back up and popped it back with the others.....

 

Hi Bilbo,

Heres one I grew from seed a year ago.



No idea where i'm going to put it when it gets bigger :DOH:

 

Wow, can't wait....

I've also got pomegranites just through and a 5" baby mango tree, no idea what to do with the mango tree when it gets too big, but the funs in growing something new...:thumb:

 

Bonsai ?

Got 11 lemon trees from seed too. (Holmes, what plants have you got there ? Eleven lemontrees my dear Watson :DOH

Might have to car boot those.

Try growing a Tamarind tree, that'll mess you up.

 

Congratulations Bilbo. I always think there is something very satisfying growing something that isn't sold for growing. I once did that with some ginger from the supermarket.

Nice one Ziggy. Where to put it is the problem that many of us have. This reminds me of Thompson and Morgan's catalog that sells seed of Adansonia (Boabab) It says suitable for a conservatory. What it doesn't say is that its a tree and that the diameter of its trunk can grow to be over 50 feet.

 

Bilbo the pomegranates can be planted outside once they reach a reasonable size.

They are fairly hardy, with just a bit of protection in their first winter.

 

Aaah, bit like the Pink Bungadoo then.

 

"Six hundred feet tall, bright red and smelled terrible."

I had to Google that one Ziggy.

 

The true date palm (Phoenix Dactylifera) isn't as hardy as the common Canary Island palm (Phoenix Canariensis) and as can be seen nationwide they have suffered very badly this last winter so the true date isn't able to cope with any of the cold winter temperatures outside. Outside for the summer inside for the winter.
I lost two at 3ft high three years ago outside and that winter wasn't a really bad one.
They have novelty appeal as(you have found) they germinate and grow quickly.

 

Update....well of the 18 stones that I potted up 9 have a small shoot now through when I checked them yesterday, all seemingly on the same day!!! (I'd been checking them every day)

Can't wait to see how they progress now...

 

Nice one, start building that 2 floor conservatory & check this out,

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/13/science/sci-methuselah13

 

That story of the Methusela date seed is amazing Ziggy. - thank you.

 

Not heard any more on the story yet Peter, they won't know if its worked until it flowers. A femail plant would be a goer, that could get polinated & the date variety would be resurected.

The dates from the Masada area were reputed to be the best in the known World at the time, but the region became very dry & they died out.

They didn't just lob the seed in and it grew either, they had to do all sorts of rehydrating and tings.

We'll keep our eye on the story & hope its not a boysey tree:DOH:

 

Another update....

All but 2 dates have now shooted, the biggest are now around 3"..

I also have pomigranites almost ready to be split and potted up individually.

My little mango tree is doing well too..