Dates are a kind of plant that can adapt well in dry climates and even very hot. Dates are also very flexible and relatively tolerant of soils and wetlands. How to plant dates actually requires long summer weather. With minimum rainfall and low moisture levels. This is very necessary from the pollination period to the harvest period, it just still requires enough water in the soil for the date palm tree capable of fertilization.
To know how to plant the correct dates, there are several steps that must be considered for the dates can grow and can grow to fruition. Here are the recommended steps for planting dates:
1. Nursery Preparation
If you want to cultivate dates from seeds purchased from the market, prepare in large quantities. Because most of the seeds are the candidates of the male dates.
If you buy a box full of dates, then just make all the seeds for the seeds. Surely the chances for a successful planting date will be greater if you have many candidates or seeds as well. The bigger you also get the prospective date palm seeds that will menhasilkan fruit date palm later.
After collecting seeds for the nursery the next step is to do the cleaning. Cleaning here also includes removing the remnants of darnging of fruits attached to the skin of the seeds. This will increase the percentage of seed germination success.
The most recommended way to clean the date palm is to use the fine sand medium and wash it with clean water. Because the remaining residue from the flesh that is still attached will facilitate the arrival of mushrooms can also invite even white lice and ants that will certainly damage the seeds in the germination process.
After cleaning the seeds, then do soaking. This process can be done within 5 - 6 days.
To help accelerate the germination process, at the time of this immersion should be assisted with organic growth regulators or ZPT.
Water used for immersion should be clean water, at least free of harmful substances such as chlorine. Perform a water change every 24 hours.
2. Process of Seed Seed Germination
There are 2 main methods that can be done in this process, that is by sowing directly into the planting medium or do germination with the help of wet tissue media. The next step is:
When using the germination method with wet tissue media, then you should prepare a clean container.
Make sure that the container to hold the date palm can hold enough moisture. Put the wet wipes and place the date palm on the tissue, always check the moisture from the tissue.
Shoots from the seed germination process will usually appear after 14 days.
Unlike the case with you who will directly plant seeds on the planting medium.
Combine cocopeat, compost with sand for early planting medium and keep moisture from planting medium. Use a 2: 1: 1 comparison, where 2 for sand and 1 for compost media and cocopeat.
3. Maintenance and Transfer of Seeds
Perform transfer of seeds into pots or polybags if growth has occurred. For those of you who use the method of wet wipes, wait about 14 days after the growth of shoots and roots has reached the length of 5 to 10 cm, you can just move into the planting medium that has been prepared. As for the direct sown in planting media, see the development of seeds to reach a height of about 20 to 30 cm then move to a larger planting media. After the date palm seeds grow, then store in the shade that remains protected from various distractions including the wind. Keep it outdoors so that the date palm can adjust to the climate in the surrounding environment. Make sure that the storage area has enough moisture but still gets the sunlight. Make sure to keep watering the date palms consistently and regularly.
4. Tree Treatment Dates
After the planting process is complete, what needs to be done next is treatment. Perform watering regularly and also do follow-up fertilization. This subsequent fertilization is done in the process of plant care to become an adult tree. Then only a pollination process is needed. This is where the important role of insects and also the wind in order to help the process of pollination where the results of the cross-breeding will produce dates.
5. Harvest
Male and female date palms will be distinguished when the tree has bloomed. Because the flowers contained in the palm tree will be shaped like a flower of coconut trees that generally have a pentol. As for the date palm tree flowers will be white and the flowers are smaller in size and the flowers are like containing starch. When the pollination process is successful and the date palm begins to bear fruit, another thing to note is the interruption in the process of fertilization. Treatments that must be done during the fertilization period is the provision of fertilizer and prevent the interference of flies and birds. To keep the fruit dates that have been large then can be done pruning. Dispose of dates that look small and less perfect for large fruit growth can be more optimal.