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Has any one had any luck with them fruiting properly/bountifully?
This is one of my favorite palms but it appears from all I have read that it will not do well (fruiting-wise) even in Kapoho. But things do seem to break the gross generalizations so I thought I'd check it out.
We would like to replace some of our coconuts with dates.
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Too wet (mold) and much too cool for quality dates.
They need a long summer with temperatures around 110 to 120 degrees to develop the fruit. The only place in the US that grows edible dates is the Coachella Valley in California and the Colorado river area near the border of AZ and CA.
-Veritas odium parit”(Terence 195–159 BC))-"Truth begets hatred".
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I have two large mature Medjool Date Palms grown from seed and they have never fruited. I did some checking years ago and learned that we don't have their preferred pollinator here in Hawaii. And with all the spikes on their fronds, I am not about to climb up with a feather and do the job myself.
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They are hand pollinated in CA and AZ. Very dangerous work!!!
-Veritas odium parit”(Terence 195–159 BC))-"Truth begets hatred".
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I guess I will take no date palms in exchange for "over 110-120 degree" days! [8D]
I knew y'all would have a answer!
Thanks!
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Great topic. I have repeatedly wondered about this myself (I'm also at low elevation in Kapoho). Rene, I'm curious what elevation your trees are at (>1,000 ft)?
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quote:
Originally posted by Rene Siracusa
I have two large mature Medjool Date Palms grown from seed and they have never fruited. I did some checking years ago and learned that we don't have their preferred pollinator here in Hawaii. And with all the spikes on their fronds, I am not about to climb up with a feather and do the job myself.
The problem with seedlings is that you have to have a female tree to get dates. Its about a 50/50 chance, but you could have been lucky with your date palms and have a male and female. Like most fruit, however, date seeds aren't "true". That is, you will more than likely get inferior fruit from a seedling palm. Commercial Medjool growers always use cutting from from superior quality, heavy bearing palms.
-Veritas odium parit”(Terence 195–159 BC))-"Truth begets hatred".
