Grow Date Palms from Seeds with Help from Desert Empire Palms

At Desert Empire Palms, we offer growing, thriving palm trees of various species. These trees are great as part of planting an established landscape design. But not all our customers want to purchase a strong, established palm tree. Sometimes, you may want to grow a date palm from the start. It is an exciting yet prolonged process, as your tree may take up to four years to mature.

Our team can help you nurture your own date palm tree from a seed. Call the Coachella Valley palm tree experts at Desert Empire Palms to discuss growing your own palm from various sources, including a seed, a shoot, or established trees.

Contact our palm tree growers today!

How to Grow Date Palms from Seeds

1. Remove seed from fruit and wash to remove excess fruit remnants. Soak the seed in cool water for 48 hours, replacing the water each day while soaking, removing seeds that float to the top, and discarding them.
2. Fold each seed into a wet paper towel and seal into a sandwich bag for 6 to 8 weeks, checking every two weeks to ensure mold is not growing, and replace the paper towel if any mold appears.
3. After 6-8 weeks, the seeds should have small sprouts, indicating they are ready to plant.
4. Plant using well-draining, sandy soil and plant in a medium pot. Palm soil mix from your local nursery is a great choice. Seeds should be placed one inch below the surface of the soil and covered with a layer of sand, with sprouts above the sand. (Plant one seed per plant.)
5. Place your plant in full sunlight and if it is warm outside, the pot can be placed outside in a protected area.
6. Water your plant thoroughly, checking for moisture until the top two inches are dry and watering once dry.
7. Remember: Your date palm will only produce when pollinated or when planted with a male or female counterpart. If your goal is to grow edible dates, you will need to follow a different process that requires shoots from an existing producing palm.

Planting Your New Date Palm in the Ground

When planting the newly grown palm tree in-ground soil, dig a hole two times as wide and slightly deeper than the root ball. Plant your baby palm in protection from the wind as they tend to have shallow roots and will need to be well protected while establishing their roots to prevent being blown over.

Your date palm can take up to 4 years to mature, so be patient with its growth. Its ideal growing conditions will include a warm-dry or warm humid environment, a Mediterranean climate, with soil that drains thoroughly. They will thrive in these conditions and will bloom in late winter or early spring.

Find Date Palms and More at Desert Empire Palms

With decades of experience under our belts and generations of palm tree growers at Desert Empire Palms, we are happy to help you grow your date palm. The joy of growing a plant or tree from seed is rewarding and fulfilling, and we are here to help. Let our team of Coachella Valley palm tree experts at Desert Empire Palms help you bring your baby palm to life.

Call our palm growers today to learn about our thriving palm trees and how we can create the landscape or date palm design you desire.