Need help with my date palms

Discussion in 'Outdoor Tropicals' started by filfilksq, Mar 11, 2008.

  1. filfilksq

    filfilksq Member

    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
    I'm an American living in Arabia. We moved into a new house this past year and inherited a decent-sized garden with several well-established date palms. If I have judged the dried flower stems correctly (left over from last year, I have since removed them), I believe we have both male and female trees.

    A couple of the trees are starting to bloom, and I was really hoping to try and pollinate. Does anyone have advice how I can go about doing this? I've checked around on the internet a bit, but I guess what I really need is some hand-holding.

    Thanks in advance!

    Kate
     
  2. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,525
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Courtenay, Vancouver Island
    Kate ... insects and the breeze will do all the work needed.

    Cheers, LPN.
     
  3. filfilksq

    filfilksq Member

    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
    Is it possible that they won't? When we moved in the palms each had dead flower stalks, looked like some of each variety (male and female). I suppose I should wait a year to see how it plays out.

    Thanks.

    Kate
     
  4. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,525
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Courtenay, Vancouver Island
    "Is it possible that they won't?"
    Not likely. It's been said one male date palm has enough pollen to fertilize 100 females for fruit production.
    As for both male and female inflorecense on one date palm? I've not heard of it although this phenomenon does rarely and inexplicably happen in some other palm genus, so I imagine it's entirely concievable.
    So you say "moved" ... I assume moved as in transplanted from one location to another?

    Cheers, LPN.
     
  5. filfilksq

    filfilksq Member

    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
    I'm sorry, I'm not being very clear. We moved to this house in August. The prior tenant of our house was an avid gardener; we have four date palms in total in our garden, they are well established but not huge; I am not sure when the prior tenant planted them. When we moved in, the trees still had the dried flower stems from last year attached. I was able to remove them (without a ladder, but just barely could reach). They were of two very distinct styles (the dried stems), and in looking through the internet I *think* I have two male and two female trees (I could be 100% wrong, it's a guess). But I have not witnessed the entire flowering cycle for myself; I am thinking that I should step back and see how it plays out.
     
  6. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,525
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Courtenay, Vancouver Island
    Sorry for the confusion. After re-reading your post I realized it was in fact you, and not the date palms that moved. (lol)
    When they do flower it should be easy to distinguish male from female. Male inflorecense will release the powdery pollen, female does not.

    Cheers, LPN.
     
  7. filfilksq

    filfilksq Member

    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
    Hi again.. two of my palm trees bloomed, looks like one male and one female. Two have not bloomed, I think they may be too small? Or maybe a different variety that has a different schedule?

    The male bloomed first, and as soon as the pods cracked there were bees all over the flowers. They also have a very strong scent, reminds me of licorice (I keep thinking of Good-n-Plenty when I go out into the garden these days.) The female flowers don't seem to attract the bees much, and don't have as strong a smell.

    Anyway, thought you might enjoy some pics. These are the two trees together:

    000_0083.jpg

    This is what I believe to be the female flowers:
    000_0084.jpg

    And here are the male flowers (if I'm guessing correctly):
    000_0085.jpg

    I was remembering when we moved in and there were dead flower stalks still on the trees, it didn't look like the female one had pollinated, which is why the whole issue even came up for me.. but I find it a bit hard to believe that the two trees are so close together and it wouldn't get pollinated... is it possible one or two flower stalks won't get pollinated but the rest on the tree do?

    Thanks again for your help!

    Kate
     
  8. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,525
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Courtenay, Vancouver Island
    Great pics Kate! They clearly illustrate the palms in detail and they do look very healthy. Not sure why the female was not pollenated. Flower timing perhaps?
    Again thanks for the great photos. Any more you care to take once fruit develops would be welcome too!

    Cheers, LPN.
     
  9. filfilksq

    filfilksq Member

    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
    Three weeks after blooming, the flowers on the male tree have all turned brown and dry (actually, they had a very short span, like a couple of days after the spathes opened). The flowers on the female tree are now:

    000_0127.jpg

    000_0126.jpg

    Kate
     
  10. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    1,525
    Likes Received:
    10
    Location:
    Courtenay, Vancouver Island
    Thanks for the update Kate! ... Looks like you'll have fresh dates in six months or so.
    I buy the Medjool dates from Bard Valley in California. Ummm ... tasty!

    Cheers, LPN.
     

Share This Page