How to Germinate a Pygmy Date Palm
With their delicate fronds and petite stature, pygmy date palms (Phoenix roebelenii) add an exotic look to gardens and landscaping within U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9 to 11. They propagate most reliably from seeds and will steadily put on growth during their first few years, eventually reaching a mature height of 8 to 10 feet. The seeds germinate slowly, so don't be alarmed if it takes them up to three months to sprout. Older, stored pygmy date palm seeds will reliably germinate if kept under very warm, moist conditions.
Soak the pygmy date palm seeds in warm water for 48 to 72 hours to loosen the spongy, dark purple seed coat. Rub the flesh with a rasp until it falls off and the seed is clean. Rinse the seed and wrap it in a moistened paper towel while you prepare its pot.
Fill a 4-inch plastic pot with a mixture of half perlite and half milled or finely shredded coir. Drizzle water onto the mixture until it feels completely saturated in the top 2 inches. Do not press or firm the growing mixture because this impairs the drainage ability of the mix.
Dust the pygmy palm seed with insecticidal powder before sowing it in case its flesh carries seed-boring beetles. Bury the seed at a depth equal to half its diameter. For instance, bury a 1-inch-wide pygmy date palm seed 1/2-inch deep.
Spread a thin layer of medium-grit sand across the surface of the soil to prevent algae growth and to help regulate moisture loss and temperature. Make the sand layer no thicker than 1 centimeter.
Set the pot where it will receive very bright, diffuse sunlight and shelter it from strong winds. Warm the bottom of the pot with a greenhouse heating pad set to 80 F. Lower the temperature to 75 F at night.
Moisten the growing mixture every three to four days using a water-filled spray bottle. Allow the top inch to dry out completely between waterings to prevent moisture buildup; soggy soil can cause the seed to rot.
Watch for sprouting in 30 days, but don't be alarmed if it takes up to three months for the pygmy date palm seed to sprout. Remove the pot from the heating pad once the seed germinates. Water the seedling daily to a depth of 1/4-inch for the first week after sprouting.
Transfer the pygmy date palm seedlings into a 6-inch pot filled with palm-specific potting soil three weeks after germination. Grow it under warm, bright conditions until the following spring. Transplant it into a sunny, well-drained bed once soil temperatures reach 70 F.
- Paper towel
- 4-inch pot
- Insecticidal powder
- Medium-grit sand
- Greenhouse heating pad
- Spray bottle
- 6-inch plastic pot
- Palm potting soil
- Be careful around mature pygmy date palm trees since they have very sharp spines at the bases of their trunks.