In the palm family (Palmae, Arecaceae), the most beautiful type of dates is Robelen's date (Phoenix roebelenii). In nature, this plant is found in the moist forests of Laos, Burma, India and southern China.
This tree is not very tall. So, it can reach a height of only 2.5-3 meters. There is a thin (approximately 14 or 15 centimeters in diameter) slightly curved or straight trunk. There are scars on the surface of the lower part of the trunk, which is why it is very bumpy. These scars are formed in the process of maturation of the palm, they are left by the stumps of the fallen lower old leaves. In the upper part of the trunk, these hemp are preserved, while the surface is covered with them rather densely, which makes it similar to a large cylinder-shaped brush. In the upper part of the trunk there is a bunch of lush openwork leaves, of which there are from 20 to 50 pieces. Cirro-dissected, arcuate-curved, short-petiolate leaves in length can reach from 50 to 100 centimeters. The narrow, soft leaf lobes reach 12–20 centimeters long. The color shade of the foliage directly depends on the illumination. Being in a sunny place, the foliage of the palm is colored greenish-silvery. If the lighting is diffused, then the leaves become dark green in color. Young leaves are covered with a mealy whitish bloom.
This species is similar to the others in that it also has flowers, and in their place, fruits. Light yellow tiny flowers are collected in long, weakly branched axillary inflorescences in the shape of a panicle. The black oval-shaped fruits reach only 1 centimeter in length. You can eat them, but they do not have a high taste.
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Caring for Robelen's date at home
This date in culture is considered the most spectacular and beautiful, as well as very moody. To grow it indoors, you must follow certain rules.
Illumination
This plant does not provide special requirements for illumination. So, it grows quite well in partial shade and in a sunny place. However, the room should not be darker than 3000 lux, otherwise the development and growth of the date will be inhibited.
Experienced flower growers recommend choosing the most illuminated place for this plant in the immediate vicinity of the window opening, if this is not possible, then you can use phytolamp lighting.In order for the crown to be spectacular and beautiful, the pot with the plant should be systematically rotated a little around its axis (in different directions to the light source).
Temperature regime
In summer, it needs moderate temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees. With the onset of the winter period, the date can be transferred to a cooler place from 15 to 18 degrees. At the same time, do not forget that this species, unlike others, is very fond of heat, and cold air can cause irreparable harm to it. Therefore, protect the plant from drafts in winter. But at the same time, one should not forget that it is also impossible to place a palm tree near heating devices in winter.
How to water
In the spring-summer period, the plant should be watered regularly and abundantly, but overflow should not be allowed. The fact is that such a palm tree has an extremely weak root system, which is prone to decay. Experts recommend watering only after the substrate dries out about 2 or 3 centimeters deep, which can be easily checked with your finger.
In winter, the plant should be watered a little less, especially in cool wintering.
Air humidity
A species such as a Robelen date feels normal only at high humidity. Spraying should be carried out twice a day in the morning and evening, and boiled lukewarm water should be used for this. In the event that the tips of the leaves begin to dry and with regular moistening, you will have to get a humidifier.
Give your palm a warm shower if possible.
Pruning
Pruning such a plant is not needed, but sometimes you may need to cut off a sick or old leaf. When working with such a palm, do not forget about its natural protection, presented in the form of a long and sufficient sharp thorn, which is located at the base of the petiole. In this regard, you must be very careful when working with such a plant.
Earth mix
The soil mixture can be made by hand. Combine light clay-sod, peat and humus-leaf soil, as well as rotted manure and coarse sand, taken in a ratio of 2: 1: 2: 1: 1. As a last resort, you can purchase ready-made palm mixture at a specialty store. However, it is low in nutrients and will have to be changed frequently.
Do not forget to make a good drainage layer at the bottom of the container to prevent liquid stagnation in the substrate. In order for a large plant not to overturn the pot, weights are placed on its bottom during transplantation.
Fertilizer
It is necessary to feed the palm tree in the spring-summer period 1 time in 2-3 weeks. For this, a complex liquid fertilizer for palms is used. In winter, fertilizers cannot be applied to the soil.
Transplant features
Transplant dates should only be done if absolutely necessary, for example, when the roots will no longer fit in the container. This procedure must be carried out with extreme caution, because the root system of such a plant is weak and rather fragile, and its damage harms the palm itself. Ideally, when transplanting, the earthen lump should remain unharmed.
Experienced flower growers advise changing the top layer of the substrate once a year. To do this, carefully remove the top layer of soil (as deep as possible), and then pour fresh earth mixture into the pot.
In no case should young plants be transplanted in autumn, as this can cause their death.
Reproduction methods
It is possible to grow from a seed, but at the same time a sufficiently large specimen will be obtained only after a few years, because this palm tree is distinguished by its slow growth.
Pests and diseases
The plant can settle spider mites, mealybugs, scabbards or aphids... After the pests are found, treatment with special insecticides of the appropriate action will be required.
A date can get sick due to violations of the rules of care. Often, the tips of the leaves begin to dry out due to the low humidity.
Growing features
It is very often recommended to plant several specimens of Robelen dates in one pot, while placing them very close relative to each other. It happens that the trunks are closely intertwined with each other, and because of this it may seem that the date is branching. In this regard, there are sources in which there is information that this plant can be multi-stemmed, but this is not the case.
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