how do I find date seeds?

Hi all,
palm trees are very successful in Crete. One of the most usual types makes dates which are small and not edible at all. Does anyone have any idea about proper, sweet tasty date palm trees? How do I get seeds? Are they easy to germinate? Any info is much appreciated.

thanks
Dimitri

You can buy dates with pits in them. Remove the seed and pot in moist well drained soil and keep it warm. Germination could take as long as 6 months depending on the temperature. They will not produce fruit until quite large which may take many, many years. If it's the fruit your're after, your best bet is to just buy them at the market and enjoy them, I'm sure they're plentiful in Crete. If you like the look of the palm, by all means plant one but don't expect any fruit because you'll be dissapointed.

thank you, Jerseyguy!!

Your instruction for seeds is valuable- obtaining them is not easy - unlike what you thought, fresh dates do not exist in Crete > which is the very point I want to grow them for. Anyone willing to trade??

Dimitri

WOW! I thought dates would be everywhere in your part of the world. Even if you can find some dried ones you may be able to find seeds in them.what you are looking for is Phoenix dactylifera which is the true edible date palm. Chiltern Seed (www.chiltern.com) in England lists seed and they ship world wide.

thank you JG!
I asked th esame question to Botany Bob - see his thread about tropical plants - and wait to hear what he says as well. Do you really think dry date pips will germinate? they look like they have been cooked!!! I might give it a try.
We do have very tall palm trees that make small dates - no flesh at all, just the seeds and an outer skin. I don't consider these trees as "beautiful"
Dimitri

As far as I know, dried dates are not cooked dates. They are either sun dried or gently heated to hasten the drying process but they are not cooked. By the way, you will need both a male and female in order to produce fruit. There is no telling what you will get from seed until they bloom.

Glad I found this thread! I owe you some seeds, Dimitri. I bought some dates at Christmas specially to get the seeds, and I've kept them in the fridge (in the packet), except for those that I grew. Mine germinated quite quickly, and my mother always had lots of seedlings where she just poked the seeds into a handy pot when she ate hers. Would you like some seeds?

here in the uk dates are always in the shops at christmas time and my mam always buys me some for my stocking cos i love em so much (the don't love me so much though!) i planted some of these after demolishing them, they are the kind you get in a tray with the stick in the middle to eat them with, the sticky ones, and sure enough after a couple of months they came up! I don't know how big they would have got because they died when i was away, they looked like a small palm tree, but this worked for me!

lil

Mary and Lilith,
many thanks. Following JG's advice I bought 1/2 kilo dry dates and ate them and had to drink quite some soda to digest them. I look at the pips on my desk and wonder if they are alive.

Well, Mary, be brave and send me 5 seeds from yours!!
Lilith, from County Durham (me worked in NHS at B/ham 84 - 89), I would be grateful if you could please find something else - in case we have a trade.
Best wishes

Dimitri

dimitri, i'll have a look see what i can find to send you. Are there any restrcitions on sending to greece from the uk? I'm unsure about these postal restrictions, otherwise i'd be happy to trade with you!

My hardy gernaniums (i've got gernanium maculatum (cranesbill), unsure of the variety but its pastel pink), geranium sanguineum (it's a purpley-pink) with dark green split leaves) both coming into seed. I'll let you know when others come into seed.

Heres what ive got:

nasturtiums strawberries and cream will seed soon
a new variety of lupin (un-named as yet, but its 'nanus' and is blue and white)just put in
lupin russel hybrids coming into seed soon
papaver orientale coral reef just planted out
potentilla monarchs velvet "
geranium reflexions mixed (just planted seedling)
sweet pea swan lake
ipomoea scarlett o'hara
pansy swiss giants (got seed)
salad rocket (got seed)
pansy clear crystals mixed

other plants: loads of herbs including basil, cat mint, pineaple mint, black peppermint, garden mint, rosemary, lemon balm, oregano and variegated oregano, parlsey flat and curled, coriander (bolting as we speak :( )thyme and red mustard.

let me know if you need anything in particular, i'd love to trade if i can!

lil

Hi Lil,
thank you again. No restrictions for seeds between UK and Greece, as far as I know.

I 'd love to try your sweet peas and your geraniums. Here in Greece we have our own geranium varieties that are traditional plants, but you call thm pelargoniums, so I would love to try the British plants to see how they go.

And in return, what can I do for you??
Dimitri