Increasingly, you can meet representatives of the tropical flora as home plants in office and residential premises. The article will discuss the date of Robelin — small, compact palm tree that fits perfectly into the interior.
Description and characteristics of the plant
The date of Robelin grows in natural conditions in the territories of countries such as Laos, Vietnam, India, China (southern part), where climatic conditions are characterized by constant high humidity (about 80%) and high air temperature.
The palm tree got its name in honor of the German botanist Karl Robelin, who first classified it in 1889.
Robelin belongs to the dwarf type of palm trees, since in natural conditions its growth varies from one to three meters, and at home it rarely grows over 1.5 m. The trunk is straight thin, the lower part is thickened due to the remains of dead leaves, in place of which diamond-shaped traces remain.
Leaves — thin, arched, from 0.5 to 2 m long, saturated green. Young sheets are covered with microscopic fibers, which give the impression of a bright coating.
The palm tree blooms for the first time at the age of 10, forming panicle inflorescences from the leaf sinuses. The flowers are small, light yellow.
The fruits of the plant are edible, tasteless, dark in color. They are oval in shape and reach no more than 1 cm in length.
Important! At home, the date of Robelin does not bloom and does not bear fruit, since the plant is dioecious and needs cross pollination.
For what purposes can plants be used
The date palm of Robelin is decorative, therefore it is used in residential or office premises for the purpose of landscaping and implementation of design decisions.
Conditions for growing at home
In order for a home plant to be distinguished by high decorative qualities, it should be kept under certain conditions.
Air humidity
The required constant level of air humidity in the room where the palm grows is not less than 50%. It is supported artificially (especially in the heating season) with a humidifier or water tanks, which are placed next to a growing plant. Once every seven days, Robelins are sprayed completely, previously covering the surface of the soil with a film to avoid overmoistening of the soil.
Due to the excessive dryness of the air, dry fragments of dark color appear at the ends of the leaves. To avoid this situation, you should wipe the leaves with a damp cloth once a day.
Lighting
The date is a very photophilous plant, so its location is preferably near the south-oriented windows. To avoid sunburn, in the summer months it is recommended to shade the windows with gauze or sheets of paper. In the autumn-winter period, it is necessary to create a 12-hour daylight using artificial lighting.
The lack of light can be judged by the simultaneous yellowing of most of the leaf plates, while partial yellowing signals the natural death of old foliage, which is cut with a sharp tool.
Did you know? Palm trees need salt, so plants actively absorb it from the soil. Biologists even calculated the mass of the consumed product per year - 1.34 kg.
Temperature
For a representative of the tropical climate, the summer growth temperature should be from +20 to + 28 ° С, and from November to early March - +15 ... + 20 ° С.
A flowerpot with a plant should not be on a cold floor - this adversely affects the root system. Drafts also adversely affect Robelen.
Features of plant care
Let us dwell on the main stages of caring for a Robelin palm at home.
Watering
In the warm season of the year, Robelin dates should be watered frequently and abundantly, however, waterlogging of the soil and stagnation of water should not be allowed. This is due to the fact that the plant has weak roots, which can begin to rot. The main criterion for irrigation is the drying of the upper soil layer to a depth of about three centimeters.
In the winter season, the number of irrigations is reduced, also focusing on the air temperature in the room and the state of the soil in the pot with the plant.
Top dressing
To apply special fertilizer for palm trees (complex, in liquid form) is necessary once every 14–20 days and only during the period from spring to autumn. In the winter months, the feeding procedure is not performed.
Transfer
The plant transplantation procedure should be performed only if necessary (for example, the root system has outgrown the volume of the flowerpot), since it transfers it extremely negatively. A transplant is performed at any time, except for the autumn months.
When transshipment from one container to another, it is very important to maintain the integrity of the earthen coma in order to shorten the period of palm adaptation to new conditions.Ready soil, designed specifically for tropical crops, does not contain nutrients in amounts calculated for a long growth period, so it will have to be replaced soon, which means that the plant will be subjected to additional stress again. For this reason, flower growers recommend preparing the substrate on their own.
Structure:
- humus-sheet earth - 2 parts;
- turf land - 2 parts;
- peat land - 1 part;
- river sand (coarse fraction) - 1 part;
- rotted manure - 1 part.
Video: Date palm transplant
At the bottom of the flowerpot, it is necessary to fill in a layer of expanded clay, which will perform a drainage function, as well as place any heavy object that will not allow the pot to tip over under the weight of the palm.
Once a year, a 3-5 cm upper soil layer under the date should be carefully removed and the vacated space filled with a new nutrient substrate.
Breeding
The main way that Robelin dates are propagated in home floriculture is with seed seeds. However, it is quite time-consuming: seeds in warm and moist soil can germinate from 3 months to 1 year.
Important! Seed material must be purchased in specialized stores, so that after a few years it is guaranteed to get a healthy and highly decorative palm tree.
In addition to the seed, they practice the method of reproduction by daughter processes. After the process of separating the baby from the mother plant, the young dates are kept for some time in a constantly moistened loose soil, creating greenhouse conditions for it (covering with a film).
With the beginning of active growth, the seedling is cultivated as an adult palm.
Disease and Pest Prevention
Prevention of diseases and premature aging of a home date consists in the phased implementation of the rules of room farming, which are described in the article.
Possible growing difficulties
Painful manifestations that affect the palm at home are associated, in the vast majority of cases, with a violation of the regime of detention.
Consider the most common:
- The ends of the leaves turn brown. This signals a low level of humidity in the room. It should be more often sprayed leaves.
- Brown spots on leaf blades - arise due to violation of the regime of soil irrigation (cold, hard water) or low temperature in the room.
- Mass yellowing of the crown - may occur due to insufficient lighting or excessive soil moisture.
- Leaf blades take on a whitish hue. Most likely, these are the consequences of the invasion of a pest-tick, which bites the upper sheet layer, leaving small white ulcerations after that. In this case, date leaves are treated with warm water (with the help of a shower), a good air circulation should be established in the room, without drafts. If tick-borne damage is large, treatment with acaricides is necessary.
- In addition to ticks, a threat is represented by a scab, a mealybug, aphids. In this case, it is recommended to resort to processing with a special insecticide according to the instructions, which are purchased at retail outlets specializing in crop production.
Did you know? In an extremely sultry period, the palm grows only at night. Tropical representatives of these plants do not have annual rings.
Summing up, it can be noted that to grow a beautiful tree - the date palm of Robelin, at home is not difficult. With careful observance of basic agricultural standards, an exotic representative of the humid tropics will decorate the interior of a residential or office space for many years.
