DATES... question about the date palm tree.

[moonstone523]

I just purchased my first dates last weekend. They were imported from the Middle East somewhere and expensive.

I live in Thailand, and thought surly they have the date plam. I spend my afternoons walking through the paths of the rice fields which are lined with many fruit trees, well, every person's yard is as well.

Anyways, I've seen some trees that appear to be the date palm. They look like this.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Dates_on_date_palm.jpg/250px-Dates_on_date_palm.jpg

Is that a shell around the actual fruit???? Can I pick them and eat them????

:cool:

[RowanC]

Girl, that's not a shell.. those are DATES!
Are they just growing wild?
Be sure nobody is spraying them.

I'm not sure how they'll taste wild, but I'd sure try them. They should be a little soft. And the ones you are showing don't look ripe but some varieties can be picked when they're still light colored. It would be worth it to do some research to try to find out what variety you've got there. Also, there must be male date trees around for this female to produce so wonderfully!

The third article below gives a lot of great information and I'm sure there's more online. The first two articles tell how to start your own date tree for those who want to try it.

I think if you do a little online searching you should be able to find lots of information on when they ripen, etc. If nothing else, you could write one of the date companies, like Oasis Date Gardens and ask them questions.

Kowabunga! lucky YOU!

Here are some websites to read:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/frugal/msg1117100731634.html?8

http://www.personal.u-net.com/~treetops/germinat.html

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/Date.html

[moonstone523]

:cool: Ha ha ha. :cool:

Well, you see, they don't look ripe, so I was a little thrown off. Plus I've never seen anyone eating dates. And believe thais eat everything, so I think I would have noticed.

I'll do some asking around. And I'll try to find out about them being ripe.

And about people spraying them.... the trees I saw were wild, so I'm pretty sure nobody is spraying them. Also there are some trees in some poeple's yards... and those definatly aren't sprayed.

I'll do a taste test tomorrow... I'll pick some on my way to school.

:D

[RowanC]

If you see them in someone's yard, I'd knock on the door and ask questions about when they're ripe, etc.

Sometimes they ripen on the tree. But I read that some varieties need to be picked green and ripened like you'd pick a banana green and ripen it. I guess you can just experiment! But I'm happy for you! This is a wonderful find! Definitely worth looking into!

[aromaticwings]

:cool: Ha ha ha. :cool:

Well, you see, they don't look ripe, so I was a little thrown off. Plus I've never seen anyone eating dates. And believe thais eat everything, so I think I would have noticed.

I'll do some asking around. And I'll try to find out about them being ripe.

And about people spraying them.... the trees I saw were wild, so I'm pretty sure nobody is spraying them. Also there are some trees in some poeple's yards... and those definatly aren't sprayed.

I'll do a taste test tomorrow... I'll pick some on my way to school.

:D

WOW!!! How cool is that to have dates growing wild so close... Geesh I never find anything like that here in Texas.. unless I just do not know what I am looking at...lol

[rawpriestess]

aromatic wings, you could probably grow your own date palms if you live in a warm enough place, I'm not assuming ALL of Texas is hot, so maybe you could do that, Rowan C, gave some excellent websites to look at.


makes me want to grow date palms here, is super wet, cool Western Washington, probably NOT!!! LOL, but I was thinking.................. lol

[RowanC]

Dang, RawPriestess, I think you should try it! If I had land, I sure would!

If you could get the tree just going... it may survive. I've seen trees growing where they shouldn't be and I have seen banana trees in Portland! With bananas on them, even!

Keep us updated if you (or anyone) decides to do this.

It could be quite a fruitful experience in many ways, including financially, if you took your dates to market!

Hey Moonstone, go TASTE one and tell us if it's SWEET!

::cackling with glee:::

[rawpriestess]

Rowan C, thanks for the encouragement about the dates, I'll have Dragggon sprout some of the date seeds that we get each day, you'd think one of them might sprout he has a green body, so he can grow anything, I'll just tell him I want one, and it will magickally manifest, as all the produce I want does. LOL


thanks for the great idea. I'll do it, (well, he'll do all the work) LOL

[aromaticwings]

Dahhhh why didnt I think of that.. RP.. Yes where I am it is very hot.. and where I live ..my balcony would be very sunny and hot after about 2pm.. It faces west. hmmmm.. gonna go back to those sites to see if I could grow one... but are there smaller varieties.. for like pots?? Will do some research.

[Brianna]

An interesting fact I read: If someone planted a date seed for you when you were born, by the time you were 18, it would produce enough fruit to feed you for the rest of your life. Not that you would want to eat nothing but dates, but that's how much fruit they produce!!! I so want one!

[rawpriestess]

Thanks Brianna, that is interesting,


we have several seeds soaking as we speak, we will see if any of them sprout.

wish us luck :o)

[Dragggon]

I have started the quest last nite i have several pits soaking and will strip them later and put them in a baggie with wet napkin in it and keep you all informed lets see how old we are all are when we eating our own dates :eek: