I was eating some of the best dates I have ever eaten and decided to check to see where they are from. I stumbled across this web site. Here is an excerpt from the site. It was interesting to me....so I thought others might want to check it out. I didn't realize growers "dethorn" the trees.

The Amazing Rescue of the Medjool Date Variety

In 1927, Dr. Walter Swingle, employed by Bureau of Plant Industry, traveled to Morocco on invitation from the French government. His task was to "save" the expiring Medjool date variety from extinction. A rare disease called Baioudh was decimating their crop. Mr. Swingle extracted what he considered to be 11 offshoots from relatively healthy remaining trees, and brought them back to Southern Nevada for transplanting.

Amazingly 9 of the 11 offshoots survived the transplanting, and a full seven years later (1934) they were moved to the Coachella Valley in Southern California.

In 1944, date growing pioneer Stanley Dillman took 24 offshoots from the original 9 surviving Medjool trees and planted them in the Bard Valley.

Here you see 6 of the original 24 plantings in Bard Valley. Even today, 65 years later, each one of these trees produces an annual yield of over 200 pounds of these incredibly delicious treats.

http://www.bardmedjool.com/the-association/history.php

cool! love the grove of Medjools

The P. dactylifera is an interesting palm. The climate out there (california desert) is perfect for them.

Ive heard the Medjool is one of the better cultivars for the Southeast USA and Florida where humidity and rainfall amounts are high. Ive also heard that the extreme heat of a desert is what sweetens the dates and makes them edible, is this true?

Dear David

Have you visited this site ?

http://www.datepalm.com

And dear Luke

what you have said is all true..

love,

kris

Dear David

Have you visited this site ?

http://www.datepalm.com

And dear Luke

what you have said is all true..

love,

kris

Interesting. Wonder what they charge.

cool! love the grove of Medjools

The P. dactylifera is an interesting palm. The climate out there (california desert) is perfect for them.

Ive heard the Medjool is one of the better cultivars for the Southeast USA and Florida where humidity and rainfall amounts are high. Ive also heard that the extreme heat of a desert is what sweetens the dates and makes them edible, is this true?

i am very very good friend, for very long time, of the family castro in the valley of mexicali. they have the most largest cultivation of medjool dates in baja california, 240 hectareas.

most the dates they export to australia but some they sell in baja california. in tijuana my city you can buy the dates 100 pesos for 200 grams. about $ 7.50 US dollars. very expensive. but i think they are the best dates !

here are some fotos of there medjool dates palms. i take these in winter before the inflourences grow.

the harvest is from september - november. if it rains in this time, they have many problems of qualitey but this is very rare. in most years theres less then 3 inches of rain in this area.

beautiful palms ! to walk in the palms in the night is wonderful !

Edited January 8, 201016 yr by Cristóbal

this is first influorence of the year in february

Edited January 8, 201016 yr by Cristóbal

Dear Cristobal

Beautiful visuals.. I have a question,here in india they sell whole dates in the name hardley's pitted dates or claifornian whole dates in continers...They are very tasty but my doubt is are they Medjool dates or ordinary dates ?

Since they taste wonderful and in the label there is no mention of the term 'Medjool'.

http://www.hadleys.com

Thanks & Love,

kris

I've often wonder why we do not have a date industry in Australia. The climate is perfect along the west coast and inland, and they'll drink the salty water of the outback without much care. They produce edible fruit in Perth, but are rarely planted. Early May rain can ruin the fruit, but our rainy season seems to start later and later each year. If I lived on a farm in the outback, I'd have a heap of them growing.

Best regards

Tyrone