After reading another thread where someone said Medjool Date Palms (Phoenix Dactylifera) grow slow, I decided to post this and show everyone how mine have grown. These are planted in my backyard here near Enterprise in Southeast Alabama in the United States.

I purchased these from TyTy nursery (somehow I had a GREAT experience with them?) in late May 2007.

This first pic is of one of them (at center left) from a week or two after it was planted (the other one is almost identical both then and now).

This second pic is the same palm from only 2 years and 3 months later. Keep in mind we have some extreme high humidity and some pretty low temps during the winter here. Yet somehow they grew a LOT!

We just tied them up before the freeze. I was surprised to find they were about 8.5 feet tall once all the fronds were pulled up. I never expected them to grow like this. At this rate they will be trunking in a few years...?

Hmm this looks like a CIDP to me. They´re a lot faster..

Hmm this looks like a CIDP to me. They´re a lot faster..

It's not a CIDP.

In addition to my Medjools I also have eight CIDPs, here's my largest...

When you see them next to each you can definitely see the difference.

After reading another thread where someone said Medjool Date Palms (Phoenix Dactylifera) grow slow, I decided to post this and show everyone how mine have grown. These are planted in my backyard here near Enterprise in Southeast Alabama in the United States.

I purchased these from TyTy nursery (somehow I had a GREAT experience with them?) in late May 2007.

This first pic is of one of them (at center left) from a week or two after it was planted (the other one is almost identical both then and now).

This second pic is the same palm from only 2 years and 3 months later. Keep in mind we have some extreme high humidity and some pretty low temps during the winter here. Yet somehow they grew a LOT!

We just tied them up before the freeze. I was surprised to find they were about 8.5 feet tall once all the fronds were pulled up. I never expected them to grow like this. At this rate they will be trunking in a few years...?

That is some really awesome growth, particularly for a place that actually does have a bit of winter.

Yea you´re right Really amazing growth indeed.

Hmm this looks like a CIDP to me. They´re a lot faster..

It's not a CIDP.

In addition to my Medjools I also have eight CIDPs, here's my largest...

When you see them next to each you can definitely see the difference.

What palm is in the upper left corner of the CIDP pic?

Hmm this looks like a CIDP to me. They´re a lot faster..

It's not a CIDP.

In addition to my Medjools I also have eight CIDPs, here's my largest...

When you see them next to each you can definitely see the difference.

What palm is in the upper left corner of the CIDP pic?

That's my spindle palm. It's in a pot and is about 11 feet tall.

Hmm this looks like a CIDP to me. They´re a lot faster..

It's not a CIDP.

In addition to my Medjools I also have eight CIDPs, here's my largest...

When you see them next to each you can definitely see the difference.

What palm is in the upper left corner of the CIDP pic?

That's my spindle palm. It's in a pot and is about 11 feet tall.

I thought so - your yard looks great and plants very healthy! Refreshing to see since my yard it completely toast and smells awful- mostly tender tropicals and am justing getting into palms - my phoenix are really the only ones untouched - time to get more!

That is great growth. I have a Medjool with 2-3 ft. of trunk and it has been slow. It also has a decidely blueish tint. I think that is why some think that this looks more like a Canary, maybe the colors don't come through acurately on the camera. Regardless it is a very nice palm and very healthy.

I'm from your neck of the woods.....welcome to Palmtalk.

Wonderful visual! That is really great growth! I guess they hate being root bound, so when people have them in pots they only creep along, but once in the ground they grow a lot faster. Since I am more south than you with a longer growing season I think it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to expect even greater growth.

Joey, are your CIDPs showing any damage from the 15.3F temps you saw???? Did you tie the fronds up as well on the CIDP?

Great growth on the dacty! Any special care or nutrients your giving them? Jv

That is great growth. I have a Medjool with 2-3 ft. of trunk and it has been slow. It also has a decidely blueish tint. I think that is why some think that this looks more like a Canary, maybe the colors don't come through acurately on the camera. Regardless it is a very nice palm and very healthy.

I'm from your neck of the woods.....welcome to Palmtalk.

Alicehunter: These do have a much more bluish tint when compared to the CIDPs. And the fronds are much more straight/upright.

Edited January 13, 201016 yr by Joey Powell

Joey, are your CIDPs showing any damage from the 15.3F temps you saw???? Did you tie the fronds up as well on the CIDP?

Great growth on the dacty! Any special care or nutrients your giving them? Jv

I tied it up as well. Then I wrapped it and my two big Medjools. I suspect this will be the last year I'll be able to do that. From now on if I add protection it will probably have to be around the very bottom. As for damage, I covered six of my younger CIDPs (about 2 years? old) with 5-gallon buckets. It's still pretty early, but I think some of these are damaged, though not terribly. And one was already in trouble before this freeze...it may not make it.

As for nutrients, I just go to Home Depot and buy a big bag of palm fertilizer. I apply first starting towards the end of February each year...and then again a couple of times before winter. Also hit them with some epsom salts every now and then. And also just a small amount of powdered Manganese sulfate, especially for the Queen Palms and Mule Palms.

And this past year a friend gave me a small container of liquid palm fertilizer called "Chelated Palm". They seemed to really like that.

Dear Joey

Nice visuals...But your date palm looks to me like a hybrid between CIDP x sylversteris(CIDP red fruticas).I am very curious to see updates of this Medjool palm of yours.

And date palms never grow fast especially in cooler regions ! Only hybrids can show such tendencies.

For more visuals on grown up Date palms here is a site !

http://www.datepalm.com/dp/

http://www.datepalm.com/dp/index.php/palm-info/medjools

http://www.datepalm.com/dp/index.php/palm-...ols/cod-special

Lots of love,

kris

Joey:

That is a fantastic Medjool! I have a quesiton. How old was it in the very first pic? did you grow it from seed or purchase it?

Thanks! Keep us posted on its progress!