Growingg Date Palm Trees in Thailand

[bubbaba]

My Thai wife seems to  think that we can grow  date palm trees here in Thailand.  I know nothing about how to grow them.  First I would like to hear from  others who have grown date palm trees in Thailand.  What can you say?  Is it a good idea or a waste of time? Is it possible? If you have trees already growing and producing fruit I would love to hear from you.

[Damrongsak]

Some references:  https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALeKk03csoG3usN9_JNqlMYhlAo-WkVwqw%3A1595174628590&ei=5G4UX83OI4G0ytMP3eaPcA&q=date+palm+trees++Thailand&oq=date+palm+trees++Thailand&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIGCAAQBxAeOgQIABBHUN6kAliypgJguakCaABwAXgAgAFPiAGTAZIBATKYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjN0N3I2NnqAhUBmnIEHV3zAw4Q4dUDCAs&uact=5

 

[bendejo]

No experience myself, but I once had a conversation about this in Malaysia.  Dates are an essential part of Ramadan (well, in Malaysia at least) and this fellow was an importer and wholesaler, every few days a new container truck was being unloaded outside his place.  He also retailed and at any time his shop had at least a half dozen types from different countries, including China.  I asked why there were no locally grown, and he didn't really have good answer, but said something about growing conditions.  This was 10+ years ago when it was thought palm oil would be the petrol of tomorrow and it seemed like every spare piece of land in the country bore a palm tree (I once flew into Sabah, and from the air it looked like the entire province was one big plantation).  A good question to ask in your research is what is the difference in growing conditions between the date and the oil palm.

Best of luck.

 

 

[northsouthdevide]

It's possible to grow them, and there is a local market for the fruit. 

The only drawback seems to be that everybody's wife is talking about them right now, so the market might not be so buoyant in 5 years time. 

[Grumpy John]

3 hours ago, northsouthdevide said:

It's possible to grow them, and there is a local market for the fruit. 

The only drawback seems to be that everybody's wife is talking about them right now, so the I market might not be so buoyant in 5 years time. 

My wife isn't...but she is the exception!  ????  I have been a date eater for most of my life and only see dates, from Israel, in Makro at what I consider fairly steep prices.  So my annual consumption is way down!   What I am interested in is dwarf plants to use,  with other species,  as a chemi break between our future organic grape vines and the dirty mango orchard on the other side.  I have 3000 seeds for MorInga Oleifera but after seeing how my test patch got bug-gered when it got overspray by my POS B-in-L I  now know to use something else.  I'd be happy with a small #. We have a vacuum sealing machine so dried and bagged they could last many months. 

Edited July 20, 2020 by Grumpy John
Smelling

[Klong Song]

These images came from a trusted source today and she says the trees are in Thailand.  I have seen this type of date sold in Tops before and my wife says people are growing them in Roi Et.

[Klong Song]

Quote

 This is in Roi Et

 

[bubbaba]

WOW,  that is no country-bumpkin farm. Looks first class and great. Thank you

[Jack Hna]

I've had some of these and they are very nice, slightly dry a hint of juice and crunchy. 

 

The ones I ate came from a farm in kranuan.

 

 

[rcummings]

On 7/24/2020 at 10:54 AM, Jack Hna said:

I've had some of these and they are very nice, slightly dry a hint of juice and crunchy. 

 

The ones I ate came from a farm in kranuan.

 

 

If you give them a few days they will soften and turn brown and become very sweet, just like dried dates but more succulent. Anyway, it used to be that fresh dates came from Israel and some Arab countries and were very costly. Now all I see in the supermarkets are fresh Thai dates. Still not cheap but at Makro, last time I checked, 199 baht for 1/2 kilo.

[Yorkshire Tea]

69 baht for 500g in Chiang Mai local supermarket chain.  From Middle East, stones removed.

[AlfHuy]

On 7/20/2020 at 10:04 PM, Klong Song said:

These images came from a trusted source today and she says the trees are in Thailand.  I have seen this type of date sold in Tops before and my wife says people are growing them in Roi Et.

Do they grow with plastic bags attached?

[biggie371]

On 7/19/2020 at 11:02 PM, bubbaba said:

My Thai wife seems to  think that we can grow  date palm trees here in Thailand.  I know nothing about how to grow them.  First I would like to hear from  others who have grown date palm trees in Thailand.  What can you say?  Is it a good idea or a waste of time? Is it possible? If you have trees already growing and producing fruit I would love to hear from you.

Yep we're growing dates, we have a farm with 350 females. Just found your post while searching for something and thought I'd reply. Albeit a bit late 

[silicastorm]

Biggie371,

 

how long does a tree take to mature and *bare* fruit ?

[bojo]

On 2/25/2021 at 12:56 AM, biggie371 said:

Yep we're growing dates, we have a farm with 350 females. Just found your post while searching for something and thought I'd reply. Albeit a bit late 

Great pics, quite impressive........so much space inbetween.will you utilise?