Finally got off my backside and made a start with wiffee getting together with a couple of friends/families in our local village as a sort of community project and started raising saplings (from date seeds) of Deglat Nour imported from Israel.

She did the first lot about 6 months ago and coming on very well and we have now got up or at least will have in the next week or so to about 5,000 under "shade".

Everyone seems to know the score but typically the only couple of types of dates I have ever known include for Al Hassa (worked in Saudi about 30 plus years ago)

I know its a long haul but never mind...

So any experts out there?

R

Now back in Blighty for a couple of months but our "Deglat Nour" saplings doing well (not bad for 8-10 weeks)...but hard work.

Lots of bacteria and delicate mix in soil/coconut husks but combination of silicon and pepsi cleared most of it. Another b4-6 months and we should sell...and start again.

Finally incubated just under 9,000....not bad ......O to be a Thai farmer...

Now back in Blighty for a couple of months but our "Deglat Nour" saplings doing well (not bad for 8-10 weeks)...but hard work.

Lots of bacteria and delicate mix in soil/coconut husks but combination of silicon and pepsi cleared most of it. Another b4-6 months and we should sell...and start again.

Finally incubated just under 9,000....not bad ......O to be a Thai farmer...2013-02-15 12.44.08.jpg2013-02-15 12.45.57.jpg2013-02-15 12.45.05.jpg2013-02-15 12.46.35.jpg

I grew Deglet Noor dates in La Quinta California. Planted a few here in Chiang Mai. I have very low hopes for them. They like a hot head and wet feet. Rainy seasons have been a bit too much for them, Still a nice looking tree if you don't mind harveting hard yellow dates.

Will flower after six years or so, you will need to manually pollinate, from seeds its impossible to predict the male to female ratio; good luck.

I grow Medhjoul dates; they do well despite the rainy season; the dates are excellent.

Last pictures; collecting pollen & male & female flowers.

Thanks for the feedback...

Date palms seem to be popular and we have a supply contract so although back in Blighty we are hoping to get back to CM on a more permanent base (rent out house etc)and start Phase 2 (@ 25k)which should keep us busy until the end of the year.

Had a couple of rai under Bio but recent fires sorted that out so we will hold on and plant some of our selected shoots (female)and leave them for a couple of years and see what happens.

Although we also have about 10,000 banana trees and a fair number of pineapple bushes wife wants to diversify into cherrys,strawberrys,peaches as well as keeping me well supplied with spuds (potatoes) but again will see.

Also hoping to do some duck farming and since we have a quite large pond (dragon land)maybe some freshwater pla......again.....