Medjool Date

(Phoenix dactylifera)

An amazing food plant which all home gardeners should have.

There are hundreds of varieties of Phoenix dactylifera date palms, and one of the most famous is the large, soft Medjool date palm, which produces Medjool dates.

The Medjool date palm produces the largest, plump dates known for their succulent, chewy texture and a sweet almost caramel-like flavour. These dates are often known as the king of dates due to their large size and taste. 

Medjool dates are rich in fibre, potassium, and antioxidants, making them a nutritious and delicious choice for snacking or adding to various culinary dishes.

Can be grown well in pots, tubs or in the garden bed.

Food uses

Apart from being a natural sweetener, Medjool dates can also make a delicious appetizer

 or snack when stuffed with various ingredients, like goat cheese. Since they don’t need

 to be refrigerated, they make a perfect tasty and healthy addition to a gift basket

 alongside some nuts, dark chocolate and other dried fruit.

Last but not least, when Medjool dates are made into a paste, they become an

 awesome, nutrient-dense sugar substitute. Date paste can be used one-to-one in most

 recipes, unlike stevia, and it adds bulk for baking.

How to make date paste:

Soak Medjool dates in hot water until soft. If the water reaches room temperature and

 the dates aren’t soft enough, soak in hot water again.

Reserve the soaking liquid, as it’s integral to making a good paste!

Add the soaked dates to your food processor, along with one tablespoon of the soaking

 liquid. Blend until smooth. Add more water as needed to create a thick rich paste.

Health benefits

Two Medjool dates (about 48 grams) contain approximately:

Calories: 133

Total Carbohydrates: 36 g

Fiber: 3.2 g

Sugar: 32 g

Total Fat: 0.1 g

Protein: 0.9 g

Sodium: 0.5 mg (0.02% DV*)

Copper: 0.2 mg (22% DV)

Pantothenic Acid: 0.4 mg (8% DV)

Potassium: 334 mg (7% DV)

Magnesium: 26 mg (6% DV)

Vitamin B6: 0.1 mg (6% DV)

Niacin: 0.8 mg (5% DV)

Manganese: 0.1 mg (4% DV)

What will I receive?

You will receive 5 fresh seeds. 

Plant them as soon as possible after soaking for 48 hours in water at room temperature.

 Please read all the information below before planting.

Propagation

Note: Standard potting mixes are not the best choice for optimum seed growing. 

Potting mixes consist of composted bark with some minor additives. Potting mixes

 are often contaminated with bacteria and fungi, have variable pH and are

 unreliable in terms of drainage and water retention. Not a good start for seeds.

Tip: All seeds, are best sown in a sterile potting media. 

We have sterile potting media for sale in our store. (Sold separately)

We recommend you check this great product out in the link below. Just click or copy and

 paste the link below.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/176741800832

Seed are best sown in very shallow trays to avoid overwatering and planted shallow to

 the depth of the seed. Seeds need to be kept moist at all times and protected from

 heat/heavy rain in a stable environment. Seeds are slow to germinate and can take

  months to begin to sprout.

Vermiculite can be further improved by adding other sterile materials such as perlite,

 pumice, sharp sand, diatomaceous earth, shell grit and charcoal to name but a few. We

 have a range of sterile mixed potting media products available in our store and they are

 worth considering for your next seed growing project.

Seed growing is an advanced form of gardening and requires a lot of preparation, observation and monitoring on a daily basis and you need to take into consideration every small detail from the size of the pot/tray used to the potting medium, which should be really be sterile, down to how deep the seeds are planted and where the seeds are to be kept during germination and how often they are looked after. 

Tip: To grow seeds properly you need to put in the effort. Read and research all the many germination methods prior to planting. The seed is not going to go anywhere. 

Don't rush and plan properly. Keep a diary too. Make a note of the date planted, weather conditions, everything you can which can be helpful to diagnose germination issues.

 Sellers provide a quality product, and the rest of the 99% is really up to you. Please don't blame sellers who have no influence on the end product.