How often date palms need to be watered?

If you’ve decided to buy a date palm tree for your garden, you have made a great choice. Not only is it good for the health of your garden, it is a great way to provide shade for smaller plants. The best thing about date palms is that they can bear fruit, which makes them economically viable as well. While date palms are quite hardy plants and drought resistant, they are grown best when watered regularly. Too little water will restrict growth and you may see limited growth each year. However, most people water their trees too much, which could cause additional problems. Knowing exactly how much water is suitable for your plants can help you save on water costs. It will also ensure that your plants are healthy and grow at an optimal rate. 

Weather factors 

Watering the date palm depends on the region where you live. If the weather is hot and dry, you will need to water significantly more than in colder weather. This helps the plant make the best use of the available sunshine. Another factor to consider is the rainfall. Most people forget to adjust their watering schedule according to the rainfall patterns, which cause you to give the plant more water than it needs. In fact, you may only have to water it once a week during the rainy season. Another factor to consider is humidity. Most plants will require far less water in humid conditions, even if the weather is quite hot. 

Stages of watering

When you initially plant the date palm, you should give it the most water. This helps the roots get a holding in the soil and removes any air space in the soil. You may have to water it consistently on a daily basis for at least two weeks after planting. If he plant survives the first few weeks, you have achieved the first milestone. Once the date palm has been established, you can start watering every second day or once every third day. Afterwards, you should water it once a week. The reason for this is that a date palms roots can grow to significant depths and would therefore grow best when they are watered slowly and given enough time to absorb the water from the soil.

Watering in winter

However, you should keep in mind that the heat has a major impact on how much water you need to give to the date palm. Because they are native to hot climates, date palms do not require much water during the winter months. You may only need to water it once or twice a month during cold weather. However, in hot weather a single plant may consume up to 300 liters of water a day. This may seem like a lot, but it helps the plant survive in weather where most other trees would die. In addition to it, you get the benefit of harvesting date fruit once a year. Remember to water in early morning or evening to prevent excess water wastage.