Dates like most palms prefer deep pots. They transplant fairly well. they should be okay in those smaller pots..., especially as we are about to enter a cooler period of the year. Do you know what kind of Dates they are? In any event, I find that Phoenix grow a bit slow as fast and pick up speed as they mature. Date palms are fairly easy though, most any species. Good luck in your Date palm grove!

I do not know which kind of Date they are. BG is pretty good about putting small signs near notable plants, but the Date I was under wasn't so signed. I plan on visiting again this month or next and I will have to look and see if any of the others have signs. All I can say is the fruit was yellow, not sure if that is a defining feature. (Edit: And it doesn't look like it is. All pictures of ripened Dates show yellow fruit. Also, looking at pictures of Date Palms, I am thinking P. canariensis, P. rupicola or P. sylvestris.)

If the leaf looks more green, it is canariensis; if it appears somewhat blue/gray, green, then more likely sylvestris.

Hey Leek,

Busch Gardens has a variety of different date palms, including Canary Island Date palms, true Date Palms, and Senegal Date palms. If the seeds came from a tree that had a very fat trunk with a big ball like a pineapple at the top with arching fronds, it was a Canary Island Date. If the tree was part of a clump with skinny trunks, it was most likely a Senegal Date. If the trunk was moderately sized with somewhat upright bluish-green leaves, it was most likely a true Date Palm. That being said, with all of the different types of dates being in such close proximity, there is no guarantee that the seeds aren't hybrids. Not sure if that will help you out or not.

In any event, they are pretty trouble-free as far as care goes. I personally grow 4 true Medjool Date Palms, 11 Pygmy Date Palms, and 6 Cretan Date Palms. One thing to watch for if you plan on planting them out is the large amount of suckers some of them produce.

When I grow new batches, I typically use 2 or 3 liter soda bottles with the narrow top cut off to grow the seedlings. This allows them to grow deeper roots than traditional pots. You'll be surprised how quickly the roots will fill up the bottom of a pot. If you plan on moving and planting them out within a 2 years, the soda bottle idea will likely hold you over. If it will be longer, you probably want a larger and deeper pot with a way to transport it (wagon, etc).

Thanks for the tip Kinzy. I don't buy 2 liter bottles all that often, but I might have to get a few bottles of sprite (or dumpster dive... eww...)

I will be returning to BG on Monday and I will take pictures of the palm I got my fruit from. I can say it most definitely was not a Senegal. From your descriptions, it is likely the True Date, but pictures will tell.