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Go Dau, Tay Ninh · about 50 km from Ho Chi Minh City

A date palm garden growing day by day in Go Dau

Nearly 300 tissue-culture date palms, imported from the Middle East, went into the ground on 13 July 2026. The first harvest is expected in 2029. We write down every step here.

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Nearly 300
tissue-culture date palms
13 Jul 2026
planting day
2029
first harvest, expected
~50 km
from Ho Chi Minh City, near the Moc Bai expressway

Story

A date palm garden, told honestly, step by step

On 13 July 2026, nearly 300 tissue-culture date palms were planted in Phuoc Thanh commune, Go Dau district, Tay Ninh province. The plants were imported from the Middle East.

More than three months of preparation came first. From early April the field of dry grass was reworked: an excavator came in, the ground was levelled and every planting spot was marked.

The garden grows three varieties: Barhee (about 70% of the palms), Konaizi and Dahan (about 15% each).

Tissue-culture palms are propagated from plant tissue in a laboratory, not grown from seed. On the plan, the first dates come about three years later.

During those three years we will share how the palms grow, how the weather treats them, and what does not go to plan. We do not promise much, only to tell it as it is.

Rows of young date palms in black pots on bare soil on planting day
13 Jul 2026. Young palms in their pots, before planting.

Varieties

Three varieties in the garden

The garden grows three date palm varieties. Shares are by number of palms planted.

Barhee

Barhee

Yellow fruit

70% of the palms

Konaizi

Konaizi

Red, round fruit

15% of the palms

Dahan

Dahan

Yellow-orange, slightly long fruit

15% of the palms

Fruit photos are public images from the web, only to help you picture each variety. They are not fruit from this garden. The garden's own fruit is expected from 2029, and we will post real photos then.

Garden diary

Milestone by milestone, with real photos

Photos taken in the garden. A new entry is added every week, along with videos on Facebook and TikTok.

  1. The land at the start

    In early April the land was covered in dry grass. No holes, no plants. More than three months of preparation began here.

    Land covered in dry grass with a small path across it
    Early Apr 2026. The land before any work.

  2. The excavator arrives

    An excavator came in and started working the soil. The old ground was redone from scratch.

    An orange excavator working in the middle of the field
    Apr 2026. The excavator in the field.

  3. The ground is levelled

    A little later the ground was flat and pale. Someone stands in the middle, looking at the land that is about to become a garden.

    Levelled ground with pale soil
    Late Apr 2026. The ground after levelling.
    A person standing in the field at sunset
    Late Apr 2026. Late afternoon in the field.

  4. Marking every planting spot

    By late May each planting spot was marked and a layer of dark soil was laid on the pale ground. Every palm would have its own place.

    Planting spots marked on the field
    Late May 2026. Planting spots across the field.
    A planting spot with a layer of dark soil
    Late May 2026. Close-up of one spot.

  5. Black rings and drip lines ready

    By early June the black rings were already in place at every planting spot, with drip lines running along the rows. The garden was ready for the palms.

    Rows of black rings on the field at sunset
    Early Jun 2026. The garden at sunset, waiting for the palms.

  6. Choosing plants at the nursery

    The plants were picked at a nursery, each in its own pot with a label. Sometimes a pot had to be lifted to look at the roots before accepting it.

    Rows of young date palms in pots at a nursery
    Plants at the nursery.
    A hand lifting a pot to check the roots
    Checking the roots.
    Young date palms in pink pots
    Young palms in pots.

  7. Measuring hole depth

    Each hole was measured with a ruler before a palm went in.

    A ruler placed in a planting hole
    Measuring one hole.

  8. Planting day

    The young palms were brought into the field and set into the prepared holes, each ringed in black.

    The garden on planting day, holes with black rings on bare soil
    13 Jul 2026. The rows of holes before filling.
    A young date palm in a black ring with a small label
    One palm in its ring, with a label.

  9. Mounds around the base

    Soil was heaped into a high mound around each base so rainwater does not stand there.

    Base of a young date palm with soil heaped into a mound and a drip line
    13 Jul 2026. A palm after mounding.

  10. One day later

    A corner of the garden a day after planting, young palms in black rings on freshly levelled soil.

    A corner of the garden one day after planting, young palms in black rings on bare soil
    14 Jul 2026. A corner of the garden.

  11. Week six

    Seen from above: the palm sits in a black nursery ring with a drip emitter next to it. The ring helps against waterlogging in heavy rain.

    Young date palm in a black ring seen from above, red emitter beside it
    25 Aug 2026. One palm in its ring.

  12. Yellow marks on leaves

    Some leaves show yellow marks. We are looking into the cause and will report back here.

    Young date palm leaf with yellow marks at the edge
    1 Sep 2026. A leaf with yellow marks.

  13. Weeds after the rain

    Heavy rain means fast weeds. We cut them with a machine and use no chemical weed killer.

Growth

The base gets thicker month by month

The base of the trunk is the easiest place to see a palm growing. Each round picture below is a close-up of a palm base, cropped to a circle. Each month we photograph the base up close and measure its circumference, so that a few months on we can put the photos side by side.

Base of a palm after mounding, still thin, wrapped in dry sheath
Mid July 2026Planting day
Base and leaves of a palm in its ring
Late August 2026About six weeks on
Close-up of a young palm base on its mound
Late August 2026A different palm, close to the base
Base of a palm and leaves with yellow marks
Early September 2026Base and yellow-marked leaves
Coming
November 2026Photograph the base again, measure circumference
Coming
February 2027Again, compare with July 2026
Coming
May 2027Again, compare after almost a year

The photos above are not necessarily the same palm, so they cannot be compared yet. From November 2026 we will pick 5 palms, number them, photograph them from the same angle and measure the base circumference 10 cm above the ground every month. After three months the photos go side by side to show how much the base has thickened.

PalmBase circumference, Nov 2026Base circumference, Feb 2027Change
1
2
3
4
5

Real measurements will be filled in here after each round.

Care

How the garden is looked after

High mounds and nursery rings against waterlogging

The rainy season in Phuoc Thanh is often heavy and floods easily. Date palms handle harsh weather, but young plants cannot stand waterlogging. The garden uses high mounds and nursery rings around each base. In a little over a year, when the palms are bigger, the rings come off.

Weeds cut by machine, no chemical herbicide

Chemical weed killers affect the health of the people who work with them and the environment around the garden. We cut by machine: more work, more peace of mind.

Drip irrigation to every base

Each palm has its own drip emitter so water reaches the base directly.

This is how this garden is run now, not general technical advice for every garden.

Timeline

Toward 2029

These milestones are expected dates. The plants and the weather decide, and we will update if anything changes.

  1. Land preparation

    Levelling, marking spots, placing rings and drip lines.

  2. Planting

    Nearly 300 tissue-culture palms go into the ground.

  3. First rainy season

    Young palms get through the rains on high mounds, in nursery rings.

  4. Rings come off

    A little over a year on, when the palms are big enough.

  5. Palms grow up

    Preparing paths and a place to welcome visitors.

  6. First harvest

    Dates and a visitor opening are expected.

Visit

Not open yet

The garden is not open to visitors yet

Opening is expected from 2029. When there is an official date we will post it here and on Facebook. If you would like to come earlier, please message us first.

Address
Ap Phuoc Binh B, Phuoc Thanh commune, Tay Ninh
Getting here
About 50 km from Ho Chi Minh City, near the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai and Go Dau - Xa Mat expressways
Email
vuonchalagodau@gmail.com
Facebook
facebook.com/vuonchalagodau
TikTok
@vuonchalagodau

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New photos and videos every week. No big promises, just real stories from the garden.

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