Wanted: Coconut
 

Hello guys if anyone has a fresh Coconut with the husk still attached.
maybe from a local beach.? I'd love to try and grow a coconut palm. I think coconut palm trees are probably the best looking palm or plant I've ever seen, i love the look of it. Thanks alot

-Wayne-

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

Good luck to you. But your dreams growing one are all uphill battle. Very stiff. Unless you have a greenhouse that can maintain above 75 degrees tempt and sandy soil and good humidity constantly. Here in California they sell coconuts in pots 4 to 5 feet high but I dare not buy one. I don''t see any house or green houses that grow them.
Unless you happen to live in Miami FL or Hawaii.

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

Well what a negative answer... well i guess your right, but trying doesn't hurt? i mean doesn't grocery store bought ones work? give'in the right requirements?

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

The Lows here had sprouted coconuts a while back, but I have not seen any in a while. You could perhaps check the website.

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

I am sorry if I am too harsh on you.
This was discussed here before and you can read it if you type coconut tree and click on search.
If you still want to continue I am with you.
Here's one sample of a post
"

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Default Re: coconut tree
LOL you need a temp of 30 - 35 C daily , they need 12 - 18 hours of sunlight each day and they drink water thats on 20 degree's C.
they can't survive temp fluctations , 10 C fluctation = kill

o yes and the roots are deeeep and huge, its almost impossible to have it indoors when its a few years old, even in a 200 litre.

its only for zone 11 and higher, the grow will always stunt if you grow in colder zones, alot coconut nucifera will stunt at 20 C

i had one that was a few years old and i gave up --too big, i planted it in the garden becuase it was so badly rootbound while it was in a very big pot. so i had no choice to plant it in the garden , it died in the summer at 28 C we had no sunlight for 3 weeks here in the netherlands zone 7a - 8b
NOT MENTIONING THE RISK OF COCONUT ON YOUR HEADS
__________________
The Orion Project

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

No need you dont sound one bit HARSH to me. but i get what your saying. but that sucks. i love these trees, nothing beats the tropical feeling of a cocos nucifera. and btw any other Palm that grow or maybe look exactly alike, but is still capital of growing and living onward?


-Wayne-

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

I have a picture that I thought just as pretty that is very hardy and can grow in your local greenhouse. Once I find it I'll post it here.

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

Here it is:



Phoenix reclinata
Common Names: Senegal date palm
Family: Arecacea/Palmae

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

Check with some of the florida growers. I'm pretty sure that there's a "dwarf" variety that only gets 10-12ft tall that you might be able to get. As I recall It was controversial whether or not this was a true dwarf. I had one about 15 years ago for a season but was in an accident and was unable to bring it in before it got killed by the frost. Since it was so long ago I forgot the particulars. I'll see if I can find more info.

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

I did some more search and here's what I found.
Family: Arecaceae (ar-ek-AY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Phoenix (FEE-niks) (Info)
Species: reclinata (rek-lin-AY-tuh) (Info)

One vendor has this plant for sale.

2 members have or want this plant for trade.

Category:
Tropicals and Tender Perennials
Palms

Height:
over 40 ft. (12 m)

Spacing:
12-15 ft. (3.6-4.7 m)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Full Sun

Danger:
Unknown - Tell us

Bloom Color:
Pale Yellow

Bloom Time:
Blooms repeatedly

Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Evergreen
Dark/Black
Bronze-Green

Other details:
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings

Soil pH requirements:
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)

Patent Information:
Unknown - Tell us

Propagation Methods:
From seed; sow indoors before last frost

Seed Collecting:
Remove fleshy coating on seeds before storing
Allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds

You can buy the seeds for 6 cents each. minimum to buy : 11 seeds.
Fast grower.

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

I was told at a local nursey that you have to be south of Melbourne Beach on the East coast of FL to get a Coconut to fruit, and in winter almost all the leafs will die back if it gets too cold. Some people grow them out real tall and never get a coconut.

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

The time I went to Hawaii this year I noticed that I did not see a single coconut tree that has a fruit in it in the park or hotels I passed by.

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

Well.....I think to some degree you can grow just about anything you want almost anywhere you want. I bought a sprouting coconut 3 or 4 years ago. It still resides in a fairly small pot as its growth is slowed because of where I grow it. It has reached about 7 or so feet tall and continues to grow. In addition I have another coconut(recently sprouted) also growing well as well as seven of the big box store coconuts, although I havent had these as long. The largest has grown only indoors under skylights. It is likely that eventually they will perish as a result of the climate here, but for now we enjoy them. Interestingly enough, the largest one(bought as a sprout from an online store in hawaii) seems fairly resistant to spider mites.If you want the address for the online store send me a pm. They always have them.

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

You could also go with Parajubaea cocoides, which is hardy to about -5 and can be kept indoors until it gets really tall. A nice bonus is edible nuts.

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

I have seen many coconut fruits in Hawaii, but at the hotels and public places they are invariably removed when they are small so as not to later fall on people's heads.

-Brett

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

All of these ideas are all good, and i feel as if anything is possible, or at least approachable. yes near death is a factor, but the shear pleasure of a huge Tropical coconut frond canopying you from the sun is Dreamy.. lol, but you get what i mean. ;)

-Wayne-
:bananarow:

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

I do. That's why I moved to the tropics. I used to be a Canadian....

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

Thanks Brett.

I imagine you can grow coconut trees anywhere as Cedardave said.
I am only talking from my experience. I tried to grow them indoors twice but I was not successful. Both tries were failures.
If someone's is successful, please let us know how did you do it.
Yes, it would be dreamy having a coconut tree in your yard or greenhouse.

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

Re: Wanted: Coconut
 

I've been successful with them indoors by making the soil slightly salty, and maintaining the arboretum at 28C. The rest of my indoor tropicals loved it.

This is when I lived in zone 3a, btw.