South Padre Island Coconut Palm
coconut_palm
11 years ago
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ericthehurdler
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Can Coconut Palms Grow on Madeira Island?
Comments (5)Just an interesting sight I saw on a gardening prog on the TV the other day...a germinated coconut seed was being picked up from the shores of one of the Scilly Isles, (28miles SW off Lands End, Cornwall, England). Realise it can travel miles and miles in the ocean, it doesn't necessarily mean it would grow where it lands. Have looked up Tresco Garden info as that's the islands huge botanical wonderland that grows all manner of exotic/tropical plants, but couldn't find anything relating to coconut palms actually growing there. Gill....See MoreCoconut Palm Planted - Success! (so far)
Comments (37)Royalpaulm, Thanks for the info on the winter weather in Clearwater/St. Pete. I think that couple of degrees difference is why when I was there last (about 7 years ago) I saw mature Malayans in St. Pete, but only saw a couple of mature Jamaican talls in Clearwater. Over here in Texas, the Mexican tall seems to be our best coconut for the Valley since it is hardy to 27F, but there are a lot of Malayans being planted in Brownsville, Port Isabel, and South Padre, when they are available that is. So far, I have only seen developing coconuts on a couple of Mexican talls over here, but as long as the winters stay mild in the Valley, the Malayans should have nuts in a year or two. It seems like the nurseries in the Valley have only recently started carrying Malayans, which may account for the lack of coconuts on trees already planted (many being too young). The nurseries over here do not have a regular supplier of coconut palms, so I am hoping to fill that void soon. John...See MoreCoconut palm in Houston. From Hawaii
Comments (38)If you shake the coconut you should be able to hear the liquid sloshing around inside. That means it's still good. If you don't hear (or feel) any liquid sloshing around then it can mean one of two things. Firstly, that it has already started to sprout and has used up that liquid. Second, that it is dead and that's the end of the story. If you check it out you'll see they have what you could call 3 sides. Not completely flattened, more rounded but still 3 sides. Lay them on the larger side (2 will be the same, smaller) on soil, no need to bury. They don't have a tap root, but a whole series of roots more like cables. These break through the husk and enter the soil. The shoot will come out the top and put out a few small leaves. They like good strong sunlight, and of course warm temperatures. They don't need seawater, but some people give them a bit now and then. Seawater contains a lot of minerals they would naturally get from being coastal plants. Not essential though. You've probably seen photos of them growing on beaches where they sometimes get waves breaking onto them and get salt spray a lot of the time. Good luck with it....See MoreCoconut Palm
Comments (8)Actually, the cut off point for reliability is costal St. Pete, and not ft. myers. If you go to anna maria island, you'll see how this is true. There are many Jamaican tall coconuts there, some 50 feet tall and more. It doesn't look too bad for the cold it's been through actually. You're doing a pretty good job. I'll give you some advice though if you decide to plant another one say, on the other side of the sidewalk, for what to do next time. Your coconut palm is a golden Malayan dwarf, actually one of the least hardy coconuts. If you decide to get another one, search ebay for Jamaican tall coconut, sold by sue70. The Jamaican tall grows better in sandy soils like yours, it grows faster, and it is more cold hardy. The only problem is it is very LY susceptible, but LY isn't more north than Ft. Myers so you'll be fine. Plant it and put black stones, black sand, or black lava rocks around it. These will absorb heat from the sun and disperse it when it's cold. This will add more cold protection than you are already giving it. Do these things with your next one and it'll have an even better chance of survival than the one you have had for 3 years. It'll grow faster too....See Morejimhardy
11 years agous_marine
11 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
11 years agotropicbreezent
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11 years agoericthehurdler
11 years agofl west coast zone 10a
11 years agococonut_palm
11 years agofl west coast zone 10a
11 years agozone13
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