Hi Brian, Have you asked over at the palm Forum? Great people there too!! : ) I have large Palms trees in my yard and know a few of the regulars over there at that forum. One person that comes to mine over ther who knows alot about Coconuts is a guy named USMarine in CA. If you post there, im sure they will help you, Many have tried this as well... Hope this helps. I only have Sabals, Pindos and Windmills in my yard. I wish that i had Coconut trees, but not here in VA!!! Containers.. Christmas Palms and Bottle Palms.. Good Luck!! Laura

When I was a boy in high school back in the '80s, it was a lot easier to sprout a grocery store coconut. Back then they didn't refrigerate them which can kill the seed (which is behind one of the eyes), if they are exposed to cold for too long. Also, in the last 10 years, I have tried sprouting about 60 grocery store and farmers' market coconuts with only about 8 or 9 sproouting. In the '80s, I would have gotten 2- 3 times that number to sprout and survive, which tells me either the growers, the shippers, or the government is doing something to them that prevents them from sprouting. Out of those that I did get to sprout only about 3 survived. It is best if you can find a large one in the husk, then set it out in full sun for a few weeks to let it brown up, then plant it in a 5 gal. pot on its side with a good organic potting soil. Cover it about half to two thirds of the way up the side of the husk. Set it out in full sun in 90+ degree weather and water it once a day until it sprouts (which should take about 2-3 months, but may take as long as 4-5 months). You can try thsi too with the unhusked ones, but many of these as stated above quickly crack open and then are no good. I have a beautiful sprout growing out of an HEB grocery store coconut that I bought in Bryan, Texas back in the spring. It is in the husk and was green when I bought it. I let it brown up for about a month before I planted it. I planted it in April and it sprouted the end of June. It is now about 5 inches tall. Like I said, you have better luck if they are in the husk, and the bigger, the better (about 8-10 inches long and 6-7 inches wide). Don't fetilize them until they are about 9-10 months old. The sprouts feed off the nutrients in the milk for the first 6-8 months until they have a root system developed. Use a good palm fertilizer with the Nitrogen content higher than the phosphorous and potassium content, and make sure it has the micronutrients. You only need to fertilize them 3 times per year, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Take it inside whenever the nighttime temperatures are predicted to get below 40 or when the daytime highs are only going to be in the 50's for a prolonged period. Once they sprout, water them 2-3 times per week in the summer, 1-2 times per week in the winter. Enjoy! John

Yes, it does need to have the milk inside or it won't germinate. Coconut palms are my specialty. I have studied them f9or about 25 years. The sprout has to feed off the milk for about 6-8 months until it gets a good root system developed. Cracked coconuts is one of the reasons why many grocery store coconuts won't germinate. Without the husk, the coconut cracks too easily in the hot sun, though I have sprouted them without the husk, you just have to keep them very well watered. If you can find a grocery store that has coconuts in the husk, they will usually be green or golden colored. These can be sprouted (I have one now), but they have to be big enough for the seed to have fully developed. The seed is behind one of the three "eyes" of the cocnut. Anyway, put the green coconut outside in full sun on a deck or patio for about 3-4 weeks to let it turn completely tan or brown colored. Then just plant it in a 3 or 5 gal. pot half buried on its side with a good organic sandy based potting soil. Set it out in full sun in the warmer months and water it every day. It should sprout in about 2-4 months. Once it sprouts, water it only about 3 times per week, and as it gets bigger, only about twice per week. Take it inside in the winter, when low temperatures start to drop into the 40's and highs drop below about 65. In the winter, only water it about once per week, and set it out on sunny days when the highs are in the mid to upper 60's, but don't forget to bring it back inside when the nights are going to be in the 30's or 40's. You can apply the Miracle Gro with a higher Nitrogen content than the Phosphorus or Potassium or Peter's 20-20-20 as a foliar spray to it in the spring, summer, and early fall. Use about half strength and add a few drops of Regular Ivory Liquid Soap to the fertilizer water as wetting agent in a garden spray bottle. Good Luck!

many grocery store coconuts will not sprout now for some reason, or if they do, they soon die. I think that this is for a combination of reasons. First, I think something is being done to them either before they are shipped from overseas or once they arrive at U.S. ports. I have heard rumores that they are being radiated or gassed to prevent pest infestations here. Second, I think that they are being handled and thrown around much more roughly by the shipping crews than they used to be. (There really is almost NO quality work done by any nowadays!) This rough handling could cause hairline cracks in the nut that you can't see when you buy them. And third, for some STUPID reason, the produce importers and grocers are refrigerating them now, which they did not do in the past. As anyone with any sense knows, this destroys the freshness of tropical fruits (put a banana in the refrigerator and watch it turn black!) and for those of us who want to grown tropical fruits, prolonged exposure to cold temperatures near 40 degrees or below, can kill the seed. If you do decide to try to grow a grocery store coconut, try to find a large one with the husk first and foremost. The ones with the husk on them stand a much better chance of germinating than do the unhusked ones. Set it out in full sun in warm weather for a few weeks to make sure it browns up, then shake it to make sure it has plenty of milk and if it does, it is ready to plant. If no coconuts in the husk are available, whatever you do NEVER buy an unhusked one that has been cut all the way around to make it easier to crack open. This will almost guarantee you that it will crack in a day or two after it is planted. Soaking them in a bucket of clean water for 3-5 days seems to help them germinate, and may prevent them from cracking. ONCE YOU PLANT IT, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DIG IT UP OR PULL THE DIRT AWAY FROM THE EYES TO SEE IF IT IS SPROUTING. IF IT IS SPROUTING, THE MORE THE TENDER SPROUT IS EXPOSED TO THE AIR THE MORE IT WILL BROWN AND DIE. ONCE IT IS PLANTED LEAVE IT ALONE, WATER IT EVERYDAY AND HOPE FOR THE BEST! GOOD LUCK!