Did you break any of the roots when you grabbed it. Is the mix it is growing in compacted or drenched? If so take it out and repot it in all sand.Even on some of the newest sprouts they already a have roots in the dirt. If these broke in transport it will take all summer to re establish it self. Post some pics if you have some.

I probably did break some roots, as it was potted in mostly sawdust for some reason, so I washed all of that off and planted it. I placed the soil carefully around the roots filling it in though. The soil might be drenched, as the pot holds water too well. There's a hole in the bottom of the water collecting thing at the bottom that I plugged up, so would it be a good idea to remove it? I usually water it every day.

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Yes open up the hole and let the soil stay moist but not flooded.Your palm looks like it went through a fl winter and is waiting for summer. Which by the way feels to be here now.Don't fertilize palms when they are or might of been damaged or stressed. Always wait until you see growth and then just fertilize it lightly the first time.Your coconut does not look all the bad really so it should be ok.

I agree with David, your palm looks good for a transplant. It maybe a little sunburnt but it looks great. You need to unplug the hole! With summer coming it should be just fine. Good Luck!

Where are you located. You won't see much growth if any if you are in a spot where's it's been 60 during the day and 40s at night. I just got three sprouting coconuts last Friday and I am going to have to move them inside for a few days. Rainy and low 60s Saturday. They like 80s in day and 60s-70s at night. Once they are given that they will explode.

Right now I am in Columbia, SC. It's been pretty hot here, in the 90's steadily all last week. We're moving back to Parrish, Fl this summer though.

I have no idea why it would not be growing then. Are you giving it plenty of water? If it's in the 90s it would be sucking up almost all of the water you can give it.

Yeah, I water it usually every day. I think that might have contributed to the problem, because I took out the piece of plastic that was plugging up a hole in the container and a lot of water came out. I also squeezed the pot on all sides to make sure the soil wasn't compacted. I'm hoping this will help it to grow. Should i use fertilizer on it or not?

Hi
Though coconuts do grow in standing water even saltwater they don't seem to appreciate it in a pot
The "nut "will provide all the nutrients necessary so wait until it separates from the nut.
Keep it warm and lots of sun and air movement. and lots of water but do allow it to drain. i agree with David for just emerging from such a cold winetr looks pretty good.
During summer you should see very rapid growth. gary

What happens when it separated from the nut? Is the separation gradual, or what?

In about a year it will separate or just rot off. In a pot is different than the ground like garyfla said.When something is grown in a pot the roots are all contained and cant grow into the ground water for a steady supply of water. There are other differences from pot and ground growing but I will leave that for another time.

For all you did-remove the soil it sprouted in,planted in a non draining pot..I agree it looks darn good. Real full sun, and warm, helps.
The husk on mine when I potted it up was so soft and spongy it felt like compost. So,no need to remove.

Yeah, it doesn't look quite as healthy at the moment (it's been about a month since that was taken), but it's not too much worse. And the 90 days and misting it daily should help to nudge it in the right direction.

Hey zeeth,

Be sure you keep that plug out of your pot. Coconut palms like a lot of water, but only in the warm months and with a well drained soil. I would suggest that you plant any others in a regular nursery pot (5gal.) with 4 or 5 holes on the sides at the bottom of the pot. Plant them in a good organic potting soil with a little Perlite mixed in. This will allow for good drainage. Judging by the size of your palm, you could go ahead and fertilize it with a good palm fertilizer (preferably a 12-4-8 ratio) with micronutrients. Apply according to the directions. It should only take a litte at the size it is now. It looks like you palm is about 10 months old, and they only feed off of the coconut for about the first 6-8 months after sprouting, so now would be a good time to fertilize it, then water in the fertilizer. This time of the year, water your palm about once every 2-3 days, and in the winter, only about once ever 7-10 days. Good luck.

OK, so I've done everything suggested, but nothing so far. I marked an area with a pen, and no growth for at least 24 hours, probably more. The leaves actually look like they've shrunk. How can I tell if it's dead? Here's a picture:

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If the center frond does not pull out of the palm with ease it should be ok. You cut the roots and they are probably healing so that's probably why its not showing any growth.I would buy some root starter and schultz root starter is not to bad.I think it will grow in time myself its just going to be slow at first.

Thanks for the tip. I picked up root stimulator/starter today at Lowes and watered with it. The frond doesn't pull out, so that means it isn't dead yet. Hopefully this stuff kicks it out of it's rut. Should I water with it every time I water?

Just follow directions on the bottle and sorry I don't remember what they are right now. I use it mainly when I transplant or when I get a bare root seedling and I just use it one time.

Hey Zeeth,

Just be patient with your palm. It may take up to a month or two before you start seeing some new growth. It is in transplant shock right now, which is why the leaves look like they have shrunk up a bit. Just keep taking care of it as described above, keeping it in full sun and watered every 2-3 days in the warm months and it should be fine.

John

Thanks guys. By now it is exhibiting all the signs of transplant shock. Still hasn't grown any, and the fronds are getting stiffer and yellowish from the top down, but they don't come out easily. Hopefully it starts coming out of it by the middle of June, as we will be moving back to Florida, and the ride is quite long. Even if it dies though, now I know what to do when I get more (once we move I plan on getting a few 5 feet ones and one with 1-2 feet of trunk) so they don't go into shock like this one.