How to germinate a standard supermarket coconut

16 years ago

After i month, one of my coconuts have germinated! :) Here are some pics:

(1) Find a coconut spherical in shape, with a soft germination pore and filled with 'milk', and soak it overnight in constantly lukewarm water (in a propagator or airing cupboard).

(2)Plant in a sandy soil mixture, preferably sterile and leave in a constantly warm place and keep the soil slightly moist.

(3)After a couple of weeks, check the coconut occasionally for any signs of germination. It should look like this:

Good luck!

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Comments (12)

alex_7b
16 years ago
I thought they needed the outer shell to germinate.
topher2006
16 years ago
congrats rhizo
theyr'e fun to try to grow good luck !
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I bought a coconut from a supermarket in Montreal Canada 3 weeks ago and didn't know whether I should eat it or try growing it. After almost a week I removed it from its plastic wrapping and gave it a shake listening to all its milk swishing around inside. I thought to myself.."how can I get this thing to grow without a husk???" First thing I did was soak it in very hot water everyday for 2 weeks. I would then remove it from sitting in water for up to 3 hours a day and place it inside a sealed plastic bag (to trick it into thinking the plastic bag was its husk) with lots of air inside. I then sat it with its 3 eyes pointed up inside the bag and mounted onto a coffee cup into a corner of the room. Everyday I would continue the hot water procedure and then put it back into its bag sitting on the coffee cup. After about a week of doing this 1 of the 3 flat eyes suddenly swelled up and popped out like a nipple. After a couple days of putting it into the hot water bath..suddenly (today) the nipple wood gave way and behind it was a white sprout like a potato's eye sprout. This is where the story ends because I'm going to plant it and watch what happens..but so far my "grocery store" coconut is showing promise. The idea is to trick it into believing that it has its husk by placing it into a sealed tight plastic bag and letting the humidity increase around it and kick it into action. I will keep you all posted! :-)
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I bought a coconut (without its husk) from a supermarket in Montreal Canada 3 weeks ago and didn't know whether I should eat it or try growing it. After almost a week I removed it from its plastic wrapping and gave it a shake listening to all its milk swishing around inside. I thought to myself.."how can I get this thing to grow without a husk???" First thing I did was soak it in very hot water everyday for 2 weeks. I would then remove it from sitting in water for up to 3 hours a day and place it inside a sealed plastic bag (to trick it into thinking the plastic bag was its husk) with lots of air inside. I then sat it with its 3 eyes pointed up inside the bag and mounted onto a coffee cup into a corner of the room. Everyday I would continue the hot water procedure and then put it back into its bag sitting on the coffee cup. After about a week of doing this 1 of the 3 flat eyes suddenly swelled up and popped out like a nipple. After a couple days of putting it into the hot water bath..suddenly (today) the nipple wood gave way and behind it was a white sprout like a potato's eye sprout. This is where the story ends because I'm going to plant it and watch what happens..but so far my "grocery store" coconut is showing promise. The idea is to trick it into believing that it has its husk by placing it into a sealed tight plastic bag and letting the humidity increase around it and kick it into action. I will keep you all posted! :-)
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I bought a coconut from a supermarket in Montreal Canada 3 weeks ago and didn't know whether I should eat it or try growing it. After almost a week I removed it from its plastic wrapping and gave it a shake listening to all its milk swishing around inside. I thought to myself.."how can I get this thing to grow without a husk???" First thing I did was soak it in very hot water everyday for 2 weeks. I would then remove it from sitting in water for up to 3 hours a day and place it inside a sealed plastic bag (to trick it into thinking the plastic bag was its husk) with lots of air inside. I then sat it with its 3 eyes pointed up inside the bag and mounted onto a coffee cup into a corner of the room. Everyday I would continue the hot water procedure and then put it back into its bag sitting on the coffee cup. After about a week of doing this 1 of the 3 flat eyes suddenly swelled up and popped out like a nipple. After a couple days of putting it into the hot water bath..suddenly (today) the nipple wood gave way and behind it was a white sprout like a potato's eye sprout. This is where the story ends because I'm going to plant it and watch what happens..but so far my "grocery store" coconut is showing promise. The idea is to trick it into believing that it has its husk by placing it into a sealed tight plastic bag and letting the humidity increase around it and kick it into action. I will keep you all posted! :-)
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I bought a coconut from a supermarket in Montreal Canada 3 weeks ago and didn't know whether I should eat it or try growing it. After almost a week I removed it from its plastic wrapping and gave it a shake listening to all its milk swishing around inside. I thought to myself.."how can I get this thing to grow without a husk???" First thing I did was soak it in very hot water everyday for 2 weeks. I would then remove it from sitting in water for up to 3 hours a day and place it inside a sealed plastic bag (to trick it into thinking the plastic bag was its husk) with lots of air inside. I then sat it with its 3 eyes pointed up inside the bag and mounted onto a coffee cup into a corner of the room. Everyday I would continue the hot water procedure and then put it back into its bag sitting on the coffee cup. After about a week of doing this 1 of the 3 flat eyes suddenly swelled up and popped out like a nipple. After a couple days of putting it into the hot water bath..suddenly (today) the nipple wood gave way and behind it was a white sprout like a potato's eye sprout. This is where the story ends because I'm going to plant it and watch what happens..but so far my "grocery store" coconut is showing promise. The idea is to trick it into believing that it has its husk by placing it into a sealed tight plastic bag and letting the humidity increase around it and kick it into action. I will keep you all posted! :-)
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scaldude
16 years ago
As I'm bowing....."we're not worthy, we're not worthy..."

Very cool; as a critique of "Prevailing Wisdom", I'm impressed when someone accomplishes what's said, "can't be done"! I'll have to give that a try.

Bravo, and good luck...you've just joined Andy on my list of idols...LOL
rhizophora
Original Author
16 years ago
Hello,
That coconut had a tiny chip when I bought it. Yesterday, when I checked on it, the chip had turned into a massive crack and the 'button' was brown and soft! Too much heat maybe? Does this happen in coconuts with husk?
Back to the drawing board...
Thanks
scaldude
16 years ago
....or rot from TOO much moisture....the fronds grow before the roots are established.

Hey, I'm still impressed that you got it to sprout.
topher2006
16 years ago
No...NO....No ! Sh........

YOU'VE MADE THE LIST FAKE IT FROM HERE ! LOL :)
scaldude
16 years ago

Ya'know topher, you WERE in consideration....
topher2006
16 years ago
were hmmm... It's official i suck at growing palms
Make a mental note lol
coconut_palm
16 years ago
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!
Haseeb Ahmed
8 years ago
How many days it take to sprout
GreenTwilight
8 years ago
It depends really on the coconut. Some may take months.
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
8 years ago
Some just stick them in a bag with Spagmoss. Keep warm.

How to germinate a standard supermarket coconut

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alex_7b

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How to germinate a standard supermarket coconut

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