Nuts about Coconuts

13 years ago

Before falling for mangos, I was in love with every thing coconut. I've seen them growing in Fort Myers and Miami and the Keys a long time ago. I'm assuming they are still growing there - but do they fruit there and how far north has anyone gotten them to not only survive but also fruit?

I've never seen them in California, though someone on another thread here said there was one in newport beach and some in L.A.- but they must be greenhoused or potted and brought indoors somehow for the winter though just guessing and I'm interested to know how they do in the ground anyway... have also wondered about how they might do at the gulf-coast southern tip of Texas....

Anyway - just a crisp 40 degree January morning question doodling here at the desert computer....

mangodog

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Comments (11)

mango_kush
13 years ago
I had a Jamaican tall die from lethal yellowing, some of them get fungal diseases.

Im looking to replace it, theres a nurseryman down in Homestead who specializes in palms, David Romney.

Im purchasing either a Red Spicata or a Fiji Dwarf.

Red Spicata is rare, the coconuts form on the fronds

Fiji dwarf is short and has a beautiful taper
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mangodog
Original Author
13 years ago
LOVE the Fiji Dwarf shape and the cocunuts forming on the fronds of the Ricata is so unusual! Bryan - did your Jamaican ever fruit?

Would Coconuts fruit in Zone 10B in general? I can't figure out Palm Springs,CA, but I think we're 10A and just too cold in winters - I've had one die that I planted in the ground many years ago....

mangolapdog
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You should hear it sloshing around -- if it's not, it's probably old and stale. PS -- if you want to try growing one, you've got to buy a whole one in the husk -- if the nut is shelled out, they've destroyed the growing point in the process basically. Best of all is if you can find one with a sprout starting to come out already, or at least a root starting.
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http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=350893 Someone gave instructions on this message thread on how to grow a coconut from the nut. I think you will have to move though. The tree needs to be planted outside. http://cookycoconuts.com/Plantgrowacoconut.html More coconut growing instructions. http://www.citrusnorth.com/f28/coconut-palm-seed-162/ Some emphasis about warmth required, winter in the house is probably too cool, and the massive growth. If you are still going to do it with all that, be sure to choose a viable coconut. http://hafa-adai.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-plant-coconut-tree.html "With the seeds, the first thing you have to do is to make sure that they are viable. You do this by shaking the coconut seed. If you hear water, the seed is viable. If you don't hear water, the seed is dead."
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Im not far from you. I'm in Huntington Beach and assume you are in Pendelton, right? I had one that I kept in alive in a large pot for about 4 years. It got about 6 feet tall with mature leaves. I brought it inside and kept in front of my brightest window everytime the overnight low was going to be less than 60F, and every day it was above 60F I took it back outside to get it bright light. It worked well because it seldomly gets that low of a temp, but it was a LOT of daily work from Jan-March, and I finally got a little lazy, hence, it died. ONE NIGHT, I was drinking and didnt feel like taking it in. The low got to about 55F and within days all the leaves started browning and over the next few weeks all died. It's not impossible, I know of one locally that is in a heated greenhouse and is about 15 feet tall, but other than that I think it is a crazy amount of work. If you are going to try it, make sure to get the Malaysian Coconut (Cocos nucifera). It is the most cold hardy of all the coconuts. Check you local Home Depot in their interrior plant section. They usually sell them there as a novelty plant. Look at the price label and if you see that label is from "The Plant Stand" (which is usually our local Home Depots' supplier) it is most likely a Malaysian Coconut, thats usually the kind of seed they use. The rine of the leaves should be a deep yellow almost with a tint of orange. Good luck Jerod@ SurfCityPalms.com
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To get to one of the lines, you have to cut & paste them. I have Mozilla browser, and sometimes it highlights the links, and other times it does not. If you need simple directions on how to cut/paste, email me. Darlene
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mango_kush
13 years ago
they fruit all year down here. they dont seem to be phased too much by the cold bursts. I think it may have to do with the humidity as well
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murahilin
13 years ago
I've seen many coconut trees die in Zone 10A (around Palm Beach County) from the cold last winter(and the bacterial/fungal infections that followed). I have a Fiji Dwarf in Zone 10A that got damaged by last years weather but did not die. Someone I know with a Fiji Dwarf about 10 miles from mines was damaged by the cold last winter then died from a subsequent bacterial infection. I currently have 8 dwarfs (Malayan and Malayan hybrids) growing in zone 10B. Most seemed to have been damaged from last years cold but none were killed. Fruiting was somewhat affected.

MK,
If you haven't called Romney yet about the Fiji Dwarf you should because there is a waiting list for them. I think they were $40 a tree.
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marinfla
13 years ago
I have a 5 of them currently growing around the yard that were started from seed in 2000. They all are producing lots of coconuts all the time. The only one I have lost was due to a lightening strike. The cold does not seem to affect them and I haven't seen any fungus or other problems and they are just starting a new batch of nuts.

As you can see in this pic they are all really tall. I am no coconut aficionado so if there are name cultivars of this type I have no idea what they would be!

{{gwi:111364}}
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jfernandez
13 years ago
mangodog-
they turn yellow and die. I'm experimenting with one that I bought in Home depot but I've had them grow to 4' and die once I left them outside for the winter. The USDA ratings are whacked they have us in Socal as 10B-11A and we can't even grow coconuts, how does that work??? We could grow all sorts of tropicals but not coconuts. Well, the consensus was, including CRFG in their official publications, that pouteria sapota could not fruit in Socal until I discover a fruiting Mamey last year in Santa Ana. Maybe someone out there in the southland has a fruiting coconut you never know.
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reb1136
13 years ago
When they say "Dwarf coconut" how tall does it grow?
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mangodog
Original Author
13 years ago
thanks murahilin and marinfla - so it seems like you guys are on the edge of the "zone" for those palms - I just love them and they are so graceful. I think I like the Fiji dwarf the best - not only because of its size, but such a beautiful bend and flow to its shape

Jf - that's where I got my sprouted Coconut - at Home Depot, but now these floridians got me thinking about growing one again, especially with marin's comment - "The cold does not seem to affect them". I think if one found the PERFECT spot in a southern corner next to the house and maybe a fence and gave some winter protection this short type of coco-palm could survive. I've never heard that socal is in the 11a zone, but parts are supposed to be 10B yes - just like those who have grown them based on their comments above ....

And as you say, the other tropicals seem to do ok in our area....hmmmm....well....I need to let this stew for awhile....

thanks everyone.....mangodog
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stuartdave
13 years ago
There are plenty of fruiting coconuts including some old Jamaican talls in Stuart.. They are showing some damage from this years cold but are not severally so. Literature shows Stuart as the line for their northward growth but you will see them growing and fruiting on the coast up to Cape Canaveral.
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mangodog
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks stuartdave....what about the west coast - would a place like Clearwater or Sarasota have them? I never saw them there when i lived in that area in the late 70's for a single year....

I remember seeing them for the first time like in Fort Myers on that west coast....

MD
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stuartdave
13 years ago
I've seen them in St Pete and Sarasota, more frequently in Punta Gorda. Mostly on the coast to a couple miles inland similar to east coast.
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