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Tropical Plants - Australia

cocos palm problems

21 years ago

i have 2 palms that were planted over 8 years ago as established stock. the biggest is about 8m high with a trunk diameter of approx. 500mm. the new fronds are yellow and very curly, and dont seem to be growing out like they were before. i live in warnbro a coastal suburb south of perth WA (rockingham). iwould appreciate any help & ideas on what to do.

thank you

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Comments (2)

moreton
21 years ago
Hi Remiwa, as cocus grow larger and taller they become more messy and stragely and then they put out seed heads etc. The older they are the uglier.If they are anywhere near building, fence. pool, pond etc, they will only cause you more greif in the future. I am sorry to say that they are classed a weed in our local area and are removed daily by tree loppers which is just great. They harbour cochroaches, when they flower bees come for 2 weeks, when they fruit the flying foxes come and defacate all over your house, washing line, courtyard, car etc. and then the possums come and have feed and jump all over your roof, and fill up your down pipes with the fruit. The plant is also full of acid inside which is in each frond,fruit, etc.The trunk just ozzes acid when cut with a chainsaw, so be careful when you get them removed. Yes palms are so cute when they are young and small, but qite a handful when they mature. Good luck. Peter r
User
21 years ago
Hello remiwa,

While cocos palms are not very popular on this website, they in Perth. Cocos palms require soil rich with or ganic matter and lots of nitrogenous fertilizer. The sypmtoms you describe is called "frizzy Top" and is caused by a lack of nutrients (very common in Perths sandy soil). If it is not to late, you can save your cocos by adding organic matter such as manure to the topsoil and applying a good organic fertilizer that contains nitrogen. In time the palm will form new, healthy leaves. While they are not my favourite palm, we dont have flying foxes down here so dont let that put you off this species as they can look very nice when grown well.

I have noticed that cocos palms always look burnt right next to the coast, I think this is because they naturally grow in he forest and are not exposed directly to strong salty winds. If you did want to take moreton's advice and get them removed, I would replace them with kentia palms. I dont think Kentias are used enough in Perth but they are much better suited to coastal planting than cocos (they grow right near the beach on Lord Howe Island) and do not have the same problems associated with their fruit and roots.

Adam
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I also have found coco coir to be excellent for seed germination. Coir is going to be superior peat for this for the same reason a paper towel is. It actually allows the seed to stay consistently moist. Peat dries out faster and doesn't have a reliable pH. You also don't have to worry about a bunch of sticks with coco. No nutes necessary for germination. The seed has its own food. Problem is, you have to transplant pretty soon or use liquid fertilizer if you use a medium without nutrients. I make soil blocks with a coco coir/vermicast/sifted compost mix so I don't have to worry about a quick transplant. Coco also won't mold or grow moss and algae on it like peat moss does. At least not until you put nutrients on it. It's just you adding the nutes instead of a pump. There is a very good reason peat isn't used for hydroponics but coco is. Coco is more stable, nearly all brands desalinate as they know the hydro industry is their number 1 customer - so normally no worries concerning salt, and it it's great for aeration because it doesn't break down as fast as peat moss. In fact, I sterilize, desalinate, and reuse the coco for my hydro plants. It lasts at least 3 growing cycles of tomatoes and many more for lettuce (shorter cycles is why). For anyone thinking, "But I don't do hydro," keep in mind that potted plants that require liquid fertilizer is hydro. It's just you adding the nutes instead of a pump. I hold no illusion that coco is more environmentally friendly. I did, because I fell for the media hype. But the reality is otherwise and I now definitely recognize this.
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