Cocos in So Cal

[chiett]

Thanks Palmazon, that's close and an easy get to.

I asked this question today at Armstong, (hopefully not off topic) what the difference is between pumice and gravel, in that I am planning on putting my Coconut into a bigger container.  I bought both, but I'm leaning towards not using the pumice and going with sand / gravel and 30% cactus mix.

[Don Little]

Coconut is officialy dead.  Although time of death has not yet been determined, I guess it was time to call it when it fell over, (the palm not the pot) leaving a nice brown dried out coconut shell.  I'm sure the cause of death was the freeze we had but it wasn't a quick death as it seemed to linger for a little while before the inevitable.  I guess it's back to HD with my receipt so I can try it again.  In the mean time here is a pic of what once was

[Jeff Searle]

Time to move on. It's nice that you saved your reciept. Let HD eat the cost, they kind of deserve it for selling plants that don't really belong there.

Jeff

[Mats]

(Don_L @ Jan. 01 2007,09:48)

QUOTE

(spockvr6 @ Dec. 31 2006,19:55)

QUOTE

With HD's one year warranty...it costs you nothing to try!

Larry, thats the nice thing about HD, its almost a win/win situation except of course for the time involved.  The last time I had a plant from HD die within a year, got the reciept and found that it had faded so much that you could'nt even read it anymore.  I wonder how many people actually take advnatage of their gaurantee?

Are you taking "advantage of the guarantee" or are you taking advantage of the grower?  

Home Depot uses 'Pay by Scan'for all of their bedding plants and the majority of their perennials.  I don't know if the coconut was sold that way but it's very possible.  

Pay by Scan is where the grower isn't paid until the plant is purchased and the grower is liable for that overly generous 1 year guarantee.  Is it really fair to put the entire burden on the grower?  Particularly for a plant that you know can't take those kind of temps?

Jeff, what kind of a guarantee do you give on your palms?

[spockvr6]

(Mats @ Apr. 04 2007,10:02)

QUOTE

Are you taking "advantage of the guarantee" or are you taking advantage of the grower?  

Home Depot uses 'Pay by Scan'for all of their bedding plants and the majority of their perennials.  I don't know if the coconut was sold that way but it's very possible.  

Pay by Scan is where the grower isn't paid until the plant is purchased and the grower is liable for that overly generous 1 year guarantee.  Is it really fair to put the entire burden on the grower?  Particularly for a plant that you know can't take those kind of temps?

Jeff, what kind of a guarantee do you give on your palms?

I have heard the same.

But, one can (hopefully) assume that the grower has built in an "insurance policy" into their sell price (i.e. they count on a certain percentage getting returned)?

[Don Little]

They won't give you the money back, they merely give you store credit, regardless if it is a plant or something else.  With as many as they sell for 21.00 each they are making a bundle on each one, along with the fact that the majority of those that are sold and do die are never returned.  When the grower enters into a contract to sell with HD or anyother place for that matter, they agree in full terms on the conditions and if they don't well then they won't be selling there product at HD.  The fact is that neither lose and as was mentioned by Larry, you can be assured that the grower factors these things in before they decide to do buisness.

[gavilan1]

AS, what ever happened to the Cocos that got cold exposure?  Did it make it?  I bought one about this size from a nursery that saw 27 deg. F a week before I bought it.  It looked good until about a week after I got it home, and then the burn damage slowly began to show.  When it got to my place, it went into a 10' x 10' greenhouse with night heating (never below 65 deg. F).  I marked the newest spear on Feb. 24 to watch for movement, but it hasn't budged more than one mm to date, while the two open fronds have dried out and died.  I'm keeping the palm out in full sun now, but only because it had a few inches of trunk and still has a green spear and I hate to give up on this Cocos until it actually falls over in a breeze.  I hope that yours made it OK.  Let us know how it's doing.

[Don Little]

(Jeff Searle @ Apr. 04 2007,08:42)

QUOTE

Time to move on. It's nice that you saved your reciept. Let HD eat the cost, they kind of deserve it for selling plants that don't really belong there.

Jeff

Jeff,

Your probably right, but it's still fun to try.  I wouldn't be surprised if I could get one to last thru at least one winter providing we don't get any more freak freezes, but no way is it a long term thing here.

[iwan]

I sometimes wonder if some of the plant tags at the big box stores border on fraud.  Today I was at HD and they had a huge section of Ravanea rivularis.  Out of curiosity I checked the tag, touting it as a hardy perenial 10-20F.  I have seen Papaya and Asplenium (sp) rated at -30F amongst others seriously mislabled as to their cultural requirements.

I saw at least 10 Majesties in the carts of many unsuspecting buyers.  I didn't have time to warn the buyers that they were wasting their money.

[MarkM]

where is the del mar coconut?

[kylecawazafla]

(iwan @ Apr. 07 2007,01:17)

QUOTE

I sometimes wonder if some of the plant tags at the big box stores border on fraud.  Today I was at HD and they had a huge section of Ravanea rivularis.  Out of curiosity I checked the tag, touting it as a hardy perenial 10-20F.  I have seen Papaya and Asplenium (sp) rated at -30F amongst others seriously mislabled as to their cultural requirements.

I saw at least 10 Majesties in the carts of many unsuspecting buyers.  I didn't have time to warn the buyers that they were wasting their money.

From oberservation, I have found that Majesty Palms are much hardier than expected. There are some established ones in Gainesville Florida, that have all survived around 20 F, and there are some established ones at the base of Baltimore Canyon (Base of Mount Tamalpais north of San Francisco) which must get some pretty cold air drainage. I find that most HD plants are labled either "Tropical Foliage or Areca Palm"... maybe they ran out of other labels? ::

[Jim in Los Altos]

I've seen the other extreme before also at HD and Lowes. Rhapis excelsa marked cold hardy to from 40F to 50F, Washingtonia robusta hardy to 32F, and Howea forsteriana good to 50F. I can't imagine where any of those bogus temperature ratings come from but it has to limit a certain amount of sales potential.