California Coconut.....

[AS in SA]

I know - many on the board tire of this subject. At the same time - Coconuts are what got many of us into the palm tree admiration society in the first place. I've posted pics of my socal coconut over the years.... and I'm going to again. I purchased this tree as a sprouted nut in 2007 and it's been outdoors (Santa Ana - Orange County - California) from day one. I spotted this coconut at Armstrongs nursery and it looked different from all the previous (failed) coconuts I'd ever purchased. Mainly - it was well over twice the size (with full connected fronds) and all green - no yellow - I'm guessing it's a "tall" variety, but have no evidence to back that up. I planted it in a whiskey barrel filled with sand and put black stone on the top. I've seriously considered putting it in the ground, but with 10+ bags of sand it weighs well over 500 pounds and I simply can't do it alone. I've seen recent posts regarding the Newport Beach coconut and I really hope it makes it - but looking the way it does at the end of what should be its growing season doesn't make me hopeful. Without drastic measures, I'm sure my coconut will eventually fail, but I've been able to enjoy having it in my garden for over 7 years - so not a waste in my book. Here's a pic... and maybe a little hope for you cali folks trying to grow coco's....

[Jim in Los Altos]

Allen, That's a fantastic looking coconut for California or otherwise. Congratulations! I would also suspect that it a Jamaican tall and I've heard that it is a bit more cold tolerant than some of the other varieties.

[grant b.]

good sized tree for that pot. I also see you have a decent sized papaya growing next to it. im guessing babaco? you must have a pretty sheltered yard.

[Hammer]

Awesome coconut. I have really enjoyed your periodic updates over the years.

By all means, let me know if you ever plan to plant it out. I will be more than happy to help. I'm sure we can recruit a few others to help too. Not often you can be part of gardening history!

[AS in SA]

I've lost spindles, bottles and others - all while this cocos has stood tall. I'm pretty much done with marginal palms at this point, but this one has a place in my heart. I'd really like to dig a big sand pit and give it a shot in the ground. It was important to me to grow it without heating cables, enclosures etc. Pretty sure it will start failing soon if left in the barrel.... might get it through one more winter, but doubt much beyond that. Would really appreciate any help in both the digging and planting of this palm - I'll post again when spring is close.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

You should set it free and plant it in the ground, I am sure it will grow even better. There's a very high density of PalmTalkers in Socal, I am sure you can find one or two people who can help you.

[trioderob]

wont you HAVE to put it in the ground at some point soon ?

I am no guru but i believe that the roots will spiral and choke off the plant at some point.

Edited August 28, 2014 by trioderob

[Hammer]

When planting I would seriously consider mound planting that puppy. I think digging a hole will most likely be the kiss of death.

[Funkthulhu]

How about a Nebraska Coconut?

On display in the welcome center of Omaha's Lauritzen Gardens...

[trioderob]

just don't get no better that that.

[IHB1979]

California and Nebraska coconut, love it. This photo is from the Barefoot Bar located in Okoboji, Iowa. That's about 45 miles east of the South Dakota border! I believe the bar is part of Parks Marina and in winter they move the palms into the large showroom. The image is from their Facebook page.

[Palmaceae]

Yep, that is the barefoot bar in Okoboji Iowa, I lived a few miles from there. They had several species of palms including coconuts out in the summer time and put them in the boat house in the winter, has lots of windows. Actually a couple other resorts on Lake Okoboji had nice size coconuts, one in particular got new ones every summer, they would let them freeze every fall. I have to dig up some pictures of them when I lived there. I just moved from Spirit Lake Iowa to Florida this past May.

[Palmaceae]

Don't want to hijack the thread but here are pictures I took on West Lake Okoboji Iowa when I lived there.

These are the coconuts that they would let die in the fall, they would just get new ones in the summer.

Okoboji is a few miles south of the Minnesota border. Right next to Spirit Lake Iowa where I lived for 5 years.

So maybe these are the most northern grown coconuts in the world??? Even if only on the summer!

Took a picture of the coconut next to the Iowa state flag to prove I was in Iowa ;-)

[KennyRE317]

if you need some help with that coco shoot me a message, you're close enough that it's a pretty quick drive from me to santa ana. I'd also put that sucker on a huge mount, maybe don't put it into the ground but dig your hole and fill it with sand then just plop the barrel on top and take the barrel apart and mount around it. or just built an open bottom planter for it to contain all the sand without having a sand mound and it'll also be easier to cover the planter in the winter so it doesn't get as much moisture in the cold

[AS in SA]

I had already considered mound planting.... but was thinking a nice pit of sand below could help it. Here's a wider shot.... coco on the right....

[AS in SA]

[redant]

Don't want to hijack the thread but here are pictures I took on West Lake Okoboji Iowa when I lived there.

These are the coconuts that they would let die in the fall, they would just get new ones in the summer.

Okoboji is a few miles south of the Minnesota border. Right next to Spirit Lake Iowa where I lived for 5 years.

So maybe these are the most northern grown coconuts in the world??? Even if only on the summer!

Took a picture of the coconut next to the Iowa state flag to prove I was in Iowa ;-)

Doing that to queens I can live with but that beautiful coconut, what a shame.

[Hammer]

I had already considered mound planting.... but was thinking a nice pit of sand below could help it. Here's a wider shot.... coco on the right....

I would be concerned that any pit would act as a bowl. Winter rain would collect, sit and rot the roots. A raised bed or mound planting of some kind is your best bet, imo.

[Tyrone]

If your normal soil is clay or anything more moisture retentive than beach sand, I would definitely mound that palm up.

My Coconut in Perth was planted against a north facing wall (southern hemisphere) of my house and does not get the cold southerly winds. Our natural soil is beach sand and I didn't amend it with anything. One summer I mulched it with seaweed but took the seaweed away before winter. It sits higher than the surrounding soil as I mounded it up. I then used about 300kg of round river pebbles around it. I made a clear plastic "Elizabethan collar" to cover the mound directly around the plant in winter (with the hole for the trunk to fit through) to take most of the winter rain and deflect it around the plant and away. In spring I take the collar away. I planted it in 2007 and the last time I saw it in June it had around 60cm (2ft) of clear trunk. I'll see if I can dig a photo up.

Your coconut looks like a green form so you should have better success as these are reportedly more cool tolerant than the Dwarf Malays etc

[Explorer]

Growing coconut palms as annuals in Iowa, pretty expensive annuals then I guess. Here in The Netherlands not coldhardy palms like Phoenix canariensis are grown in large containers and stay outside from spring till early November. But go inside when it gets to cold. And they only nreed to be kept frostfree. Coconut palms would be more expensive then to overwinter.

as they need to be kept warm.

Alexander

[AS in SA]

Never seen it grow so aggressively.....1" plus a day.... and the base is thickening as well... posting pictures could be easier..... I will get it posted shortly. Storage is cheap.... I'm an Oracle db consultant.... I can't understand why palmtalk still uses this method. Sorry, I'm done complaining... I do realize the low-cost and volunteer nature of PalmTalk. A few K's could give them the storage required to post/host images.... easy for me to say since I haven't even signed up for a pay account....

[Moose]

You should set it free and plant it in the ground, I am sure it will grow even better. There's a very high density of PalmTalkers in Socal, I am sure you can find one or two people who can help you.

I'm with Axel - it looks robust enough to get into the ground. Make a big mound, they do develop a pretty decent root system.

[jeevesjank]

Don't want to hijack the thread but here are pictures I took on West Lake Okoboji Iowa when I lived there.

These are the coconuts that they would let die in the fall, they would just get new ones in the summer.

Okoboji is a few miles south of the Minnesota border. Right next to Spirit Lake Iowa where I lived for 5 years.

So maybe these are the most northern grown coconuts in the world??? Even if only on the summer!

Took a picture of the coconut next to the Iowa state flag to prove I was in Iowa ;-)

That aint right

[jfrye01@live.com]

Heck, if they just let them die, maybe I can drive up there and grab one and just let it die in MY yard instead...

[hbernstein]

How about a Nebraska Coconut?

On display in the welcome center of Omaha's Lauritzen Gardens...

They need to replant that puppy in a deeper pot.

[Palmaceae]

Heck, if they just let them die, maybe I can drive up there and grab one and just let it die in MY yard instead...

You may be a bit late this year as they already had a frost this year so they may not be looking very good at this point!

[DoomsDave]

Never seen it grow so aggressively.....1" plus a day.... and the base is thickening as well... posting pictures could be easier..... I will get it posted shortly. Storage is cheap.... I'm an Oracle db consultant.... I can't understand why palmtalk still uses this method. Sorry, I'm done complaining... I do realize the low-cost and volunteer nature of PalmTalk. A few K's could give them the storage required to post/host images.... easy for me to say since I haven't even signed up for a pay account....

We're in a heat wave!

When it cools, that will be the test, particularly if this turns out to be an El Nino.

[_Keith]

Never seen it grow so aggressively.....1" plus a day.... and the base is thickening as well... posting pictures could be easier..... I will get it posted shortly. Storage is cheap.... I'm an Oracle db consultant.... I can't understand why palmtalk still uses this method. Sorry, I'm done complaining... I do realize the low-cost and volunteer nature of PalmTalk. A few K's could give them the storage required to post/host images.... easy for me to say since I haven't even signed up for a pay account....

A new website is under development, that I am sure will ease the uploading of images.

I, too, am in the IT biz. Of course, like you, I don't know all of the nuances of PT's backend, or the finances, but most of my clients are sticking data like this out on Amazon S3. I am sure the guys have looked at it, or are looking at the pluses and minuses of doing it.

[Patrick Palms]

What temp lows are your coconuts taking ? I always thought they die under 15 C ?

[Bill H2DB]

Simplistic question here , but have there been any selections toward hardiness made ?

A few degrees of tolerance would be nice .

[Alcibiades]

Coconuts do not die under 15 C (59F) . They stop growing though. I do not want to risk my nucifera trying to find the lowest temperature possible but mine took one day of 12C last year without a problem.

[Hammer]

Cocos will handle temps much much colder than 12 C. The issue for Cocos, especially in California, is long periods of cool temps coupled with wet weather. Time is the critical factor.

[ando.wsu]

Here is an example of a green house grown coconut in Arizona, north of Tucson at the Biosphere 2. I've seen it in person and it was a cool experience. I'm guessing it is the only coconut palm growing this large in the state of Arizona. Photo is not mine, and I will include the link as to where it came from. But one can google "Biosphere 2 ocean" to see more pics of this palm.

Link:

http://b2ocean.tumblr.com/post/367988875/the-b2ocean-700-000-gallons-of-water-reaching-a

Edited October 1, 2014 by ando.wsu