These guys love to be fertilized with salt (NaCl). Yes, salt!

[GottmitAlex]

Also attached the paper in the subject by Philippine coco growers.

salt.pdf

[sandgroper]

I'm actually off to the beach shortly to grab 5 litres of seawater for the Coconuts, they seem to respond really well to it, probably a combination of everything I do for them but I'm sure it makes a difference. 

[GottmitAlex]

[Moose]

[GottmitAlex]

20 minutes ago, Moose said:

It's a tall and already has a very large root. 

[Rickybobby]

I fertilize my coconut once a month with a good dose of pure salt. I’ll notice growth slows and then boom it picks right.back up again

[Rickybobby]

What’s even easier and cheaper is pure rock salt for a water softener I have some sprinkled around my coconut and it slowly mixes with watering every time 

[DoomsDave]

I recall years ago talking to an Indian guy who grew coconuts in New Delhi and he gave them rock salt.

[Mike Evans]

Coconuts will tolerate some salts, but I would NEVER add any to any palm.

[GottmitAlex]

2 hours ago, Rickybobby said:

What’s even easier and cheaper is pure rock salt for a water softener I have some sprinkled around my coconut and it slowly mixes with watering every time 

I like it and am going to look into it. 

 

[Rickybobby]

13 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

I like it and am going to look into it. 

 

Today was time to refil the softener so I just save some chunks or can take it from the softener itself. It is pure salt no additives. It’s not pellets it’s like slow release fertilizer kinda. 

[Gonzer]

Physics 101 just went flying out the window.

 

[Phoenikakias]

25 minutes ago, Gonzer said:

Physics 101 just went flying out the window.

 

 

57 minutes ago, Mike Evans said:

Coconuts will tolerate some salts, but I would NEVER add any to any palm.

Actually Theophrastus had reported of this practice about 2000 years ago with regard to date palms.

[sandgroper]

On the beaches in northern Australia here they often have seawater washing around them with the high tides and those coconuts look fine. 

[Manalto]

A thought - could the salinity around the roots of coconut palms be benefiting them indirectly by creating an environment where pathogens are unable to survive? (fungus for example)  I realize this is a potato/potahto question - if it helps, it helps - but it would be nice to know the reason NaCl seems to help.

Edited September 9, 2018 by Manalto

[Rickybobby]

14 minutes ago, Manalto said:

A thought - could the salinity around the roots of coconut palms be benefiting them indirectly by creating an environment where pathogens are unable to survive? (fungus for example)  I realize this is a potato/potahto question - if it helps, it helps - but it would be nice to know the reason NaCl seems to help.

It’s in their natural make up being close to the ocean and the seeds floating in salt water. They need salt spray when not directly close to survive as well

[realarch]

Really? It's more like being able to tolerate salt than most other plants and palms. I live 2.5 miles uphill from the ocean and coconuts thrive here and well beyond where salt spray would have any impact. They are...or were, robust, tall, and fruiting like crazy. I never used salt as an additive, and with 160" of rainfall, there is no salt build up in the soil whatsoever.

Save your money and make ice cream or something.

Tim   

 

 

[GottmitAlex]

21 minutes ago, realarch said:

Really? It's more like being able to tolerate salt than most other plants and palms. I live 2.5 miles uphill from the ocean and coconuts thrive here and well beyond where salt spray would have any impact. They are...or were, robust, tall, and fruiting like crazy. I never used salt as an additive, and with 160" of rainfall, there is no salt build up in the soil whatsoever.

Save your money and make ice cream or something.

Tim   

 

 

salt.pdf

 

 

[Rickybobby]

37 minutes ago, realarch said:

Really? It's more like being able to tolerate salt than most other plants and palms. I live 2.5 miles uphill from the ocean and coconuts thrive here and well beyond where salt spray would have any impact. They are...or were, robust, tall, and fruiting like crazy. I never used salt as an additive, and with 160" of rainfall, there is no salt build up in the soil whatsoever.

Save your money and make ice cream or something.

Tim   

 

 

Let me rephrase not needed to survive but helps to kee healthy

[realarch]

OK you guys, go for it. Whatever works for ya! 

Tim

[sandgroper]

[GottmitAlex]

12 minutes ago, sandgroper said:

It has nutrient deficiency!!   

 

 

[GottmitAlex]

2 hours ago, Rickybobby said:

Let me rephrase not needed to survive but helps to kee healthy

I get what you're saying Tim.

Alex

 

[knell]

maybe if you were growing a giant field of coconuts for the copra and couldn't afford KCl...

but if you have just about anything else in your garden there is a risk leaching of it everywhere and literally "salting the earth" of your own garden.

unnecessary risk based on a single 2-page paper focused on a monocropped field yield. 

here is a paper that outlines the negative effects of overdoing salt on the coconut plant

"It is probable that chloride salinity inhibited nitrate absorption" / "K, Ca and, to a lesser extent, P content of the leaf decreased with salinity"

here is a paper that outlines how it is the chloride factor that is influencing the osmotic micro-nutrient absorption.

so yeah, unless i was exclusively growing coconuts commercial setting (away from the shoreline), i'll stick with KCl... it's not like muriate of potash is exorbitantly expensive ($1.75/lb or $3.88/kg), even if it's not as cheap as salt

 

Edited September 10, 2018 by knell

[GottmitAlex]

32 minutes ago, knell said:

maybe if you were growing a giant field of coconuts for the copra and couldn't afford KCl...

but if you have just about anything else in your garden there is a risk leaching of it everywhere and literally "salting the earth" of your own garden.

unnecessary risk based on a single 2-page paper focused on a monocropped field yield. 

here is a paper that outlines the negative effects of overdoing salt on the coconut plant

"It is probable that chloride salinity inhibited nitrate absorption" / "K, Ca and, to a lesser extent, P content of the leaf decreased with salinity"

here is a paper that outlines how it is the chloride factor that is influencing the osmotic micro-nutrient absorption.

so yeah, unless i was exclusively growing coconuts commercial setting (away from the shoreline), i'll stick with KCl... it's not like muriate of potash is exorbitantly expensive ($1.75/lb or $3.88/kg), even if it's not as cheap as salt

 

Exactly. I was thinkin' the same last night : "if I had a coconut grove, it would be reasonable to do this or that.." however, at 32.4+ latitude,  I do not have a grove just my 5 in-ground cocos and the one in a pot (just recently  germinated in March-April ). 

I'll be content with any of the survivors. 

At this point, I can't ask for much. Only research. Salt, salt, salt!

[sandgroper]

2 hours ago, GottmitAlex said:

It has nutrient deficiency!!   

 

 

Not enough salt?

[knell]

 

[Tracy]

30 minutes ago, knell said:

so yeah, unless i was exclusively growing coconuts commercial setting (away from the shoreline), i'll stick with KCl... it's not like muriate of potash is exorbitantly expensive ($1.75/lb or $3.88/kg), even if it's not as cheap as salt

Probably not a bad idea to just buy the potassium chloride (KCl) which is available both as a fertilizer and here in the States as an alternate water softening regenerant. 

 

5 hours ago, realarch said:

It's more like being able to tolerate salt than most other plants and palms.

 

4 hours ago, GottmitAlex said:

salt.pdf

 

NaCl is the cheapest way to get the chloride, but the sodium is definitely something they merely tolerate.  I won't argue if you want to use sodium chloride though, just don't throw your money away on French gourmet grey sea salt.  Buy a water softening salt (South Bay Salt Works Medium Crystals if you are here in Southern California), and throw your own dirt in to make it grey, don't spend money on French dirt contaminated salt.  Sorry for the pitch for my business, but better my salt than my competitors if you insist.  Also as someone pointed out, unless you are planning on growing halophytes next to your coconut, don't be surprised if the surrounding dirt never sprouts any plants. 

[GottmitAlex]

1 hour ago, Tracy said:

Probably not a bad idea to just buy the potassium chloride (KCl) which is available both as a fertilizer and here in the States as an alternate water softening regenerant. 

 

 

NaCl is the cheapest way to get the chloride, but the sodium is definitely something they merely tolerate.  I won't argue if you want to use sodium chloride though, just don't throw your money away on French gourmet grey sea salt.  Buy a water softening salt (South Bay Salt Works Medium Crystals if you are here in Southern California), and throw your own dirt in to make it grey, don't spend money on French dirt contaminated salt.  Sorry for the pitch for my business, but better my salt than my competitors if you insist.  Also as someone pointed out, unless you are planning on growing halophytes next to your coconut, don't be surprised if the surrounding dirt never sprouts any plants. 

With salt, I do not expect anything to grow close to the coconuts. Heck, just the medium alone un which they are planted is, by itself inert :  pure coarse sand.  Like I said,  I do not have a grove, so a 10 lbs bag of coarse salt will not set me back much. However, now that you mention it, please PM me your product. I am interested. 

Thank you

[LJG]

Sorry, I'm with Tim here  Cocunuts are facultative. 

[GottmitAlex]

Just contemplating at midnight. I happened to focus on one of the green pacific talls:

It's spear is opening up.

As I said, these guys are in pure, coarse, sand. I took out the "native" soil 3ftx3ftx3ft or 1mx1mx1m. And gave them a good start on life. This particular crucial factor I credit Cristobal (who has been dormant since a year and half ago). Anywho, in our latitude, if you wanna grow cocos nucifera, sand and salt are non-negotiable.

[GottmitAlex]

32 minutes ago, LJG said:

Sorry, I'm with Tim here  Cocunuts are facultative. 

In our latitude, they are not optional nor circumstantial. One has to delve in the whole 9 yards with the coconuts. Its not a "try cocos now, and if it dont work, try plums tomorra" As Mr. Hawk said in the "over the top" movie:" The world meets nobody half way." You gotta go all the way. (Reasonably. I'm not saying if I live in Oregon I can grow cocos with the right drive.....common sense.)

Well, here's the clip. 

 

Edited September 10, 2018 by GottmitAlex

[GottmitAlex]

9 hours ago, Manalto said:

A thought - could the salinity around the roots of coconut palms be benefiting them indirectly by creating an environment where pathogens are unable to survive? (fungus for example)  I realize this is a potato/potahto question - if it helps, it helps - but it would be nice to know the reason NaCl seems to help.

No slugs are found near coconuts...

 

[GottmitAlex]

3 hours ago, knell said:

maybe if you were growing a giant field of coconuts for the copra and couldn't afford KCl...

but if you have just about anything else in your garden there is a risk leaching of it everywhere and literally "salting the earth" of your own garden.

unnecessary risk based on a single 2-page paper focused on a monocropped field yield. 

here is a paper that outlines the negative effects of overdoing salt on the coconut plant

"It is probable that chloride salinity inhibited nitrate absorption" / "K, Ca and, to a lesser extent, P content of the leaf decreased with salinity"

here is a paper that outlines how it is the chloride factor that is influencing the osmotic micro-nutrient absorption.

so yeah, unless i was exclusively growing coconuts commercial setting (away from the shoreline), i'll stick with KCl... it's not like muriate of potash is exorbitantly expensive ($1.75/lb or $3.88/kg), even if it's not as cheap as salt

 

https://businessdiary.com.ph/3512/use-of-salt-as-fertilizer-for-coconut/

https://businessmirror.com.ph/pca-urges-farmers-to-use-salt-as-coconut-fertilizer/

http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=PH8911757

[knell]

@GottmitAlex all of those are still referencing the two page study done by the Philippine Coconut Authority thirty years ago... do you have any other sources or corroborating evidence for use of salt, especially outside of an inland plantation situation?

ill be in the KCl crew for life, NaCl salt on palms is hardly ever necessary and a bad idea for just about every other plant that doesn't grow near the shoreline, but do as you wish and keep us updated

[GottmitAlex]

10 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

 

Actually Theophrastus had reported of this practice about 2000 years ago with regard to date palms.

I wonder if anyone today-in-age has tried to fertilize their date palm with salt....

[GottmitAlex]

26 minutes ago, knell said:

@GottmitAlex all of those are still referencing the two page study done by the Philippine Coconut Authority thirty years ago... do you have any other sources or corroborating evidence for use of salt, especially outside of an inland plantation situation?

ill be in the KCl crew for life, NaCl salt on palms is hardly ever necessary and a bad idea for just about every other plant that doesn't grow near the shoreline, but do as you wish and keep us updated

I will look into it. As it stands, the Philippines,  compared to the US, have a tad bit more reputation for growing /producing coconuts. Just saying. 

In fact, "apocalypse now" was filmed in the Philippines, not Nam. And they burned hundreds of coconuts during filimg. I'll look for other "credible" sources. Although the Philippines are solid, but hey! Stuff happens.

(I'm not being purposely contentious.) 

 

I dislike to quote "wiki". 

Edited September 10, 2018 by GottmitAlex

[GottmitAlex]

What am I doing up?!  Good night everyone! Gute nacht!

Edited September 10, 2018 by GottmitAlex

[LJG]

12 hours ago, GottmitAlex said:

I wonder if anyone today-in-age has tried to fertilize their date palm with salt....

Most fertilizers are derived from salts, but  NaCl is not a fertilizer - as your title also suggest. You are actually using sea salt, which is not table salt.  I think this confusion might be leading to the kickback you are getting

[Rickybobby]

What a great subject and argument. Last question wether the coconut likes salt or. Not. Does the added salt help keep some bad critters away in the soil?