Update of my coconut in Cyprus

[Stelios]

5 hours ago, Aleitalyyy said:

https://ibb.co/hZ3TvmK

https://ibb.co/C914z2b

<a href="https://ibb.co/C914z2b"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/kDHzx14/16043070232942109059224093924699.jpg" alt="16043070232942109059224093924699" border="0"></a>

The palm looks great Alessandro! Did you change the soil when you got it from Lidl or did you plant it in a bigger pot and added extra sand?

[Aleitalyyy]

@Stelios  hello i bought it and i removed all the earth leaving it in a bucket with water ...

Then i planted in pure sea sand....

I often read that these plants die or are weak,i think it is not the plant's fault if it dies, but it is only the fault that something is wrong!

Mine is very good...i also have little brother baccariophoenix alfredii to keep him company

https://ibb.co/GRWB837

https://ibb.co/5jdFWG4

https://ibb.co/YXR8GDZ

[Aleitalyyy]

i learned a lot from the forum, and i follow with great enthusiasm your coconut in cyprus...

i hope to one day put it out here in liguria (italy) but the maximum temperatures in january are too low ...

Maybe i'll be able to inside a greenhouse...

[Aleitalyyy]

i meant that it's too cold outside...

maybe i can  put it in a big greenhouse. 

[konarikcy]

Hi Stelios. I'm probably less than 100 miles from you in Nicosia but I might as well be on another planet. I have lost 2 cocos during winters when temperature fell to zero and was wet with little sunbfor days.

But as you know, I have a plot of 2500m2 in an elevated position overlooking Konnos Bay in Ayia Napa where I start building a small holiday home in the New Year. But as a typical obsessed gardener, I have started my garden collection as of last year and definitely plan to have some cocos. 

Do you know if you have milder winters in Paphos than Ayia Napa?  I have tried to find "true" data max and min temps for the area from the meteorological services and I think all those palms I've pined for will be at least be tryable as they have quoted mins of around 7oC.  

You say you have used sandy soil for the cocos - do you just mix in river sand and in what ratio?  i have looked at builders sand but there appears to be large grain and fine. I presume the larger grain in better?

Also in Ayia Napa, the land is at the top of a hill facing SE  and sloping down towards the bay which is less than 1km away.  The palms will be protected from the north by the house at least in the first few years before they get very tall.  Is that good in terms of cold wind conditions?

 

[Stelios]

15 hours ago, konarikcy said:

Hi Stelios. I'm probably less than 100 miles from you in Nicosia but I might as well be on another planet. I have lost 2 cocos during winters when temperature fell to zero and was wet with little sunbfor days.

But as you know, I have a plot of 2500m2 in an elevated position overlooking Konnos Bay in Ayia Napa where I start building a small holiday home in the New Year. But as a typical obsessed gardener, I have started my garden collection as of last year and definitely plan to have some cocos. 

Do you know if you have milder winters in Paphos than Ayia Napa?  I have tried to find "true" data max and min temps for the area from the meteorological services and I think all those palms I've pined for will be at least be tryable as they have quoted mins of around 7oC.  

You say you have used sandy soil for the cocos - do you just mix in river sand and in what ratio?  i have looked at builders sand but there appears to be large grain and fine. I presume the larger grain in better?

Also in Ayia Napa, the land is at the top of a hill facing SE  and sloping down towards the bay which is less than 1km away.  The palms will be protected from the north by the house at least in the first few years before they get very tall.  Is that good in terms of cold wind conditions?

 

Hi Kat. I can't be sure about the winter lows in Agia Napa. I couldn't find any info either. I guess there is some kind of microclimate in Paphos that makes it more mild here than the rest of the island. Thats why we have all these areas with commercial banana plantations and lately different other tropical fruits. I was told there is some influence from northen Africa from the west and the hills around the town cover us from cold winds from the north. Larnaca and Agia Napa have no hills to protect them from cold winds from the north but have hotter summer than Paphos. Limassol town is also protected by hills from the north. It has nice mild winters and is hotter than Paphos in the summer. But when is snowing in Troodos mountains, they have colder nights. You can see the snow on Troodos from the town. Paphos has twice the distance from Troodos and there other hills between us that protect the area. On the other hand the drier the winter the better for the coconut. It might be drier in Agia Napa than Paphos in the winter.

Of course is better to create a microclimate in the garden to give the palms better chance. I'm trying to do the same here espacially with small and sensitive palms. Since you are more inland ( I am about 4 km from the beach) than right on the beach, is better. Plant south facing to use the house as protection and plant the cocos in sandy soil. I mixed around 80% beach sand with my garden soil and a few small stones. It planted after about 3 years in the pot to grow a bit bigger and for a few years I was protecting the palm, giving less protection every year. Plant in full sun to get more heat in the winter. Keep it as dry as possible.

Who knows. Recently some scientists said on the news, here in the eastern Mediterranean the temps are rising faster than many parts of the planet. We might be able to grow more tropical stuff in the future!

Edited November 4, 2020 by Stelios

[konarikcy]

thanks Stelio.  The ability to grow more cold sensitive plants is the only good to come from global warming. Of course if the summers get much hotter, most will frizzle.

By the way, do you do anything other than washing the sand to remove salt traces?

Do you grow Roystoneas because I came across some really tempting ones the other day but will wait till I can plant them directly in Ayia Napa rather than overwintering them in Nicosia.

[Stelios]

11 hours ago, konarikcy said:

thanks Stelio.  The ability to grow more cold sensitive plants is the only good to come from global warming. Of course if the summers get much hotter, most will frizzle.

By the way, do you do anything other than washing the sand to remove salt traces?

Do you grow Roystoneas because I came across some really tempting ones the other day but will wait till I can plant them directly in Ayia Napa rather than overwintering them in Nicosia.

For salt traces just wash the sand. I don't do anything else.

I have 3 roystoneas. I bought them about 5 years ago from a small nursery here in Paphos. At the time I couldn't find roystoneas. These 3 didn't look that good and were overgrown in small pots.  They were about to start trunking. The lady at the nursery was thinking they were queens and I bought them at a good price. Two of them are growing great. The third didn't grow very good so I moved back in a pot to see if I can rescue it. With the royals I learned they need some good watering to look and grow better.

 

In Agia Napa you shouldn't have any problem growing roystoneas. But if I were you I would try one in Nicosia. Protect it if is small and as it gets bigger it should get hardier. The winter lows in Nicosia are not that colder from the coast that it would affect badly the royals. And your winter daily temps could be warm too.

[dalmatiansoap]

Beautiful Royals

[GottmitAlex]

14 hours ago, konarikcy said:

.

By the way, do you do anything other than washing the sand to remove salt traces?

 

I don't really understand what you.mean by "salt traces", all I can say is that coconuts love salt!

Dont believe me. Look it up.

[Stelios]

49 minutes ago, dalmatiansoap said:

Beautiful Royals

Many thanks.

[Stelios]

42 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

I don't really understand what you.mean by "salt traces", all I can say is that coconuts love salt!

Dont believe me. Look it up.

My mistake so I should specify. For salt traces I was referring to the potted Royals and other potted palms. The sand for the coconut was neven cleaned from any salt, but from the rain and wattering any salt is leaving when the palm is planted in the ground. The last couple of summers I was adding a bit of salty water but only to the coconut. I'm not sure about cocos grown in Holland and sold here in flowershops or in Lidl if they could tolerate salt from the beginning.

Edited November 5, 2020 by Stelios

[GottmitAlex]

[Aleitalyyy]

hello @Stelios yuor coconut where did you get it? 

here in europe does it seem difficult to find the gold variety?

[Stelios]

23 minutes ago, Aleitalyyy said:

hello @Stelios yuor coconut where did you get it? 

here in europe does it seem difficult to find the gold variety?

I brought my coconut from Costa Rica. In Europe the only place I can think of is Canary Islands. Maybe they started to sell them at the nurseries in Madeira too since they grow there.

I found a supermarket cocos a couple of years ago that was already starting to germinate and it was either golden or yellow. But I left it outside without proper protection in the winter and it didn't make it. I would like to grow a green one this time anyway. There should be some golden supermarket cocos if you can germinate one. Here on the forums some members managed to germinate many.

[Aleitalyyy]

@Stelios

I have heard good things about coir to use as a sub layer, sand in pot makes mold while coir does not... next year i plant it in coir

[Stelios]

On 11/7/2020 at 9:17 AM, Aleitalyyy said:

@Stelios

I have heard good things about coir to use as a sub layer, sand in pot makes mold while coir does not... next year i plant it in coir

Is good to have a good soil if you want to keep the palm in the pot for a bit longer. Do you have any plans to plant it in the ground in the future?

[Aleitalyyy]

si vorrei piantarla fuori, ma so già che devo montare una serra i 4 mesi freddi con dentro una piccola stufa a timer....

[Aleitalyyy]

yes i would like to plant it outside, but i already know that i have to install a greenhouse for the 4 cold months with a small timer stove inside..

[konarikcy]

Not being good YET at palm tree identification (but improving daily esp due this forum) I have seen 3 palms labelled as Royal palms at a nursery in Zygi Cyprus similar to your Roystoneas Stelio.  They were f large and I got that very excited 'must have' feeling that I'm sure you all recognise. After lengthy inspection I wasn't sure if they weren't Arecastrums so I am still contemplating buying. Looking at your pictures I realise that I was confused as the images I have of roystoneas have  much bushier hanging tops (very palm like terminology) a bit like a foxtail which you see when you google roystoneas. Is yours a regia? Do they get bushier hanging tops as they get older and how old is yours? Maybe I will go and INVEST in one of the three from Zygi for Nicosia. Note the word 'invest" as they were around 130 euros each.

[dalmatiansoap]

Isn't it possible that if they look like foxtails that they ARE foxtails?

[Stelios]

10 hours ago, konarikcy said:

Not being good YET at palm tree identification (but improving daily esp due this forum) I have seen 3 palms labelled as Royal palms at a nursery in Zygi Cyprus similar to your Roystoneas Stelio.  They were f large and I got that very excited 'must have' feeling that I'm sure you all recognise. After lengthy inspection I wasn't sure if they weren't Arecastrums so I am still contemplating buying. Looking at your pictures I realise that I was confused as the images I have of roystoneas have  much bushier hanging tops (very palm like terminology) a bit like a foxtail which you see when you google roystoneas. Is yours a regia? Do they get bushier hanging tops as they get older and how old is yours? Maybe I will go and INVEST in one of the three from Zygi for Nicosia. Note the word 'invest" as they were around 130 euros each.

Γεια σου Κατερίνα. Do you have any photos of the palms? Depends how big the palms are but I think €130 is expensive. I went a few times in the 2 nurseries in Zygi and are generally more expensive than the nurseries here in Paphos. In one of them (I think it was the Floralink) I saw a hyophorbe lagenicualis (bottle palm) with some trunk and it was €400. And for non palms they had 1 pandanus utilis maybe 1,5 meters high and it was €600. Here in Paphos, I bought from a nursery in Lemba 2 ravenea rivularis almost start trunking €40 each, when in a nursery in Limassol the same size palm was €150 and with a bit of trunk €300. So far I found the nurseries here cheaper.

Another thing that was mentioned here on the forum is that big palms that are growing in a small pot for a long time and are rootbound, when planted in the ground might be slower to grow for some time than smaller palms. I bought the royals for €25 each and they were more than 2 meters high and about to start trunking. But I believe it took more time to start growing faster and one I put it back it a big pot to see if I can rescue it. At the time I couldn't find any royals here despite that there are already big royals in private gardens. Now there are more royals available and they plant them more and more.

[konarikcy]

 Γειά σου Στέλιο, I will photograph the Roystoneas just as soon as I can travel to the nursery hopefully after the Coronavirus restrictions for Limassol and Paphos have been lifted and you can ID them for me. Actually it wasn't Floralink, it was at Q Gdns but when all this is over, I will venture to Paphos and check out the Lemba nursery.

I have been to the Home and Garden nursery in Paphos and got incredible plumeria obtusas for 12 euros  each and saw they had quite large cycads for 70euros-much cheaper than limassol or nicosia. But it is approaching winter and I think I will restrain from shopping anything for Ayia Napa now and overwintering them in Nicosia. I will wait till early spring and hopefully have my well by them and can plant them directly. I have also seen pandanus utilis in the Green Valley nursery in Limassol for 150 euros. Must find a cheap one.

[Stelios]

12 hours ago, konarikcy said:

 Γειά σου Στέλιο, I will photograph the Roystoneas just as soon as I can travel to the nursery hopefully after the Coronavirus restrictions for Limassol and Paphos have been lifted and you can ID them for me. Actually it wasn't Floralink, it was at Q Gdns but when all this is over, I will venture to Paphos and check out the Lemba nursery.

I have been to the Home and Garden nursery in Paphos and got incredible plumeria obtusas for 12 euros  each and saw they had quite large cycads for 70euros-much cheaper than limassol or nicosia. But it is approaching winter and I think I will restrain from shopping anything for Ayia Napa now and overwintering them in Nicosia. I will wait till early spring and hopefully have my well by them and can plant them directly. I have also seen pandanus utilis in the Green Valley nursery in Limassol for 150 euros. Must find a cheap one.

I know Katerina. Generally with the lockdown and the situation how is now, we just have to wait. When you have the chance post the photos of the palms to ID them. And just last weekend we passed from Zygi on the way to Mazotos camel park. We were thinking to stop at Q gardens on the way back but the other friends with us just wanted to go back to Paphos.

There are many nurseries here in Paphos so in Spring you could check some of the most important ones. I would say you could check the garden centers from Geroskipou (old road to Limassol) towards the Paphos airport. After Acheleia village towards the airport the garden center near the petrol station has a lot of stuff and you can see some trunking Royals in the ground. I think they have a big stock of Royals. Lately I saw many small royals planted in private gardens in Paphos and they might be from them.  If I'm not mistaken they are the same people who had a nursery in the center of Paphos. I went a few years ago there and they had some big Royals in the ground. 

On the same road after Timi village there is the Green Forest Garden center that has good collection usually. The Annivia Gardens in Kato Paphos also has some good stuff sometimes. Another place that you could check is the London Home & Garden on Mesogi road. I believe these are the most important ones but there are others too. I haven't check any one of them for a couple of years now so I'm not sure what new stuff they have.

[Aleitalyyy]

@Stelioshi  after noticing a new batch of coconuts intended for food consumption from Sri Lanka in a supermarket in my area I noticed some nuts with beginning of germination so now I have 2 in a heated box ... you say that coming from Sri Lanka is it possible to get a yellow / gold version ??? I'll post photos as soon as I see that the root grows ... happy holidays

[Stelios]

2 hours ago, Aleitalyyy said:

@Stelioshi  after noticing a new batch of coconuts intended for food consumption from Sri Lanka in a supermarket in my area I noticed some nuts with beginning of germination so now I have 2 in a heated box ... you say that coming from Sri Lanka is it possible to get a yellow / gold version ??? I'll post photos as soon as I see that the root grows ... happy holidays

Hi Alessandro. It's very possible that you can get a yellow/golden variety. I bought a cocos that was starting to germinate in the supermarket 3 years ago. The origin was not mentioned on the box but it turned out to be some golden/yellow variety. Unfortunately I left it outside protected the same winter but it didn't make it.

 

[Aleitalyyy]

just great, too bad! thanks as always for your information, 1 of the 2 coconuts is pushing out the root, soon I'll update you with photos!

[Aleitalyyy]

@Stelios

hello stelios can you update us on your coconut how are you doing?

[Stelios]

Hi Alessandro. The palm looks better this winter. I hope for a good growth during the summer.

Any updates of your coconuts that you germinated?

[Aleitalyyy]

ciao stelios felice di sentirti ... purtroppo il cocco è germogliato e poi è morto in fretta ... marcito! invece il cocco va benissimo quello in vaso.

[Stelios]

1 hour ago, Aleitalyyy said:

ciao stelios felice di sentirti ... purtroppo il cocco è germogliato e poi è morto in fretta ... marcito! invece il cocco va benissimo quello in vaso.

Too bad you lost the germinated cocos Alessdandro. I will try again to germinate a supermarket cocos this summer and whatever happens. Your coconut in the pot looks amazing.

[kutsalangemon]

On 3/29/2021 at 4:10 PM, Stelios said:

Hi Alessandro. The palm looks better this winter. I hope for a good growth during the summer.

Any updates of your coconuts that you germinated?

You do an excellent job Stelios. How was the winter season? Did you do smt to protect?

[Jan Jo]

On 3/29/2021 at 3:10 PM, Stelios said:

Hi Alessandro. The palm looks better this winter. I hope for a good growth during the summer.

Any updates of your coconuts that you germinated?

Looking good, Stelios!! Great work... 

[Stelios]

5 hours ago, Jan Jo said:

Looking good, Stelios!! Great work... 

Many thanks Jan Jo.

[Stelios]

6 hours ago, kutsalangemon said:

You do an excellent job Stelios. How was the winter season? Did you do smt to protect?

Hi Mehmet

Thank you for your kind comments my friend. Generally this winter was one of the dry and mild we usually have. I don't protect the palm anymore but after the previous 2 very wet winters we had and I almost lost the palm due to bud rot, I decided to give it some better fighting chance. I covered the crown with some paper and a few palm leaves trying to keep the bud as dry as possible for a few days, when the forecast predicted some big rainfall. After that week we didn't have much rain anymore so I uncovered the crown for the rest of the winter. The palm should start to grow better now that the weather started to get warmer.

Hope to see some update of your palm as well.

[Maltese coconut project]

Mine are multiple ones which survived winter 

[Maltese coconut project]

[John Max]

(really) A miracle for your dying trees and new adaptations:
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjtA_LDvxRo

Edited June 23, 2021 by John Max

[Maltese coconut project]

4 hours ago, John Max said:

(really) A miracle for your dying trees and new adaptations:
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjtA_LDvxRo

They aren't dying. They have a rough time in cooler months true but have a look at these summer photos and how they revived with new growth 

[MSX]

52 minutes ago, Maltese coconut project said:

They aren't dying. They have a rough time in cooler months true but have a look at these summer photos and how they revived with new growth 

Nice coconuts! Is it a Plumeria in the middle of the row?