I finally picked up a coconut at a grocery store earlier today. I am wanting to try and grow it, but I have no idea where to start. Tomorrow I will be getting it a pot and some soil, but which kind of soil works best? I was thinking of trying sand. The coconut does not look fully mature yet, as it is light brown with those three spots starting to become visible. It is round at the bottom, and it goes up into a rounder pyramid near the top. How do I position the coconut in it's pot? EDIT: I found a site with pretty much all of the info I need, so I guess I will post some piccies if the palm ever sprouts.
No problem http://www.ehow.com/how_2083520_grow-palm-trees-from-vegetables.html I began soaking the coconut yesterday, and I have two and a half more days to go. The water is brown in the bowl it is soaking in, and hte coconut seems to be softening.
so it says find a coconut that has fallen from a tree, does this mean I can't just get one from the grocery store? Thats about the only place that has coconuts 'round here.
The coconut needs to still be in the husk. You might find this link on UBC of interest: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=37166&highlight=coconut
In Hawaii, you don't have to do anything to it. It falls on the ground, and it germinates on the ground, provided bugs and rats don't get into it. If it's going to be inside, you might try burying it one-half to three-fourths its diameter, horizontally or with the "eyes" up, in bark chips in a container. You want to keep it hot and humid, so keep the bark chips damp. Of course, you don't know what kind of treatment it has gotten before you bought it, and it may not be ripe, as you speculate. Good luck!
Make sure the outside of the husk is hard and brown. Do you know what a coconut looks like with the husk on/off?
The best thing to do is buy one already sprouted off of ebay. I tried the grocery coconut thing and got no results they spray the cocount with an enhibater to keep them from sprouting and a pesticide to keep bugs out. You might get lucky but I doubt it. Hope this helps Heres a pic of mine I bought of of Ebay. Tom24
Good one Barrie, But no it came just as a cocount with a little sprout coming out and it says you can plant it in water or soil, I put it in soil. That pic was taken in late December 07 I got the palm in July 07 They do grow very fast so make sure you have enough room in the house if you plan on having it in there. I am donating my to the local hort. dept at the college in town. It is about 10 feet now with the fronds measuring about 5 feet. They are very beatiful palms and well worth the time and money in growing them. Hope this helps. Tom24
Hi, how much do the sprouted coconuts on ebay cost? I have grown Coconut Palms before but i bought them at home depot pre-grown. Is it hard? Can they get diseases easily? Do they grow faster than ones at stores? greenthumb95
They cost around 30.00 with shipping from Hawaii, Mine grew very fast when I got it was only about a foot in height and now it is about 6 to 7 feet or more the fronds are around 5 feet. It says to feed it organic food but I have been feeding mine Dr Qs and the worm castings by terracycle and it works awesome. The Coconut palm can get lethal yellowing very easily, but it is only if it is grown around others that have it. That is what sucks about getting one in the mail you don't know if was germinated around sick cocounts or came off one that was diseased, but I have yet to see it on mine, but mine is still only a baby, and they say you won't see the signs till they are a couple years old. I hope this helps you. Tom24
Thanks it did help me. I will get a sprouting coconut. It will look nice on my dining room table with my very young date palm. My storebought Coconut Palm is getting so big i will have to give it to my local botanical garden. Is there a way to keep them small other than bonsi? Thanks again. greenthumb95
This is an interesting link for growing store bought coconuts. I just started testing using this method. Mine has been placed on the upper shelf in the greenhouse. It is my understanding that if a coconut has been refrigerated which many store bought coconuts are they may not germinate. But for a few bucks it's worth a try. Earlier this year I tested one by planting the eyes up and giving it a good supply of bottom heat, this one fermented and cracked open causing it to fail. Best of Luck. Dale http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/forum/29925.html