A care guide to Mail Order Coconuts - how to look after your palms on arrival
When you receive your Coconuts, they have been in the post for a couple of days so it will pay to get them out of the packaging and into a tub of half strength mix of liquid fertilizer or at least water, in the shade, as quickly as possible. The nuts were growing in filtered sunlight so will handle full sun when settled in but need at least 50% sun for as much of the day as possible.
The nuts are the most advanced that packaging or State requirements allow. They will gain nutritional benefit from attachment to the nut for about 18months and even longer in sub optimal conditions. Coconuts have a fibrous root system. Each root will develop with equal importance both feeding the plant and anchoring it. No tap root develops. The sprouted nuts have roots but in most cases most of the roots are removed for improved health and quarantine reasons. Damaged roots are less useful than new undamaged ones.
In tropical locations the sprouted nut could be planted at its site or potted. In cooler locations it is recommended to plant the nut in a large container of 10 to100 litres for at least a couple of years.
Before sending, the nut has been watered, root pruned and cleaned. New roots are already growing through the nuts husk. In any case newly transplanted nuts will suffer some set back which will be evident in the next two fronds being less vigorous than current fronds. It is important to nurse these new plants to reduce this set back as much as possible.
Coconut palms prefer:
· Warm soil – above 20oC
· Warm air – between 20 and 300C
· High humidity –above 70
· High light levels especially when temperatures are warm
· Free draining soil – no water ponding on surface and good pot drainage
· Regular watering with potable or near potable quality water
· Surface mulching with wood chip or stone
· No weed competition especially grassy weeds
· Freedom of pests like ants (ants farm mealy bug and scale insects) and leaf eating insects
· Adequate levels of fertilizer, particularly nitrogen and trace elements
By meeting these requirements your plants should thrive.
Further notes on growing coconuts are available by email from Roger Goebel.
Current July 2009, Roger Goebel.
When you receive your Coconuts, they have been in the post for a couple of days so it will pay to get them out of the packaging and into a tub of half strength mix of liquid fertilizer or at least water, in the shade, as quickly as possible. The nuts were growing in filtered sunlight so will handle full sun when settled in but need at least 50% sun for as much of the day as possible.The nuts are the most advanced that packaging or State requirements allow. They will gain nutritional benefit from attachment to the nut for about 18months and even longer in sub optimal conditions. Coconuts have a fibrous root system. Each root will develop with equal importance both feeding the plant and anchoring it. No tap root develops. The sprouted nuts have roots but in most cases most of the roots are removed for improved health and quarantine reasons. Damaged roots are less useful than new undamaged ones.
In tropical locations the sprouted nut could be planted at its site or potted. In cooler locations it is recommended to plant the nut in a large container of 10 to100 litres for at least a couple of years.
Before sending, the nut has been watered, root pruned and cleaned. New roots are already growing through the nuts husk. In any case newly transplanted nuts will suffer some set back which will be evident in the next two fronds being less vigorous than current fronds. It is important to nurse these new plants to reduce this set back as much as possible.
Coconut palms prefer:
· Warm soil – above 20oC
· Warm air – between 20 and 300C
· High humidity –above 70
· High light levels especially when temperatures are warm
· Free draining soil – no water ponding on surface and good pot drainage
· Regular watering with potable or near potable quality water
· Surface mulching with wood chip or stone
· No weed competition especially grassy weeds
· Freedom of pests like ants (ants farm mealy bug and scale insects) and leaf eating insects
· Adequate levels of fertilizer, particularly nitrogen and trace elements
By meeting these requirements your plants should thrive.
Further notes on growing coconuts are available by email from Roger Goebel.
Current July 2009, Roger Goebel.
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