Del Mar Coconut

[Urban Rainforest]

(Tyrone @ Dec. 18 2006,06:54)

QUOTE

(PalmGuyWC @ Dec. 17 2006,09:54)

QUOTE

Steve,

If your going to try Kerriodoxa, It needs plenty of shade and no wind....and I mean NO WIND.  I've seen a few pitiful specimans that were beaten to pieces by wind.  The beautiful almost entire fronds just won't take it.  This is definately not a beach palm.

Dick

I think they need constant high humidity too, much like delicate Licuala's. The full sun and rocks will tend to reduce the humidity somewhat.

Tyrone

Sorry, I should have clarified that the Kerriodoxas would be going in a filtered light area wind protected by a two story building where I have Clinostigmas, Rhopalostylis and Chambeyronias. Also in this area I have planted many tree ferns including Cyathea, Cibotium and Blechnum Brasiliensis. It seems like it would be the ideal sheltered area to try this palm. Steve

[PalmsZA]

Hi Guys

Kerrio d will take a few hours of direct sun here in the sub-tropics and seem to grow much faster than shaded plants.

Cheers

Dennis

[Tyrone]

I've seen Kerriodoxa growing in the Sydney Botanic Gardens. They looked ratty and windblown, but they were far from dead. They should grow in coastal So Cal in a wind free situation.

Tyrone

[AS in SA]

Steve,

How'd the Del Mar Coconut do this summer??  Did it handle the big FREEZE ok last winter??  Any updated pics??

[Urban Rainforest]

(AS in SA @ Nov. 06 2007,15:37)

QUOTE

Steve,

How'd the Del Mar Coconut do this summer??  Did it handle the big FREEZE ok last winter??  Any updated pics??

Allen, It got no more beat up than the Howeas at the same property (which was alot). It has since then thrown 5 fronds which has been typical for a year. I believe having made it through 5 winters with this one really testing it that it's here for the long haul! It's looking good right now and I will try and take and post pics soon.

Thanks,

Steve

[AS in SA]

Great Steve, can't wait to see it...

[AS in SA]

Steve,

Any pics???  Thought I'd share a pic of my coconut taken yesterday - looks pretty good for December and has a spear that is still pushing - although slowly.  Over the last few weeks it's seen nighttime temps into the low 40's - daytime temps have been all over the place 50's - 80's - even saw a few inches of rain last Friday.

[Urban Rainforest]

Allen, Your Cocos are looking good! The Del Mar Coconut is looking good as well. After last winter it laughs at temps. in the 40's   . I'll try to remember to post a pic soon.

Steve

[Ashton]

Steve,

Thanks for all the great info, the pics and your great success.

You mentioned that drainage was one of the critical considerations. I realize that you used highly permeable soil, you planted on a slope and you used the black fabric around the trunk.

I'm curious how deep you dug your pit, and if you had any drains installed at the base of the pit. From the photos, it appears that the trees are in a planter, and sometimes water tends to collect in planters like it does in wells. Could you elaborate a little on the base of the planting hole? I've managed to kill a few nice palms because of downslope drainage creeping into a dug hole.

Ashton

[Tyrone]

Steve, I'm looking forward to pics of your famous coconut.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Urban Rainforest]

(Ashton @ Dec. 06 2007,12:10)

QUOTE

Steve,

Thanks for all the great info, the pics and your great success.

You mentioned that drainage was one of the critical considerations. I realize that you used highly permeable soil, you planted on a slope and you used the black fabric around the trunk.

I'm curious how deep you dug your pit, and if you had any drains installed at the base of the pit. From the photos, it appears that the trees are in a planter, and sometimes water tends to collect in planters like it does in wells. Could you elaborate a little on the base of the planting hole? I've managed to kill a few nice palms because of downslope drainage creeping into a dug hole.

Ashton

Ashton, I'm glad you liked the pics and I hope you have lots of success with yours. I basically planted it like I do my Cycads with lots of pumice to facilitate drainage. Also it is planted at the top of a slope so all excess water drains away from the palm. The funny thing is I DO NOT baby this palm. It gets the same treatment now as any other palm I have planted there.

Steve

[Urban Rainforest]

(Tyrone @ Dec. 06 2007,18:13)

QUOTE

Steve, I'm looking forward to pics of your famous coconut.

Best regards

Tyrone

Tyrone, Ask and ye shall recieve   . I took some pics today and it does'nt  look a whole lot differant than last year which is good cuz that means it's still alive. While it did get beat up in last winters cold it was no more so than Archontophoenix and Howeas on the property. The trunk is now over 12" in dia. so it did put on some girth and it threw 6 new fronds. Anyhows the lighting (shady day) was'nt as good as last year but here goes.

Steve

[Urban Rainforest]

I really whack back the Pygmy's in november to allow more light to hit the black stones to heat the ground when it needs it in winter.

[Urban Rainforest]

Here is a close up of the trunk.

[Urban Rainforest]

A close up of the beautifull golden petioles.

[Urban Rainforest]

more

[Urban Rainforest]

And one last shot of the overall palm. I hope you enjoyed.

Steve

[happ]

Well done, Steve & another reason to include nucifera in the best micro-climate possible in the garden [territory that is already crowded in my yard  

Seem cocos would need more warmth than howea & king palms [both do quite well in LA

A member or 2 in Florida claim coco palms can not grow in Cali  :laugh:

[Urban Rainforest]

(happ @ Dec. 06 2007,21:25)

QUOTE

Well done, Steve & another reason to include nucifera in the best micro-climate possible in the garden [territory that is already crowded in my yard  

Seem cocos would need more warmth than howea & king palms [both do quite well in LA

A member or 2 in Florida claim coco palms can not grow in Cali  :laugh:

Happ, Squeeze that Nucifera in there, theres safety in numbers. Thats half the reason that I planted the thing in the first place was to prove the "experts "wrong. Tell me I can't grow something and lookout   .

Steve

[Tyrone]

It looks real nice Steve. I'm going to use some of your ideas with my coconut experiment. You have a nice protected spot there. I'm going to do the same thing with rocks too.

regards

Tyrone

[AS in SA]

Great pics Steve, thanks for sharing them.  Inspiring as always...

[happ]

Time to bump this thread while discussing coconut palms growing in SoCal

[bubba]

It looks great!I think the rocks help moderate your soil temperature.your only difficulty I see is the long string of lows in the 40's.What is your latitude and are you North or South of Newport?

[Urban Rainforest]

Thanks Bubba, Del Mar is in north San Diego county. Newport is not that far north. I would say within 100 mi. but not sure. Forty degree temps. don't seem to be a problem for it as that is typical in our winters. Last winter it experienced 5 days in a row of freezing temps in the high 20's to low 30's and thankfully survived. They say that was a 50 year cold snap so I think it is here for the long haul.

Steve

[chris.oz]

(Tyrone @ Dec. 14 2006,07:54)

QUOTE

Very very inspiring guys. I'm going to do this thing damn it......

I'm going up into the tropics next weekend, and I should keep my eye out for a large coconut. YEAH....

I'm pumped now.

Tyrone

Tyrone,

What do you propose to do about the cold winter rain ?

[happ]

Wisdom according to bubba:

If you disagree, show me your coconuts and not that poor guy down in Newport Beach

.

These are your words bubba, now eat them!  :laugh:

[Tyrone]

(chris.oz @ Dec. 20 2007,14:31)

QUOTE

Tyrone,

What do you propose to do about the cold winter rain ?

Chris, That's a very good question because that can make or break a coconut from what everyone has rightly said.

The area I've planted it is against a NW facing wall of my house and bounded by a NE facing asbestos fence which has my greenhouse on the other side making the fence even higher. In winter this is the hottest spot and sunniest aspect in my whole property. It's also in a rain shadow from the house except for northerly rain which luckily is never cold rain, still I must keep it dry even if the temp is up in winter. It also blocks all the cool winds from the south and blocks any hail that comes from that direction.

During last winter I recorded the max and min every day in this spot and recorded many days in the 30's C even when it was 17 or 18C in the air. I recorded a 37C day in July so it can get quite toasty in winter. Even with heavy rain the area there can remain quite dry. (I have problems keeping some of my plants hydrated in winter such as my Dypsis rivularis which even though it may rain a lot, remain dry even though the soil has been built up with heaps of humus). Also I didn't build the Perth soil up when I planted it. I left it as white beach sand which the coconut loves anyway.

I'm going to put black plastic down over the whole area except for where it is close to the coconut. Then I'm going to put pebbles etc into the whole corner right up to the base of the coconut and turn it into a rockery as a heat sink. I will also for the first year block the whole area with clear plastic to hold any cold wind out, but let it all heat up inside. I'll put some clear plastic over the top as a bit of a roof to help keep any rain out, but it won't go over all the leaves as it will have to be too high for that, and the leaves are not really the problem, it's all about the root area. My thoughts are that if any rain does get into the soil area, because I'm heating the area up in a semi hothouse, it will naturally dry out the soil pretty quick when the sun comes out behind the clouds. If I can get the soil hydrophobic in winter I think I will have won.

Here are some pics taken today

The base of it highlighting the poor beach sand we have here. Poor for everything else but great for a coconut.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Tyrone what are the pipes for ?

[Tyrone]

I put them into the ground when I planted it so I can pour fish seaweed directly at the roots. I give it a dose of fish/seaweed every day. The mix it was grown in was mainly perlite and very poor potting mix, so I thought I could infuse the mix with fish/seaweed a little more effectively this way. Eventually I'll pull the pipes out.

regards

Tyrone

[Stevetoad]

BUMP! Steve, how is this baby doing?

[Urban Rainforest]

BUMP! Steve, how is this baby doing?

Wow, This thread is a blast from the past! Actually it is still alive and doing well but looking a little worse for wear as it got pink rot in the crown last winter but I treated it and it pulled through. The pink hit us hard down there last winter and even hit a Butia and Bismarkia. Unfortunatly the bizzie did'nt make it but I have 2 more planted there. So going back to the Coco this is it's 11th winter (if your a coco in Cali you measure time by winters survived) and being a mild one I'm expecting big things out of it this year. It has about a foot of clear trunk and the trunk is over a foot in dia. I'll try and take some pics of her this summer when shes looking her best. Thanks for bringing up this old thread.

Stevo

[Hammer]

Steve,

I'm absolutely fascinated and inspired by your palm and this thread. Keep up the good work and post lots of pics.

I may PM you with a few questions if you don't mind.

Adam

[Hammer]

Hey Steve, how's she looking in prime time summer?!

[_Keith]

Bumping Stevetoad's bump. Inquiring Moose's want to know.

[Patrick Sheehan]

Although no one has chatted on this post in 9 years,  I am glad to say it is still here today 

 

Edited January 19, 2022 by Patrick Sheehan

[GottmitAlex]

1 hour ago, Patrick Sheehan said:

Although no one has chatted on this post in 9 years,  I am glad to say it is still here today