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Scottsdale Coconut


wrigjef

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Any idea your average soil temp in winter? Low 40s should be fine for it and even 30s here and there. Mine has seen about 6 nights per winter in the 30s and damage has been minimal. Dry soil should also help. 

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31 minutes ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

Any idea your average soil temp in winter? Low 40s should be fine for it and even 30s here and there. Mine has seen about 6 nights per winter in the 30s and damage has been minimal. Dry soil should also help. 

I concur. I believe our lowest this past winter was 3C/37F one morning. However our winter was prolonged way into May. Heck, we never had a Spring. 

As I mentioned in another thread,  one of the golden malayan dwarf spears took 4 months to grow and open up. When it did half of the spear collapsed on its own weight.  The succeeding spears/fronds have been magnificent.  But yes, prolonged cool weather will affect coconuts negatively and not the isolated 30F dip or the one-time frost.

Although thinking about it, the Corona coconut is the exception to the rule.

Edited by GottmitAlex
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5 year high 42.2C/108F (07/06/2018)--5 year low 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)--Lowest recent/current winter: 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)

 

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I wouldn't even worry about protecting it with a few nights each winter in the 30'sF.  Even an occasional dip down to 30F or 32F every few years shouldn't hurt it much if it is healthy.  Even an occasional light to moderate frost shouldn't hurt a healthy Coconut Palm that is at least 8ft. to 10ft. tall.

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1 hour ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

Any idea your average soil temp in winter? Low 40s should be fine for it and even 30s here and there. Mine has seen about 6 nights per winter in the 30s and damage has been minimal. Dry soil should also help. 

I have spoken to two different  tree nursery owners near my house and to my surprise they both said Phoenix soil temps are very warm year round.  At least above 60 in the coldest months.  It’s very dry so root rot is never a concern. Our soil drys out very quickly after watering even in winter  and my palm is in all sand. 

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57 minutes ago, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

I wouldn't even worry about protecting it with a few nights each winter in the 30'sF.  Even an occasional dip down to 30F or 32F every few years shouldn't hurt it much if it is healthy.  Even an occasional light to moderate frost shouldn't hurt a healthy Coconut Palm that is at least 8ft. to 10ft. tall.

Phoenix is cold at night in winter.  If haven’t lived here you probably wouldn’t believe it. On average we are in the low to mid 40’s every night.  Mid 30’s are not uncommon as I would guess there are on average of 20 or so nights a year at least in the 30’s.  Frosts on average 3-5 nights and freeze 2 nights.  

On the other hand it’s a dry cold so I don’t think the cold temps affect the palm like it would in Corpus or Orlando.  Cocos don’t like cold wet roots at all.  That is my only advantage.  

The palm absolutely does need protection where I live, in reality I don’t think there is a chance this palm will survive here long term but it’s the journey that keeps me going. I love seeing people push the limits of where a particular palm should grow.  

Are there any cocos growing near Corpus?  I know there are a “few” growing on South Padre but that is it in all of Texas which is surprising.   I doubt Corpus has any at all but would be awesome to see!   

 

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22 hours ago, wrigjef said:

Phoenix is cold at night in winter.  If haven’t lived here you probably wouldn’t believe it. On average we are in the low to mid 40’s every night.  Mid 30’s are not uncommon as I would guess there are on average of 20 or so nights a year at least in the 30’s.  Frosts on average 3-5 nights and freeze 2 nights.  

On the other hand it’s a dry cold so I don’t think the cold temps affect the palm like it would in Corpus or Orlando.  Cocos don’t like cold wet roots at all.  That is my only advantage.  

The palm absolutely does need protection where I live, in reality I don’t think there is a chance this palm will survive here long term but it’s the journey that keeps me going. I love seeing people push the limits of where a particular palm should grow.  

Are there any cocos growing near Corpus?  I know there are a “few” growing on South Padre but that is it in all of Texas which is surprising.   I doubt Corpus has any at all but would be awesome to see!   

 

Agree and keep going! People, especially palm enthusiasts believe it or not, have told me I'm foolish for growing a coconut. I even had one challenge me that my zone pushing is morally wrong because it is not natural and how new diseases are spread. Whatever. Will it be here in a year, 5, or 10? Who knows. But I'm enjoying the ride.

One thing you mentioned is moisture. Not Phoenix dry, but Orlando is actually very dry in winter and a huge benefit. Florida has 2 distinct seasons...rainy and dry. It's avg to have only 6-8 inches of rain Dec thru Mar/Apr. Then in 2018, I had 35" from June thru Aug. 

I enjoy your updates and wish you all the best growing!

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Next time you build your greenhouse around it, add a good fan. The spotting was probably fungus from static air. 

Longview, Texas :: Record Low: -5F, Feb. 16, 2021 :: Borderline 8A/8B :: '06-'07: 18F / '07-'08: 21F / '08-'09: 21F / '09-'10: 14F / '10-'11: 15F / '11-'12: 24F / '12-'13: 23F / '13-'14: 15F / '14-'15: 20F / '15-'16: 27F / '16-'17: 15F / '17-'18: 8F / '18-'19: 23F / '19-'20: 19F / '20-'21: -5F / '21-'22: 20F / '22-'23: 6F

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On 8/12/2019 at 5:33 PM, wrigjef said:

Ando.wsu,

Well it was the worst winter I recall in 20 years of living in Phoenix.  I see you live in Avondale so you can attest.  The palm is alive and pushing out a new frond but took a long time to start growing again. The palm almost completely defoliated this winter but not for the reason you might think. It was my stupidity that almost killed it.  At my house we had several freezes.  My guess is about 7-10 days with outside temps in my yard at or just below freezing.  The coldest I recorded was 28 degrees and I have 3 thermometers placed around my property.   The palm was in its “greenhouse” and the lowest temp recorded inside was 38 degrees.

I had the heat lamp like normal in the greenhouse but After several nights in the low 40’s and one night in the 30’s the older fronds started to spot real bad.  I put in a small space heater I have used several times but made the huge mistake of not moving the heater much further away from the tree and I almost fried it.   

The next day every frond was limp and touching the ground.  I thought for sure I killed it.  I felt the base of the trunk and it felt like 130 degrees so I knew I caused it.  

The palm did survive and pushed out a half burnt frond that opened prematurely and then went limp and shriveled up.  Then the new frond after that pushed out normally but very slow.  I will send an updated picture soon.  

What I use every winter to check the temperature the brood lamps generate on the meristem is a cheap IR thermometer gun. Link to ebay item

I like to keep the meristem at 23C (usually with a 125w brood lamp, that is about 1 foot away. )

Doing great with your coconut. Pretty sure next summer it will look stunning again.

Keep it up!

 

 

5 year high 42.2C/108F (07/06/2018)--5 year low 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)--Lowest recent/current winter: 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)

 

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On 8/17/2019 at 4:51 AM, buffy said:

Next time you build your greenhouse around it, add a good fan. The spotting was probably fungus from static air. 

Very good thought. Thanks 

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On 8/14/2019 at 9:36 PM, wrigjef said:

Phoenix is cold at night in winter.  If haven’t lived here you probably wouldn’t believe it. On average we are in the low to mid 40’s every night.  Mid 30’s are not uncommon as I would guess there are on average of 20 or so nights a year at least in the 30’s.  Frosts on average 3-5 nights and freeze 2 nights.  

On the other hand it’s a dry cold so I don’t think the cold temps affect the palm like it would in Corpus or Orlando.  Cocos don’t like cold wet roots at all.  That is my only advantage.  

The palm absolutely does need protection where I live, in reality I don’t think there is a chance this palm will survive here long term but it’s the journey that keeps me going. I love seeing people push the limits of where a particular palm should grow.  

Are there any cocos growing near Corpus?  I know there are a “few” growing on South Padre but that is it in all of Texas which is surprising.   I doubt Corpus has any at all but would be awesome to see!   

 

There were a few trunking CocnutvPalm with some nuts on them here in Corpus Christ prior to the 2011 freeze, which was a hard freeze down to about 27F or 28F, which on and of itself is not too bad for a healthy mature Cocount Palm, but it was the duration of the freeze that killed 2 of the 3 I am thinking of and totally exfoliated the third one.  I saw that third line survivor after moving here, but was told about the other two.  All were on the east side of town near the water.  The one on the island (North Padre Island) was the largest, probably about 25ft tall in overall height with medium sized nuts on it, but irinically died as it was on an exposed location in someone's yard from.what I was told.  Normally one here on the island would have the best chance of surviving due to the buffering effect of the waterfall around the island.  If I had to guess, there are probably a dozen or more small to juvenile size ones being grown here now.  My largest one is a Green Malayan Dwarf and is now about 15 ft.. tall in overall height.  In the Rio Grande Vakkey, there are probably about 150 to 200 being grown there, and out of those probably only about 2 orc3 dozen mature ones, but there should be thousands of them grown there, as the do pretty well there and produce viable nuts!!!

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Sorry for all the typos.  I am using a damn "smart" phone, which is very hard to type on, and I honestly think.is the DUMBEST invention of mankind!!!

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28 minutes ago, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

There were a few trunking CocnutvPalm with some nuts on them here in Corpus Christ prior to the 2011 freeze, which was a hard freeze down to about 27F or 28F, which on and of itself is not too bad for a healthy mature Cocount Palm, but it was the duration of the freeze that killed 2 of the 3 I am thinking of and totally exfoliated the third one.  I saw that third line survivor after moving here, but was told about the other two.  All were on the east side of town near the water.  The one on the island (North Padre Island) was the largest, probably about 25ft tall in overall height with medium sized nuts on it, but irinically died as it was on an exposed location in someone's yard from.what I was told.  Normally one here on the island would have the best chance of surviving due to the buffering effect of the waterfall around the island.  If I had to guess, there are probably a dozen or more small to juvenile size ones being grown here now.  My largest one is a Green Malayan Dwarf and is now about 15 ft.. tall in overall height.  In the Rio Grande Vakkey, there are probably about 150 to 200 being grown there, and out of those probably only about 2 orc3 dozen mature ones, but there should be thousands of them grown there, as the do pretty well there and produce viable nuts!!!

That is so great to read!   You need to send pics of your coco immediately if not sooner!

I go on Zillo (real-estate website) all the time just to see what the yards look like in varies part of the US.  Palm related of course. I have looked extensively in Corpus Christi and Port Aransas and have only seen a few what I call tropical palms.  I spotted a couple Fox tails and a few smaller Royals but never a coco.  Even looking on South Padre and Brownsville I see very few cocos and some Royals that look to be struggling.

I look at Florida and I say the Mason/Dixon line of coconut palms is on Merritt Island which is Cocoa Beach and I  see them pretty much all over the place near the water. 

Corpus Christi is as far south as Vero Beach and Vero is totally tropical.  Foxtails  and Royals are a dime a dozen.  Areca Palms are 20 feet tall and are the best property border on the planet.  Christmas Palms are everywhere and Cocos are so healthy. 

It fascinates me that Corpus Christi down to South Padre is the equivalent of Vero Beach  to just north of Miami and FL is WAY more tropical.   I think it’s weather and the Jet Stream that dips way lower in TX because it over land from  the West and FL has that large body of water called the Gulf of Mexico that blocks that really cold air from reaching basically south of Vero Beach.its the only thing I can come up with.

 Send some pics of tropical Palms around  your area!   

 

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19 hours ago, wrigjef said:

That is so great to read!   You need to send pics of your coco immediately if not sooner!

I go on Zillo (real-estate website) all the time just to see what the yards look like in varies part of the US.  Palm related of course. I have looked extensively in Corpus Christi and Port Aransas and have only seen a few what I call tropical palms.  I spotted a couple Fox tails and a few smaller Royals but never a coco.  Even looking on South Padre and Brownsville I see very few cocos and some Royals that look to be struggling.

I look at Florida and I say the Mason/Dixon line of coconut palms is on Merritt Island which is Cocoa Beach and I  see them pretty much all over the place near the water. 

Corpus Christi is as far south as Vero Beach and Vero is totally tropical.  Foxtails  and Royals are a dime a dozen.  Areca Palms are 20 feet tall and are the best property border on the planet.  Christmas Palms are everywhere and Cocos are so healthy. 

It fascinates me that Corpus Christi down to South Padre is the equivalent of Vero Beach  to just north of Miami and FL is WAY more tropical.   I think it’s weather and the Jet Stream that dips way lower in TX because it over land from  the West and FL has that large body of water called the Gulf of Mexico that blocks that really cold air from reaching basically south of Vero Beach.its the only thing I can come up with.

 Send some pics of tropical Palms around  your area!   

 

You are right about WHY Vero Beach is more tropical than here, even though we are on about the same latitude.  It's because of the cold continental air masses that affect us more in the winter, but with Climate Change, the east side of Corpus Christi near the water has gone from Zone 9B to 10A over the last 20 to 30 years, and we DO have a few 40ft. tall in overall height Cuban Royal Palms here!!!

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For some reason, I can't postybphotos here.  Palmtalks photo policy reallyvticks me off sometimes.

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11 hours ago, Palmalago said:

I can't either and I have a coconut palm in Phoenix

 I only use my I phone to post pictures. I pull them right from my saved pictures I have had issues posting pics using my PC

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On 8/19/2019 at 11:03 PM, wrigjef said:

That is so great to read!   You need to send pics of your coco immediately if not sooner!

I go on Zillo (real-estate website) all the time just to see what the yards look like in varies part of the US.  Palm related of course. I have looked extensively in Corpus Christi and Port Aransas and have only seen a few what I call tropical palms.  I spotted a couple Fox tails and a few smaller Royals but never a coco.  Even looking on South Padre and Brownsville I see very few cocos and some Royals that look to be struggling.

I look at Florida and I say the Mason/Dixon line of coconut palms is on Merritt Island which is Cocoa Beach and I  see them pretty much all over the place near the water. 

Corpus Christi is as far south as Vero Beach and Vero is totally tropical.  Foxtails  and Royals are a dime a dozen.  Areca Palms are 20 feet tall and are the best property border on the planet.  Christmas Palms are everywhere and Cocos are so healthy. 

It fascinates me that Corpus Christi down to South Padre is the equivalent of Vero Beach  to just north of Miami and FL is WAY more tropical.   I think it’s weather and the Jet Stream that dips way lower in TX because it over land from  the West and FL has that large body of water called the Gulf of Mexico that blocks that really cold air from reaching basically south of Vero Beach.its the only thing I can come up with.

 Send some pics of tropical Palms around  your area!   

 

Agree with you on Fl at equivalent latitude being more tropical. But there are thousands of royal palms in the Brownsville-McAllen area (Cameron and Hidalgo counties). I regularly check Zillow too and you would be hard pressed to find a page without at least a few listings with royal palms. They are especially popular with new development and are now even more popular than queen palms. They are locally field grown, so there's definitely a market. They're featured in public areas too i.e downtown Brownsville, UT RGV, Macy's McAllen. If you're looking through streetview, it won't do the area justice as most photos date from 2011 - just after the worst freeze since 1989 (equivalent of the 2010 freeze in FL). Things look MUCH better now. 

Edited by Xenon
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Jonathan

Katy, TX (Zone 9a)

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On 8/20/2019 at 12:03 AM, wrigjef said:

Corpus Christi is as far south as Vero Beach and Vero is totally tropical. 

 

Generally I agree about Vero and the statement from Cocoa and points south having nice coconuts. But all those areas are also vulnerable and not truly tropical. Vero and Ft Myers lost a lot of coconuts in 2010 from the freeze. In FL, every miles south and east makes a big difference with the progression of cold. 

Orlando can have mid-term success with z10 palms. With a little luck, there have been runs of warmer winters. This is one of the largest coconuts in town. It was planted around 2005 and never protected. The other is mine after 4 years in the ground. 

PSX_20190822_123641.jpg

20190821_014229.jpg

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Both of those are absolutely stunning!!!  If only they didn't trim the inflorescences off the one on I-Drive.

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8 hours ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

Generally I agree about Vero and the statement from Cocoa and points south having nice coconuts. But all those areas are also vulnerable and not truly tropical. Vero and Ft Myers lost a lot of coconuts in 2010 from the freeze. In FL, every miles south and east makes a big difference with the progression of cold. 

Orlando can have mid-term success with z10 palms. With a little luck, there have been runs of warmer winters. This is one of the largest coconuts in town. It was planted around 2005 and never protected. The other is mine after 4 years in the ground. 

PSX_20190822_123641.jpg

20190821_014229.jpg

I figured Cocoa Beach was a place that could experience widespread death of tropicals from time to time. I remember visiting Ron Jon’s Surf shop back in the mid 90’s and there was a huge Coconut Palm outside the front door that is gone now.  Maybe you know the one I am referring too. 

As far as Vero Beach I thought that was far enough South to not be effected by the cold thanks for sharing.  How far south on the east coast do you think you need to get to be safe from losing tropicals?   I’m heading to South Hutchison Island at the end of September for a week, my in laws live there.  

Your Coco in the yard is amazing, very impressed with it looking that large after 4 years in the ground.  Did you plant from a seedling or was it in a pot for a while?   My Palm I kept in a pot for 3 years before planing and now in the ground for 3 years.  My growth is sooo slow with my climate.  

The coconut from town is awesome, I saw that on the other thread about 10b Palms in Orlando.  That was a great read. 

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I was at Ron John's in November and recall there being several larger coconuts on the grounds.  In-fact Cocos are very common in Cocoa Beach.

Edited by palmsOrl
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3 hours ago, palmsOrl said:

I was at Ron John's in November and recall there being several larger coconuts on the grounds.  In-fact Cocos are very common in Cocoa Beach.

I don’t doubt you at all. If I lived there I would plant more cocos as they died!  But the question really is when we’re these cocos planted?   Surely post 2010!   The coco I’m referring to was at least 40ft but my guess was 50ft. It was a monster and now it’s gone!    

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4 hours ago, wrigjef said:

I figured Cocoa Beach was a place that could experience widespread death of tropicals from time to time. I remember visiting Ron Jon’s Surf shop back in the mid 90’s and there was a huge Coconut Palm outside the front door that is gone now.  Maybe you know the one I am referring too. 

As far as Vero Beach I thought that was far enough South to not be effected by the cold thanks for sharing.  How far south on the east coast do you think you need to get to be safe from losing tropicals?   I’m heading to South Hutchison Island at the end of September for a week, my in laws live there.  

Your Coco in the yard is amazing, very impressed with it looking that large after 4 years in the ground.  Did you plant from a seedling or was it in a pot for a while?   My Palm I kept in a pot for 3 years before planing and now in the ground for 3 years.  My growth is sooo slow with my climate.  

The coconut from town is awesome, I saw that on the other thread about 10b Palms in Orlando.  That was a great read. 

From eyewitness accounts, many cocos near the water survived in Vero that winter. So either coastal Vero or just south of there. I always say West Palm south is the safe zone. I bought mine for $19 and planted it right in the ground (pic below) It took a beating in Jan 2018 when 1 night dipped to 28F. Last winter had 1 night below 40F. Such is like in 9b Florida. Took 12 months for the crown to fully grow back. This summet is the first year it fruited. 

Screenshot_20190823-015841_Photos.jpg

Screenshot_20190812-005814_Gallery.jpg

Edited by pj_orlando_z9b
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What a magnificent palm yours has turned into PJ.  When exactly did you plant it?

I am sure Cocoa Beach had substantial Cocos mortality as a result of the 2010 cold and freezes, however, I would guess that a fair number survived right by the beach.

When I would visit in the 1990s, I recall seeing just a few specimens and being so impressed, there seem to be far, far more there now.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 8/23/2019 at 4:13 PM, pj_orlando_z9b said:

From eyewitness accounts, many cocos near the water survived in Vero that winter. So either coastal Vero or just south of there. I always say West Palm south is the safe zone. I bought mine for $19 and planted it right in the ground (pic below) It took a beating in Jan 2018 when 1 night dipped to 28F. Last winter had 1 night below 40F. Such is like in 9b Florida. Took 12 months for the crown to fully grow back. This summet is the first year it fruited. 

Screenshot_20190823-015841_Photos.jpg

Screenshot_20190812-005814_Gallery.jpg

I've said this elsewhere, but very few coconuts died in freezes on Barrier Island (the official, dumb name for the barrier island north of Orchid Island, which is where Vero is). My relatives have lived on the island continuously for 50-odd years, and when I lived on the island 2015-2018, I had a neighbor who'd been on the same Indialantic street for more than 30 years. This neighbor had several mature coconuts just one property west from A1A, and he said he never lost one to freezes (which would have included the worst '80s freezes), but he did lose some to a micro-burst or mini-tornado in a hurricane. There are many mature coconuts in the neighborhood, including several that must be 40+ years old. I would say the sweet spot for long-term coconut survival is South Patrick Shores on south.

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On 8/22/2019 at 12:45 PM, pj_orlando_z9b said:

Generally I agree about Vero and the statement from Cocoa and points south having nice coconuts. But all those areas are also vulnerable and not truly tropical. Vero and Ft Myers lost a lot of coconuts in 2010 from the freeze. In FL, every miles south and east makes a big difference with the progression of cold. 

Orlando can have mid-term success with z10 palms. With a little luck, there have been runs of warmer winters. This is one of the largest coconuts in town. It was planted around 2005 and never protected. The other is mine after 4 years in the ground. 

PSX_20190822_123641.jpg

20190821_014229.jpg

Those are some amazing coconuts! The one you grow looks so full and healthy. The Butia in the back is also cool to see with a coconut not far from it. 

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PalmTreeDude

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On 8/12/2019 at 5:33 PM, wrigjef said:

Ando.wsu,

Well it was the worst winter I recall in 20 years of living in Phoenix.  I see you live in Avondale so you can attest.  The palm is alive and pushing out a new frond but took a long time to start growing again. The palm almost completely defoliated this winter but not for the reason you might think. It was my stupidity that almost killed it.  At my house we had several freezes.  My guess is about 7-10 days with outside temps in my yard at or just below freezing.  The coldest I recorded was 28 degrees and I have 3 thermometers placed around my property.   The palm was in its “greenhouse” and the lowest temp recorded inside was 38 degrees.

I had the heat lamp like normal in the greenhouse but After several nights in the low 40’s and one night in the 30’s the older fronds started to spot real bad.  I put in a small space heater I have used several times but made the huge mistake of not moving the heater much further away from the tree and I almost fried it.   

The next day every frond was limp and touching the ground.  I thought for sure I killed it.  I felt the base of the trunk and it felt like 130 degrees so I knew I caused it.  

The palm did survive and pushed out a half burnt frond that opened prematurely and then went limp and shriveled up.  Then the new frond after that pushed out normally but very slow.  I will send an updated picture soon.  

Thanks for the update.  Looks like the latest pic you posted it is recovering.  My coconut I bought 1.5 years ago grew quite a bit since February 2019.  Pic shows progression from February this year, July, and current.  

9B6F7850-7F0F-417A-B1AA-7DA0BEBEC711.jpeg

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13 minutes ago, ando.wsu said:

Thanks for the update.  Looks like the latest pic you posted it is recovering.  My coconut I bought 1.5 years ago grew quite a bit since February 2019.  Pic shows progression from February this year, July, and current.  

9B6F7850-7F0F-417A-B1AA-7DA0BEBEC711.jpeg

 

65C5B083-A996-49BC-B430-5791FF52FE02.png

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Thanks for the pics of your palms. Good to see some Phoenix people trying to grow them.  I just got back from South Hutchinson Island. I paid special attention to the coconuts on the island and some are clearly 30 plus years old. I notice they grow wild on the sides of the roads near the beach.  I found a dozen or more just walking on the beach.  One was even germinated so I put it just inside the sea grass line. Hope it grows 

My coco 3 weeks since last pic. Opening nicely!

7CB46DDD-2790-457E-A1AA-9EA6AF91CB52.jpeg

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 1/8/2017 at 4:47 PM, wrigjef said:

JayB,

If you haven't read this entire thread it may help you with a location to plant in the ground for the tree. I had mine in a pot for 4 years before considering in the ground. I planted mine on the SE side of my house up against a wall.  My thought was first light in the morning hits that area and heats up quickly. In winter obviously is when needing a quick heat up. Summer afternoon sun farther north and the house protects the tree from the afternoon blaze.

Your potted palm I would start out in light shade and gradually moved to full sun after about a week. The UV index this time of year is very low so you won't fry it in full sun in January. By mid March the sun here is intense.

Here is pic of my palm today in the green house I built. Lowest temp I have recorded was 52 degrees. Most night bottom out at around 60. Hi temps when we have full fun hit the low 90's every day. When clouds are prevalent most of the day I have to run the lamp or the temps stay in the low 60's which is not good for long term. I think the palm is doing great in its home so far. 

image.jpeg

I would try to reduce the volume of your makeshift greenhouse. I would try to pull in the fronds so as to semi bundle them, then make the PVC frame smaller in width and depth. If you could reduce the greenhouse volume 30-40%, then you would require far less heat to protect your coconut. Further, at night, I would drape blankets over the greenhouse top, and also try to hang a blanket curtain on at least the more exposed greenhouse walls (then remove the blanket curtains during the day). That will increase your R value greatly, requiring even less heat, as there would be far less heat loss through the greenhouse walls.  I would then get a digital thermometer with remote sensor, and place the remote sensor inside the greenhouse so that you can monitor the temperature inside from inside your house -- then provide supplemental heat accordingly.  Possibly, with better greenhouse wall and ceiling insulation you won't need a space heater.  For structures of the size in your photo, I find that a good electric skillet can provide adequate heat -- if the structure is well insulated.  As your palm grows taller and in increased canopy spread, then you will have to find more innovative ways to protect your coconut palm. Eventually, and I know from my own experience with my coconut palm,  you will only be able to protect the trunk and meristem (I use electric heating cables and insulation blankets), as the palm will then be far too big to build a greenhouse around it, although I'm sure it could be done, just depends on how far you want to go.

Mad about palms

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On 1/8/2017 at 4:47 PM, wrigjef said:

JayB,

If you haven't read this entire thread it may help you with a location to plant in the ground for the tree. I had mine in a pot for 4 years before considering in the ground. I planted mine on the SE side of my house up against a wall.  My thought was first light in the morning hits that area and heats up quickly. In winter obviously is when needing a quick heat up. Summer afternoon sun farther north and the house protects the tree from the afternoon blaze.

Your potted palm I would start out in light shade and gradually moved to full sun after about a week. The UV index this time of year is very low so you won't fry it in full sun in January. By mid March the sun here is intense.

Here is pic of my palm today in the green house I built. Lowest temp I have recorded was 52 degrees. Most night bottom out at around 60. Hi temps when we have full fun hit the low 90's every day. When clouds are prevalent most of the day I have to run the lamp or the temps stay in the low 60's which is not good for long term. I think the palm is doing great in its home so far. 

image.jpeg

I would try to reduce the volume of your makeshift greenhouse. I would try to pull in the fronds so as to semi bundle them, then make the PVC frame smaller in width and depth. If you could reduce the greenhouse volume 30-40%, then you would require far less heat to protect your coconut. Further, at night, I would drape blankets over the greenhouse top, and also try to hang a blanket curtain on at least the more exposed greenhouse walls (then remove the blanket curtains during the day). That will increase your R value greatly, requiring even less heat, as there would be far less heat loss through the greenhouse walls.  I would then get a digital thermometer with remote sensor, and place the remote sensor inside the greenhouse so that you can monitor the temperature inside from inside your house -- then provide supplemental heat accordingly.  Possibly, with better greenhouse wall and ceiling insulation you won't need a space heater.  For structures of the size in your photo, I find that a good electric skillet can provide adequate heat -- if the structure is well insulated.  As your palm grows taller and in increased canopy spread, then you will have to find more innovative ways to protect your coconut palm. Eventually, and I know from my own experience with my coconut palm,  you will only be able to protect the trunk and meristem (I use electric heating cables and insulation blankets), as the palm will then be far too big to build a greenhouse around it, although I'm sure it could be done, just depends on how far you want to go.

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Mad about palms

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Hey Walt,

  The pic you copied above is from my original greenhouse which was 5 ft tall and 5 ft wide.  That was in 1017 when the palm was 3 ft tall.  This past winter the palm was 7 feet and I had to build up to fit it.  When I almost fried it using the space heater too close I lost the largest frond.  The palm is now right at 6ft so I cut my greenhouse down to 6ft 4 and 4.5 feet wide so to your point this should help. 
I have always kept a digital thermometer in there and can check it from inside my house

 I put on extra blankets on cooler nights.  Most nights the last 3 years rarely go below 50 inside the greenhouse except last year where I had a week in the upper 30’s to low 40’s which is why I put in the space heater.   Just spaced myself and did not move it far enough away from the base of the tree and almost killed it.  Basically completely defoliated so spent all spring and summer growing out of my mistake.  
 

Here are pics taken today.  I put up the frame yesterday and the tarp and plastic wrap today.  It’s supposed to be in the low 40’s Wednesday night so wanted to get a head start. Ever year up until now I did not need to protect at all until December. 
 

Walt please send some pics of your Coco 

E8534F24-B970-40F9-8ACB-ECD23AE8E14C.jpeg

17547AA4-811D-432B-8B2B-B25BBAD1EEF1.jpeg

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27 minutes ago, wrigjef said:

Hey Walt,

  The pic you copied above is from my original greenhouse which was 5 ft tall and 5 ft wide.  That was in 1017 when the palm was 3 ft tall.  This past winter the palm was 7 feet and I had to build up to fit it.  When I almost fried it using the space heater too close I lost the largest frond.  The palm is now right at 6ft so I cut my greenhouse down to 6ft 4 and 4.5 feet wide so to your point this should help. 
I have always kept a digital thermometer in there and can check it from inside my house

 I put on extra blankets on cooler nights.  Most nights the last 3 years rarely go below 50 inside the greenhouse except last year where I had a week in the upper 30’s to low 40’s which is why I put in the space heater.   Just spaced myself and did not move it far enough away from the base of the tree and almost killed it.  Basically completely defoliated so spent all spring and summer growing out of my mistake.  
 

Here are pics taken today.  I put up the frame yesterday and the tarp and plastic wrap today.  It’s supposed to be in the low 40’s Wednesday night so wanted to get a head start. Ever year up until now I did not need to protect at all until December. 
 

Walt please send some pics of your Coco 

E8534F24-B970-40F9-8ACB-ECD23AE8E14C.jpeg

17547AA4-811D-432B-8B2B-B25BBAD1EEF1.jpeg

Have you thought about lining the back tarp with silver roofing insulation? I use it in our winter, we have cooler temperatures in winter but still plenty of sunshine and the roof insulation really reflects the sunlight during the day making the palm much brighter and warmer. I just roll it up and through it in the shed till next winter when I've finished.

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22 hours ago, wrigjef said:

Hey Walt,

  The pic you copied above is from my original greenhouse which was 5 ft tall and 5 ft wide.  That was in 1017 when the palm was 3 ft tall.  This past winter the palm was 7 feet and I had to build up to fit it.  When I almost fried it using the space heater too close I lost the largest frond.  The palm is now right at 6ft so I cut my greenhouse down to 6ft 4 and 4.5 feet wide so to your point this should help. 
I have always kept a digital thermometer in there and can check it from inside my house

 I put on extra blankets on cooler nights.  Most nights the last 3 years rarely go below 50 inside the greenhouse except last year where I had a week in the upper 30’s to low 40’s which is why I put in the space heater.   Just spaced myself and did not move it far enough away from the base of the tree and almost killed it.  Basically completely defoliated so spent all spring and summer growing out of my mistake.  
 

Here are pics taken today.  I put up the frame yesterday and the tarp and plastic wrap today.  It’s supposed to be in the low 40’s Wednesday night so wanted to get a head start. Ever year up until now I did not need to protect at all until December. 
 

Walt please send some pics of your Coco 

E8534F24-B970-40F9-8ACB-ECD23AE8E14C.jpeg

17547AA4-811D-432B-8B2B-B25BBAD1EEF1.jpeg

I've been growing my green Malayan dwarf now for 16 years. Planted it as a 7 gallon size. It's been a slow grower. I've posted (numerous times) various photos of my coconut palm  shown with freeze protection. I would have lost this palm a decade or more ago had I not protected it on some extra cold winter nights. While I'm in USDA zone 9b (last five winters zone 10, even zone 10b last winter), some winters my lows dropped into the low 20s F.  In December of 2010 I recorded my all-time low of 20.8 degrees in the vicinity of my coconut palm, and just over 19 degrees in other parts of my property. I had to use thermostatically controlled heating cables and heavy wraps around the palm's trunk and meristem. The fronds got fried, but the trunk and meristem were untouched. I had a remote sensor inside the wraps and it never dropped below 55 degrees.

I took the below photo three days ago (10-26-19). I didn't get any coconuts this year, but have for the five previous years. My palm now has lots of developing coconuts that won't be ripe until next year.

With respect to your coconut palm, I feel you need to seal up your makeshift greenhouse to prevent cold air infiltration. If you could cinch the fronds closer together so that you could encircle the palm with your tarps (with a tarp overhanging the top) you probably wouldn't need too much heat to keep the greenhouse at say 40 degrees F. And again, if you can insulate the tarps with old flannel sheets, blankets, etc., the will substantially cut down on heat transfer out of the greenhouse.

Over the last 20 years there's not many techniques I haven't tried protecting palms and tropical plants,  etc. Those days are basically over for me now. About all I will try to protect is my coconut palm. Palms I used to protect are now too tall.

 

Coconut palm 10-26-19.jpg

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Mad about palms

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Whoever wants sound advice about zone pushing Cocos nucifera, @Walt is your man. Especially in a humid 9b. 

 

 

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5 year high 42.2C/108F (07/06/2018)--5 year low 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)--Lowest recent/current winter: 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)

 

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