Pruning Coconuts or If someone would have told me...

[Peter Pacific]

We have been pruning our coconuts and if anyone has an easier way please post away.

It's essential to arm yourself first, not with gloves or extension ladders, rope or machetes (that comes later) but with a couple of young helpers to actually get to the top of these suckers! I never thought that eleven years ago while I was walking through the garden with a coconut palm in each hand, and placing them every few paces, that they would actually grow to over thirty feet!

They are huge, glorious and provide the perfect canopy for the palms underneath. Keeping them clean is a chore and I can't even imagine what the cost would be to keep them this way in the United States, there are over one hundred on the property. First, we open the 22 foot extension ladder all the way that's possible, then you have to hug the palm and shimmy up another ten feet or so to reach the peak.

One guy up in the palm to swing with a very sharp machete after its been tied and slowly lowered down to avoid any accidents. The same goes for the coconuts before they come crashing down onto the tile roof or the skylight over my shower.

Then, we have to haul the stuff away (or chop it up and use it as mulch or put them on the tops of the pergolas for a little rest from the sun). With the pile of coconuts we get there will be Tom Kha Gai and macaroons for a week! I've heard that there are more electrolytes in Coconut water than there are in Gatorade!

So today we have been working in the garden! Hmmmm, coconut candy, almond joys, rum and coconut and lots of ice...

[WestCoastGal]

Nice photos and the epitome of most people's idea of tropical Peter. I think a lot of people first getting into palms buy them for the aesthetics and don't research the care and cautions that go along with them, i.e. falling coconuts, armed or poisonous plantings with little kids around, etc. Your post is a beautiful example of the pluses and minuses in your case.

[Peter Pacific]

Hi WestCoastGal, even with the work that's involved in pruning the coconut palms, my garden gives me so much pleasure that it's not really a minus. These coconuts were the very first palms I ever planted...that was a long time ago.

Now, I carefully research every palm and ultimate size before I plant (and I still make mistakes!

Peter

[Jeff Searle]

Peter,

Your not kidding, this is a huge undertaking. And no real easy way of doing it. Or cheap. Do you have access to a lift bucket that you can rent and move it around through the yard? These are great to use, unless there's no room to move it around through your yard.

[brodklop]

I saw in Rockhampton Queensland a few years back, coconuts that had baskets up the trunk a bit to catch fallen nuts. Looked a bit weird but the council probably thought it was cheaper.

As for me I can't wait for mine to fruit

[WestCoastGal]

I saw in Rockhampton Queensland a few years back, coconuts that had baskets up the trunk a bit to catch fallen nuts. Looked a bit weird but the council probably thought it was cheaper.

As for me I can't wait for mine to fruit

OMG that's about on par with horses walking around with diapers. LOL. Serves a purpose I guess but sure must look weird. Some netting might look better than baskets or maybe it's just what I'm picturing as baskets. Some how it all seems just so wrong. Definitely not a romantic balmy tourist photo. BTW didn't I read on here that parts of Queensland's beachy tourist areas were cutting down these palms? Did the baskets fail...a whole basket-full of coconut tumbling down on tourists instead of one?

Peter your coco photos look fantastic. Picture postcard.

[realarch]

Can't wait to see all them coconuts Peter!

You do have to consider where to plant these guys for the harvesting and maintenance. I have a friend who lined a driveway and parking area with them and I kept telling him

it probably wasn't a good idea. It must have sunk in because he finally removed all of them before they started fruiting.

We had a humongous one taken out in the back, I was terrified it was going to kill me. Those thuds were getting pretty close and although my head is hard, it's not that hard.

Tim