Hi palmnuts!

Today I decided that I wanted so see some nice coconut palm trees in Southern California. I just felt like it!

So I headed towards the Salton Sea

Let the search begins! Ayayayay!!!

 

Gonna need some speed if you want to catch some coconuts...

 

Yup, they are fast, those coco nuts...

LOL Daniel

Daniel has been affected by the Coco addiction, it is too late, the moment he went to La Quinta he understood it! 

Daniel has been affected by the Coco addiction, it is too late, the moment he went to La Quinta he understood it! 

exactlyexactly!

They are magical

You really have to see one in person and listen to the fronds in a light breeze to get the full effect. 

And seeing them nice and healthy in California is like seeing a unicorn...

I just came back from riding along the shoreline. The higher humidity down there is very noticeable. Feels just like the beach. Except a bit more stinky 

I didn't get to take any pics down there because I left my phone charging in my truck. I'm gonna need some battery so that I can take some pics of the wild washingtonia grove I saw the last time I was out here.

 

Here's some fuel for ya 

I didn't find the wild washingtonia grove 

I got a bit lost in the canyons and a bit scared since I was alone 

I was really hoping to find these palm because I think they might be pure filiferas. Someone on the forum was looking for pure filifera seed so I'm on the hunt for those too.

But I did find these though... 

 

 

 

I told you guys I would find a coconut grove...

The bomb has been dropped,  gets popcorn and waits for reactions.

They look nice, more info about them!

Edited November 2, 201510 yr by Cluster

I think they look kinda ratty.  A find nonetheless!

Very good find!

Woah! 

Considering the size they were in May of this year, they have grown quite a lot. It would be very interesting to see if they survive for the next few years!

You have a good eye Daniel, I bet the brakes took a while to cool down  

 

Looks like they've grown quite a bit. The soil looks awfully dry, I hope they're getting watered enough! 

excellent.

 

Looks like grown for a few years in a pot, then planted out sometime in 2013 or 2014. And look at all that shade cloth...!

lmao!

What city?

 

Jeff

I took care not to identify the address in my posts above, sorry, I won't be posting it. Although it's not too difficult to find out on the internets.

Looks like grown for a few years in a pot, then planted out sometime in 2013 or 2014. And look at all that shade cloth...!

I don't think they where planted out too big actually. There's two smaller ones in there. I've been here before, last November I think. But it was dark and couldn't see well. The smallest one still had the husk attached to it back then, and I could no longer see it today.

and the shade cloths in the backyard was actually only covering some smaller tropical trees. The open green gap in that aerial pic is the two large coconuts in the backyard. They are in as much sun as you can possibly give them. Now that's what I call "full sun"! Those burnt older fronds I believe might be winter damage. Idk tho. I just cant believe how much blazing sun they can handle. All the queen palms in that neighborhood looked awful and awfully burnt out.

 

You go Dan-O

I took care not to identify the address in my posts above, sorry, I won't be posting it. Although it's not too difficult to find out on the internets.

Yes, privacy is important..... exact address is not. 

Would it be too much to ask at least what city?

I value my privacy, but if anyone asks.... I live in Modesto, Ca.

I've had drive by's and even a few people knock on my door... I've chalked it up to cost of growing something exotic.

Looks like grown for a few years in a pot, then planted out sometime in 2013 or 2014. And look at all that shade cloth...!

I don't think they where planted out too big actually. There's two smaller ones in there. I've been here before, last November I think. But it was dark and couldn't see well. The smallest one still had the husk attached to it back then, and I could no longer see it today.

and the shade cloths in the backyard was actually only covering some smaller tropical trees. The open green gap in that aerial pic is the two large coconuts in the backyard. They are in as much sun as you can possibly give them. Now that's what I call "full sun"! Those burnt older fronds I believe might be winter damage. Idk tho. I just cant believe how much blazing sun they can handle. All the queen palms in that neighborhood looked awful and awfully burnt out.

 

If I could talk to the person growing these, one bit of advice I would give..... give each palm a drip line of at least a circle 4 to 5  ft in diameter.

Mulch would help as well.

It seems that they are doing ok inspite of the lack of mulch, but about 4 in deep of large fir bark would keep the ground cool and moist. That bare dirt probably reaches 150f of a clear summer day.

Jeff, the big thing is a lack of too-cool temps for too long.

 

I took care not to identify the address in my posts above, sorry, I won't be posting it. Although it's not too difficult to find out on the internets.

Yes, privacy is important..... exact address is not. 

Would it be too much to ask at least what city?

I value my privacy, but if anyone asks.... I live in Modesto, Ca.

I've had drive by's and even a few people knock on my door... I've chalked it up to cost of growing something exotic.

Well, Daniel went riding near Salton Sea...

What city?

 

Jeff

It's in the Salton Sea area. I think the place I was riding at is called Ocotillo Wells.

Here's that pic I took in the dark last year. They look like they're growing pretty fast. 

Crazy thing about it is that I think this might be someone's vacation home in the desert. The home looks like no ones been there in a while. Many of the houses in this area are  like this. Property has been very cheap for a while around here and people buy these houses so they can just use them for the weekend getaway riding atv, jeeps, and dirt bikes. 

The palms probably get minimal care. They each have a soaker sprinkler head very close to their trunks.

Looks like grown for a few years in a pot, then planted out sometime in 2013 or 2014. And look at all that shade cloth...!

I don't think they where planted out too big actually. There's two smaller ones in there. I've been here before, last November I think. But it was dark and couldn't see well. The smallest one still had the husk attached to it back then, and I could no longer see it today.

and the shade cloths in the backyard was actually only covering some smaller tropical trees. The open green gap in that aerial pic is the two large coconuts in the backyard. They are in as much sun as you can possibly give them. Now that's what I call "full sun"! Those burnt older fronds I believe might be winter damage. Idk tho. I just cant believe how much blazing sun they can handle. All the queen palms in that neighborhood looked awful and awfully burnt out.

 

If I could talk to the person growing these, one bit of advice I would give..... give each palm a drip line of at least a circle 4 to 5  ft in diameter.

Mulch would help as well.

It seems that they are doing ok inspite of the lack of mulch, but about 4 in deep of large fir bark would keep the ground cool and moist. That bare dirt probably reaches 150f of a clear summer day.

Look at all the rock mulch! 

If you look closely you can see that they do add mulch. Just not very much and probably not very frequently. To me they just looked a bit washed out. Maybe a healthy dose of fertilizers would benefit them and green them up a bit more.

Seems like a coconut lover put there many coconuts recently, the house has had new floor added there, seems like a new project.

I do not think they look that bad, they could look better of course, but it is decent:)

Edited November 2, 201510 yr by Cluster

Those look like the coconuts that they sell at Home Depot.  I bought one in the spring, and even though it is still in a pot it has been growing like a rocket.  And I haven't even fertilized it!  I've got a sheltered spot behind my house -- where the Solanum rantonnetii (potato vine) doesn't lose its leaves -- that I am going to plant it in.  

I wonder why so many are so slow here?  Maybe they need the inland heat?  I'll take a picture of mine -- as soon as I get a chance -- so you can see what I mean.

Edited November 3, 201510 yr by rprimbs

Those look like the coconuts that they sell at Home Depot.  I bought one in the spring, and even though it is still in a pot it has been growing like a rocket.  And I haven't even fertilized it!  I've got a sheltered spot behind my house -- where the Solanum rantonnetii (potato vine) doesn't lose its leaves -- that I am going to plant it in.  

I wonder why so many are so slow here?  Maybe they need the inland heat?  I'll take a picture of mine -- as soon as I get a chance -- so you can see what I mean.

I don't have a lot of experience with them but I did notice that the ones I have planted in the ground really slowed down compared to others left in growing containers. Maybe it's best to grow them to a decent size before planting them in the ground. 

The ones in growing containers have good soil mixed with plenty of perlite for better drainage and less water retention in pot. I feel I am able to water and feed my coconuts  in pots better than the ones in my clayey soil of course. 

Hey Dani,

Those are some nice looking coconut palms considering their bad growing conditions in the hot dry California desert.  It looks like they are Golden and Yellow Malayan Dwarfs.  The Yellow Malayan Dwarfs have a very bright yellow petiole and the Golden Malayans have a very golden yellow or golden orange colored petiole.  Here in Texas, and in Florida, coconut palms really take off and start growing faster when they are in the ground than when they are in pots.  I think your slow in ground growth rate has a lot to do with your lack of rainfall and soil conditions.

John

Think it's going to be up to danilopez to find the farthest west a coco can grow now. I can't believe those desert cocos!

Hey Dani,

Those are some nice looking coconut palms considering their bad growing conditions in the hot dry California desert.  It looks like they are Golden and Yellow Malayan Dwarfs.  The Yellow Malayan Dwarfs have a very bright yellow petiole and the Golden Malayans have a very golden yellow or golden orange colored petiole.  Here in Texas, and in Florida, coconut palms really take off and start growing faster when they are in the ground than when they are in pots.  I think your slow in ground growth rate has a lot to do with your lack of rainfall and soil conditions.

John

Yes I think that's our problem out here too. Lack of rainfall and soil conditions. After we had a good rain all my palms had a nice growth spurt.

I'm now thinking about building a temporary greenhouse for my cocos for next year's winter. I will bring them indoors this year but I doubt I'll keep wanting to grow them in pots after this winter.

 

So, who's coming to the PSSC meeeting at Danny's place on November 21, 2015?

AND the coconut guy.

Be skeptical, see for yourself.

Partake of the buffet.

Bid in the auction.

Schmooze . . .

They were still there and growing strong as of June 2019, hidden behind the grove of date palms. Looks like they have a nice bit of trunk:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.3008679,-115.9805891,3a,15y,218.1h,89.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssf68evw9OMMIkco_OmBpaA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

And the street view from the further lane of the highway has been more recently updated, and it looks like they (or at least 1 of them) are still there as of March 2021, although very hard to tell behind all the date palms. Someone will have to drive out there and verify. It looks like you can see the fronds of one of them but it does look kind of brown:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.3010757,-115.9803342,3a,15y,220.47h,89.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1spkUrt_03XisZqgLhetZpbg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192