Coconut palms 1 year anniversary in the ground San Diego/Tijuana region

[Cuckoo for coconuts]

My coco's are located about 1 mile south of SDSU.

GottmitAlex, yours look great and I'm hoping mine grow like that.  Do you think we'll actually see coconuts?  I hear if there's any chance at all it happens at around 7 years or so.  My only real worry is a real cold spell in January.  I have a mango near it that's doing well and a papaya that produces nicely.  I figure the south wall and the heat sink of the walkway helps in the winter.  I don't have much else in the way of palms except a few sago's and a jelly palm I almost killed by flooding it in a tote when we removed it for more parking.

All, thank you for the advice.  

[Palmfarmer]

Looks amazing! now i see where your hate for washies come from haha. Do you think they will take more winter damage once they grow over the fence? is it chilly winds in Tijuana?

[GottmitAlex]

17 hours ago, Palmfarmer said:

Looks amazing! now i see where your hate for washies come from haha. Do you think they will take more winter damage once they grow over the fence? is it chilly winds in Tijuana?

Thank you. Pretty sure they'll take the weather once they clear the roof/fence.  In fact, I believe it will be beneficial for the palms due to those structures are blocking their southern exposure. 

They currently are getting half of the sunlight/heat in winter they would otherwise receive without the neighbors 2nd story.

Before the neighbor constructed his second floor, I honestly had a perfect coconut infrastructure and surrounding (for my region):

The narrow garden sliver is atop the southfacing edge of a 26 ft. Rock retaining wall. Perfect drainage. Sun used to just heat the side of the wall right beneath the garden.  That's why I believe my oldest coco had a great head start compared to the others.  In fact I put the fence up to mitigate. The sunlight hitting the leaves.  This ideal setup lasted 2016 till Dec 2017.....  the sun still hits the side of the wall beneath my oldest coco. But the neighbors second story doesn't let the sun heat the remaining rock retaining wall... let's see what happens.

 

 

[Cuckoo for coconuts]

I think your cocos will do well and hope the same for mine. My only real worry is a super cold winter like what we had back in January of 2006.  I remember things dying here and in the valleys from that freeze.  It was a freeze apparently, not just frost.  My family was out of town at the time and my brother was house sitting and he said it was like nothing we had ever experienced before.  I remember everyone in Acapulco stunned at how cool that day was there, too.  Let's hope for no freezes and we should do fine.  Also, the old school Christmas lights worked pretty well to keep things a few degrees higher than the surroundings. 

[GottmitAlex]

2 hours ago, Cuckoo for coconuts said:

I think your cocos will do well and hope the same for mine. 

Thank you 

I as well.

Remember to give them evening showers throughout the summer and fall.

They like the humidity. (Not essential for their growth as sunlight and heat are.) However, it is a treat for them.

 

 

[GottmitAlex]

Ok. No more teasers.  August 29th.....

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

15 hours ago, GottmitAlex said:

Ok. No more teasers.  August 29th.....

Looks Great, Alex!!!

[Cuckoo for coconuts]

I was wondering how yours are doing.  They look like they're doing really well.  Mine took off this summer, too.  

[GottmitAlex]

On 9/1/2020 at 4:47 PM, Cuckoo for coconuts said:

I was wondering how yours are doing.  They look like they're doing really well.  Mine took off this summer, too.  

Fantastic!!

Here are the coconut palms. (After misting them tonight. Expecting a record weekend heatwave.  

 

 

[GottmitAlex]

Daytime image

[PhilippineExpat]

I'm glad to see they are still looking good Cocos are one of my favorite palms (their fronds are my favorite part) despite how common they are where I live so I'm always happy to see people who appreciate them. One of my neighbors cut a young one down that had a super thick trunk and it was so sad to see. 

[Cuckoo for coconuts]

They look great.  I've been drowning mine through the heat and the seem to like it, too.

[Patrick Sheehan]

Nice! I hope mine will last!

Edited August 3, 2021 by Patrick Sheehan
Typo

[GottmitAlex]

On 8/29/2017 at 2:18 PM, GottmitAlex said:

Well today is the big day. 1 year in the ground for my golden Malayan dwarf coconut.

What began as a late summer impulsive purchase has turned out to be a great adventure.  I am not out of the woods by any means. At this stage it would only take one dip into the low 30's to wipe em out. But still, I am hopeful. 

^^2016^^

^^Originally planted horizontally on native soil. July 27th 2016.^^   

^^Replaced its plot with pure sand and planted it in a vertical manner (yes, a tad bit too close to the fence) August 29th 2016. One year ago to this day.^^

 

^^ Mirror "Techniques" in order to give them more light/heat throughout those colder months.^^

 

Well, here is the coconut along with all the other cocos planted between September 2016-Feb 2017. 

I would like to say thank you to all the members here for their support, tips and advice.

Especially to Cristóbal for the pure sand idea and Walt for advising me to "tear down that wall". I took out several dog-eared fence planks in order that the cocos get a lot more sun. They have grown exponentially since. I do water almost every day during the summer. The moisture meter reads between 1-2 after 24 hours.  In the spring I watered every 2-3 days. 

Without further ado, here's the birthday boy. The one that started this whole thing. 

 

^^Narrow garden atop a 24ft. rock-retaining wall^^ (What you see on the other side is my neighbors roof about 5 ft. below wall height)

^^Storebought Mexican tall dehusked golden  coco germinated in outdoor bathroom (Nov '16) shown  in next pic ^^

As it stands right now:

1 Golden Malayan Dwarf, 2 Green Pacific talls, 1 B. alfredii, 1 Storebought Mexican tall germinated in outdoor bathroom-now greenhaus-lol Nov 16' (golden!!) dehusked,  1 Jamaican/Atlantic tall coco and 1 B. fenestralis.  

Except for the golden Malayan dwarf (birthday boy) and the storebought coco, all the talls have half of their leaves pinnate already. Incredible.

God-willing it's going to be a jungle out there. 

Thanks again Palmtalk!

 

 

All I can say after almost 5 years: It has grown.

 

[GottmitAlex]

On 8/29/2017 at 2:18 PM, GottmitAlex said:

Well today is the big day. 1 year in the ground for my golden Malayan dwarf coconut.

What began as a late summer impulsive purchase has turned out to be a great adventure.  I am not out of the woods by any means. At this stage it would only take one dip into the low 30's to wipe em out. But still, I am hopeful. 

^^2016^^

^^Originally planted horizontally on native soil. July 27th 2016.^^   

^^Replaced its plot with pure sand and planted it in a vertical manner (yes, a tad bit too close to the fence) August 29th 2016. One year ago to this day.^^

 

^^ Mirror "Techniques" in order to give them more light/heat throughout those colder months.^^

 

Well, here is the coconut along with all the other cocos planted between September 2016-Feb 2017. 

I would like to say thank you to all the members here for their support, tips and advice.

Especially to Cristóbal for the pure sand idea and Walt for advising me to "tear down that wall". I took out several dog-eared fence planks in order that the cocos get a lot more sun. They have grown exponentially since. I do water almost every day during the summer. The moisture meter reads between 1-2 after 24 hours.  In the spring I watered every 2-3 days. 

Without further ado, here's the birthday boy. The one that started this whole thing. 

 

^^Narrow garden atop a 24ft. rock-retaining wall^^ (What you see on the other side is my neighbors roof about 5 ft. below wall height)

^^Storebought Mexican tall dehusked golden  coco germinated in outdoor bathroom (Nov '16) shown  in next pic ^^

As it stands right now:

1 Golden Malayan Dwarf, 2 Green Pacific talls, 1 B. alfredii, 1 Storebought Mexican tall germinated in outdoor bathroom-now greenhaus-lol Nov 16' (golden!!) dehusked,  1 Jamaican/Atlantic tall coco and 1 B. fenestralis.  

Except for the golden Malayan dwarf (birthday boy) and the storebought coco, all the talls have half of their leaves pinnate already. Incredible.

God-willing it's going to be a jungle out there. 

Thanks again Palmtalk!

 

 

All I can say after almost 5 years: It has grown.

 

[GottmitAlex]

On 8/29/2017 at 2:18 PM, GottmitAlex said:

Well today is the big day. 1 year in the ground for my golden Malayan dwarf coconut.

What began as a late summer impulsive purchase has turned out to be a great adventure.  I am not out of the woods by any means. At this stage it would only take one dip into the low 30's to wipe em out. But still, I am hopeful. 

^^2016^^

^^Originally planted horizontally on native soil. July 27th 2016.^^   

^^Replaced its plot with pure sand and planted it in a vertical manner (yes, a tad bit too close to the fence) August 29th 2016. One year ago to this day.^^

 

^^ Mirror "Techniques" in order to give them more light/heat throughout those colder months.^^

 

Well, here is the coconut along with all the other cocos planted between September 2016-Feb 2017. 

I would like to say thank you to all the members here for their support, tips and advice.

Especially to Cristóbal for the pure sand idea and Walt for advising me to "tear down that wall". I took out several dog-eared fence planks in order that the cocos get a lot more sun. They have grown exponentially since. I do water almost every day during the summer. The moisture meter reads between 1-2 after 24 hours.  In the spring I watered every 2-3 days. 

Without further ado, here's the birthday boy. The one that started this whole thing. 

 

^^Narrow garden atop a 24ft. rock-retaining wall^^ (What you see on the other side is my neighbors roof about 5 ft. below wall height)

^^Storebought Mexican tall dehusked golden  coco germinated in outdoor bathroom (Nov '16) shown  in next pic ^^

As it stands right now:

1 Golden Malayan Dwarf, 2 Green Pacific talls, 1 B. alfredii, 1 Storebought Mexican tall germinated in outdoor bathroom-now greenhaus-lol Nov 16' (golden!!) dehusked,  1 Jamaican/Atlantic tall coco and 1 B. fenestralis.  

Except for the golden Malayan dwarf (birthday boy) and the storebought coco, all the talls have half of their leaves pinnate already. Incredible.

God-willing it's going to be a jungle out there. 

Thanks again Palmtalk!

 

 

All I can say after almost 5 years: It has grown.

 

 

[DoomsDave]

Well, dang! You go @GottmitAlex! Wunderbar!

It's a bit early but . . .

Flintstones Happy Anniversary w/o dialogue - YouTube

[GottmitAlex]

 

[Cuckoo for coconuts]

Very nice.  What are the chances you ever get them to fruit?  I hope you do.

[GottmitAlex]

4 minutes ago, Cuckoo for coconuts said:

Very nice.  What are the chances you ever get them to fruit?  I hope you do.

Slim. Very slim. Here's hoping!

 

[bubba]

Remarkably healthy and well grown Cocos nucifera! Bravo!

[Walt]

Damn, it's been some years since I've seen this posting. Alex, your coconut palms have made some very notable growth. I'm happy for you. I think the sky is the limit now. What ever you are doing is working.  You have the distinction of The Home of the California Coconuts!

[GottmitAlex]

Thanks everyone.  Regarding granular fertilizer, I employed Miraclegro palm tree for the past 4 months due to the non-availability of Palmgain 8-2-12.   Generally our dry, hot summers take a toll on the palms more than our winters (interestingly enough), I realized that I should not have employed Miraclegro "shake and feed" which is an 8-8-8. I picked it up for expediency.

As you can see in the pictures the nutrient deficiency (Potassium) are on the older fronds. Something that was not visible in previous years. 

The coconuts are planted in pure course sand (1m x 1m x 1m) for drainage.  I religiously (except this quarter) apply Palmgain and salt every other month (one month palmgain, the other salt) to the soil where the coconuts are planted. 

If you are going to plant a coconut in pure sand, you will need an 8-2-12 fertilizer and (my suggestion: include as many micronutrients as possible. Don't forget boron)

As per foliar fertilizer/spray: "Fertilon combi 2" (European stuff)  (5g. mixed in 3 Gallons water)  every 2 weeks.  Remember to spray beneath the leaflets.  

Once a month you will want to foliar spray with Iron Chelate 11% ( I Use Carl Pool, but there are many others)

 

I guess that's my "secret" to growing Coconut palms @ 32.51° N

 

The secret is out dear friends! 

gute Nacht.

 

 

 

  

 

 

[Cuckoo for coconuts]

Mine are in a 5050 sand dirt mix, so similar to what you've done.  I used a lot of miracle grow for the first few years but not so much this summer and haven't dumped any salt water on them, but do flood them with the hose before it gets too hot.  I have to say that they looked better last summer when I was doing miracle grow/sea water so maybe I should start again.  Do you put salt on or salt water?  in the past,  after going clamming at Coronado, we've taken the buckets full of sea water and dumped that on them.  Your's look great.  

 

[GottmitAlex]

10 minutes ago, Cuckoo for coconuts said:

Mine are in a 5050 sand dirt mix, so similar to what you've done.  I used a lot of miracle grow for the first few years but not so much this summer and haven't dumped any salt water on them, but do flood them with the hose before it gets too hot.  I have to say that they looked better last summer when I was doing miracle grow/sea water so maybe I should start again.  Do you put salt on or salt water?  in the past,  after going clamming at Coronado, we've taken the buckets full of sea water and dumped that on them.  Your's look great.  

 

Thanks!  I employ water softener salt from South Bay Salt Works.    Local company and @Tracy is the head honcho there. Their salt rocks have been superior and less expensive to the gourmet junk I used to acquire.

You can find it at Dixieline.

 

[GottmitAlex]

How fortuitous. It's time for their salt.  The bag goes quick.

 

 

[Cuckoo for coconuts]

That's fascinating.  I've heard of folks doing that,  nice to see it in action.  I'll head to Dixieline and get some.  I always wondered where they sold that stuff.  you can see the piles from anywhere in the bay.

 

[GottmitAlex]

5 minutes ago, Cuckoo for coconuts said:

 you can see the piles from anywhere in the bay.

 

Oh yes!!!

[GottmitAlex]

Even the baby golden Panama tall received its ration of salt. 

[GottmitAlex]

Well.  Just received my shipment of PalmGain.

[James B]

Looking great Alex! I will be trying 2 out this year. One Malayan Dwarf and one Pacific Tall to start out. 

[GottmitAlex]

Five and a half years in the making. 

Not the best looking golden in our region (green Malayan are way more cold hardy) but it's my baby!

 

[Alex High]

12 hours ago, GottmitAlex said:

Five and a half years in the making. 

Not the best looking golden in our region (green Malayan are way more cold hardy) but it's my baby!

 

Your coconuts are truly incredible, I am always so excited when you post a new picture of them. They are gorgeous and just show what's possible in Southern California where coconuts are apparently a "no-grow" (obviously not). Keep the updates coming, I hope to move to Southern California some day and plant a big grove of coconuts, just like you've done. Amazing!!!

[Cuckoo for coconuts]

I found that of the three coco's I planted, the one that's somewhat under my papaya is doing the best and the on most exposed is doing the worst.  I'm guessing all of mine are Malayan, maybe.  The came from Florida, and, if memory serves correct I planted them about a year after you did.  Yours look quite healthy.  

[Cuckoo for coconuts]

I was re-reading posts and you had asked at one point where I'm located.  about 9 miles inland by SDSU

 

[GottmitAlex]

Thank you everyone for your encouragement.

Here are three "rare" pics from today without having my truck in the way.

Temp is 85F

 

 

[Alex High]

58 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

Thank you everyone for your encouragement.

Here are three "rare" pics from today without having my truck in the way.

Temp is 85F

 

 

They look incredible, I love the shot with them all together! Very nicely done and they look fantastic, I just love it! Keep up the great work!

[GottmitAlex]

[GottmitAlex]

[bubba]

Much hard work and those coconuts are looking fabulous!