Coconut seedlings out of ground

[mgmccabe]

How long will these coconuts last out of ground with exposed roots without being planted in a permanent location? 

Edited May 6, 2018 by mgmccabe

[Zeeth]

They're still drawing nutrients from the coconut, so they won't die right away, but I wouldn't leave them like that for too long. Dave Romney, in his coconut book, says that the commercial method for planting coconuts is to grow them to this size, cut all the roots off with a machete, and plant them in their permanent location. 

You can also plant them into a 7 gallon pot to grow until you find a place to plant them permanently. This is a good size to do that too.

[mgmccabe]

22 hours ago, Zeeth said:

They're still drawing nutrients from the coconut, so they won't die right away, but I wouldn't leave them like that for too long. Dave Romney, in his coconut book, says that the commercial method for planting coconuts is to grow them to this size, cut all the roots off with a machete, and plant them in their permanent location. 

You can also plant them into a 7 gallon pot to grow until you find a place to plant them permanently. This is a good size to do that too.

Have you tried cutting all the roots off before prior to planting? Curious why that's done. I've just been digging big holes. That sounds way easier though so I'd  be eager to try. 

[GottmitAlex]

13 minutes ago, mgmccabe said:

Have you tried cutting all the roots off before prior to planting? Curious why that's done. I've just been digging big holes. That sounds way easier though so I'd  be eager to try. 

If those cocos in the southern part of Florida? I'd say go for it.

If they're anywhere else in the US, I would not touch those roots. 

[mgmccabe]

This certainly brings the question the ideal way to plant a sprouted coconut. I figured you desperately protected  any growth you got out of them. Curious how others may be planting their young cocos?

[GottmitAlex]

36 minutes ago, mgmccabe said:

This certainly brings the question the ideal way to plant a sprouted coconut. I figured you desperately protected  any growth you got out of them. Curious how others may be planting their young cocos?

I would (under my circumstances) place moist moss or however the medium is called over the roots. Just as if one were going to ship a coconut or any other plant which already have exposed roots. 

Well like, Floribunda packages their plants with that moist moss on the roots.

Re digging: I would just dig a narrow hole for the roots . If the roots are at an angle, i would make the narrow hole at that angle. Then the nut, either 1/2 or 3/4 (at max) of it planted. Always leave part of the nut exposed. Jmho

https://youtu.be/tXTurX6PCGI

 

Edited May 7, 2018 by GottmitAlex

[Zeeth]

2 hours ago, mgmccabe said:

Have you tried cutting all the roots off before prior to planting? Curious why that's done. I've just been digging big holes. That sounds way easier though so I'd  be eager to try. 

I don't personally use that method of transplanting because I'm working with only one or two palms at a time, so I'm careful to not damage any roots. Dave Romney recommended the technique for coconuts germinated in the ground to be transplanted somewhere else. Removing all the roots isn't beneficial to growth of the palm, but it's not harmful enough to justify spending extra time when you're working with hundreds of seedlings, because plant loss is negligible.