Cocos nucifera (Coconut) in Malta

[GottmitAlex]

35 minutes ago, Aleitalyyy said:

 

Hello @Stelios... yes you are right there are many beautiful varieties for coastal Mediterranean climates ... but you know coconut is an exceptional palm for me, the queen of palms, with the challenge of making it grow where it shouldn't grow .. . I am growing the beccariophoenix alfredii, but it is really slow to grow .... here is a photo ... your coconut however is always beautiful and I hope it continues to grow for years ... and yes, you should fertilize that palm that sure changes its appearance for the better ....

Very nice

Alfies are much faster once planted in the ground. (Not containers/pots)

[Stelios]

7 hours ago, Maltese coconut project said:

I wish to ask one more thing. What is your most common humidity level and monthly night time temperature?  Do you live in the inner part of Cyprus or fairly near coastal areas? 

The palm has about 3 meters overall height. I live near Geroskipou, just out of Paphos town on the west of Cyprus. I'm about 4 kilometers from the coast. Humidity is usually 65-80%. The minimum night temp in the winter here is usually around 10c with very few nights around 7c. On the coast it can get a bit colder in the winter.

[Maltese coconut project]

Quite similar to Malta.. Maybe mine made it due to the difference in microclimate on rooftop.. But also I think self germinated coconut are stronger than the etiolated Dutch grown ones 

[Maltese coconut project]

The slight difference is in the nighttime low.  Here it rarely goes below 10, sometimes 9. The fact that we are a small island surrounded by sea might keep night time temperatures from dropping too much 

[Aleitalyyy]

@GottmitAlexhi alex thank you very much ... I don't understand why the leaves grow yellow, yet I always fertilize with liquid ... I hope to be able to put it in the ground soon! how are your coconut palms? and I wanted to ask you according to your experience which quality of coconut is more resistant to cold? I see that you too cultivate your palms to the limit ... and you have done a miraculous job ... hello dear thank you again

[Maltese coconut project]

Sometimes it might be simply the particular specimen. I have germinated many coconut specimens so far, discarded hundreds of non germinated coconuts and saw many anomalies from bright perfect green to yellow.. Some of which have defective leaves at first which tend to have black patches.. Then different growth rate shoot to root ratios, some grow faster shoot, some faster root, some tall, some thick and short, some simply grow roots only or almost vice versa.  The biggest coconuts are defective. The medium sized ones are the best.. Small coconuts are so and so 

[Aleitalyyy]

Ho letto che le più resistenti sono le alte/panama o giamaica/tall...vorrei mettere le mani su un panama/giallo appena lo trovo...quelli olandesi come ho non so che frutta a guscio di qualità sono... se nana o alta, vorrei provare una nuova qualità introvabile...   the nuts destined for consumption in supermarkets are nuts from production plants and therefore green dwarf palmsnane... sarebbe bello provare il panama che è il più resistente per quanto ne so.

Edited July 16, 2021 by Aleitalyyy

[Maltese coconut project]

Una volta ho letto che I Cocos di Hainan Island China sono ancora piu resistenti a temperature basse

[Maltese coconut project]

Feeling Dwarfed 

[Aleitalyyy]

my god these plants but how beautiful they are ... you are doing a great job ... and i hope soon to see them grow in some garden in malta ... i hope it becomes the third european island with coconut palms in the ground

[Maltese coconut project]

Will try that in mid 2022 I think.. 

[Aleitalyyy]

hello dear here's my coconut today. it seems to me on the way to becoming like yours! slowly let's see how it goes ... it's giving me great satisfaction ... oops the banana ran away hihihihi

[Aleitalyyy]

On 21/7/2021 at 21:46, Maltese coconut project said:

Lo proverò a metà del 2022 credo.. 

how lucky you live on that beautiful island ... if only I could try too ... the only way is inside a winter greenhouse ...

[GottmitAlex]

 

[Maltese coconut project]

I saw this video long ago. This is very correct when it comes to sun on seedlings. Coconut Seedlings are quite sensitive to burn despite being described as full sun. When temperatures get above 30 degrees celcius, it's too hot for best performance of a coconut palm. Coconut palms have a rather narrow temperature range where they thrive best 

[Maltese coconut project]

I am experimenting with two out of the many coconut specimens that I have in a sheltered area where they only receive early morning sun and they are also doing great just like the current North facing ones. Of course I will transfer all to South facing at the end of September when sun temperatures won't exceed 30 degrees celcius 

[Maltese coconut project]

 

There might be some point in maturity of the coconut palm that it might be more resistant to cool weather. It depends on your areas low temperatures 

[Maltese coconut project]

They're both doing great 

[Maltese coconut project]

Which direction are your plants facing? 

[Aleitalyyy]

5 hours ago, Maltese coconut project said:

In quale direzione sono rivolte le tue piante? 

my coconut, banana, baby pineapple, alfredii, lemon etc are facing south / east they only sunbathe in the morning ... my temperatures according to the zones are good ... minimum 3/6 ° max 13/15 ° degrees ... my location is northern Italy on the Ligurian coast in the city of alassio

[Maltese coconut project]

Try to use an aquarium thermometer. When temperatures significantly exceed 30 degrees celcius in the sun, move them in the shade or north facing. When sun temperatures don't exceed 30 degrees celcius, transfer back to south facing. In Malta, I move my plants north facing from 20th May till almost end of September. From end September to 20th May I move back south facing. In your area it might be slightly different due to slightly cooler temperatures 

[Maltese coconut project]

This is because tropical monsoon plants have fairly narrow range of temperature where they perform best being from 21 degrees celcius to 30 degrees celcius with the upper twenties and the 30 being more favourable. Above 30 degrees celcius, heat stress starts kicking in.. Below 21 degrees,  metabolism slows down 

[Aleitalyyy]

Il 21/7/2021 alle 21:46, Maltese Coco Project ha detto:

 

yes .. I think that in my part of the country the cold is too low for a coconut ... and even the maximums are low .... citrus fruits, bananas, pineapples, avocados grow well ... but coconut I think only in a greenhouse, or one genetically reinforced by some substance ... surely an adult and large plant sheltered in a perfect place in full sun, and with a greenhouse that can be mountable for the winter it could do it even from my latitudes ...

[Maltese coconut project]

Many do a mistake in summer and leave it in the sun. When temperatures in the sun exceed 30 degrees,, heat stress kicks in and a sudden drop in photosynthesis occurs 

[Aleitalyyy]

Il 21/7/2021 alle 21:46, Maltese Coco Project ha detto:

 

in my part we are always about 26 degrees .... my coconut pushes the new leaves with a growth of 1cm per day ...

[Maltese coconut project]

My two sheltered Cocos nucifera receiving only early morning sun as opposed to those on the rooftop .. Still beautiful 

[GottmitAlex]

5 hours ago, Maltese coconut project said:

My two sheltered Cocos nucifera receiving only early morning sun as opposed to those on the rooftop .. Still beautiful 

Very nice! Are their husks buried?

[Maltese coconut project]

The right one yes and germinated vertically. The left is germinated horizontally so only partially buried and hid the rest under bark pieces since both are dehusked coconut. I start them all horizontal but some show that they want to grow with the shoot parallel to the length of the nut so in those cases then I turn them vertical as they wish 

[Aleitalyyy]

Il 21/7/2021 alle 21:46, Maltese Coco Project ha detto:

 

@GottmitAlex how are your beautiful palms? have suffered the Californian winter this year?

[Maltese coconut project]

When the nut is dehusked it's important to at least cover it with bark or mulch to avoid direct exposure to sun and risk cracking the nut. Of course I covered it again after the photo although these two specimens receive early morning sun 

[GottmitAlex]

On 7/29/2021 at 11:00 AM, Aleitalyyy said:

@GottmitAlex how are your beautiful palms? have suffered the Californian winter this year?

They're doing just fine.

Sneak peak: 

(This golden Malayan turns 5years old the 29th of August)

 

 

[Maltese coconut project]

Wow very beautiful Coconut palm there.. Which area of California do you live in? 

[GottmitAlex]

1 mile south of San Diego. (In Tijuana, Mex)   However, whenever I say Tijuana, Mex, some folks have said (I'm talkin' youtube palm loving celebrities from Canada) : "Oh It's Mexico. You can grow anything over there".. I guess they equate Tijuana, Mexico to Can Cun, Mexico...

I just sigh.

32.51° north.  About 12-14 miles east of the San Diego coast and a mile south of the border.  Practically under Otay Mesa, CA (Which is San Diego) That's why I mention California/Tijuana region in my posts. 

 

 

 

[Maltese coconut project]

I wish to gather everyone growing or trying to grow coconut palm in marginal environments,, Mediterranean like environments etc, possibly to share all the data, methods used. How can we do this? In this specific discussion I am open to new knowledge.. Do you recommend that we start a new group named growing coconut palm in marginal climates/subtropical etc ? I don't mind sharing ideas of growing them elsewhere even if the title of the post is "in Malta". I don't mind going a bit of topic geographically as long as we learn new data 

[GottmitAlex]

31 minutes ago, Maltese coconut project said:

I wish to gather everyone growing or trying to grow coconut palm in marginal environments,, Mediterranean like environments etc, possibly to share all the data, methods used. How can we do this? In this specific discussion I am open to new knowledge.. Do you recommend that we start a new group named growing coconut palm in marginal climates/subtropical etc ? I don't mind sharing ideas of growing them elsewhere even if the title of the post is "in Malta". I don't mind going a bit of topic geographically as long as we learn new data 

Not a bad idea.  Ask @PALM MOD (The head honcho) if he's willing to do it.

 

Now that I found out where Malta is (coordinate-wise):

Malta/Coordinates
35.9375° N, 14.3754° E

 

I doubt there will be a subforum regarding this topic.

 

 

[GottmitAlex]

On 7/16/2021 at 11:43 AM, Aleitalyyy said:

@GottmitAlexhi alex thank you very much ... I don't understand why the leaves grow yellow, yet I always fertilize with liquid ... I hope to be able to put it in the ground soon! how are your coconut palms? and I wanted to ask you according to your experience which quality of coconut is more resistant to cold? I see that you too cultivate your palms to the limit ... and you have done a miraculous job ... hello dear thank you again

You have to add SALT.   That is key.

[Maltese coconut project]

Does adding salt make coconut palms better? I never tried it since I read they are facultative halophytes which means they don't actually need the seawater according to the reading.. But I wish to know different opinions regarding using salt,, thanks in advance for any reply 

[GottmitAlex]

41 minutes ago, Maltese coconut project said:

Does adding salt make coconut palms better? I never tried it since I read they are facultative halophytes which means they don't actually need the seawater according to the reading.. But I wish to know different opinions regarding using salt,, thanks in advance for any reply 

It's not an opinion. It is a fact.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2014/11/03/pca-urges-farmers-to-use-salt-as-coconut-fertilizer/

https://businessdiary.com.ph/3512/use-of-salt-as-fertilizer-for-coconut/

https://ep.franphil.com/salt-an-effective-and-cheap-fertilizer-for-coconut/

 

I can go on and on.  Between the Philippines and India, the methods to grow coconuts inland are the same. There are several papers out regarding NaCl. (Salt) for coconuts.  

Yes, the downside is, wherever you place the salt, the land(soil) will be inert. So you won't be able to grow anything else except Coconuts.  You will kill any other palms (and any plants) with salt in the soil. It's a risk. I wouldn't take that risk at 36 degrees above the equator.  I would plant Beccariophoenix species instead.

Coconuts love salt.

 

https://pca.gov.ph/pdf/cocoTech/fertilization/commonSaltFetilizationOnCocounuts.pdf

 

I acquire the salt for my cocos from South Bay Salt Works @Tracy .   

[Maltese coconut project]

Is there a specific content? Could it be that since most of the tap water is from desalination plant, the traces of salt (which are definitely higher than that of bottled water) is doing enough for my coconut palms? The question is "how much is just enough?" 

[GottmitAlex]

7 minutes ago, Maltese coconut project said:

Is there a specific content? Could it be that since most of the tap water is from desalination plant, the traces of salt (which are definitely higher than that of bottled water) is doing enough for my coconut palms? The question is "how much is just enough?" 

You tell me....

Non so esattamente