Coconut Palm how to create an indoor space Texas

[Moeart360]

I have a coconut palm approximately 2 1/2 years old, I grew it from a sprout in west central Florida.  I now live in Port Lavaca Texas and need advise on creating an indoor space for my tree. It's an old store building with 17' high ceilings.  It will not survive outside this winter. Please offer any help you can.  Thank you in advance

[JohnAndSancho]

59 minutes ago, Moeart360 said:

I have a coconut palm approximately 2 1/2 years old, I grew it from a sprout in west central Florida.  I now live in Port Lavaca Texas and need advise on creating an indoor space for my tree. It's an old store building with 17' high ceilings.  It will not survive outside this winter. Please offer any help you can.  Thank you in advance

There's a few threads here on people braving them indoors. Just as much light and humidity as you can give them. I feel like I've tagged him in every single post about coconuts but @Philly J has one in super northern Canada, he is Prairie Palms on YouTube and I don't think you'll have to go to the extremes he does. 

[Moeart360]

Thanks.. I'll check it out

[JohnAndSancho]

If you search for... I wanna say it's in Arizona... There's an absolute monster indoor coconut. I've found a lot of times it's easier to use Google and just search for your keywords on PalmTalk there. 

[Moeart360]

Thank you.. 

[5am]

I think @ZPalms grew one for

a few years and may have advice. He put in quite a bit of effort to make it work but I think the story ends with a decline in Jan 2024 here. But you’re in a warmer place so maybe you don’t need to wheel it indoors as long. Does that high ceiling also come with tall windows? 
 

[ZPalms]

I still think about retrying the coconut again.

Things I Learned From Growing a Coconut:

• Don’t pot up too quickly.
• Avoid repotting before winter.
• Give it plenty of light. Window light is good, but consistent grow lights make a big difference.
• Maintain warmer temps. If you’re comfortable in the room, the plant probably fine. Keep it out of the lower 60s, of course warmer the better.
• Watch air circulation. Avoid placing it where the A/C blows directly on it.
• Check for pests. Regularly inspect the leaves for spider mites and other issues.
• They love water, but your soil composition and size of pot will determine how often you need to water so you don’t end up overwatering or underwatering since it will take longer to dry out indoors. You should check the soil and monitor how long it takes to dry between waterings. Before I potted up, it usually took about a month for the soil to dry enough for another watering, but I was a little neglectful so I would place the plant in the shower, give the soil a good rinse and soak with warmish water, and spray down the leaves as well.

I hope this helps, these are the things I’d do differently if and when I try again. 🤠

[JohnAndSancho]

@ZPalms do it homey. Well in springtime, do it. 

[ZPalms]

3 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

@ZPalms do it homey. Well in springtime, do it. 

Hopefully by spring Ill feel a little more ready to take it on again and also a early fall cleaning since spring is long passed us, I need clarity of the mind 😂

[JohnAndSancho]

3 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

Hopefully by spring Ill feel a little more ready to take it on again and also a early fall cleaning since spring is long passed us, I need clarity of the mind 😂

I get it. I'm just in the opposite boat - I'm diving back into this world because I need an escape 😂

[Moeart360]

5 hours ago, 5am said:

I think @ZPalms grew one for

a few years and may have advice. He put in quite a bit of effort to make it work but I think the story ends with a decline in Jan 2024 here. But you’re in a warmer place so maybe you don’t need to wheel it indoors as long. Does that high ceiling also come with tall windows? 
 

It has a store front with windows in each side of the door.. so not any direct sunlight.  I know I will have to find additional lighting. I have a couple of fan palms as well. I'm going I can get by for now with the 8000 lumens shop lights I have.  Once I bring it in this winter it won't go back outside, because,  it will be too big! Thanks so much!!!

[Moeart360]

5 hours ago, ZPalms said:

I still think about retrying the coconut again.

Things I Learned From Growing a Coconut:

• Don’t pot up too quickly.
• Avoid repotting before winter.
• Give it plenty of light. Window light is good, but consistent grow lights make a big difference.
• Maintain warmer temps. If you’re comfortable in the room, the plant probably fine. Keep it out of the lower 60s, of course warmer the better.
• Watch air circulation. Avoid placing it where the A/C blows directly on it.
• Check for pests. Regularly inspect the leaves for spider mites and other issues.
• They love water, but your soil composition and size of pot will determine how often you need to water so you don’t end up overwatering or underwatering since it will take longer to dry out indoors. You should check the soil and monitor how long it takes to dry between waterings. Before I potted up, it usually took about a month for the soil to dry enough for another watering, but I was a little neglectful so I would place the plant in the shower, give the soil a good rinse and soak with warmish water, and spray down the leaves as well.

I hope this helps, these are the things I’d do differently if and when I try again. 🤠

Thanks so much!! He's doing really well Su far.. but I was able to move it in and out.  Now once he comes inside within the next month or so,  it will not be returning outside.  I need a larger pot that is also deeper, I know.  I won't repot but add the additional pot under this one, and cut the bottom out.  

My main concern I think,  will be the lighting.. I have super LED shop lights.. but I'm going to need to invest in grow lights about as big? I'm researching this now but I'm running out of time!

I grew one outside when I lived in Orlando, also in a pot,  but freezing was never an issue there. That one was 5 years old when I moved and a neighbor took it to his house and planted it in the ground.