Hey guys! Been a while. 

Does anyone have any experience moving an in-ground coconut that’s already stressed? How likely am I to be successful, and are there any tips you could share? 

My partner and I are relocating from Orlando to Port Charlotte this summer. I won’t lie and say the cold spell here that killed about $7k (on the conservative end…) worth of palms and other tropicals in my yard (that I admittedly knew wouldn’t live longer than 7-10 years in this area, to be fair) wasn’t a contributing factor. I’ve been hesitant to willingly increase our COVID-era mortgage rate to the low 6% range, but this was definitely the straw that broke the camel’s back. 

I digress! I managed to save my coconut by using WAY more rope lights and insulation than I had any business using, and I’d originally thought I cooked it. The morning after I’d first wrapped it, it got so hot in there that the crown actually cooked and it bent over at a sharp 90° angle. Following the cold snap, I removed all the lights and lobbed off the crown with a pair of sheers right at the bend it made. To my surprise, it’s been pushing out new growth over the last few months. 

That said, now that I’m moving, I want to try and dig it up to bring it with me. I’ve had this palm for 6 years now; It’s been with me through 3 homes, (the next will make 4!) 3 cities across FL, and a divorce. It’d feel great to plant it somewhere that I can watch it actually thrive and grow into maturity.

I have ZERO experience digging up in-ground palms and transplanting them elsewhere, though. My existing knowledge tells me to use a very airy potting soil, (I’m thinking at least half perlite for the sake of keeping it easy + cheap since this will be temporary) while keeping it out of direct sun and watering it daily since it’ll struggle to uptake enough water to handle high heat given the root loss I’m expecting. I’m thinking this overly-airy potting medium will help prevent root rot despite daily watering and dying roots from dig-up-associated trauma since it’ll give it plenty of oxygen. Once it’s put out 4-5 fronds and the pot begins to get tight with roots, I’ll plant it at the new home. 

Obviously compounding the issue is the immense amount of stress the plant is already under, but I’m willing to give it a shot since this past winter clearly demonstrated that it cannot live here long term. Be it 5 years, 10 years, or 15 years from now, it’ll eventually get cooked and I’d love to save it even if it’s a slim chance. 

So what do you guys think? Is this a fools errand? Got any tips or insight you could share? 
 

 Save yourself lots of time and hassle and buy a new one when you move. You can buy one that size for 50-75$ if you look around on Facebook marketplace. Be very weary of where you move in Port Charlotte though if you are not near the Peace river of Charlotte Harbor it will get just as cold as Central Florida in a cold snap. Saw multiple mid to upper 20 degree days in the area over the last few years.

I will sidestep the palm question and opine on the house. A paid-off mortgage is more valuable than a palm garden. 

@chad2468emr Good to hear from you again.  You can try it, but you're probably just as well off buying another unless it is a variety that is hard to get.  As @tt68camaro mentioned, it depends on where you go in Port Charlotte.  In a lot of cold snaps, metro Orlando isn't that much colder than some of the other areas further south unless you are very close to water.  You'll want to have water to your northwest, if possible.  Even then, serious cold snaps can drop areas down there into the mid-20s just like we saw this winter if the wind blows the right way. 

If the house is paid off, give it some thought.  @SeanK hit the nail on the head about not having a payment.  Then there is insurance.  It's a little easier to get insurance in Orlando than near the coast.  That's assuming that the property is even insurable after the major hurricanes that have hit the gulf coast.

Either way, good luck on transplanting - both the palm and yourselves - if you go through with either/both.

My brother in palms, you gotta let it go

If you’re moving to south Florida where coco’s grow, you can buy a healthy one a similar size and save yourself the hassle. 

I empathize with you on the loss of plants and palms. I’ve probably spent around 4-5k on palms and tropicals. I live in zone 10a but that was only recently changed in 2023. I was 9b before.

I do have a fear that all of my beautiful specimens will die in a cold snap. It’s the gamble for zone pushing. Congratulations on the new home. I bought one in November, the 6.5% interest sucks but hopefully rates come down again in the near future. 

Well, my house is paid off and I don't plan on going anywhere. So, I will address the transplant issue as I dug up and repotted an Areca catechu Dwarf some years back. What not to do is backhoe your coconut out of the ground at the last minute as the moving truck is gearing up to go. You need to plan meticulously and allow lots of time for the process. See the following steps:

1. 3-4 months before the move, measure a square about 4' on each side with the trunk at the center.

2. Insert a shovel the length of one side and 3' or more deep into the ground. Do not remove dirt or attempt to raise palm.

3. Wait 3-4 weeks.

4. Repeat step 2 on another side of your square. Wait 3-4 weeks.

5. Repeat step 2 on the remaining two sides, waiting 3-4 weeks between sessions.

6. In the meantime prepare the planting hole at your new residence. You will need to plant your coconut ASAP when you get it there. Be sure you have all tools and supplies on hand. If you will need a contractor or heavy machinery arrange for that in advance.

7. When you are ready to move your palm, undercut beneath the square you laid out and lift palm and rootball out of the ground. Wrap rootball in damp burlap to prevent roots from drying out. I didn't have to do that because I was transplanting from ground into a pot, which I had ready and waiting. Someone on the forum probably has advice and suggestions I am unaware of.

8. Get the palm on a trailer or vehicle and send it on its way. Just don't celebrate your move while forgetting the palm lying forlornly in the yard.

The point to all this rigamarole is to lessen the possibility of catastrophic damage the palm's roots. Your shovel cuts and damages the roots. The 3-4 week reprieve gives the palm time to start repairing those damaged roots before you return with that shovel. I don't know when you plan your move but time's already a wastin. Good luck

Thank you all for the tips and insight! 

As far as the palm is concerned, I’m gonna give it a go. I know it’s easy to get coconuts further south (I lived in Fort Lauderdale for 10 years) but the new owners of this place will 100% rip it out so I’ve got nothing to lose by giving it a shot other than time, and with 90% of my palms now being dead after this winter, I’ve got plenty to spare. Lost half a dozen archies, a teddy bear, arecas, a foxtail, and countless other plants, both palms and otherwise.

Before/After photos of my yard below so you can share in my sorrow. 🫠

And for what it’s worth, definitely not moving just for palms! I’d probably say that’s not even in the top 15 reasons we’re moving, but what happened to the yard this year certainly helped make the decision easier. The area we’re looking at making an offer on a house is south of Veterans BLVD and west of 75, so it’s pretty close to the harbor. There were coconuts at several houses immediately adjacent to it that had minimal damage from this past cold snap, and many were entirely healthy based on micro climate. Also tons of very healthy royals right across the street, though I know they’re not as sensitive. I looked up weather station data from weather underground that was literally just a few houses over, and it got down to 33°F for an hour this past nightmare of a cold snap. Meanwhile, I was sitting below 25°F for several hours, with sub freezing temps for almost 6-8 multiple nights in a row. I know every cold snap is different, but I’ll take whatever improvement I can get lol. 

Wow, what a brutal climate. It offers so much promise for a few years, then pulls the carpet out from under you in a couple of nights.

I hope you have better luck at the new place and that the poor old Cocos gets a new lease on life...always nice to see a bit of sentimental optimism take precedence over cold hard pragmatism!

20 hours ago, chad2468emr said:

Thank you all for the tips and insight! 

As far as the palm is concerned, I’m gonna give it a go. I know it’s easy to get coconuts further south (I lived in Fort Lauderdale for 10 years) but the new owners of this place will 100% rip it out so I’ve got nothing to lose by giving it a shot other than time, and with 90% of my palms now being dead after this winter, I’ve got plenty to spare. Lost half a dozen archies, a teddy bear, arecas, a foxtail, and countless other plants, both palms and otherwise.

Before/After photos of my yard below so you can share in my sorrow. 🫠

And for what it’s worth, definitely not moving just for palms! I’d probably say that’s not even in the top 15 reasons we’re moving, but what happened to the yard this year certainly helped make the decision easier. The area we’re looking at making an offer on a house is south of Veterans BLVD and west of 75, so it’s pretty close to the harbor. There were coconuts at several houses immediately adjacent to it that had minimal damage from this past cold snap, and many were entirely healthy based on micro climate. Also tons of very healthy royals right across the street, though I know they’re not as sensitive. I looked up weather station data from weather underground that was literally just a few houses over, and it got down to 33°F for an hour this past nightmare of a cold snap. Meanwhile, I was sitting below 25°F for several hours, with sub freezing temps for almost 6-8 multiple nights in a row. I know every cold snap is different, but I’ll take whatever improvement I can get lol. 

Sorry for your winter losses. I've lost palms to multiple nights in the mid and upper 30s. Death toll may go on for months.