ok seriously... brain storm ( i cok all the time, im half ukranian.... if i cant cook id be disowned)

You can make a coconut milk sauce, and use some carribean flavoured chicken, some mango..........

John,
I think mine must be the 45 watt version from your link.
http://bcledlights.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22&products_id=99
Hope it's not 400 watts...hydro bill :cussing:

Barb

A few days grow is showing:

<img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04360" />

Gave it palm special fertilizer 12-4-12.
This Australian nursery links recommends 8-1-16 for Cocos.
Way off the 3/1/3 or 4/1/4 ratio now recommended for palms! Cocos seems to require huge K amounts, likely to prevent LY?

http://www.nurseriesonline.com.au/Articles/Dwarf-Coconuts-Cocos-nucifera.html

Had given it a small amount of epsom salts and K when I brought it home.
Should I add more K?

Barb

Barb,
nice link.
I should mention that in the photo I shared above, my friend used a back hoe to dig a hole and he filled it with "black soil." He mulched with beach sand so it appears as if it is growing right on the beach. He told me which dwarf variety it was but I cannot remember. 🙁
I think my Cocos died from too much summer heat and not enough humidity. I did not use the mister system under the patio "Sun shade" back then. That helps. (Plus it helps my mood to start thinking about "summer protection" already!)
As for K, I wouldn't know. I assume it can't hurt as too much will just get washed out, but that is ignorance speaking.

I've seen a reference to digging a big hole and filling it with black soil, like your friend did.
Also that previous reference to 50 pounds of rotted manure in the hole 😕

They do need lots of humidity, considering their habitat everywhere...Hawaii for example.
But sandy soils generally leach K really fast, probably why these guys need heavy amendments.

Found this Cocos fertilizer recommendation, page 3, (for coconut commercial crop)
Most interesting is the reference to 14th leaf, critical bearing stage:

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:3j5eyuurzC8J:www.fertilizer.org/ifa/content/download/8951/133688/version/1/file/coconut.pdf+coconut+palm+Cocos+nucifera+fertilizer&hl=en&gl=ca&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgSQ02Q6vnH3xmbdewKDzx831HPf1L6XRY61pV6lVqfyH5d71m-ri2hqybI17ifydGvb9xmTDaOaax8jzOKT1G7cW_CXEPUsPclOBepx_y21eGQPpLg6tuEqCuG_9r76UL8wvZr&sig=AHIEtbSpPoZxTKu_mq07-OZRdoWx_SZgfQ

With mine now pushing leaf #5, I hope it gets to #14. 🙄
Barb

I had a Cocconut two years ago and it also croaked. My thoughts are that the roots got to hot in the smaller 3 gal. pot it was in. The temps were near or above 100f-39c for a good portion of the summer. Since Cocos nucifera grows where temps rarely get over 94f-34c the roots were cooked and thus the decline. If I ever get another I would plant it in the ground for the summer with the pot to keep roots cooler. Barb I think the palm fertilizer you already have should be good enough for your coconut. It should have all the micro nutrients in there now.

John

plant it in the ground for the summer with the pot to keep roots cooler

You may be onto something there, John.
I'll do that for sure this summer.

The K thingy still confuses me...plus another document (can't find it now 😕 ) states they require soil chloride. :dontknow:

Too bad yours didn't make it John.
But HD is getting a new shipment of palms within a few days...there's sure to be a Cocos among them :geek:

Barb

John is referring to "pot planting", right? I did that for a few palms this past summer, most notably a small Roystonea regia. It seemed to work well. (Remember: my palm garden bakes in Summer!).
That with the mister system might work for Cocos as well.
(Can y'all tell I'm eager to talk summer protection methods by now? 😀 )

Barb,thanks for the link
I'm assuming these are ground planted coconuts and not in containers,but from my readings,they need a small of amount of manganese as well as magnesium so try to find that in your fertilizer if at all possible.
I believe a lot of palm growers down south by the Carl pool palm fertilizer,it is not available here yet,but I do get a fertilizer from fertilome that has all the necessary nutrients in it ,as it is called palm and evergreen fertilizer.
Humidity is a really key factor in growing them,my greenhouses are 60% or more,of course it helps that I have a pond in mine with fish in it,and when I clean the pond filters I take that and add it right in to my palm containers to help feed the palms,best fertilizer you can get!

Erik, yes.

Don, yup, they're talking about commercial Coconut plantations...otherwise, there'd be no research on Cocos just for "us gardeners" 😆
Interesting how much Cocos takes outof the ground, huh?
I think this research benefits us by learning nutrient requirements for max growth (especially at my age :cwm21: )

The way your palms (and other stuff) grows, I wouldn't change a thing!

Oh yes my palm special fert is fine, especially with chelated ingredients and trace, but it sounds like Cocos has an insatiable appetite for Potash.
In that case I think it's critical to get the pH bang on, or else nutrients are unavailable to the plant (although abundant), as can easily happen outdoors too when planted.

<img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC03169" />

Agree that your fish pond "scrapings" are the best by far for palms!
Do you count your fish? :tard:

Sounds like your humidity is perfect...to raise mine today, I washed a heavy winter coat and hung it up in the basement beside the palm, to drip dry 😛

Barb

Congrats on your Cocos Barb!!!

At HD no less. Unbelievable. My HD has never had a coconut. 🙁 Though the last 2 years in May they get a big shipment of large palms. 😯 That is where I got my large Phoenix ,few Queens and Christmas palms.

Mark

Barb now there is dedication to your palms. Got anything else that needs to be washed and drip hung to dry near those palms 😆 I have humidifier in my tropicals room 😀 . Don`t underestimate the power of strong lighting and humidity for the cocos. That may be more important than K nutrients right now IMO. Erik yes I was refering to pot planting. Knowing how hot you get in OK.during the growing season. The roots of your palms and plants sure could use the cooler ground to make it through . Don I have a fish tank and use the filter sludge to fertilize my house plants occasionaly. You sure can tell which ones I didn`t get to weeks later.

John

Your palm pro,looks to be excellent food for your palms,dripping rain coat was a great idea as well,even if you did a dog shake in front of your palm would only been better!!!LOL

John you know when it comes to using the fish poop!!!!!

You know I have never ever counted the amount of fish I have,never occurred to me,but I haven't noticed any eggs or babies yet!

With 200 palms, some scraping the ceiling, John, you could NOT do without a humidifier.

Years ago (youngsters, go to sleep) we used to have one of those big plastic rectangular "boxes" on wheels, with a sponge drum that turned on an axis over a tank to which you added water every couple of days. The drum would turn and the motor would "send" moist air through the vents.

Man, talk about MOLD! SCUM, ALGAE... :protest:

...isn't that how Legionnaire's Disease started? (well, not HERE).

Barb

Fish poop is good for lot`s of things!LOL 😆

John