How To Grow A Coconut From Seed

[pax12]

I'm probably a downer for even bringing this up, but given that your profile says you're in PA, exactly where are you going to PUT the coconut palm when you get it going? Don't they need to get kind of ...big before they can make nuts? You must have a really tall greenhouse.

Not that I'm in a position to try it now, but I wonder if these methods would work well for other orthodox palms ("orthodox" in the sense of the opposite of "recalcitrant" i.e. palms whose seeds DON'T die when they dry down so I have the time to hold onto them while I figure out things like placement.). I don't really have much interest in a coconut palm (I like coconut, but not really enough to personally justify to me the amount of effort it takes to crack one open) But at some point, if I had the room, a conquito palm (aka a Chilean Wine Palm, Jubaea chiliensis) might be fun (for those who have never seen conquito nuts, imagine coconuts, but bite sized, and without the milk inside). Though I think those have to get even BIGGER that coconuts to make fruit. I remember the one in the Palm house that got me was HUGE. *

* Back when I was a kid, my parents one summer cashed in all of our frequent flier miles and took us all to England for four weeks. While we were in London, it was decided that each of us would get to pick the day trip one day, and when my turn came up, I chose Kew Gardens.
Kew gardens DOES have something called the Palm house where the tropical stuff is. However the conquito is actually in the subtropical greenhouse. It so happened that, when we were there said tree was in fruit. I know this because while I was standing there, I felt a sharp pain on the top of my head and something hit the ground and realized said palm had dropped a fruit and conked me. Imagine someone dropping a wooden ball about the size of a chestnut wrapped in a peach from about 40-50 feet up, and you'll have some idea of how much it hurt. Of course a full sized coconut would have been much worse (I think those can kill you if they hit you on the head.)

Its a very slow growing tree and only grows about 6 inches the first year but I'll keep it up in my very sunny living room during the winter. But since it will live in a pot it wont get that big and I won't ever get coconuts off it. Plus I've grown Orange, lemon, limes, pomegranates and other crazy tropical plants but its worth a try to grow a coconut.

 

[pax12]

I applaud the experiment @pax12

Sometimes it's all about the basic thought of "I wonder if I can do this" and just learning what works in different situations. Who knows, 15 years from now you may find yourself living in Hawaii and this will be a good thing to have learned at this time

Awh thank you

 

[pax12]

Update: It has been a few days since step #2 and I can see it starting to grow!! It has been in front of my vent so it gets all the warm air coming out. The temperature ranges from 70 when its off and up to over 100 when its blowing warm air, so it avg around 80-85 all day and night.

 

[pax12]

Growing a Coconut Using an Incubator
Having it by the heating vent wasn't keeping it warm enough so I've come up with plan B. Since the incubator isn't in use I can just set the temp to 85- 90 degrees, also I'll have a timer on it so its only on from 7 am until 9 pm to act like it would in nature.

 

[Carol Dee]

Sounds like it should work, good luck.

 

[pax12]

The temp right now is at 91 degrees and since its the first night I'm leaving it on over night, but tomorrow night it will turn off at 9pm and start again at 7 am

 

[pax12]

bad news, the coconut didn't do anything it may of been stored too long in the store and was too old to grow. ill try again in the spring

 

[Carol Dee]

Will watch and hope for results next time.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Sorry to hear that, but you can only learn from your misses. Give it another shot right away