HOW DID YOU DO IT?????????????????????????

Please share your secret since I have ALWAYS wanted to grow one. I see the at nurseries, and think I could never. So they just sit there..:-(

Thank you

Mike

Be encouraged - you can grow them. I brought a sprouted coconut back from PR years ago. It grew and grew in plain top soil in a pot very well in my sunny steamy bathroom window until it was too large.

A year later, I placed her in a big pot in my SUNNY hot Brooklyn NY back yard and she took off and needed to be kept moist often. Then another year or so later I had to buy a real LARGE pot as she grew gigantic palm leaves up to 6 feet across each, along with a 1-2 foor trunk. Everyone who came over marvelled and it felt tropical.

She no longer fit inside the house so I took my chances and built a crude homemade greenhouse on my protected south sunny side and covered the structure with builders plastic and left the wide kitchen window open with a big fan blowing into the green house. It was usually in the 50s - 70s never dropped below 35. The palm thrived and it took 3-4 guys each Spring to move her from the greenhouse to the yard. It was something. My Bible study group was pleased to help and I gave them a BBQ. And silly me decided she was too large and let her dry out and die. I instantantly regretted it.

So when the time comes my palm friend, give that palm a bigger pot:-), warm water and lots of Sun! Becareful with your winters in IO, one cold nite could do her in and do not chance it.

What a beauty! Kind of looks a little like a bonsai coconut palm, but really healthy. I havent had any problem with them indoors. Maybe people just say they are hard to keep indoors so they have more for themselves :)

Very nice coco palm:)Hope my coconut palm lives that long. I must be doing something right for it to be alive, lol. I like the pics:)Good luck and keep us updated.

That's a beauty-congrats!

Greg
What happened to yours,you didn't BBQ it did you?(-;

i remember this from last year looking very very healthy super good job with that coco... has def gotten larger and pushed out more fronds -Justin in VB

13 years?!? Wow! Check out these coconut palms on the rooftop pool deck of a beachside hotel in Brazil. I want to try something like this, as it looks pretty cool..

thats a really nice 13 year old coconut

That looks great, congratulations. Maybe someday this tall will look the same, so far it has been a great last onth with nothing but mid 80s in the forcast. Here is my tall with my butia and my bottle. My son Garrrison is the little guy in the picture

Here is a link that might be useful:

That's a great idea to do next to a pool whether in Iowa or Florida. A tropical look is available where the people have a vision!

There must be different varieties b/c the coco palms at my at my parents home in Florida and the one I grew from Peurto Rico both had a longer palm frod slightly paler in color.

PS. Jim we should have at least eaten the palm core since it is edible:)

What are the small palms behind your coconut seedling? The stems to the fronds look almost maroon? Did you used to live neaR Chicago? Your name and terrific indoor coconut look familiar?

Yes, Rwallen1961 How DO you do it? Where do you over winter it? How? how much do you water it during winter? how long do you keep it in the same pot? What kind of soil / medium? What do you fertilize with? What variety is it? Please let us know!

Also, does anyone know the variety of those cocos growing in pots next to the pool in the Brasil photo?

Thanks!

rwallen could we get an update please?

Yes I would also really like an update! I still remember this post because of how nice the coconut palm looked! Beautiful palm. I hope it's still alive and thriving!
-Alex

Here's a quick update. All of the palm are doing fine (amongst other things in my basement). All are being overwintered in an unfinished portion of my basement. The temperature in there is stable, no special humidifiers, no windows (I have some flourescent lights on 24 X 7 to ensure they get enough light) and I don't water them much during the winter either (once a month or so?). They really don't grow much, in fact, they seem pretty darn dormant during the winter, but they maintain just fine. Spring will soon be here and then they will head outside to spend the summer.

There must be 30 plants in that room so it's pretty much a jungle back there, but here are a few pics, the best that I could manage considering the situation.

Andy...yes, I'm the one who used to live in Chicago...it's me!

wow the little guy grew so much in 2 years! Definately my favorite coconuts ive ever seen due to the circumstances. any problems with spider mites or any other buggers?

Thanks for updating! Im really happy to see both of your cocos are doing well! Your little one isnt so little anymore! Thats great growth for a potted coconut palm. And your big coconut palm is looking even bigger. Those are some very adult fronds on it! I cant wait until mine gets that old, but its definitely a few years from that.

I like your other plants too! I have the same agave species (agave desmettiana). Its a pretty fast growing agave! I also see a "Dr. Moy" ginger in there by your coconut palm and the Washingtonia looks really nice too.

Good luck! Spring is almost here! Probably just about 2 more months indoors for your coconuts before they are back out again!

-Alex

Very nice cocos! Nice lush green fronds :) Do you know what variety?

@ Eric- I havnt had any problems with this coconut palm except for scale. Every since I took her out on warmer days I find scale here and there. When i find them I kill them. Good thing it isnt too bad. As for spider mites, I havnt seen any this year.