Author Topic: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...  (Read 10954 times)

Jackfruitwhisperer69

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Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« on: April 15, 2012, 02:29:04 PM »
Hi to all :),

The Coconut palm grows well here and flower! :) But, they do not set fruit :( :( :( the Coconut plam is planted in several locations along the southern coast of the Island from Santa cruz, Funchal, Madalena do mar and Ponta do sol!











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FloridaGreenMan

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2012, 02:33:34 PM »
Lack of pollinators?
FloridaGreenMan

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2012, 02:43:41 PM »
Lack of pollinators?

Lack of pollinators is not an issue here!

What I have observed is that the Coconut Inflorescence does not fully develop on these palms, it will grow about 5-10in and suddenly stop to grow!
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nullzero

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2012, 03:15:13 PM »
Lack of pollinators?

Lack of pollinators is not an issue here!

What I have observed is that the Coconut Inflorescence does not fully develop on these palms, it will grow about 5-10in and suddenly stop to grow!

Sounds like lack of humidity would be my guess.
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Jackfruitwhisperer69

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2012, 03:36:32 PM »
Hi nullzero,

Yes, Humidity is very important! You nailed it ;D ;D ;D

Maybe, in the world of the nuciferas...There might be a cold tolerant variety out there!
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nullzero

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2012, 03:54:03 PM »
Hi nullzero,

Yes, Humidity is very important! You nailed it ;D ;D ;D

Maybe, in the world of the nuciferas...There might be a cold tolerant variety out there!

If it did set some coconuts, it would lack moisture. Would probably be dry pulp inside most likely.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Jackfruitwhisperer69

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2012, 04:22:55 PM »
Hi nullzero,

Yes, Humidity is very important! You nailed it ;D ;D ;D

Maybe, in the world of the nuciferas...There might be a cold tolerant variety out there!

If it did set some coconuts, it would lack moisture. Would probably be dry pulp inside most likely.

I have never seen coco fruits on them! :( But, I will take you work for it!!!
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fruitlovers

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2012, 02:47:37 AM »
Hi nullzero,

Yes, Humidity is very important! You nailed it ;D ;D ;D

Maybe, in the world of the nuciferas...There might be a cold tolerant variety out there!

Those coconut trees look very unhappy. I think it's probably a combination of too low temperatures and also lack of humidity. My guess is that the first is more important, and that if you planted a tree with a heating element to warm the soil during winters you could get them to fruit.
Oscar

Jackfruitwhisperer69

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2012, 05:49:49 AM »
Hi nullzero,

Yes, Humidity is very important! You nailed it ;D ;D ;D

Maybe, in the world of the nuciferas...There might be a cold tolerant variety out there!

Those coconut trees look very unhappy. I think it's probably a combination of too low temperatures and also lack of humidity. My guess is that the first is more important, and that if you planted a tree with a heating element to warm the soil during winters you could get them to fruit.

Oscar,
They sure do :(

I was thinking of a low cost heating element...In Azores the people there made a ingenious method to cultivate grapes! They build walls of black(probably lava)rocks to keep the temperature warm at night and during winter in those rock walled enclosures! As you know...dark rocks will absorb the heat of the sun and the heat will be released during the night, thus increasing the temp in few degrees!

So, If you take the same idea and doing it with dwarf coconut palm! I'm sure they will thrive and produce! Which will be a dream come true :)   






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fruitlovers

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2012, 06:05:02 AM »
That kind of lava rock wall enclosures is traditionally used here to raise pigs and to keep them out of the garden.
Oscar

Pancrazio

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #10 on: April 16, 2012, 08:26:15 AM »
Men, you don't know how envious i am!
Cocos here are plain impossible, with maybe 4-5 months/year of suitable climate. I have heard (and seen some picture) of maibe 1-2 people growing them in pot, and i find it an outstanding accomplishment. But the word "growing" is an overstatement: they barely survive. Indoor the air is too dry (and too cold, even indoor, with 16-20°C). Outdoor, is wet and cold. And aside from this, cocos become very big. I love unripe coconuts, but they will always be a rare treat for me.
Anyway, some time ago i found on palmtalk a thread speaking about growing cocos in a unsuitable environment. Here you are, maybe you can get some suggestions:
http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=27766&st=0
Be quick before Rhynchophorus ferrugineus eradicates palms worldwide!
« Last Edit: April 16, 2012, 08:27:51 AM by Pancrazio »
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Jackfruitwhisperer69

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2012, 01:32:35 PM »
Men, you don't know how envious i am!
Cocos here are plain impossible, with maybe 4-5 months/year of suitable climate. I have heard (and seen some picture) of maibe 1-2 people growing them in pot, and i find it an outstanding accomplishment. But the word "growing" is an overstatement: they barely survive. Indoor the air is too dry (and too cold, even indoor, with 16-20°C). Outdoor, is wet and cold. And aside from this, cocos become very big. I love unripe coconuts, but they will always be a rare treat for me.
Anyway, some time ago i found on palmtalk a thread speaking about growing cocos in a unsuitable environment. Here you are, maybe you can get some suggestions:
http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=27766&st=0
Be quick before Rhynchophorus ferrugineus eradicates palms worldwide!

Hi Pan...,

Thanks for your input and link! @the first page #28 with the pics of a potted Coconut! I seen them on sale occasionally for €25 a pop!

Don't even start to talk about the Red palm weevil >:( It's wiping out the Canary date palms over here!  :(
Time is like a river.
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PlantHoarder

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #12 on: October 19, 2019, 09:56:09 PM »
There are cold hardy variants, a surprising number of palm tree variants out there but none of the cold hardy versions are capable of producing a coconut.

Unless someone figures out how to create a hybrid that is. :) There are very few cold hardy versions that I know of.

Bush2Beach

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2019, 12:42:22 PM »
Parajubea Cocoides?

ajeshcool47

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #14 on: October 20, 2019, 10:58:38 PM »
coconut usually need lot of potassium ...

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #15 on: October 22, 2019, 05:43:51 AM »
In the nearby Canary islands coconut trees grow well in a just slightly warmer climate. They are being planted everywhere along the beaches. Fruit are not uncommon but when i picked them i got about 30% good nuts with flesh and water, 60% looking normal on the outside but with a espindle shaped shell, a bit of flesh and no water. Some 20% (but usually 100% from one tree look very normal o  the outside, up to 1.5 kg, plump and green but when you cut them open there is no shell, no flesh, no water, just fibers.
Maybe the climate is not perfect but you can get good coconuts there. My point being do not give up, i am sure with increased coconut cultivation for landscaping in Madeira you will get your nuts sooner or later😉

usirius

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #16 on: October 22, 2019, 02:39:05 PM »
I do not believe that is it really a Cocos or Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera). I can imagine that there are planted some individuals of Cocumbe Palm, Synonyme Quito Palm or Mountain Cocos Palm(Parajubaea cocoides) - this species is much more robust than Cocos nucifera and both species are looking very similar!
« Last Edit: October 22, 2019, 03:02:05 PM by usirius »
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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #17 on: October 23, 2019, 10:46:31 AM »
The trees in the Canaries are Cocos and not Parajubaea for sure. I might have seen Parajubaea somewhere around Puerto on Tenerife but i have harvested Cocos on Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and La Palma. The fruit are 10 times bigger than Parajubaea fruit, no way to confuse them when fruiting.
And yes, i am aware that i messed up the numbers when calculating what percentage of the Canary islands fruit are edible. Just take them as a rough estimate😂

Grapebush

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Re: Cocos nucifera Growing in Madeira...
« Reply #18 on: October 24, 2019, 04:22:33 PM »
I do not believe that is it really a Cocos or Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera). I can imagine that there are planted some individuals of Cocumbe Palm, Synonyme Quito Palm or Mountain Cocos Palm(Parajubaea cocoides) - this species is much more robust than Cocos nucifera and both species are looking very similar!

The palms in Madeira Island that were mentioned (and pictured) by Steven in this post, are really Cocos nucífera.
The palms are in fact very different from Quito Palm, as the last has a lot of fibers on the trunk and between the palm stalks, and Coconut palms don't.
And yes some of these palms in Madeira Island produce fruit, but they're fast removed by the city employees. Once I asked why did they removed it, and one told me that it was superior's orders, to avoid a nut falling over somone's head (dumbest excuse for me...).
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