cracking coconuts

[Tomas]

Hi,

It was a new experience for me to crack coconuts. But at the end I got a lot of coconut water. Really tasty so it was worth the effort.  For each coconut I improved my drilling technique little by little.





Tomas

[Mike T]

Tomas it takes a bit of practice and coconut boring 'taps' come in handy for boring a hole.Some types with thinner husk and extra milk are easier to deal with.Here are some orange Malay dwarfs I saw yesterday.

[fruitlovers]

Those coconuts look like they have been sitting around for long time because of the black tips. Coconut taps only work well with very green coconuts that have little or no meat inside. I don't much like to drink them at that stage as they tend to be very watery. I like the jelly meat stage or older. For those stages you really need to use a good machete. Have about a dozen coconut trees here and drink them almost every day. We also use the meat mixed in our food.

[jcaldeira]

Allow me to share this short video clip I made a few years ago on how to open coconuts:

http://youtu.be/z4sQPnf35bk

[Mike T]

If Tomas is north of Miami in Florida I am curious as to the northern limit of fruiting coconuts in Florida.The latitudinal limit on the east coast of Australia is around 29 latitude but not for all types of coconuts.I presume that if as Oscar points out that Florida has a warmer climate than would otherwise be expected due to the gulf and gulfstream then coconuts may penetrate beyond 30 latitude.

[fruitlovers]

Hi John, nice video. I recognized the Fijian style cane knives. They're is a guy here who sells them. Some comments about opening a coconut. Notice how easily that gal climbed that tree? That's because it was notched along the trunk to allow a foothold. I think that while it makes climbing the tree easier it's not at all good for the tree. Too easy for diseases to enter through those notched out holes. Also if you have a good machete there is no need to husk the coconut before opening it to drink or eat. To me that is a lot of wasted effort. You can easily cut the coconut with the husk attached. The only time it's good to husk them is if you're going to ship them to distant markets, as it makes them a lot smaller and lighter. I really love those sprouted marshmallow tasting coconuts. A special treat! I think Fiji is the first place i tasted a real fresh coconut.

[zands]

Those coconuts look like they have been sitting around for long time because of the black tips. Coconut taps only work well with very green coconuts that have little or no meat inside. I don't much like to drink them at that stage as they tend to be very watery. I like the jelly meat stage or older. For those stages you really need to use a good machete. Have about a dozen coconut trees here and drink them almost every day. We also use the meat mixed in our food.

Coconut jelly meat is delicious and better than the hard nut meat that is very close to Brazil nut in taste. I never heard of coco jelly meat until I moved to Florida. Few people ever taste it

Also besides drilling coconuts you can take a circular saw to them. Then you always have machetes too.

[fruitlovers]

If Tomas is north of Miami in Florida I am curious as to the northern limit of fruiting coconuts in Florida.The latitudinal limit on the east coast of Australia is around 29 latitude but not for all types of coconuts.I presume that if as Oscar points out that Florida has a warmer climate than would otherwise be expected due to the gulf and gulfstream then coconuts may penetrate beyond 30 latitude.

I think most of the coconuts in Florida were destroyed when lethal yellowing disease was first introduced. Unfortunately they didn't have many of the resistant types planted. Maybe now more are being introduced?

[zands]

Allow me to share this short video clip I made a few years ago on how to open coconuts:

http://youtu.be/z4sQPnf35bk

So very nice of those lovely young enthusiastic Peace Corps volunteers (they get paid so not exactly volunteers) to demonstrate opening up coconuts and climbing the coconut trees. I was impressed by their can do attitude

[zands]

If Tomas is north of Miami in Florida I am curious as to the northern limit of fruiting coconuts in Florida.The latitudinal limit on the east coast of Australia is around 29 latitude but not for all types of coconuts.I presume that if as Oscar points out that Florida has a warmer climate than would otherwise be expected due to the gulf and gulfstream then coconuts may penetrate beyond 30 latitude.

I think most of the coconuts in Florida were destroyed when lethal yellowing disease was first introduced. Unfortunately they didn't have many of the resistant types planted. Maybe now more are being introduced?

Some towns plant coconuts on median strips and parks. They plant the non-bearing kind because they are afraid of rodents, lawsuits, who knows. But then, just like in Jurassic Park, some start bearing anyways. In downtown Ft Lauderdale there are older municipally planted coconuts in public spaces. They do bear coconuts. The older attitude (before lawsuits and nutters afraid of a few vermin) was to plant something productive

There are millions of healthy backyard and front yard coconut trees here. That disease you mention may have messed up commercial production

[bsbullie]

If Tomas is north of Miami in Florida I am curious as to the northern limit of fruiting coconuts in Florida.The latitudinal limit on the east coast of Australia is around 29 latitude but not for all types of coconuts.I presume that if as Oscar points out that Florida has a warmer climate than would otherwise be expected due to the gulf and gulfstream then coconuts may penetrate beyond 30 latitude.

Coconuts fruit perfectly well up into Palm Beach County.

[KarenRei]

Out of curiosity, are there any dwarf varieties that could fruit under ~3m (pruning is fine, although I imagine that could be tricky with a coconut palm), and produce fruit that is good and not ridiculously small?  Would be pretty awesome to grow coconuts in Iceland 

[Mike T]

Karen there are many kinds of dwarf coconuts and I have seen fruiting specimens with a trunk of only 1m and in 2 ft (60cm) pots.Malay red and orange are productive types with excellent quality coconuts with thinner husks than the wild types.They are preferred by many due to their beautiful colour,better nuts and lower hazard.Resorts seem to plant malay orange dwarfs for dramatic effect.
So Palm Beach has productive coconuts.

[KarenRei]

Karen there are many kinds of dwarf coconuts and I have seen fruiting specimens with a trunk of only 1m and in 2 ft (60cm) pots.Malay red and orange are productive types with excellent quality coconuts with thinner husks than the wild types.They are preferred by many due to their beautiful colour,better nuts and lower hazard.Resorts seem to plant malay orange dwarfs for dramatic effect.
So Palm Beach has productive coconuts.

Hehe, awesome... looks like I'll be picking up some coconuts when I head to the US this November   

[FloridaGreenMan]

If Tomas is north of Miami in Florida I am curious as to the northern limit of fruiting coconuts in Florida.The latitudinal limit on the east coast of Australia is around 29 latitude but not for all types of coconuts.I presume that if as Oscar points out that Florida has a warmer climate than would otherwise be expected due to the gulf and gulfstream then coconuts may penetrate beyond 30 latitude.

I am 30 miles north of Miami and they do fine here. Cocos grow way farther up the coast, probably 100 miles north of me. Anybody in Florida want to comment?       

[jcaldeira]

Hi John, nice video. I recognized the Fijian style cane knives. They're is a guy here who sells them. Some comments about opening a coconut. Notice how easily that gal climbed that tree? That's because it was notched along the trunk to allow a foothold. I think that while it makes climbing the tree easier it's not at all good for the tree. Too easy for diseases to enter through those notched out holes.. . .

I hate to see those big foot holes in the coconut trees.  Unlike most trees, the coconut never grows over the wound.  I filled some on my farm with concrete.  The tree in that video only had the footholds at the bottom of the tree.

[bsbullie]

Karen there are many kinds of dwarf coconuts and I have seen fruiting specimens with a trunk of only 1m and in 2 ft (60cm) pots.Malay red and orange are productive types with excellent quality coconuts with thinner husks than the wild types.They are preferred by many due to their beautiful colour,better nuts and lower hazard.Resorts seem to plant malay orange dwarfs for dramatic effect.
So Palm Beach has productive coconuts.

Hehe, awesome... looks like I'll be picking up some coconuts when I head to the US this November 

I would start searching well ahead of time as TRUE dwarf coconuts are not easy to come by.  There is a misnomer in that some people call some coconuts "dwarf" that fruit at an early age and very low trunk height but ultimately the palm grows to heights that would not classify them as dwarfs.

[KarenRei]

Karen there are many kinds of dwarf coconuts and I have seen fruiting specimens with a trunk of only 1m and in 2 ft (60cm) pots.Malay red and orange are productive types with excellent quality coconuts with thinner husks than the wild types.They are preferred by many due to their beautiful colour,better nuts and lower hazard.Resorts seem to plant malay orange dwarfs for dramatic effect.
So Palm Beach has productive coconuts.

Hehe, awesome... looks like I'll be picking up some coconuts when I head to the US this November 

I would start searching well ahead of time as TRUE dwarf coconuts are not easy to come by.  There is a misnomer in that some people call some coconuts "dwarf" that fruit at an early age and very low trunk height but ultimately the palm grows to heights that would not classify them as dwarfs.

Any suggestions on where to look?  Also, is it possible to "pug" a coconut palm?  I've got ~3 meters height in here and if I have to I have permission to use the central greenhouse which can handle plants up to about 6m, give or take.  But I'd really rather not use it because once something starts getting big in there, it's never coming out again.

[bsbullie]

Karen there are many kinds of dwarf coconuts and I have seen fruiting specimens with a trunk of only 1m and in 2 ft (60cm) pots.Malay red and orange are productive types with excellent quality coconuts with thinner husks than the wild types.They are preferred by many due to their beautiful colour,better nuts and lower hazard.Resorts seem to plant malay orange dwarfs for dramatic effect.
So Palm Beach has productive coconuts.

Hehe, awesome... looks like I'll be picking up some coconuts when I head to the US this November 

I would start searching well ahead of time as TRUE dwarf coconuts are not easy to come by.  There is a misnomer in that some people call some coconuts "dwarf" that fruit at an early age and very low trunk height but ultimately the palm grows to heights that would not classify them as dwarfs.

Any suggestions on where to look?  Also, is it possible to "pug" a coconut palm?  I've got ~3 meters height in here and if I have to I have permission to use the central greenhouse which can handle plants up to about 6m, give or take.  But I'd really rather not use it because once something starts getting big in there, it's never coming out again.

I will check around.  Oscar MIGHT have coconuts available between now and then (the fruit/seed not the plant).  Taking back a seed/fruit versus an actual plant may be your best bet as even a small coconut (plant) will take up a lot of space.

Nope, can't pug a coconut.

[fruitlovers]

Karen there are many kinds of dwarf coconuts and I have seen fruiting specimens with a trunk of only 1m and in 2 ft (60cm) pots.Malay red and orange are productive types with excellent quality coconuts with thinner husks than the wild types.They are preferred by many due to their beautiful colour,better nuts and lower hazard.Resorts seem to plant malay orange dwarfs for dramatic effect.
So Palm Beach has productive coconuts.

Malay dwarfs are not really dwarf. They are just called that because they start fruiting when very small, but will eventually get to be a normal sized tree.
Karen, you should try samoan dwarf coconuts, they are true dwarfs, and produce ridiculously large and excellent nuts.

[fruitlovers]

Hi John, nice video. I recognized the Fijian style cane knives. They're is a guy here who sells them. Some comments about opening a coconut. Notice how easily that gal climbed that tree? That's because it was notched along the trunk to allow a foothold. I think that while it makes climbing the tree easier it's not at all good for the tree. Too easy for diseases to enter through those notched out holes.. . .

I hate to see those big foot holes in the coconut trees.  Unlike most trees, the coconut never grows over the wound.  I filled some on my farm with concrete.  The tree in that video only had the footholds at the bottom of the tree.

I noticed that those foot notches, quite often all the way up the trunk of the tree, are a very common practice in Fiji, one i think which should be discouraged.

[fruitlovers]

You can't trim the top of a palm, as that will kill it, but you can trim fronds off. Anyway, with Samoans you could keep them at about 3 meters and still have fruit.

[Mike T]

There are many small articles and nursery advertisements such as the below about dwarf coconuts.The advantages are numerous and most actually get reasonably tall after 20 years but nothing like the standard large varieties.When you see 7 foot tall coconut trees with dozens of orange or yellow fruit and brilliantly coloured leaf stalks they are very striking.


Dwarf Coconuts - Cocos nucifera
By El Meager

While the best known coconut palms are the tall varieties, they are unsuitable for backyards due to the overall size and the hazard of falling nuts. However, the slow growth and smaller overall proportions of dwarf varieties are now opening up possibilities for home gardeners to grow their own coconuts.


Nias Yellow Dwarf
Malay Green Dwarf 
A dwarf coconut can fruit as early as 4 years of age and 160 fruits per year are common in good conditions.

They are high yielding, with a larger volume-to-husk ratio than the tall varieties, and fruits are sweeter due to higher sugar content. The Malayan Green Dwarf reputedly has the sweetest water for drinking.
 
Malay Golden Dwarf

Other varieties include the Spicata dwarf, which has stalk-less fruit, attached straight to the branches; the Village dwarfs, very compact and small enough to grow in containers; the Malayan Yellow dwarf with beautiful light flavoured fruits and the Giant Green dwarf with a full size crown, but compact trunk. Both the Malayan and Spicata dwarf come in various fruit colours such as Green, Golden, Red & Yellow.

Dwarf coconut palms are best planted below ground level to keep fruits low for a longer period of time and to encourage a deep, low root base, which increases stability. They don't form a large bole at the base of the trunk, making them less resistant to strong winds than the tall variety.

Red Spicata Dwarf 

Good drainage is crucial. Sandy soils are generally preferred, but not essential if a good pit is dug. Prepare your pit by adding lots of rich, organic matter. There is no need to bury the coconut, just keep adding lots of mulch and water to the pit as the plant grows. Feed your palms regularly with a good quality fertiliser (8N:1P:16K or similar). Some shade for the first few years is also beneficial.

Dwarf coconut plants can also be grown for several years as an ornamental in a container. Even without fruit, they're highly decorative.

Dan & El Meager operate National Tropical Plants in Queensland, which supplies dwarf coconuts via mail order. To check availability, or just learn more about these fabulous multi-purpose plants, visit the nursery's website: National Tropical Plants

[KarenRei]

Interesting... thanks, everyone!

[Pancrazio]

I'm also interested, but i'd like to know the complete height of the tree, not just the stem. Even the dwarf types have very long leaves?
I tried to germinate a random coconut last year, i bought it at grocery store, but since it was dehusked it splitted just after i put it in the pot. I guess, you must assure to keep the husk if yoy want to germinate them.

[fruitlovers]

I'm also interested, but i'd like to know the complete height of the tree, not just the stem. Even the dwarf types have very long leaves?
I tried to germinate a random coconut last year, i bought it at grocery store, but since it was dehusked it splitted just after i put it in the pot. I guess, you must assure to keep the husk if yoy want to germinate them.

Husked coconuts can be sprouted, but it's much easier to sprout the ones with the husks on.