Tropical Fruit > Tropical Fruit Discussion
Dwarf coconuts?
Gryffindor4:
I'm so jealous of you guys further south being able to grow coconuts! I really want to. Are there any dwarf coconut trees small enough to be protected during cold nights? And what is the damage temp for coconuts?
murahilin:
I think it would be difficult to protect a dwarf coconut from the cold. Even if they are slow growers the new leaves are facing upwards and usually adds at least 6ft to the top of the tree. Also since its a monocot, it will be much easier for the tree to die because of its one growing point.
Someone on the forum may have experience growing coconuts in colder areas and may have a method of protecting them that works.
Coconuts will usually die or be injured at freezing. I have 10 coconut tree including a Fiji Dwarf and what ive seen from the cold damage is that it sometimes weakens a tree and then it will die from a resulting bacterial rot.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg043
fruitlovers:
Samoan dwarf coconut is one of the best coconuts of all. Fruits low to the ground and the nuts are incredibly huge and tasty. In order to succeed you would need a very large pot and bring the whole thing inside during cold spells. They don't like cold (below 55F) soil temperatures. It's not just the air temperature that bothers them.
Here is a photo of me holding a 20 pounder samoan coconut:
Oscar
phantomcrab:
I agree. January 2010 saw a low of 27F (at my house) and that killed almost all of the numerous coconut palms in town. The only survivors are growing next to Tampa Bay or the gulf and they showed extensive leaf damage. Consider the size of the crown too. Here's a link to the Fiji Dwarf with a picture.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/ar/archive/may08/coconuts0508.htm
nullzero:
Now where to get a source for a Samoan dwarf coconut in CA, I like experimenting... I don't think the coconut will like the low humidity, but temps never get below 32 degrees over here. Oscar are you growing Samoan dwarf?
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