Coconut palmis a real curiosity among potted plants, but quite rare. The showy leaves of this plant and its lofty habit attract attention. The home-grown coconut palm, however, is often problematic and not very viable. Why is this happening? See whatgrowing a coconut palm at home looks likeand how to avoid the most common mistakes in the care of this palm.
Coconut palm - Cocos nucifera
Coconut palm - description
Coconut palm , Latin.Cocos nucifera, most likely comes from Southeast Asia or Polynesia. It is no longer possible to accurately determine its origin, as the area of its occurrence stretches along the entire equator. The coconut palm is characterized by rapid growth, and in natural conditions it can even reach 30 m in height. It produces a smooth gray trunk, on top of which there are huge pinnate leaves, 4 to 6 m long. However, when grown in a pot, it grows more slowly and reaches a small size.
There are many varieties of coconut palms depending on where they occur. Popular in Southeast Asia is 'Malayan Dwarf', which is only 8-10 m naturally cultivated. It is this variety that is most often used for a variety grown in our homes. There are special 'Malayan Dwarf' nuts available on the market, intended for home growing.
The huge fruits of this palm tree, coconuts, are first green, then turn brown.The hard fruit contains white nut mass and coconut milk. Nuts are widely used and have valuable nutritional value. They are obtained from them, among others. coconut flakes, coconut milk and coconut oil.
Coconut palm - ripening fruit, i.e. coconuts
Growing coconut palm at home
How to grow a coconut palm?
Togrow a coconut palmcoconut is placed in a fairly large pot, filled with a humus-sandy substrate and kept in a warm room with moderate humidity. The walnut should be placed horizontally and covered with soil halfway. Unfortunately, germination takes quite a long time, often you have to wait up to 6 months.
However, you must know that under the conditions of growing at homecoconut palmdoes not produce nuts, and coconuts sold in stores foods are usually not suitable for growing a plant from them.Therefore, in practice, it is better to buy a coconut palm seedling that is already growing.
Ripe, sprouting coconuts.
A new coconut will easily grow out of such a nut.
Position, insolation
Growing coconut treesat home should be done in a warm and brightly lit place. In winter, the cultivation of the coconut palm is better if we provide the palm with additional, artificial lighting. In summer, cultivation temperatures can easily reach 28 ° C, but normal room temperatures are usually good. However, the ideal winter temperature for a coconut palm is 16-18 ° C.
Watering the coconut palm
When watering a coconut palm, remember to keep the soil moist, but not wet. It is best to pour a large amount of water on the stand under the pot and let the plant drink it. Decant excess water. Between waterings, let the top layer of earth dry out.
It is also important to constantly control the air humidity, which should be as high as possible.Leaves of coconut treesshould be sprinkled frequently, and placed under the plant stands with damp pebbles from which the water will evaporate.
Fertilizing the coconut palm
In the spring and summer time,coconut palmat home should be fertilized once every two weeks, preferably with a multi-component liquid fertilizer. Special mineral fertilizers for palm trees are available for sale. You can also use natural biohumus.
Transplanting a coconut palm
Replanting a coconut palmshouldn't be done too often. We only replant the plant when the pot really runs out of space and you can see that the root ball of the plant does not fit any more. The coconut palm should be planted in a pot that is as narrow and tall as possible, filled with a clay substrate, to which peat and sand are added. The recommended pH of the substrate should be 5.7 - 6.8.You can also buy ready-made soil for palm trees.
Coconut palm - diseases
Coconut palm diseasemost often manifested by drying andbrowning leaf tipsThe most common cause of this palm disease is overflow or drying of the root ball of the plant. Coconut palm can also be harmed by too dry air in our apartments and too high temperature in winter in heated apartments. The condition of the plant will improve when the air temperature is lowered to 18 ° C and we provide higher air humidity.
Yellowing and dieback of coconut leaves , especially those at the bottom of the plant, can also be related to a deficiency of certain nutrients in the soil, such as zinc, iron, or magnesium. You should then apply a special palm fertilizer, rich in both macro- and microelements.
Coconut palmis also often attacked by potted plant pests such as spider mites, thrips, scales and mealybugs, which most often accumulate at the base of the petioles.When pests are noticed, apply an appropriate insecticide.
