Nice little coconut palm there! They are very fast growing! Mine hit the 7ft. mark last summer. I'm hopeful for fruit within the next two years.

US Marine,

That is a healthy looking seedling you have there. Are you planning to plant it to the ground yet? If I'm thinking correctly, I remember some of your posts from years back ... and you posted about a bigger coconut tree in the ground? Correct me if I'm wrong. But if you still have that coconut tree, how is it doing there for you?

Thanks guys!

Yeah, I'm thinking about it. lol Sooner or later it will have to planted. Havent figured out how I was gonna over winter it though. Until I figure that out it will remain in a container.

In the past I did plant a few in the ground. The biggest one was about 8 or 9 ft tall. Unfortunately though it never survived the shipping. But I still planted it hoping maybe it would re-root and recover.

I did however plant a small one like the one pictured above that grew through out summer and fall. No protection or anything just planted near a south facing wall. Survived NorCal until the second week of Jan. Thats really not bad considering how cool and cloudy our winters are. Root rot was not the cause of death. yes the soil was moist and cool but the roots were actually strong and a live still when I dug it up weeks later. I'm assuming the top part basically shut down and died because it was too cool a little too long.

I can only imagine how long one might survive with even a simple layer of plastic surrounding it. In an unheated green house on sunny days temps can easily hit 80f inside. I'd jsut have to figure out how to keep the heat in at night and keep frost out on a very few nights.

- US_marine

Kinzyjr,

It's good to hear that your coconut tree is going well for you even in your planting zone. Do you protect it during the Winter months? Some people grow theirs close to the house, so that offers some kind of protection as well.

The warmer months are coming up again. I hope your coconut tree will grow quickly for you. If you have a picture to share of your coconut tree, that would be nice.

US Marine,

I'm sorry to hear that your bigger coconut trees didn't survive the shipping, but I'm glad to hear that you haven't given up hope and are still trying :)

My planting zone is also 9b (only that I'm in FL). I've been told that it's not going to work here. Over the years, two died on me while they were planted in the ground. The one I have now is the third one that has been planted last year. Even though I protect it with some Christmas light bulbs during the colder months, I know the weather here is playing Russian roulette with it. Here's a picture I posted in another thread.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/palms/msg0414124810963.html?6

Right now, I'm sourcing out some other cold hardy variety of coconut trees that will thrive in my area. One is the Bolivian mountain coconut tree that grows big and the other one is a mini coconut tree that grows to 5-6 ft when mature. Both of these produce coconut tasting fruit that are golf-ball size. I heard it will take some years before they bear fruit. I cannot say for sure how they will do for me here, but it's definitely something I'm interested in trying.

Regulating the temperature in a green house can be a complicating one. In the past, I've kept my potted coconut trees close to the house with Christmas lights on and they do ok. It is only when they're planted in the ground that they get into real trouble. In any case, I do hope your little guy will do well for you. At least the warmer months are coming up ahead. Hopefully, you'll see more growth before the cold months are back again.

Bananafan,
I typically protect it by wrapping it with beach towels if the temperature goes below 40F. Mine is the one close to the house in your other thread about coconut palms. I posted a picture on the other thread, but will post a more recent photo in this one next time I get a chance.

Here is the thread with the picture I referenced:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/palms/msg0321563518709.html?14

A coconut will never grow outdoors in the central valley. You might try what I advised with the Brisbane Lipstick palm...a heating pad in winter INDOORS. I myself had a coconut in a greenhouse that got wobbly in it's pot in winter on the cold cement slab...I placed it on a bench,and it recovered fast..all I did was warm the roots you might say. Air temps were the same at both times.

lol i know one will never survive a winter here alone but thats not what I was saying. With help it does have a chance. However, I havent decided how much help or exactly how to over winter one outside. The easy part is getting them through a winter indoors but they can only grow so big indoors until your faced with leaving them outside.

My plan is growing a coconut palm outside in the valley all year long with some kind of help/ protection in winter only. But with out going over board and buying a green house. An easy up is easy, but realistically it wont work forever. Especially if your planting a palm thats out grown the house in it. So how do you get coconut palm that can not fit in an easy up through a winter? Thats where I am stuck lol.

- US_Marine

As promised, a photo of my coconut palm.

Kinzyjr,

I think your coconut tree has grown from the last picture I saw in your other posting. That is a very beautiful coconut tree you have there. The fronds are so big and feathery. What will happen when it grows to touch the eave of your roof? Are you planning to bring it out a little away from the wall so it can continue to grow pass the roof? I've seen coconut trees arching and curving though. Maybe it will do that for you.

Thank you for sharing the picture. I can see that it's happy there and it's even sending out a new frond. Please do update again as and when it shows more growth. Nice job with growing your coconut tree!

Bananafan,
Thank you for your compliments! My coconut palm is definitely one of the gems in my gardens.

Surprisingly, this year it actually grew through the winter. Typically, the growth comes to a stop in the winter.

As far as the roof, the palm is of the 'Green Malayan Dwarf' variety, so the palm will probably need some coaxing to get it to lean away from the house enough to have sufficient clearance from the eave.

I don't anticipate that I will have to transplant it at any point, just give it a gentle push in the right direction when it starts getting more of a sturdy trunk to it. It already has started leaning some on its own since it doesn't get sunlight from the other direction.

Actually, I'm more worried about how to protect it from a really nasty freeze once it gets so large that draping old blankets over it to trap the heat from the house is no longer effective.

I'll continue to post pictures of it periodically. My next one will likely be in the fall.