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Coconut growing from store

17 years ago

While I was searching for a coconut to drink and eat, I found this one:

Now it looks to me that one of the eyes is starting to swell, although it is kinda small. It is sprouting right? Anyway, its kinda a shock, thought the cold would have killed it ( cold storage & cold store), and not to mention its doesnt have much of the husk left. To those of you who are trying to sprout one from a store bought coconut, you might get lucky and find one starting to sprout :)

Comments (15)

  • 17 years ago

    Sorry the pics a little blurry so I cant see if its sprouting, but thats a great deal if it is. Never hurts to plant it and find out. Just dont forget to give it "a shake test" and make sure that it is actually a viable seed.

    Good luck and keep us updated on how it goes!

  • 17 years ago

    Yes, it is starting to sprout. You need to provide it heat and humidity. I've heard of good success with planting them in vermiculite and providing heat and humidity. Basically you need to make it think it's still in the husk. Good luck!
    Keith

  • 17 years ago

    Here is a better pic:

    sorry about first pic, it came form my phone.

    Also what material should I use to make it think it is in the husk?

  • 17 years ago

    The material is vermiculite, didn't notice it until now, thanks for leting me know the name of the material. I think the heat will be easy, 93f+ for the next 2 weeks :) The humidity will be a problem, humidity this time of year normally is 14%-25%. Maybe a plastic bag might help. The shack test shows it has coconut milk inside.
    Thanks everyone giving advice.

  • 17 years ago

    A plastic bag MAY work, but it may also cause too much humidity which may cause rot, fungi and/or mold. What you could do is put it in vermiculite in a bin, and put the bin in your garage. You could then run a humidifier in the garage to up the humidity a bit. Make sure the bin has drainage, and keep the coconut slightly moist, but not wet. There's a fine line between the amount of moisture a coconut needs, and too much moisture. If you can give it the right amount, it should do fine. Hope I helped, good luck with your coco!
    Keith

  • 17 years ago

    Where would one buy vermiculite? I wonder why it needs something like the husk to fully sprout. Maybe it needs to have a struggle? I bet just planting it will make it rot.

    thanks for the advice zeeth.

  • 17 years ago

    Oh the brown thing was the coconut! I thought that was the ground and the little green sprout on the coconut was the actual coconut (lol)...
    Thanks for uploading a clearer pic, that cocos definately sprouting. Also, Im not sure if they need a husk. I bought mine already sprouting and it had no husk on it at all. It only had one or two leaves at the time so it was probably a somewhat newly sprouted plant. Im not sure if they took the husk off though and it was growing with one, or if it sprouted without a husk on.

    Also give it lots of heat and sunlight. When you bring it in give it a southern window if possible, beacause those usually have the heat a coco needs especially on a comfortable sunny winter day outside. My southen window can get to 90 degrees or more for short periods of time on sunny winter days.
    Good luck with your new coco!

  • 17 years ago

    Try planting the coconut 4/5 down in the soil/vermiculite. This is because they sometimes split open if germinated without the husk and this is fatal, so the soil will support the shell of the coconut.

  • 17 years ago

    ^ The coconut needs the soak up water for the plant and to prevent the coconut from splitting. I'm not sure where you would definitely buy it. Try a farm supply store.

  • 17 years ago

    Buy vermiculite at any good garden store

  • 17 years ago

    Been busy, and haven't got the vermiculite. Whats sucks is that because I haven't got it, I think that may be the down fall of the sprout. Today I noticed it smaller than it was yesterday, which makes me believe it is dying. I haven't planted it but maybe planting it and completely covering it with a thin layer of soil may help.It may have been because of the humidity. Well, at least I know where to find another.

  • 17 years ago

    Just got some vermiculite, now I'll plant it soon, 4/5s good? Or should I completely cover it, but with thin layer to make it think its is still in the husk?

  • 17 years ago

    You can leave about 1/5 of it exposed i think. As long as there is enough to withstand the expansion of the nut, which will cause breakage. Good luck, let us know how it works. If it doesn't make it don't worry, it's very rare to be able to get them to grow with no husk. It is possible though.
    Keith

  • 17 years ago

    I was about plant it on the 23rd but I noticed it shrunk farther, and it looked brown and dead so I left it alone. I was going to cut it open to see whats going on inside. Today I noticed it was wet and leaking from where the eye was sprouting. As i picked it up I also noticed the eye larger than it was before and white??? This is interesting.

  • 17 years ago

    I did plant it today in the vermiculite, with 1/4 of mix was soil. That vermiculite is some interesting material, its like sand and drains very well, and dries quick. I can see why you guys suggested it, it works well all the way around, thanks guys. I planted it a little more than 4/5 because it dries fast and due to fact that more coverage, the better chance of it not spliting it has. How long do you guys think it can stay in a 20 Gal container? A bet a mix like this, but with maybe a half soil and half vermiculite mix might be the solution to root rot?

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