Sun,heat,moisture make these grow.

I think you could save yourself the trouble of finding out
mature Coconut plants can't handle 20F by leaving the small one out now(-:

I know,I am terrible :p

If it's not growing, it could be a few things:

1. Not enough heat (day and/or night), .

2. Not enough sun (full, day long sun is good)

3. Pot not big enough

4. Not being fertilized enough.

Also, many palms tend to grow more slowly in youth and pick up speed later as they mature. I would keep it inside at this point. Can you supplement light w. artificial. Mine is in a 'basement' that gets some natural light, rest is all florescent lighting. Palms will all slow down this time of year due to reduced day length, light intensity, and cooler temps, especially in the North. Also, go light on fertilizing if all other conditons are less than ideal. Let it rest until Spring, keeping it alive at this point should be the main goal, not necessarily vigorous growth. Good luck!

Actually a coconut palm of any size does not like any frost. They dont even like cool temps for a long time even if its above freezing. However, they can recover from a frost down to 28f, if temps rebound and don't freeze again. And thats if temps near or above 70f and lows dont drop below the 50f's. The lowest I think I can remember hearing someone's mature coco recover from was like 26f or 25f. And I think your coco isnt growing because its not warm enough. Even if you have it inside by a bright window they will grow very slowly.

Good luck :)

- US_Marine

20F? Maybe for five minutes. A coconut won't really thrive if temperatures are routinely below 80F. So it will grow during your summer, after that, every single day is a challenge to the palm's survival. Cocos are a true tropical. They like it best in the hot sand at sea level in the humid tropics.

That said, many palms native to tropical and subtropical areas can survive quite well in more temperate climates. Nothing wrong with giving new species a try. Cocos is probably the one palm most experimented with, and with only the rarest degree of success, and that in zones much less challenging than 5b. Give it a shot, but next time, try something different. With more than 825 species of palms in cultivation, there must be something you can grow and enjoy.

Frost will kill the leaves, so it should not go below 40 degrees. The plant itself may recover from a brief freeze, but the entire head would die back. Destroy the source that told you 20 degrees. It's WAAAAAYYYYY off!

Here is a link that might be useful: Virginia Beach Weather

A tall coconut is in a slightly different climate to a small one at the same location. The air at ground level is colder than higher up. Plus with small plants being thinner, cold is able to more easily penetrate right through the plant tissue. Those factors put the small palms at a much greater disadvantage than tall palms. Length of time plants experience cold temperatures is also important. Tall plants will also get stronger sun for longer during the day. There's a lot of factors involved.

I'll be bringing mine in soon. We saw 46 overnight, but rest of week will be milder. I got this coconut at Lowes this summer, so I'm not as attached to it as the ones I raised from a freshly sprouted coconut I collected on some tropical beach in the Pacific or Indian Ocean when I flew for the USAF. It's amazing what finds its way into a helmet bag!

I'll be bringing mine in soon. We saw 46 overnight, but rest of week will be milder. I got this coconut at Lowes this summer, so I'm not as attached to it as the ones I raised from a freshly sprouted coconut I collected on some tropical beach in the Pacific or Indian Ocean when I flew for the USAF. It's amazing what finds its way into a helmet bag!

I understand the urge to leave out the plants as long as possible. Just started taking some of the more tender palms (Hyophorbes, Adonidia, etc.). My semi dwarf coconut came in a few days ago. It will actually push more growth under florescent in the basement under relatively warm night temps than it would outside at this time of year when temps start to fall into the 50's and 40's. While other palms will continue to push growth outside this time of year.

If I recall, you are in upstate NY, bring it in now. Way to cold for a potted coco. You can put it out if temps are in the 70's, but my bet is that it will do far better inside.

I live in NYC and I took mine in on Sunday. It could stay outside longer, but why bother when it would be happier indoors this time of the year. Mine usually grows one full frond indoors (from mid October to mid April) and 2-3 fronds while outside during the summer.
They shouldn't see below 40F but they can tolerate temperatures in the mid 30s. If they see a frost they might die, especially at a young age. Sometimes they do see frosts in Florida and survive because the temperatures during a cold afternoon warm up to at least the 60s!
-Alex

* Posted by wetsuiter 7b/8a (My Page) on
Mon, Oct 8, 12 at 10:03

.......... I collected on some tropical beach in the Pacific or Indian Ocean when I flew for the USAF. It's amazing what finds its way into a helmet bag!

Obviously not on one of the trips you returned from via Sydney, LOL.

I don't even let mine see temps in the 40s. UIt wouldn't kill it but just because it can take something does not mean it should. There is no way it could take 20 It would be toast. Even if you let it see 40s there are diffent kind of 40s. If it's raining and in the 40s that's much worse then a couple of nights in the 40s when it gets sunny and 60s or 70s during the day.

No! Definitely not going home thru Sydney. But I doubt they would've looked in my helmet bag anyway.

If memory serves, over the years I picked up sprouted coconuts in Guam and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. There was a great collecting spot there along one of the beaches. Piles and piles of coconuts under the trees with babies growing everywhere. I was always amazed by the ones that barely had a leaf sprout but were already firmly rooted to the ground. So the best candidates for adoption were the ones that rested on the pile of coconuts and had not sprouted any roots. I always searched for the smallest coconut with the smallest sprout and with no roots (or just the emergence of a root sprout). It was a fun way for a palm enthusiast to spend a few hours on a day off.

I often find coconuts firmly anchored to the ground without any sign of a shoot. But also sometimes the otherway around, with a good shoot but no roots. Although in those cases I think the roots have been caught up inside the husk. It's interesting seeing piles of nuts at all stages of sprouting. But I have a few piles like that at home and it can also be a bit of a nuisance. Enough to drive you nuts, LOL.

how can I keep my coco palm warmer! I live in southern California in northern orange county and I have like a 6-7 month coco palm from Puerto Rico and I've had it for a month and its been here sence late may so the temps right now are good and its new little leafs are growing but i just have trouble with the humidity part and Im worried about winter! So how can I keep it more humid and warm?

winter here it usually between 64-75 during day and 44-50 during night but I bring it the house during night time

It's difficult to change the atmosphere even on a small scale. There's a massive volume of air and it takes a massive amount of water to alter the relative humidity. Even if you did the air mass is constantly moving, meaning more dry air keeps coming in. You need to keep it in a greenhouse type of enclosure which prevents the moist air from being displaced by dry air.

I've known people who built a frame around their coconut and put plastic around it during cold weather. As the palm grew they increased the frame size. It has its limits but you can get many years out of the plant. The cold is probably the bigger problem, especially if the following day doesn't warm up sufficiently.

ya ok thank you so much

if a make a little 2 by 2 by 3 greenhouse will it do better?

20?? Not happening. I grow them from seeds and have about 20 of them from 1 ft to 50 ft. 2 or 3 hrs at 30 and the leaves will be toast. Lower temps...it's a goner!

As long as there's enough room inside so that the fronds don't touch the walls of the greenhouse it should be okay. Greenhouses do lose heat over night so you would still want to monitor the inside temperature to make sure it stays okay.

ok thanks

Very nice shade of green. Sunburn can occur when there's exposure to strong sunlight at very low humidity. The same strength of sun (and even higher) at a high humidity level won't cause any burn (provided of course the plant's been acclimatised to direct sunlight).

Thanks for the info! :)

20F is too low for every Coconut Palm........this Palm need warm all year, they can take 32°F if it happens two hours in the early morning once a year !!! But not all the frost-free zones are suited for Coconut.....this Palm need high daily temperature, not only "not cold night"

Oh ok good cause its only outside during day so it gets warm nights but the coldest days it ever gets here is like 64 during December

Why do they not like dry air and how much dry air can they take

They can take very dry air as long as they are watered. I have had many coconut palms over the years in CA and never have I noticed them fuss over the dry air.

Oh really? Thank you so much!:). Have any ever sprouted coconuts before???

Never gotten one to flower. They have all been in large containers. On here though there was discussion of coconut palm fruiting in the desert of CA. But from what I've read it was chopped down before the fruit could mature.

Ya I heard about that to, what a shame

your cocos nucifera = coconut palm

is cold hardiness to zone 10b= 35 degrees not 9a =20 degrees

thus unless you keep it in a pot inside during cold months. and lots of sun and have a very tall celling it is not advisable to have a in NY..

But good for Southern California

More like maybe if you plant them in the right micro-climate and are located in one of the warmer zones in SoCal. Usually they don't make it, but it is possible.

Ya I live in a part where are coldest days and nights are in December and the average temp. During night in December is 45 degrees for a few hours during December nights

Sounds like you got a good chance. If you do plant outside make sure its in the warmest spot possible. It would be a good idea to build a raised bed for it too for drainage. Keeping the root zone on the dry side in winter is key.

Ok thanks!

Having warmer nights isn't the only thing needed to keep them going. If you don't get the hot sunny days then it will be all over. People growing them in cold climates do better in their winter if they do something like shroud them with clear plastic to build up the heat during the day. It's all a fine balancing act.

Ya I know, I keep it inside for warmer nights but idk if you have heard but SoCal is acually getting above average temps. Like it should be like 57 during the night and 77 during the day but nights are still like 64 and days are still like 84. And earlier this summer we had like 2 weeks of like it being 102 and it's been warm so I think I'm good.

Coconut palms in California are very tricky. Newport beach has one of the best microclimates in the state and a stunted coconut palm grew their for many years but eventually nature got the best of it (I think it was just a bit neglected toward the end of its life). Although Cali is having a warm fall so far El Nino winters can be especially tough since Coconut palms hate cold winter moisture. Don't underestimate them as potted plants. I got mine from Miami beach in 2009 (the coldest June on record here in NYC) and it's only 4 feet tall and healthy 6 and a half years later (still growing out of a coconut and in the original pot). I keep it by a sunny window inside. Around here we're lucky to have one or 2 days a month during the winter warm enough for coconut palms to spend a day outside but in California you might only have to bring it in a few days during the winter.

If you grow it outside be prepared to give it some protection. They love lots of water in the summer and minimal water when cold. If you could keep it by the side of your house if it's a place that says dry, that would be just about perfect! Some C-9 christmas lights and a cloth will get it through nights that are a little too close to frost for comfort!

Good luck!

I wouldn't worry about bringing them in until temps fail to reach about 70F and nights fall below 50F. But if planted in the right conditions they can survive CA winters, you just got to get lucky. There are a few other coconut palms scattered in SoCal, one has lived outside in a pot for 8 years now in Santa Ana. Btw, nice coco!

Lol thank you! Oh and mines in Fullerton

The problem is not only the night temperatures.....when adult, it can withstand also 35F for two hours at the morning if it happens once in a year..but then daily temperature must be high...Coconut

I have a baby coconut palm it is my favorite plant and I don't want to kill it because I have only one so at what temperatures should I keep it in?

But for those who wander how to keep your coconut most and so it will not rot I have a great tip for you "put some soil in a pot that a coconut will fit. Then dig a space for the coconut so it will be 2 times bigger then it need then take some sticks or rocks and put them at the bottom of the pot and leave about 1in distance between the soil and the coconut with the sticks. At last be 100% that your coconut will not flip other when the wind blows it. And their is another way too. Take a pot that the coconut doesn't fit exactly in it needs to not sink to the bottom of the pot then put as one soil in the pot so it is 1in away from the coconut." Both ways will need you to water them like 2 to 3 times a day if you want you can water it more times and in that way it can't rot because there is air under the coconut and if it starts growing roots don't think that it will not get its nutrients in time. A coconut doesn't use the nutrients any way until it is like 1 year old from sprouting.

Slightly old, but mature coconuts can handle probably down to 30F. But again it has to be short. There are some in Port Saint Lucie and Tampa Bay Area that have took 30F to 31F

They are definitely quite tropical, not subtropical, mediterranean, desert tolerant at all. Definitely a good indicator species for a solidly tropical/humid climate.