please help dont know what this is!
By Daftnat
hi there i bought a coconut palm from a local store, about 3ft high and states it is a coconut palm, problem is there is no aftercare advise, dont know if it's indoor, outdoor, the palm grows form a medium size coconut rooted into the soil. starting to fall over!please hel sorry no pic yet!
On plant
coconut palm
22 Jul, 2007
Answers
Hi joey! thanks so much for your reply will get a bigget pot and have secured it too bamboo canes and tied it together to stop it from falling, will send you a photo of it as have never seen a plant grow out of a coconut as well! also the leaves anre getting darker and harder the bottom one is now a dark brown, any ideas?
thanks again Daftnat
23 Jul, 2007
As many palm trees grow they tend to drop their leaves which give them the familiar rings around the trunks. The top leaves should be green and lush. No-one knows exactly where the coconut comes from as it has the most amazing way of spreading! The nuts will often float out to sea and then do the same as yours and take root on any shore it finds - just amazing.
Good luck and I am intrigued to see the photo! Joey
23 Jul, 2007
Previous question
Hi Daftnat
The standard coconut 'cocos nucifera' will grow up to 100ft tall and needs to be inside in this country. There are dwarf varieties that will only grow to about 10ft (you would probably prefer this one if it is inside!).
If it is falling over from the stem it might be suffering from overwatering - they dont like loads of water so not everyday - then reduce to once a week or less during winter.
If the whole pot is falling over then you just need a much bigger pot! The RHS book I am looking at recommends a loam based compost like John Innes No.2 with extra sharp sand and bark.
I hope that helps you a bit - I have never grown a coconut myself so let me know how you get on...
23 Jul, 2007