Growing Coconut Palms
Coconut palm tree information. Caring for a coconut palm. Think of growing coconut palms and a tropical beach where these trees line the shores comes to mind. Most tropical and subtropical areas on earth are generously gifted with a climate suited for growing coconut palm trees. People there literally make use of every single thing available from the tree.
Tender coconut water and pulp is a health food. Coconut flakes are used in making various dishes.Coconut oil is used for cooking and for personal care. It is a good hair dressing and is said to help hair growth. The coconut tree trunk is used to thatch huts and keep them cool during summer. The trunk is also a good source of timber for furniture. The fibrous husk is used to make ropes, doormats and carpets. All parts of coconut are used as fuel for cooking. In short, coconut palm trees are 100% useful! This is the process used for planting new palm trees: Mature coconuts are left in water for a few days before they are planted where the soil is dug at least 2 feet deep. Within a month or two, shoots appear. In a few months time, the young palms are transplanted to a more spacious area. The minimum distance between two palm trees should be four and a half feet. The newly transplanted trees are watered regularly till new leaves come. Ash residues from burning wood are left at the root of the coconut tree. This is a kind of disinfectant. During summer, larger coconut leaves are cut and left on the ground around the trunk so that not much moisture escapes. Regular watering is done for two to three months of summer and mulching is important in hot weather. You have to balance the risk of giving insects a cozy place to breed against the trees need for moisture. There are different varieties of coconut trees. Some yield coconuts in their second or third year from seed. But the biggest and most common coconut palm trees take more than five years to yield. Caring For a Coconut PalmWhen caring for a coconut palm be very careful of damaging the trunk. The dreaded rhinoceros or black beetle views injured areas on the trunk as an open door. It will lay its eggs in the wound. These beetles will kill the tree if they are not controlled. People growing coconut palms should burn any dead trees on their property to prevent the black beetle from breeding inside decomposing trees. They are also fond of compost heaps and piles of organic debris so keep the area around the palms clean. Beyond this, there are also good biological controls (a virus and a fungus) being used with success against palm destroying beetles. Growing coconut palms need deep soil as their roots run very deep and travel yards in search of water. The advantage of this is that it helps to prevent soil erosion and I guess it is the reason for people planting more coconut palm trees along the beaches.
Florida Palm Trees DiseasesCoconut palms are susceptible to a disease called lethal yellowing. It is spread by an insect and can kill a tree in just a few months. Be sure to plant resistant varieties.
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