Coconuts and the Banana Circle (without Bananas)

[Elaine de Saxe]

Or the promise of anyway.

Thanks to Steve who organised the purchase and to Lissa who collected them for me, I now have new plants to play with.

Two Golden Dwarf Coconuts are now ensconced in our 'Banana Circle' which plays host to 3 Paw Paws, 1 Lemonade and now the Coconuts, Rosemary and Chives.

We never did dig it out the full metre - about half that if we're lucky. I can see the value of a full-sized hole then the berm would be a decent size. As it is the berm is only a few inches above the soil level.

I've built up the area where the Coconuts will live, using some el cheepo potting mix, then adding 5-in-1 then sand. Ten kilos of sand per plant. Whether that's enough, we'll find out.

Since the stuff in the pit has started to really compost, the Paw Paws have come along in leaps and bounds. They are just about overtaking the 2 I planted 2 years earlier in a place nowhere near as well served with water and nutrients. No more space for another circle :-(. It is a system I can recommend to use up just about anything organic except kitchen scraps (no rats, please!) we've not had the mulcher out since we dug it.

The 2 babies

Building up the layers, beginning with potting mix then 5-in-1 and the mix the plant came in (1:1 compost and sand).

Finished planting topped off with sand. I figured in their natural state a Coconut would not be mulched.

These little uninvited guests greeted us at the front door a few days ago. We hoped that they heralded rain. Not so far! A few mms of rain, many sticky flies and a few Kookas telling us there is some coming. But then so is Christmas, sooner or later.

[Elaine de Saxe]

Thanks Valeria ;-) we indeed may not live to see the fruit! We won't be shinnying up those trees which is why I planted dwarf ones. No monkeys hereabouts, either.

[Valerie]

Wait for your coconut tree to begin producing fruit. Coconut palms in ideal conditions do not usually begin to produce coconuts until they are between four and six years of age. Coconut trees that grow in poor conditions, unfavorable weather, or in soil with high clay and sand concentrations may not produce coconuts for 15 or 20 years after being planted.

Step 2
Keep track of the life cycle of your coconuts. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a coconut takes approximately 12 months from when it is first produced to be ready for harvest.

Step 3
Check the color of the husks of each coconut. Coconuts with completely or mostly brown husks are ready to be harvested and can be picked either directly from the tree or from the ground if they have fallen.

Step 4
Harvest all mature coconuts from the coconut palm tree or from the ground every 40 days for a tree that is frequently producing coconuts, and up to 90 days if the tree is producing less coconuts.

Step 5
Choose a harvesting method. In India, coconuts are removed from the tree with the aid of a pole device the grips the tree to allow the worker to climb safely. In Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, trained monkeys are used to run up the tree and drop all coconuts that are ready for harvest. Otherwise, coconuts are usually left to fall off the tree when they are ready for harvest and are then collected from the ground.



Read more: When to Harvest Coconut | Garden Guides http://www.gardenguides.com/69265-harvest-coconut.html#ixzz2ptnCtIUH

[Elaine de Saxe]

Who knows? We may not live to see it. But it's worth a whirl, the only fresh ones available locally are imported. There's a small industry around Cairns but no one wants to do business. Canned Coconut water is ghastly. Whatever the wait if we make it, will be worth it.

[Craig Hogan]

Nice! I can't stand palms but a coconut palm would be the exception! How many years till you get fruit?