Olympic palm growing...
I figure since the June full sun burned the Hawaiin shade grown fronds,it wasnt much to look at as a houseplant. Go for the gold.
slipped on the sharpening of this photo...
The following thread was started by stan on August 25, 2008 at 1:51 pm PST
Not only was the soil VERY easy to dig into with plain tennis shoes,I noticed it felt very warm as far down as i dug..it slopes a bit in the direction of hottest sun. It also is on the edge of Suebelle..for some frost protection.
The above followup was added by s on August 25, 2008 at 1:54 pm PST.
Soil temps below 60f cause root rot.... but then again I bet you are already aware of this.
I have 3 Malay dwarfs that I started from seed, have had them out side since March... are doing great. .... But once we start to cool down in early Nov.
2 are coming indoors with my breadfruit tree, the other is going into a pot on my back patio ( its covered ) with rope lights wrapped around the pot for heat.
Jeff
The above followup was added by Jeff on August 25, 2008 at 2:51 pm PST.
The soil temps might not dip until late November-mid Dec. Residual warmth thing etc,
I'm hoping it finishes the new frond,sends new roots into the soil,and has that healthy-ready- to- take -on -winter look by October.
If it makes it through one winter to grow a frond next May or June?. Worth it.
The above followup was added by stan on August 25, 2008 at 3:02 pm PST.
They sprouted in the Coconut pot. I guess they are from Hawaii.
The above followup was added by s on August 25, 2008 at 3:05 pm PST.
You get sun in winter... maybe a thick mulch of black rocks would radiate heat down to the soil..., but... I'd still say its a gonner before it even got started.
I started mine in the full sun... look real nice right now...............
Jeff
The above followup was added by Jeff on August 25, 2008 at 3:21 pm PST.
One thing i have noticed about Coconuts tried in warm temperate areas..the only ones that survived to see another summer were planted as multi fronded. Those who stuck in ground a coconut with undivided leaves never made it. And nobody who has posted a coconut more than three years old has said they then died from cold.
I got three years to go-lol.
The above followup was added by stan on August 25, 2008 at 3:36 pm PST.
Maybe in the winter you could set up a little tent-like structure to shield the palm from rain and cold. That might help increase its chances of survival.
The above followup was added by Parsec on August 26, 2008 at 8:34 pm PST.
Stan,
You need to move it back to Hawaii, it will thrive there. You probably would too, from what you say about your love of cold.
I think ther eis a very good reason the most photographed Ca. cocnut is both far south, and not great lookng. Sorry mate, no chances.
Take that as a challenge and prove me wrong!!
The above followup was added by Ben on August 26, 2008 at 10:34 pm PST.
I wonder if chances would be much improved if you covered the soil with plastic so that it was very dry when temperatures dropped.
Otherwise, maybe the only way would to be to install a radiant heating system underground.
Good luck!
The above followup was added by HarveyC on August 26, 2008 at 11:32 pm PST.
Soil temps are going to be the killer.
Stan's lowest temp of the year... probably wouldn't hurt a healthy coconut... but the soil must not drop below 60f for very long or root rot will set in.
I put an instant read soil thermometer in the soil next to the newport coconut on an average winter day... guess what the temp was??
60f!
I imagine that during a cold spell the surface temp drops a little below 60f... but the roots are probably in a little warmer soil.
BTW... my soil surface temp here in Modesto during the winter... 48f....so I would need 12 degrees... I bet Hayward soil temp is in the low 50's... still too cold.
If you had some way of heating the soil a little... it might make it...
Jeff
The above followup was added by Jeff on August 27, 2008 at 0:40 am PST.
These Malay golden have done some funny things here in California. Most of that fun has been where little winter rain falls...or it could also be that's the only place people even think of trying.
What i know I do get here is plenty of winter sun. Maybe not as warm as San Diego..no 68f ave winter,but plenty of 58-65 sunny days.
A plastic cover to reflect rain would help.
No soil warmers other than passive..black lava rock at $4 a sack is more my speed. Besides,the minerals in it are better than inert smooth black granite stones,
Last year I put in a Dioon in the ground as it was flushing..the fronds went on to be the largest it ever had. I want to see if that frond on the coco does something.
The above followup was added by stan on August 27, 2008 at 9:29 am PST.
Stan,
This may sounds stupid, but hear me out. This palm is very much a coastal species, and some people suggest it requires the mineral s from the seawater to survive at all outside the hot tropical zone.
I wonder if you should buy some pure sea salt, and give the palm a taste of the sea occaisonally. Pure sea salt equals seawater when mixed 1 part to 30 parts freshwater.
The above followup was added by Ben on August 27, 2008 at 12:41 am PST.
Ben... Where Stan lives...Hayward is on the San Francisco bay. All Salt water.
jeff
The above followup was added by Jeff on August 27, 2008 at 1:43 pm PST.
put a large magnifying glass above it to concentrate the sun's rays on it and the surrounding soil during winter. :)
Jason
The above followup was added by JasonT on August 27, 2008 at 2:08 pm PST.
Might do that for the coco and the Maridol. Coconut,like Mangroves can tolerate sea spray,and of course the nut can float in sea salt..pretty sure its not needed to grow though. The humidity of the seashore is another factor. I think I have enough in summer-If it gets there next year
I'm pushing my luck but other than gopher kills,I havent had a planted in dirt, Tropical plant die on me since 98. I have yet to pull anything out of the ground-ok,that small King in 07,now that i recall, other than that, dead from cold. Unless brought in from a freeze,container plants actually have it alot harder in winter..and most people think the opposite.."ohhh it will freeze in the dirt"..only that the dirt doesnt flood,Tropicals do best in ma earth's hand's. Now to see if the coco is beloved by ma earth!
The above followup was added by s on August 27, 2008 at 2:18 pm PST.
I have 3 coconuts in pots in my back yard... all put out 4 new leaves this summer... and we are DRY... as it gets in these parts.
Jeff
The above followup was added by Jeff on August 28, 2008 at 0:26 am PST.
I was reading about growing them in Houston. It's a certainty they will defoliate in winter..as long as you keep them staked up, they will regrow in spring. In Houston.
But,at least i know now not to toss out if they fall over..tie them to little stakes,keep the roots just under enough soil to re - root. Hope they make it.
I'm going to guess by Nov.they will have about 8" of trunk. yeah,I wish they grew many feet a year here,like in Texas,-but they dont.
I have two in pots..they will be indoors. Funny that they dont look as nice as the in ground Papaya's..even with good potting soil.
The above followup was added by s on August 28, 2008 at 12:27 am PST.
Stan,
How about a pictuer of those maridols now? Not many of mine left, as the plastic tunnel I had them in blew away, and the plastic wrecked everything. Only a couple of small ones left, that had been too small to plant. I will move them into large bags and try them as pot plants.
The above followup was added by Ben on August 29, 2008 at 0:14 am PST.
I planted a bunch of Maridol papaya seeds in 1 gallon plastic containers and put them into the greenhouse. They're all coming up with a vengeance. Of course that's today...whatever will happen in the future remains to be seen.
Oh, and all the jakfruit and white sapote seeds are up too. Again, I'm losing any confidence in the future of these lovely little seedlings.
The above followup was added by Merbert on August 29, 2008 at 11:22 am PST.