All about the coconut tree

Coconut palms are tree-like plants belonging to the arec family, that is, palm trees. The tree is the only member of the genus Cocos nucífera, which got its name from Portuguese sailors who saw the face of a monkey in the spots on the nut.

The exact place of origin of the coconut palm is unknown, but it is a resident of countries with tropical climates. The culture spread throughout the Malay Archipelago, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka, the Philippine Islands, Vietnam, etc. The coconut tree grows on the sandy soils of the sea coasts - it needs water for natural reproduction.

Consider a detailed description of the plant.

• The coconut tree looks like a slender tall (27-30 m) tree.
• The trunk, in comparison with the height, looks rather thin, fragile, in fact, it is very strong and is able to withstand powerful tropical hurricanes.
• The surface of an inclined smooth trunk with a diameter of 14-15 cm is covered with rings, rows of fallen leaves, which can be used to determine the age of the plant.
• The palm tree does not have lateral skeletal branches, but in the lower part it is able to grow supporting roots, somewhat reminiscent of the roots of mangrove trees.
• The full-fledged formation of the trunk begins when the tree reaches 4-6 years of age. The trunk does not have a secondary thickening, since it is devoid of cambium, it has only one apical bud, on which the life of the tree depends. If it dies, the whole plant dies.
• The leaves are located at the top of the trunk, crowning it with a crown. A dense sheet plate is dissected into separate links, 200-250 in number, each of which is 60-90 cm in length and 2-3 cm in diameter. The width of the leaf itself is 1 meter, the length is up to 6 m. The number of leaves varies from 20 to 40 pieces. Formation of a new leaf occurs every 3-4 weeks under ideal conditions and much less often if the plant lacks vitality.

The paniculate inflorescence of Cocos nucífera consists of long (1-2 m) spikelets of small yellow flowers of the female and male type hanging from the axils of the leaves. The palm tree blooms every 3-6 weeks, and this algorithm can continue year-round if agronomic conditions are favorable. Pollination occurs naturally - by insects and the movement of air masses. Some varieties are prone to cross-pollination and heterozygosity, while others are self-pollinating. Despite the abundance, the flowers are massively crumbled and, as a result, the inflorescence gives no more than 5-12 fruits.

As for the root system, the central root dies off early, giving way to a mass of adventitious ones extending from the lower part of the trunk (base). Their life cycle is 10-12 years, some function up to half a century, the average thickness is 0.8-1.3 cm, the height of the trunk cover is 1-1.5 meters. The adventitious roots are suction, their number provides a large contact with the soil, this fully provides the tree with nutrients and moisture. The depth of occurrence of individual roots can reach 8 meters, the bulk is located in the ground no deeper than half a meter.

The fruit itself is a rounded pseudo-monomeric drupe or pyrenarium, in the common people - a coconut. The average weight of ripe fruits varies from 1400 to 2500 g, diameter 250-300 mm, length 300-400 mm.

• The surface of the walnut (exocarp layer) is overgrown with coir fibers of light brown shades.
• This is followed by a thick (2-15 cm) layer of mesocarp with a dense structure of green, yellow or red tones. It is this thickness that makes the walnut waterproof, gives it buoyancy and strength, protects the seeds from high temperatures and keeps them until the moment when it becomes possible to germinate.
• Mesocarp contains all the necessary substances - potassium, etc. In a young form, mesocarp is edible, it is used to prepare butter, milk, coconut flakes.
• The last inner layer is the endosperm, called coconut water in solid or liquid state. Upon reaching ripeness, the colorless and transparent endosperm takes on a yellow tint and a slightly oily structure due to the oil droplets secreted by copra, resulting in an emulsion called coconut milk. The volume of endosperm is 500–1000 ml, content: sugar, calcium salts, dry substances, etc. The set and amount of vitamins are extremely limited, but in the mature stage the composition is close to cow's milk.
• From pollination to full maturation, a rather long period passes: from 330 to 430 days.

Fruiting of a coconut palm begins from 7-9 years of age and lasts up to half a century. From one plant, 60-200 fruits are taken annually. To get copra, nuts are harvested mature, coir - a month before harvest. Coconut substrate is widely used in horticulture and floriculture.

The waterproof coconut has excellent buoyancy and is carried far away by ocean currents without losing its vitality. However, on an industrial scale, the palm tree is grown far from the coast, and in this case, a person takes care of reproduction on himself. The largest volumes of coconut cultivation belong to the multi-island state of Indonesia, which has extensive coastal areas. Today, the large habitat of Cocos nucífera has been created through natural processes and human factors.

Cocos nucífera varieties are divided into undersized and standard (tall) varieties. Common varieties are used more intensively and are divided into subgroups according to biological and economic characteristics. Indicators are parameters such as quality / quantity and copra yield. Copra oil content is almost the same in all grades.

Let's consider in more detail the varieties of culture.

• Vigorous varieties called Typica, whose main indicator remains a high yield and large-fruited (up to 300 g of copra per nut), are grown in the Philippines, where large areas are allocated for them. Depending on the geographical location of the cultivation area, varieties are used such as:
  • San Blas (South America);
  • "Cochinhina" (Indochina);
  • Java (Indonesia);
  • Kappadam (India).

• Low-growing varieties (Nana) have miniature forms, faster fruiting, small-fruiting and short lifespan: from 20 to 30 years. Grow:
  • variety "Coconinho" - in the Philippine Islands;
  • "King" - in Sri Lanka;
  • a variety of "Clan Gading" is grown in Malaysia.

For growing indoors, certain subspecies are considered the most suitable.

• "Palm weddel" (Cocos weddeliana) - miniature (up to 1.5 m) subspecies. The foliage with the ends drooping downwards is painted in intense tones of emerald color with a silvery tint on the inside.
• "Nut-bearing" (Cocos nucifera viridis) - this variety has larger sizes (up to 3 m) than the aforementioned one, and meter-long leaves with bifurcated ends. Its fruits are colored green.

To grow a coconut at home, certain conditions will be required. It depends on how healthy and viable the plant will be.Store nuts cannot be used as planting material. They are not viable and time will be wasted.

The nut for planting must be covered with coir (without it, the sprout will not appear under any circumstances) and contain a sufficient amount of juice.

1. Before planting a nut at home, it is kept in a greenhouse until a sprout is formed.
2. After that, the planting material is transferred into a pots with a nutrient mixture.

For the initial cultivation of a coconut, choose a pots with a volume that is 2 times the diameter of the nut. The pot must be equipped with drainage holes

As a soil, you can safely use a universal flower soil with the addition of ¼ part of coarse sand. When making your own soil mixture, you need to monitor the acidity. Coconut only grows in a neutral or slightly acidic environment. In the manufacture, sod land, humus and peat are used in proportions of 1: 1: 1. After the mixture is mixed, expanded clay, clay and sand are added to it, also in equal volumes.

A southerner a priori loves bright light, because it grows on the coast, shaded by nothing and no one. Place the planter with coconut in a well-lit place where direct sunlight falls. In winter, a green pet needs backlighting - fluorescent lamps are used.

Growing a coconut indoors is extremely difficult; it is much better in a greenhouse. Despite this, you can grow a magnificent specimen in an apartment if you create conditions for it that are as close to comfort as possible and take proper care of it.

Constant watering is vital for a coconut, especially at a young age. This is due to the living conditions in the wild, where coconuts grow on the ocean coast. The earthen coma should not be allowed to dry out, so the palm tree is watered daily.

For these purposes, complex organic and mineral fertilizers are used. This is done in spring and summer, right up to autumn. The frequency of application of dressings is 2 times a month. The introduction of nutrients during the autumn-winter period is almost completely excluded. If, nevertheless, there is a concern for the health of the pet and for its decorativeness, then you can add ready-made soil mixture for palm trees, citrus fruits.

Transplanting a young plant is possible with an interval of 1-2 years. As they grow older, starting from the third year, they stop replanting the coconut and replace the event with the renewal of the top layer. They act in such a way as to avoid damage to the root system. Each pot change implies a slightly larger diameter than the previous one, because a large amount of soil is not necessary for a coconut, it is much more important than feeding. The best time for a transplant is April-May.

It is impossible to buy seeds for planting coconut, since they do not exist in principle - reproduction occurs with the help of a nut or root suckers. They are formed quite often and are quite suitable for reproduction. To obtain a viable shoot, it is separated from the mother plant with a sharp, pre-disinfected knife and the place of the cut is powdered with powdered cinnamon or charcoal. Then the resulting sprout is planted in a separate pot with soil for adult specimens.

Indoor cultivation, coconut is more protected from diseases and pests than in the open field, but it is impossible to be absolutely sure of its safety. Even in a confined space, plant health can be compromised.

There are diseases that are considered especially dangerous.

• Phytoplasmosis. It is expressed by complete damage to the crown and leads to the death of the plant. It is impossible to save culture from disease. The affected palm tree can only be disposed of, preferably burned.
• Pink and black rot. The plant weakens, the vegetative part begins to rot down to the trunk. A plant treatment is a weekly treatment with special fungicides until the plant is completely free of symptoms. However, it should be borne in mind that a diseased plant becomes a source of infection, and if there is no desire to destroy the coconut, it should be isolated from other crops.

Of the pests for palm trees, aphids, spider mites, thrips and mealybugs are dangerous. Applying insecticides will help get rid of the problem.