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Southern Coconuts
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Posted by adamharbeck WA Aust (My Page) on Sat, Aug 7, 04 at 5:34
| What is the Southern limit or minimum temperature to grow coconuts? I would really like to grow one here in Mandurah but I am not sure if is is worth the hassle. If it was protected while still young would it eventually be ok? We do not get frosts here but it can get pretty cool. Any info or advice is greatly appreciated. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Southern Coconuts
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| I think that you would find that they would struggle where you are. You would have hot dry summers and cooler wetter winters wouldn't you? If so I would say forget about it but if you still want to have a go, try and select a more cool tolerant cultivar. Plants that are much more green than yellow seem to be more cool hardy. Varieties such as the Golden Malay Dwarf will only grow and thrive in climates such as I live in. The furtherest south (on the east coast) that I have seen a coconut palm growing was right on the coast at Forster-Tuncurry. The poor thing was against a north facing wall but was struggling severely. I think that once it cleared the protection of the wall it would be in trouble from cold wind. Good luck anyway. Andrew. |
RE: Southern Coconuts
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Got one malay dwarf growing inland about 5km from Pottsville, just south of the QLD border. Had 9 got 1 to grow!
The vascular bundles of the palm become frozen and burst upon thawing thus effectively stopping any conductive activity, thus why some people wrap heshian around the trucks of some plants.
Some palm species can survive with their outer vessels destroyed however can become susceptible to pathogens when the dead tissue destiorates. Kris |
RE: Southern Coconuts
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| Kris, I think Malay Dwarfs would definately be marginal in northern NSW but you are doing well to get one going. Andrew. |
RE: Southern Coconuts
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| Thanks for the info. I think I'll just have to stick with cooler growing palms. What do you think is the best "coconut subtitute" for cooler areas? |
RE: Southern Coconuts
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| You could try Ravenea rivularis, Majestic Palm. When it came onto the market many years ago it was hailed as a Coconut lookalike. It should grow quite well where you are. I however wouldn't plant the Queen Palm (Cocos) as it is a weed species here. It may not be a weed over there but it is not self cleaning and as such is high maintenance. Andrew. |
RE: Southern Coconuts
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| Just one point: it's not frost that sets the limits to where coconuts can be grown. Most coastal suburbs of Sydney are completely frost free, with lowest recorded temperatures around plus 2 to 4 deg. C. But coconuts are unknown here, or perhaps someone occasionally gets one to grow to about 2 m in a warm courtyard. I have seen quite a few coconuts planted on the Gold Coast, but don't recall that any were bearing fruit. My impression was that they don't fruit well much south of the Tropic of Capricorn (i.e. Rockhampton), but I'm sure there are people who can tell me I'm wrong about this. |
RE: Southern Coconuts
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| Tony, Even up in parts of the warmer subtropics very light frosts do occur on rare occasions and Coconuts do get burnt but still survive. Cold wind and relatively cold air and ground temperatures and cold rain do most damage to them, that is why they don't survive in Sydney. As for coconuts fruiting, here in Bundaberg (less than 200km south of tropic of Capricorn) they fruit quite heavily but the further south you go the less fruit you will notice. I do however know of a number of coconuts in Brisbane that have a reasonable crop of fruit. Some cultivars will fruit better than others in the subtropics. Andrew. |
RE: Southern Coconuts
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| I think fruiting in the south around Brisbane depends on the microclimate. I have seen palms in St Lucia that don't seem to fruit, but there is a golden malay dwarf on Oxley Road in Chelmer that fruits heavily. |
RE: Southern Coconuts
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| Coconuts grow in Redcliffe just north of Brisbane. Some fruit well while others do not seem to bear fruit. There are are also large mature palms indicating that they have been around for a considerable time. |
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