agriculture

How to keep the coconut trees healthy?

How to keep the coconut trees healthy?

It is important to remember that good coconut palm trees may reach their peak production in 15 to 20 years and often produce up to 50 fruits annually. Multilayered fruits are frequently either picked from the plant's top or picked off when they fall to the ground. Even worse, some have a tendency to fall into the water, where they can travel great distances. Shallow fibrous-rooted coconut palm plants that can endure in excessively wet, sandy soils have the propensity to generate male and female flowers on almost the same inflorescence throughout the course of their lifespan and begin self-pollinating. Ultimately, the similarly vivid and somewhat swollen blooms encircle the immature, unripe fruit.

The people of the country typically place a great value on the coconut planting, which is the most important economic crop in the country. It is crucial to maintain the coconut farms secure and the plants healthy all year long so that they can produce as intended.

Tips for planting a healthy coconut tree

When it is warm and humid, it is the ideal and best time to grow a coconut palm plant (Cocos nucifera). So ideally throughout the summer. Nevertheless, an enormous number of coconut transplants are acceptable at any time of the year. The optimal place to transplant a young cacao palm is within 12 inches of rich soil. The coconut palm plant is very native to the Pacific coast, South America, and other countries with tropical conditions, so keep that in mind if you're actually planting coconut seeds. Additionally, unless you typically live in an area with an average annual rainfall of 60 inches and a relative humidity of 70 to 80%, do not plant coconut seeds outdoors. That is, unless you want to grow them in a real greenhouse.

These plants also thrive in coastal locations, which should be avoided at all costs while it's cold outside. Like tall varieties, they do not thrive in exceptionally strong gusts. It is recommended to protect them from all these dangers. Although the root system is quite shallow, planting coconut plantings must be done in sandy, loamy, well-drained soil for them to take root. This way it will start under the best circumstances and fairly quickly. For most in-ground plants, you will need to dig a hole that is at least 1 foot deep and 2 to 3 feet wide.

Coconut planting roots should also be planted just an inch or two under the soil surface. For most of the container-grown coco, a neatly placed pot with about 3 gallons in volume an estimate of 12 inches deep is considered the best. For the coconut plantings that are grown on the earth in most of the coastal areas where there are proper climate conditions and the ocean currents seem to be right, the farmers can go on to construct beds that are also multiple feet high and extremely wide, which tends to promote drainage away from the roots. Coco roots are also extremely sensitive to rot when found in low-lying areas. The space for the in-ground coconut palm plants is at least 100 feet apart to prevent overcrowding.

Sun and temperature for coconut planting

As a coconut palm plant (Cocos nucifera) tends to thrive well in the tropics, it usually needs the full direct sun for at least 6 hours within a day.  Coconut palm plants are also extremely sensitive to the cold. They can take on severe forms of damage at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Sometimes at continuous temperatures of 30 degrees, the coconut palm plants will surely die. That is probably why it’s so very important to ensure that your coconuts have the appropriate temperature conditions. Just as long as the overall humidity is at least 70%, there is a possibility that the coconut seeds can end up taking quite a fair bit of heat. Often times the dry heat is not that good for them. If there isn’t proper humidity there is a chance that the fruit drop can even occur.

Water and moisture of coconut farms

As soon as the sun comes up, water coconut palms near the base of the trunk until the top two inches of soil are sufficiently moist. A coconut palm can be overwatered, although it should be remembered that it does not want to be flooded. Give your coconut tree plenty of water from the ground every week. You can offer copious amounts of water in any format as long as your soil is the right type and has decent drainage. They are properly irrigated by drip irrigation with the appropriate volume of liters at a time, every few days, in places where palms are successfully grown commercially for juicy coconut meat. In dry areas, water is supplied practically continuously.

Soil texture of the coconut farm

In sandy or loamy rocky terrain, coconuts usually survive for a long time. The ideal soil must have good drainage. They can survive in poor soil, but they won't be able to produce as many coconuts this way. They can also change from acidic to slightly alkaline because their overall evolution is wide in the pH range. However, if you are growing a complete coconut palm plant in a single pot, add a good quality palm soil mix to the container. This will make it easier to ensure the correct balance of planting material, which is essential for growing coconut plantations. However, if you want to make your own palm soil, mix one part sand with one part manure or compost, two parts potting soil, and two parts other.

Plantations of coconuts using fertilizer

Coconut plantings that are most ripe often need fertilizer on a regular basis. There is never a shortage of macro- and micronutrients for coconut palm plants. Thankfully, there are various palm-specific fertilizers available. These can frequently have an NPK of 8-2-12, which includes magnesium additions along with boron and other minerals. Also available are pellets that deliver medication extremely gradually. Equal dispersion beneath the canopy must also be made possible.  There is a cup substantially reduced for growing containers, at less than one cup per container, for all the containers that may be used for cultivation and the decreased area. Every one to three months, while the weather is still dry for a maximum of 24 hours, apply this fertilizer.

Coconut plantation pruning

Although they occasionally lose their leaves as part of their normal development cycles, coconut palm plants are not usually that deciduous. So long as the right nutrients are provided and the growth conditions are met, they can remain green for the majority of the year. While pruning isn't always necessary, it might be beneficial to remove all of the old, yellowing leaves within a year.

Planting coconut seedlings

Seeds are the only means of propagation. The coconut seeds can be sown when the coconut palm plants make a sound. It will be essential to lay it on its side with all three of its eyes effectively pointing upwards, and then to enable the sand to cover it to a depth of roughly half the thickness of the coconut's entire hard shell. It will be necessary for growers to maintain reasonably high humidity levels and temperatures between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit in almost full sunshine. After germination, the immature coconut plants can be transplanted after around six months.

Harvest from the coconut tree

When a coconut plantation achieves full maturity, it usually begins to produce fruit. The harvest may begin to mature with the fruit right away or it may take up to 12 months after the first course is ready. The optimal time to harvest a coconut palm plant that is being produced for coconut water or coconut milk is no later than seven months after maturity. When green coconut plantings ripen and reach the required size, they can also be picked. Before being picked, those grown for their pulp must be fully ripe.

Coconut post-harvest storage

From here, the process to separate the husk is fully initiated and the coconut coir is then made for gardening purposes, creating rope, as well as for matting. Alternately, you can also crack open the whole of the nuts, and have them dried while placing them in the oven for 10 minutes at around 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Then the farmers can blend the meat into well-filtered water, and properly strain the flesh from the liquid. Heat the resulting liquid in a proper pan on low heat for 1 to 2 hours. Remove all the remaining solids and have them strained for some fresh coconut oil and store them in an airtight container. You can store the coconut oil derived from the coconut farm in the refrigerator for as long as up to five years. 

The coconut tree care

Trees are quite easy to care for, and likewise, the coconut tree is also no different. The roots tend to grow deep and can tap into the moisture which is trapped in the deep recesses of all the soil. At that extreme depth, the soil is made rich, thus giving the tree a really good source of nutrients and also reducing the need to want to fertilize it regularly. However, as with tropical plants, you will need to aim at providing adequate light as well as a definite temperature throughout the year. Here are some of the correct conditions for properly growing your coconut tree:

  • Soil

If you’re growing the coconut tree in the garden, you must amend the clay soil to ensure proper drainage. Also, the soil must also be loose enough so that all the roots grow unhindered. In the case of the coarse sand as well as the lime, it all only provides the right texture as well as enough acidity levels – the overall aim is for it to turn from neutral to acidic, on average. The coconut palm plant is also known to theoretically tolerate alkaline soil but if the soil just naturally tends to be alkaline, it’s highly possible for the alkaline level to increase, considerably which would eventually go on to disturb the tree’s growth in time. So it’s safer to aim for acidic soil pH. If you’re attempting to grow a coconut tree in a container, use a potting mix with equal parts perlite, peat, and regular soil.

  • Fertilizer

The coconut tree is mostly a pretty heavy feeder with sparse foliage. Even a well-established coconut planting will depend on you to effectively provide it with very rare nutrients such as boron as it can go on to struggle with various kinds of nutrient deficiency. This is particularly the problem in poor soil. Farmers in the coconut farms can choose a liquid fertilizer that is specially made for the coconut palm plants. The ingredients for these should include boron, magnesium, nitrogen, as well as phosphorus. The farmers can also apply the liquid fertilizer every once in 4 weeks throughout the entire year as it can be very vital for overall coconut tree care. Additionally, the farmers can add aged manure and organic compost that releases slowly to the feeding process.

For such a tall tree, the coconut palm is guaranteed to have almost more than its fair share of pests and illnesses. However, because most of these pests can only be found in tropical environments, farmers only have a very slim possibility of ever having to deal with rhinoceros beetles. Other pests, such as the infamous mealybugs and spider mites, are routinely prevalent in gardens. They attack the leaves immediately and eventually start feeding on the sap, which is especially true during the first few years of crop growth.  This time, since it's also a crucial component of coconut palm plant maintenance, it's important to spray the canopy with some neem oil to assist get rid of these pests.