Coconut - Green Plant

The coconut tree provides food, fuel, cosmetics, folk medicine and building materials, among many other uses. The inner flesh of the mature seed, as well as the coconut milk extracted from it, form a regular part of the diets of many people in the tropics and subtropics. Coconuts are distinct from other fruits because their endosperm contains a large quantity of clear liquid, called coconut water or coconut juice. Mature, ripe coconuts can be used as edible seeds, or processed for oil and plant milk from the flesh, charcoal from the hard shell, and coir from the fibrous husk. Dried coconut flesh is called copra, and the oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking – frying in particular – as well as in soaps and cosmetics. Sweet coconut sap can be made into drinks or fermented into palm wine or coconut vinegar. The hard shells, fibrous husks and long pinnate leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decoration.

Planting And Care

• First, water the coconut tree frequently. As long as the soil drains well, you really cant water it too often.
• If you decide to repot your coconut tree, remember to add sand or vermiculite to the new soil to keep the water draining well.
• Second, growing coconut palms are heavy feeders that require regular, complete fertilizer.
• Look for a fertilizer that provides both the basic nutrients plus trace nutrients like boron, manganese and magnesium.
• Third, coconut palms are very cold sensitive.
• If you live in an area that gets cold, your coconut plant will need to come inside for the winter.
• Provide supplemental light and keep it away from drafts.
• In the summer, grow it outdoors and make sure you place it in a very sunny and warm spot.