Coconut tree - in Sanskrit means "a tree that gives everything you need in life." In fact, the health benefits of the coconut tree are all-encompassing.
The leaves of this palm tree, very tough and durable (resistant to tearing under the influence of winds), are used to cover the roofs of local houses, make various household items - baskets, hammocks, brushes. The leaf stalks are used in construction as the skeleton of the roof. A wooden trunk of a palm tree is used as a building material for the production of house walls. Coconut shells are used to make pots, various dishes and decorations, which are made by local artists. Palm fruits are widely used in cooking, cosmetology, medicine.
Origin history
Where does the coconut grow? The story goes that, according to some sources, the coconut palm originated in the Malaysian archipelago. Fossilized fruits have been found in New Zealand. It is also known that palm trees have been growing in India for 4000 years. Therefore, many scientists believe that this type of palm originated precisely on the shores of the Indian Ocean.
So, perhaps the origin of the coconut is Southeast Asia, Polynesia, India, the Pacific Islands, Hawaii, South Florida, the Caribbean and Southern California.
In fact, the tree is the most common and necessary in the tropics, and practically is the "tree of life". And this is true, because all parts of it are used in people's lives.
The coconut palm is one of the most ancient trees on the entire globe, growing even in the era of the dinosaurs.
Growing places
Where do coconuts grow, in which country? This exotic fruit today exists both in the wild and in culture in the Philippines, Africa, Sri Lanka, South America, India, Brazil, Thailand and the Antilles. All these countries have a rather hot tropical climate.
They are cultivated mainly in developing countries. The annual production of coconuts is amazing. Approximately 17 billion nuts are harvested annually where coconuts grow. The country of the Philippines is the world's leading manufacturer. Besides her - Indonesia, Malaysia and India.
This fruit is the most famous of the huge Palm family (about 1500). There are over 360 ways to use it, half of which are related to cooking.
This plant is exclusively equatorial. Its wide distribution is associated with the attitude of a person to this plant (eating nuts, artificial planting).
Growing conditions
Where does the coconut grow? A photo with views of the sea coast often has this beautiful exotic tree as its main element. This plant can be found in nature along the coasts of the ocean and seas, and on the plains, but mainly with sandy soil.
This growth is associated with the fact that the only possible natural way of moving coconuts is along the surface of the water. Moving to distant shores, coconuts, which have excellent waterproof properties, began to successfully conquer new territories. Palm trees growing far from the coast are the result of human activity.
Care features
It is imperative to keep this tropical plant in a well-lit place.But it is advisable to protect it from exposure to direct sunlight, since with their constant exposure, the leaves curl and dry out. A spacious, bright hall or balcony, slightly shaded if it faces the south side, will do. In rooms where there is not enough light, you will have to additionally artificially illuminate a young palm tree. The temperature should not drop below 15 ° C, colder conditions threaten the palm of death.
A constant moisture level is very important for a plant
The plant needs moist air, ideally 75%. The heating system drains him greatly. Therefore, in winter, they provide additional humidification of the air in the room. When spraying, you need to try so that water does not fall on the nut, but only irrigates the leaves.
Constant watering is vital for the coconut tree. Indeed, at home, it grows on the coasts of the seas and oceans. The earthen coma should not completely dry out. A young plant, especially if it is in a clay pot, is watered every day. The first 3-4 years require annual transplants. When placing a palm tree in a new, more spacious container, you need to save an earthen ball. At the age of 5 years or more, instead of transplants, high quality humus is added to the surface of the soil.
Important. Pruning is an essential part of caring for a coconut tree growing in a tub. Remove broken, dried leaves. But the leaf plates that have changed their color, darkened or somewhat yellowed are left. Since the plant draws out the necessary nutrient compounds from them.
Coconut palm in natural conditions
Where coconut grows, as is commonly associated, there are clean beaches. This is a paradise island where you can have a good rest, swimming in the warm gentle sea.
What is a coconut tree? A single stem in the form of a pillar in its mature state can reach a height of 30 meters. It bizarrely bends under the influence of the weight of numerous fruits and various natural phenomena. The crown of the palm tree is crowned with large leaves up to 6 meters long.
At about 5 years of age, flowering begins, after which fruits soon appear in the form of drupe nuts. They grow to mature size for 6 months, but they become absolutely ripe only after a year. Typically, palms produce about 25 fruits per year, and in an ideal case, the number of nuts can reach up to 70 pieces.
The palm has a total lifespan of about 90 years, so it is most often a food source and property for many generations of Aboriginal people.
Tips for caring for a tropical tree
In particular, palm care includes the following parameters:
- The plant needs as much light as possible, but it should not burn the leaves. In the south-western, eastern part of the house, the sun gives scattered rays. There will be enough light for the palm tree. If you cannot find such corners in the house, then you will have to organize additional lighting. Artificial supplementary lighting is performed using fluorescent lamps.
- It is best to constantly humidify the air around the coconut tree by applying a spray from a spray bottle. It is important that the water droplets only fall on the leaves.
- The soil needs constant watering with water at room temperature. The liquid must be defended before watering.
- During the period of active growth, the tree is fed with organic fertilizers. This should be done at least once a month.
- The palm is transplanted every year until it reaches the age of 3-4 years. Then they try not to disturb the plant, renewing the topsoil in the container with humus. You can replant an adult tree when the pot has become small, the roots have filled the entire space. The method of transplanting is by transshipment, keeping a clod of earth on the roots.
- At the end of autumn, dry branches, leaves are cut off.If the leaf plates have darkened or changed color, then it is better to leave them as an additional supplier of nutrients.
- During the dormant period, the palm is watered less, rarely fed.
Coconut grows quickly in indoor conditions, if the right conditions are created for it, there is proper care.
Description of coconut
Where the coconut grows, the fruit looks a little different than people see it on the shelves of the sales area. Under natural conditions, the nut is much larger.
The outer fibrous shell (exocarp) of the walnut protects it if it falls. The inner shell (endocarp) is a shell with 3 eye-like pores. They lead to three ovules, one of which develops into a seed, consisting of a superficial fleshy white layer (12 mm thick) and endosperm (transparent and liquid - coconut water). The oil that appears in it, released by copra, slowly turns into a milky emulsion, and then, thickening, solidifies.
Application
For construction, wood and palm leaves are widely used, and fruits are used for food. However, it should be noted that for many people this palm tree may turn out to be a death tree, since a blow from a coconut that falls on the head can even lead to death. According to existing statistics, about 150 people die from the fall of these fruits every year. On average, the weight of a coconut is about 1 kilogram (there are also 3 kilograms), and it hits the ground with a force of 1 ton. To a greater extent, residents of those countries where coconut grows have excellent natural material.
Reproduction
Coconut is propagated by nuts. To grow it at home, the fruit should be placed halfway in the prepared soil in a pot. Usually a young plant is a bunch of flexible, wide leaves. More mature palms then develop a trunk. However, the chances of getting fruits at home are almost zero (even in greenhouses).
Be sure to remember the following: in order to grow a coconut at home, you must use a ripe fruit. This is an important condition.
The coconut should be placed in soil containing a lot of sand, so that the eyes located at its base end up on the side (almost horizontal).
To speed up the germination process, you need to constantly keep the substrate moist. You can spray the planted nut with a solution with a small amount of sea salt. You can also place the pot of nuts in a plastic bag, as this will help maintain the appropriate atmosphere (high humidity and temperature).
Coconut is a light-loving plant that needs at least 12 light-hours to grow normally. Beginning in May and throughout the summer, abundant watering is required 2 times a week, and usually one moderate watering is enough for this period. You can fertilize with special products for palm and mullein infusion.
The optimum temperature for germinating sprouts is 24 ° C, and for an adult plant it is about 22 ° C.
Usually, the following varieties of coconut trees are used for growing at home: Weddel coconut and miniature.
Plant transplant
Young plants are transplanted annually for better growth. They do this in the middle of spring. The new container should be only a couple of centimeters or 10% larger than the previous one.
The plant is removed from a tub with a lump of earth, only damaged roots are removed. The palm is planted at the same depth as before. The soil mixture and drainage layer should be the same as in the old location. If the roots are bare or damaged during transplantation, then for better survival in a new place, part of the leaves is cut off from the palm tree.
Perennials that have reached 3-4 years of age are transplanted only if necessary. A mature palm tree does not like it when it is disturbed and its roots are damaged. In response, she may stop growing.
Reference.It is interesting to know how long a coconut tree grows. Under natural conditions, tall varieties develop up to 80 years, and dwarf ones - up to 40 years. In residential premises, with good care, they continue to grow for 2-3 decades.
A grown palm tree needs to be replanted every year.
Copra
Coconut water is the inside of the endosperm, and the outside is copra. The second is a source of coconut oil, which is quite a valuable product due to the content of various fatty acids in it. It is mainly used for health and beauty purposes.
It is an oily dried secondary endosperm of nuts. Copra consists of white or yellowish pieces covered with skin. Their thickness is 6-12 mm. One nut gives up to 500 grams of copra, which is an edible product containing 9% protein, 6% water, 16% carbohydrates and 67% fat.
Where coconut grows, copra harvesting at one time was almost the main occupation of the inhabitants of the islands in the tropics. The atolls (where there were few palms) were specially planted with coconut palms. Copra is a valuable commercial product that has long been traded in the southern seas. And today they are preparing it.
Filipinos are considered to be the biggest copra miners. It is procured by both large companies and farmers.
It is worth noting that if copra is not dried correctly, molds can form on it, producing a deadly poison (Aflatoxin). This most potent carcinogen can cause liver disease. Copra should not be eaten, but it is sold. Oil is obtained from it, and it, obtained industrially, is harmless.
What is the name and what is useful for the pulp of coconut
The solid endosperm of coconut, dried in the sun or in an oven, is called copra. Copra contains only 7% water, while 60-70% fat, 14% sugar and 7% protein. It is crushed into flakes, shavings or coconut flour, which are of great use in bakery and confectionery.
As you know, a person cannot limit himself to vegetable protein, but he must consume at least a small amount of animal protein daily. So, coconut protein is able to completely replace animal proteins in the diet, and because of this, coconut is an especially important raw material for the food industry in a vegetarian diet.
From copra, a very valuable product is obtained, used in the food industry and in technology, because of its consistency it has a name - coconut oil. It, at temperatures below 20-26 ° C, has a constant consistency, reminiscent of butter, and at higher temperatures it is liquid. Good, fresh coconut oil is pure white, has a light taste and a delicate, peculiar smell.
In countries where the coconut palm is massively grown, especially in Indonesia, coconut flakes or just grated fresh coconut kernels are added to all types of dishes, especially rice fried in coconut oil.
Coconut tree in "Archeyj"
Where does the coconut grow? Archeage (Korean online fantasy multiplayer game) uses a coconut as one of its game elements. The game takes place in the universe (fantasy world) ArcheAge. Here, like any other fruit, you can make juice from coconuts. Their most important purpose in ArcheAge is to make the lacquer compound needed to craft leather armor. Moreover, this varnish can either be sold or used to create your own equipment.
Where does coconut grow in this fictional country?
- In swampy lowlands.
- In the land of talking stones.
- On the peninsula of dawn.
In ArcheAge, the coconut tree is one such tree that cannot be purchased from consortium merchants. And the fruits in the game are necessary for the production of some useful potions and the best armor.
Growing a palm tree from a nut
How to grow a coconut tree from a coconut? To get it right need to knowhow coconuts multiply in their homeland.
Palm trees grow by the ocean and drop nuts into the water. Coconut fruits are covered with a thick fibrous shell and contain a little air inside, so they are able to stay in the water and float away to a new place.
Coconuts should be fresh, the fruit bought in the store is unlikely to sprout. If you decide to take a chance - shake the selected nut, take the one in which a splash of liquid is heard. Purchase only fibrous fruit. Soak the coconut in warm water for 24 hours, then plant in a pot.
Landing position the nut itself will tell you: put it on the table, how it will be located, and put it on the ground. You do not need to completely bury, cover with earth up to half of the coconut.
Be patient, the nut will sprout when you have already lost all hope, perhaps in six months. Do not be surprised that instead of a tree, you will only observe a bunch of leaves for a long time. This is not a defect, the trunk will appear when the plant is mature.
