Growing Coconuts Sri Lankan style

Marjory Wildcraft

Several decades ago I worked in Sri Lanka and I met a man who has become a life long friend - Quintus Pererra.

Quintus grew up in a farming tradition that goes back hundreds and hundreds of years. Every now and then Quintus sends me some information about how his family produced crops and it continues to astonish me.

Now that I am Puerto Rico with a similar climate to Sri Lanka, Quintus sends me all sorts of info on growing tropical fruits, nuts, plants.

I am re-posting here Qutintus's latest info on growing coconuts. I am going to have to bug Quintus to get his own account and post here for everyone. :)

Selecting a mother tree

Not too long length between coconut leaves connected to trunk – tree grows too tall

Not too short length between coconut leaves connected to trunk – tree grows too short

Not too many fruits in a bunch 25-30 or not too less fruit in a bunch 2-3 not too big or too small fruit

Avoid those and select a healthy average tree.

 

Select very ripe ones or some people wait till the fruit fell on the ground. In your area good harvest from May June months are better.

 

Then put them on water and see what side appeaers when floating in water. Mark it. Now it is in the correct direction which is best to plant emerge. Mark it on husk, peel off the top side 2 strips without changing the direction and hang it on a lime or lemon tree if possible. Reason we always graw those on open are because it does not give good fruits in dark corners. It repels insects. Kety element is an open area where this expose to the sun. Original connection to the fruit is facing north when hanging. Hanging gives you the plant quicker than leaving on ground. Why? In your Peurto rico area May June July has higher UV, blue, purple levels on sun which help to grow root. If you leave it on ground it lose some light underneath. Lets see you hang 25 coconuts. Remember the time table. You hang them on a Sunday as it is your nursury day.

 

Few weeks later closer to the July you will see few plants will appear. That is what you want to plant because it will give you a harvest in 3 year 6 months. Then 3-4 weeks later antoher set will grow will give you harvest in 4 year 6 months. Another 3-4 weeks later another set will appear give you harvest in 5 years and 6 months. Take the first set to plant in your garden. Others can plant in a public jungle or give to another person saying this will harvest at that time or they will find fault with you. Let the plant grow hanging a bit.

If you found a good dry coconut drop it to water choose the top side mark it stab hask several places soak it in water for couple of days and hang it on a sunday. proceed as usual.

 

Now you have chosen your plants. Now you are going to plant. Now you need to look at 2 time tables. Weekly day table select fruit days –Friday the best and Thursday is good if there is a chosen lion or tiger effect available in the chart or go for Friday.

 

Now planting day is ok. Now you need to look at the July month Lion and Tiger effect table I sent specilly modified to July. Choose Lion efffect or Tiger effect on plant day. Start planting on that day within the given time as starting time and continue till evening. So those plants grow under the Lion or tiger effect is much more resistant to animal attacks.

 

 

Do not dig a 1m *1m*1m as our Sri Lankan dept of Agricltue states which is 100 -% wrong. If coconut trees started 100 million years ago who dig such holes in ground. Some palm trees here are more taller and very heavier than coconuts and it just started from seed on the ground level.

So about 6-8 inches is more than enough. Just to cover couple of inches above the seed. Tree planted on a big pit dies quickly in a drought than the surface one. Do not worry. You are operating within capricones so you are in tropics. Depth of good soil is from 6-12 inches deep. Digging more does not help you. You know coconut is a life long plant. If you make a mistake it last for a life time.

 

So now your long big season going to start on 6 of July. Sun is directly above Puerto Rico. Finish planting about a week / few days befor that date every seasonal plant. You can do later too. But this time is better for plants. Blue pruple lights helps to grow roots so plant is stronger and more resistance to illnesses and predatory attacks.