Little Sprout

Earlier in the year, I potted a golden coconut, in hopes that at some point it would sprout. Sometime within the last 2 days, it did just that! If this one does well, it will be the second coconut palm that I started from "seed".

Coconuts can take a while to sprout, and this one took over 8 months. 

I will leave it in the pot until it gets to a decent size, then transplant it into the ground. Probably sometime next year. So, watch for updates on the little sprout!

Home Made Garden Posts

A fron came off of one of the coconut palms the other day during a heavy wind. I have been trying to decide what type of support to use when I transplant my vanilla orchid. (Yes...the same plant that can produce vanilla pods.)

This morning, as I was moving the downed fron, I got to thinking that I could put at least part of it to good use.

So.....I cut off either end of the fron, leaving the center stem at the length that I desired. Then, I cut the leaves from the stem.  Sealing the 2 cut ends, the stem is now ready to use as a plant support. Because I cut this one long, I will be using it for my allspice tree, replacing the shorter supports. (Replacment in progress in last photo.)

Oops....just heard another fron go down in the wind. This one will be for the vanilla orchid!

Processing Coconuts

There are 2, full coconut palms on my parent's property, and the ripe ones are dropping daily! So, we were processing.

Once we got the coconuts open, using a machete, hammer and wedge, the meat itself was pretty easy to remove from the shell.

Of course, the food processor was acting up, so I used the immersion blender and attachment to grate the coconut. In lieu of drying,  it was placed in plastic sandwich bags, 1 pre measured cup per bag, and placed in the freezer.

Oh yes....the fresh, home grown coconut is delicious!