Can coconuts be grown in Britain?
Imported coconuts will sometimes germinate but removal of the husk makes this unlikely. Fresh seeds should be placed on damp peat with the broadest surface downwards at a temperature of 24-27°C. The seed germinates slowly, taking up to 4 months before the shoot appears. During germination, the single cotyledon (seed leaf) grows inside the seed cavity. Its sheath protects the seedling root and shoot and grows with them through the softest of the three eyes at the base of the shell. Part of the cotyledon, the coconut apple, enlarges into the cavity inside the coconut and absorbs nutrients from the endosperm and coconut water. Because the seedling has access to this food source, it can grow for some time before making contact with the soil. Seedlings still attached to the coconut can be obtained from some suppliers. These will survive for a few years but do not make ideal house plants as they require constant high humidity and temperatures. They should be grown on a well-drained sandy soi
