Coconut palm how to care at home. Coconut palm: reproduction. Coconut palm: replanting. Coconut palm: cultivation. Conditions necessary for growing palm trees.

COCONUT PALM (Cocos nucifera)

The coconut palm has very sparse, long leaves grouped in pairs, forming a frond. The frond emerges directly from a nut lying in a pot and half buried in the soil.

As the plant develops, the lower branches die off and new ones appear at the top of the main stem; thus, over time, a palm tree trunk is formed.

The coconut palm grows very slowly, and is usually bought as a curiosity. The main condition when caring for it is to ensure that the nut does not rot. Under no circumstances should water come into contact with it - neither during watering nor when spraying.

Coconut palm. Conditions of detention

Illumination: full sunlight.

Temperature: in winter - not lower than 18 °C. In summer, the plant tolerates temperatures up to 27 °C.

Coconut palm watering: make sure that the soil is always slightly moist; In summer, water the palm tree 1-2 times a week. Do not allow water to come into contact with the nut and do not leave the pot sitting in a tray of water.

Air humidity: spray regularly as the coconut tree needs high humidity. When spraying, remember that drops of water remaining on the leaves can cause burns. Place the pot in a tray of wet pebbles or place it in a container of damp peat moss.

Palm tree feeding: in the summer, every 3 weeks, feed the palm tree with fertilizers for indoor plants diluted with water. Use half the concentration recommended by the manufacturer.

Palm soil: a mixture of 2 parts clay soil mixture with 1 part peat and 1 part sand. If possible, add a little vermiculite (2 tablespoons per 17cm pot). Good drainage is necessary.

Palm tree transplant: when the old pot becomes too small, transplant the palm tree into the next largest pot. Alternatively, replace only the top layer of soil (about 3 cm) with fresh mixture to avoid damaging the roots. Very big plant(about 2m high) may require a heavier 3-part mixture clay soil, 1 part peat and 1 part coarse sand.

Care appearance palm trees: Gently wipe the plant with a damp sponge. Never use leaf polish.

Coconut palm. Features of care

After drinking. Check the condition of the soil: if it is dry and crumbly, the plant needs watering. The soil should be slightly moist. Pour water into the pot very carefully so that it does not get on the nut. After 15 minutes, pour out excess water from the pan.

Coconut palm

Coconut palm Most people associate the ocean with the shore. And this is true, since coconuts are adapted for traveling across the water surface of seas and oceans. The embryo in a coconut is surrounded by triple protection - it is covered with a hard shell, and on top of the shell there is an interweaving of hard flexible fibers. This entire shell keeps the nut afloat, and in addition, the fibers protect the embryo from hitting rocks. The top of the coconut fibers is covered with a smooth rind. Overall this is a very durable and reliable design!

Therefore, you cease to be surprised that coconuts can float for several months in salty sea water, until they are washed up by the surf on the sandy shore of some island.

Moreover, the presence fresh water in the sand is not at all necessary, since inside the coconut shell there is already a supply of water with nutrients dissolved in it.

And the most amazing thing is that such a curious creature of nature can be placed in your home!

Young coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) with the nut still preserved it looks very impressive in a pot. You need to understand that a coconut palm tree will not be very comfortable in an apartment; it is still better to keep this palm tree in a greenhouse. However, even at home, the coconut palm can survive for quite a long time.

The height of the coconut palm in natural conditions reaches 30 meters, and its feathery leaves are 6 meters. IN room conditions the palm tree can grow up to 2-2.5 m.

The nut should not be separated from the palm tree, because young plant uses stocks nutrients, located in the nut during the first 3 years of growth.

Interestingly, botanists have still not been able to establish the historical homeland of coconut palms. Over the course of several million years, coconut palms have settled along the coasts of the entire tropical zone of the Earth.

Philologists have come to the conclusion that the name of the palm tree comes from the Portuguese word coco, that is, “monkey.”

Coconut palm, home care.

The temperature should be high throughout the year as the coconut tree is very thermophilic. In summer, it is advisable to maintain the temperature in the range of 22-25°C, in winter it should not fall below 18 degrees.

Lighting a coconut tree bright is required as the coconut tree requires a lot of sunlight and can withstand direct sunlight. In the summer, usually, the coconut palm tree has enough lighting, especially if the pot with the palm tree is kept near a well-lit window, but in the winter, the coconut palm tree almost always needs additional lighting.

Watering in spring and summer- abundant, but not allowing excess water in the pot. In winter, watering the coconut palm is reduced to once a week, however, the soil in the pot is winter period should still remain moist.

Coconut palm very demanding on air humidity. Palm leaves should be sprayed daily with warm, soft, settled water throughout the year. It is impossible to treat coconut palm leaves with “liquid wax”, as they must breathe freely.

Soil for coconut tree should be slightly acidic or neutral and consist of turf soil, humus and peat in a ratio of 1:1:1. Then this mixture must be mixed with an equal volume of expanded clay, sand and clay. Can be used ready mixture for palm trees.

Feeding the coconut tree produced starting in spring, once every 2-4 weeks with mineral and organic fertilizers. Feeding in autumn and winter indoor plant may not be implemented.

Replanting a coconut tree. A young coconut tree can be replanted once a year. Usually transplantation is carried out in the spring. Once the palm tree reaches three years of age, it is no longer replanted, but only the top layer of soil in the pot is replaced.

Coconut tree propagation occurs only with the help of fruits. Coconut can be sprouted at home. To do this, the nut is placed on moist peat in a greenhouse at a temperature of 25°C, and it must be regularly ventilated so that it does not become moldy. After the sprout appears, the coconut is transferred to a pot with a substrate that should slightly cover the lower part of the nut.

Coconut tree blossom does not happen at home. In nature, once a coconut tree begins to bloom, it continues to bloom throughout its life. Unisexual flowers are collected in paniculate inflorescences, reaching up to 1.2 m in length. An interesting fact is that sugar and wine are obtained from the sap of coconut palm inflorescences.

Diseases and pests of coconut palm.

Coconut leaves turn yellow from insufficient watering plants. You should increase the intensity of watering, making sure that excess water does not stagnate, but flows into the pan.

Tips of coconut palm leaves turn brown from too dry indoor air. It is necessary to increase the intensity of spraying, and summer period ventilate the room more often.

Coconut leaves darken and wither from too low room temperature. The temperature in the room should be increased.

When affected by spider mites appears on the leaves and stems of the coconut palm white coating . In this case, it is necessary to wipe the leaves and treat them with an acaricide solution.

Typical coconut tree pests — spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs, thrips and aphids.

Coconut palm

The main detail of the tropical seaside landscape and equatorial forest is considered to be the coconut palm. Without this plant it is impossible to imagine southern beaches with white sand and azure water. The tree is not only the most common in tropical coastal countries, but also actively used in agriculture. The population of the southern island countries finds use for all parts of this amazing plant. What is surprising is that despite its impressive size, strong trunk and powerful fruits, the question of whether it is a tree or grass remains open for many.

The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) is a symbol of the hot ocean tropics, the only tree that can feed on salt water. Coconuts grow along the entire equatorial coast, and their fruits are carried around the world by ocean currents. This plant is not only one of the most beautiful, but also. There is no part of a coconut from which a person would not learn to benefit.

The coconut palm belongs to the Palm family and is the only species of the Coconut genus. The species name in Latin is Cocos nucifera. The generic name "coco" means "monkey", given to the plant because its fruits have three indentations on the surface, therefore resembling a monkey's face. The specific word “nucifera” (Nucifera) consists of two parts: “nux” - “nut” and “ferre” - “carry”. Translated it means “carrying monkey nuts.”

In the Palm family of the class Monocots, and not Dicotyledons, as some sources sometimes erroneously claim, the genus Cocos nucifera L is the only species. It is a mighty tree reaching a height of 30 m.

Based on the way a coconut palm looks, or rather its young shoots breaking through the coconut shell, many people mistake it for grass, but a grown coconut palm looks like a typical tree. However, the structure of this tree is special: it does not have bark and annual rings, its wood has a fibrous structure. The growth point is a single bud in the middle of the crown.

The trunk is smooth, usually slightly inclined, and has transverse scar rings from fallen leaves. The diameter of the trunk in the middle is up to 45 cm, at the base up to 60 cm. With age, the trunk does not thicken, like others woody plants, because it does not have a cambium. Young palm trees have a light brown wood color. The older the tree, the darker its wood.

Root system This unique plant has its own characteristics. The central root of the plant dies and is replaced by numerous adventitious roots emerging from the base of the trunk. The root system goes 0.5 m deep into the earth, diverging in different directions by 8 m. Each root lives for about 10 years, then is replaced by a new one.

At the top of the coconut tree there is a bud in the center from which the plant develops upward. This bud is called the heart of the palm and consists of tightly folded yellow-white leaf primordia.

Coconut leaves are large, pinnately dissected, attached directly to the trunk. Sheet length up to 6 m, width up to 1.5 m, weight up to 14 kg. Each leaf is cut into approximately 200 pieces. The leaves grow for up to a year and live for about three years. The leaf nodes are wide, almost encircling the trunk in a ring, so the palm crown is not afraid of hurricane winds. Every month a new leaf appears from a growth bud, without favorable conditions– every 2 – 3 months. The palm crown usually includes 20 - 30 leaves.

If conditions are favorable, the palm tree blooms all year round. Every 3 - 5 weeks, panicle inflorescences with heterosexual flowers, reaching a length of 2 m, appear from the leaf axils. Yellow round female flowers up to 3 cm in size are located in the lower inner part of the panicle, their number is several hundred. This arrangement ensures better fixation of the fruit in the future. Male flowers are located in the upper part of the panicle, which ensures better pollination. There are more male flowers than female flowers.

Full-grown and dwarf coconut species are pollinated differently. Full-grown plants reproduce by cross-pollination. Dwarf palms are self-pollinating. One inflorescence usually contains 10–12 ovaries.

The lifespan of a tree in optimal climatic conditions is 60–70 years.

Characteristics of the coconut palm fruit

The fruit type of the coconut palm is a drupe. The usual name “nut” in describing the characteristics of the fruit is incorrect from a botanical point of view. The shape of the fruit is close to round, length up to 30 cm, weight up to 2.5 kg. The outer cover of the drupe is an exocarp, equipped with a fibrous covering - coir. The inner cover, the endocarp, is a shell equipped with three depressions connected to three ovules. That is, when answering how many seeds are contained in a coconut palm fruit, it is correct to say that it is three. But out of three seeds, only one develops.

Structure of a coconut (drupe)

What we are used to seeing on supermarket shelves is an already peeled nut (more precisely, it is a drupe, or an edible seed, a fruit inside a fruit), but the whole nut looks much larger.

The seed contains fleshy white pulp, 10–12 mm thick, and clear coconut water. The pulp of the coconut palm is called copra. Coconut water is called endosperm, it starts out liquid, then takes on an oily texture and a light yellow color.

The fruits hang on the tree in groups of up to 20 pieces. Fruit ripening lasts 8 – 10 months. A cultivated palm tree reaches fruiting age at 8–9 years and can bear fruit for up to 50 years. The yield from one tree is 80–200 fruits per year.

Where do coconuts grow?

Natural places where coconut grows are ocean coasts. The alleged homeland of the palm tree is the Malay Archipelago. The habitat of wild and cultivated representatives of the species (this is clearly visible on the map) covers the tropical regions of the northern and southern hemispheres. In Africa, India, Malaysia, and the Philippines, coconut palm plantations have existed for a long time.

The largest supplier of coconuts to the world market is Indonesia. In Europe, coconuts can be found in wildlife in Spain, and even then not on the mainland itself, but only on the Canary Islands, which are located near Morocco in Africa.

In nature, coconut prefers to grow on sandy soils of the coastal zone of tropical seas. The roots of the tree are able to take root in salty soils, so palm trees thrive on the seashore, where other tree species cannot live.

The only way coconut trees reproduce is by seed. Leaves emerge from the fruit. As the plant develops, the lower foliage falls off and new leaves are formed from the growth bud. This is how the plant stretches and a scar trunk is formed.

Cook Islands Polynesians call sprouted coconuts Uto. The inside of a sprouted coconut has a more tender flesh, and when cooked over charcoal, it tastes like pudding.

How the coconut tree spreads across oceanic islands

The spread of the cultivated coconut palm is facilitated by humans. The main method of spreading wild trees is water. The coconut fruit is waterproof; once it falls into the ocean, it floats on the surface of the water and is carried by the ocean current to other continents and islands throughout Oceania. The fetus, remaining alive in salt water, is able to travel for more than 100 days. Sea currents carry coconuts from their native shore at a distance of up to 5 thousand kilometers.

Coconuts are waterproof and float freely on the water; they are carried far by ocean currents, while maintaining vitality.

The route of movement of the coconut palm fruit is determined by the prevailing sea currents. The coconut, which grew on the coast of Indonesia, is carried north by the warm Kuroshio Current and spreads along the coast. If the nuts are not washed ashore by the Kuroshio Current, they are picked up by the warm North Pacific Current, which carries them to the California shores North America. Thus, this amazing traveler plant spreads throughout the world.

Coconut palm: uses

The coconut palm is one of the most useful tropical plants. Its use by man is limitless. Palm roots are the raw material for dye production. Fibrous wood is used for construction purposes. The leaves are used to make roof coverings, weave mats, bags and many other products. It is collected from unblown inflorescences and used to produce it. The fermented juice is used to make vinegar and refreshing coconut wine.

Fiber from coir, the intercarp of coconut palm nuts, is used as a filler for orthopedic mattresses. The material is resistant to rot, high humidity, temperature fluctuations, holds its shape well, and gives the mattress the necessary hardness.

Today there are about 360 ways beneficial use coconut palm

In plant growing, crushed. Such a substrate is breathable, moisture-absorbing, resistant to rotting and infectious contamination. It is usually used to improve soil structure.

Copra is sold in stores as a confectionery raw material - coconut flakes. Also, due to its high fat content, copra is used in the manufacture of margarine, coconut oil, soap, cosmetics, suppositories and some medications.

The coconut palm is one of the most amazing and useful plants. It is difficult to find an area of ​​human activity where it has not found application. But even if the tropical beauty did not have any practical use, we would appreciate her for the aesthetic pleasure that we get from being next to her. It is not for nothing that coconut has become a symbol of resort life all over the world, and in flower shops you can buy decorative dwarf varieties palm trees and feel in your home as if on the sea coast.

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Coconut palm - tropical plant, belonging to the Palm family, the only species of the Coconut genus. The homeland of this plant has not been precisely established; it is assumed that it is Central America or Malaysia. All varieties are divided into two groups: dwarf and tall. The coconut got its name because of its resemblance to the face of a monkey: translated from Portuguese, coco means “monkey.”

The coconut palm is a tropical plant belonging to the Palm family, the only species of the Coconut genus.

The fruits of this plant, once detached from the tree, are able to travel across the sea for several months. The current brings them to new coasts, where they germinate and colonize the coastal areas of tropical islands. The coconut palm grows not only in the hot tropics: some gardeners know how to grow coconut at home.

Coconut palm fruit

Coconuts are sold peeled and sun-dried. Green fruits do not tolerate long-term storage and transportation. When purchasing, shake the coconut to check for liquid. If the splashing is not heard, then the coconut is stale. Dry nuts can be stored at a temperature not exceeding +5 °C. The opened fruit can be stored for no more than 2 days. For longer storage, the pulp can be frozen or dried.

The fruits are usually collected using a ladder, as the coconuts grow at the top of the palm tree. Monkeys are specially trained to help people get the fruits of this tree. They unscrew the coconuts and throw them down. Coconuts grow in groups of 15–20. They require 8–10 months to fully ripen, and this tree produces its first harvest at 7–9 years. 120 fruits per year is the average yield of this species.

The coconut fruit is usually called a nut, although according to botanical characteristics it is a drupe, which consists of several layers. What does a coconut look like?

• exocarp – outer shell;
• coir – fibrous shell;
• endocarp is the inner hard shell.

The flesh of a coconut is its seed. This layer is filled with endosperm - a translucent emulsion white, which thickens and hardens as it ripens.

Coconut raw materials

The coconut palm is used in many industries, all its parts are used:

1. Coconut water has antipyretic properties and quickly replenishes fluid reserves in the body. Coconut milk is used for sore throat. This effective remedy prevention of atherosclerosis. Coconut has a positive effect on the human reproductive system, supports the immune system, improves brain function, and normalizes the nervous system.
2. The pulp is used to make coconut flakes used for cooking. confectionery. Coconut oil is also obtained from the pulp. It is added to shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, creams and lotions. Margarine is made from coconut oil, candles and soap are made.
3. Coconut husk is used as a substrate. The remaining peel is crushed and processed, obtaining ready-made nutritious organic material. This soil has high nutritional value.
4. The wood is used to make furniture and flooring. Pacific Islanders use the leaves as roofing for their huts.
5. Coconut fibers (coir) are used to make ropes, brushes, carpets, and as fillers for orthopedic mattresses. The high price of these products is due to the complex technological process their manufacture. The fibers are impregnated with latex to obtain a monolithic block that holds its shape and does not crumble.

Coconut fibers are used as fillers for orthopedic mattresses, as well as for the manufacture of carpets, ropes, brushes

Coconut fiber has the following beneficial properties:

• environmental friendliness;
• ability to resist the formation of rot, the appearance of insects and microorganisms;
• does not cause allergies;
• moisture resistance;
• durability.

Growing palm trees at home

A coconut palm grown at home will not bear fruit, but will serve as an ornamental plant.

1. There is no point in germinating nuts bought in a store, because the endocarp, which is necessary for reproduction, is removed from them. Only unprocessed fruit will sprout.
2. Soak it for 2-3 days to swell and saturate the fibrous layer. This is an imitation of a sea voyage after falling from a palm tree. IN natural conditions Coconut growth occurs at high temperatures during the wet season.
3. The main growing condition is a tropical climate. The plant loves moisture, warmth and sun, but it is better to protect the plant from direct sunlight.
4. Use a shallow pot that is 1.5–2 times the size of the fruit in diameter. A quarter of the container should be drainage.
5. The fruit is not completely buried, leaving a third on the surface. It can be planted both horizontally and vertically. When placed vertically, the side with which the fruit was attached to the palm remains at the bottom.
6. The soil should be kept moist at all times, but stagnation of water is unacceptable.
7. For a coconut palm, the optimal temperature is from 22 to 30 ° C without direct sunlight. The lower threshold is 13–15 °C.

Germinating a coconut takes a lot of time - from 2 to 6 months. However, then the coconut tree will quickly grow. As the palm tree grows, it needs to be transplanted into a larger pot. When the plant becomes large and replanting becomes difficult, you can replace the top layer of soil with the addition of organic fertilizers.

The leaves of the plant need regular spraying or installing a tray filled with expanded clay and water. This will increase air humidity.

Coconut palm tree... and now in front of my eyes is the seashore with a palm tree slightly leaning towards the water. Let's take a closer look at this symbol of a serene beach holiday.

From botany to practice

(Cocos nucifera)- the only representative of the Coconut genus (Cocos) family Arecaceae, or Palmaceae ( Arecaceae, or Palmaceae). Such uniqueness in itself is remarkable, as if nature took care to distinguish this plant from all others.

The place of origin of the coconut palm has not been precisely established - it is assumed that its homeland was Southeast Asia (Malaysia). The plant's habitat has expanded significantly thanks to the efforts of people and the spread of fruits with the help of river and sea currents. Now coconut palms occupy about 5 million hectares of land, of which more than 80% are in Southeast Asia.

Coconuts are able to remain viable for 110 days in salty sea water, during which time the fruit can be carried by the current 5000 km from its native shores. Thanks to the ability of coconuts to tolerate significant soil salinity, they can take root directly on the seashore, where no other tree can survive.

Coconut palm is a tree 25-30 m high. smooth trunk with ring scars from fallen leaves, usually slightly tilted to one side. The trunk, 15-45 cm thick in diameter, is usually slightly expanded at the base (up to 60 cm) due to the supply of useful substances. Thickening of the trunk with age in palm trees does not occur due to the absence of a cambial layer (as in all monocots) and, therefore, the absence of wood growth in the form of annual rings.

The main root of the palm tree dies, and its function is performed by many lateral adventitious roots, originating from the thickening of the base of the trunk. Horizontal roots go 0.5 m into the ground, and vertical roots reach a depth of 8 m. Adventitious roots live for about 10 years, after which they are replaced by new ones. They, like the trunk, are uniform along the entire length and do not have secondary thickening, which is typical for monocots. A dye is made from the roots of the coconut tree.

The leaves of the palm are huge, pinnately dissected, up to 5-6 m long and up to 1.5 m wide, attached directly to the trunk. The weight of such a sheet reaches 12-14 kg. The leaf consists of 200-250 leaflets, each up to 80 cm long and up to 3 cm wide. The leaf grows for about a year and dies after three years. Its base encloses almost the entire trunk, providing a strong attachment that can withstand strong sea winds. About once a month another new leaf appears on the tree, if unfavourable conditions will not delay its formation for 2-3 months. On average, a palm tree has 20 to 35 leaves. Palm leaves are used to weave everything that can be woven: from roofs and mats to handbags and jewelry.

In favorable conditions, the coconut tree blooms all year round. Every 3-6 weeks, inflorescences appear in the leaf axils in the form of an axillary panicle up to 2 m long, collected from spikelets with male and female flowers. Female flowers in the form of yellow peas 2-3 cm in size are placed in the lower part of the spikelets closer to the base, which provides more reliable fastening fruits Their number reaches several hundred. Male flowers are located in the upper part of the spikelets, which allows them to expand the pollination zone. The number of male flowers many times exceeds the number of female flowers. For vigorous varieties cross-pollination is characteristic, while for dwarf varieties, the height of which in adulthood reaches no more than 10 m, self-pollination is observed. There are usually 6-12 ovaries remaining in the inflorescence. Good harvest It is considered if 3-6 fruits ripen from them per year.

By cutting off the top of the unopened inflorescence, sweet palm sap containing 14.6% sugar is collected. Brown crystalline raw jaggery is obtained by evaporation. Juice left in the sun quickly ferments, turning into vinegar within 24 hours. With slow fermentation, coconut wine is obtained; it has a low alcohol content, while having a refreshing and invigorating effect. It tastes similar to light table grape wine.

To get the harvest sooner

The coconut palm begins to bear fruit at the age of 6 years, gradually increasing its yield to a maximum by 15 years and reducing it only after 50-60 years due to the aging of the tree. Mature tree produces an average of about 100 fruits per year; under favorable conditions, the yield can be increased to 200 fruits per tree.

As a result of long-term cultivation of the coconut palm, it was created a large number of varieties, which are divided into 2 groups: vigorous (regular) and low-growing (dwarf). They differ significantly in biological and production characteristics.

The developed dwarf varieties have a shorter productive period - 30-40 years, but the first fruits appear on them in the 4th year of life, when the tree is only 1 meter tall. By the age of 10, a coconut tree can produce its maximum yield. The fruits of dwarf palms are smaller than those of vigorous palms, but harvesting from a maximum height of 10 m is much easier than from trees 20-25 m high.

The fruits of vigorous varieties have a round, almost spherical shape, about 30-40 cm in diameter and weighing up to 3 kg. Falling from a height of 20 m, they acquire terrible destructive power. Harvesting takes place all year round at intervals of 2 months. An experienced picker can collect up to 1,500 nuts a day, to do this he needs to masterfully wield a long pole with a knife at the end. A less productive method of collecting involves climbing palm trees to a height of 20 m. On the plantations of Fr. Samui (Thailand), where the supply of coconuts reaches 40 thousand pieces per year, began to use trained monkeys for harvesting, each of which is able to collect twice as many nuts as a person due to the speed of climbing. The collection of coconuts by monkeys has become an attraction for tourists, which provides additional income for the plantations.

From shell to kernel

Harvested coconuts, like all other parts of this extremely useful palm tree, are used in their entirety: from shell to kernel. Europeans are used to seeing brown furry balls in supermarkets, but coconuts on a palm tree look completely different. The fruit is covered with a dense, smooth green shell, which may turn slightly yellow or red over time. Botanists call this outer shell an exocarp. Underneath there is a thick layer (2-15 cm) of fibers Brown. This layer, the mesocarp, is peeled off along with the exocarp immediately after the coconuts are on the ground. Before we part forever with these two layers, having peeled them off the fruit, let us note their exceptional importance in the distribution of the species, and see how this raw material is used. If a layer of fibers provides buoyancy for fruits that fall into the water and are carried away by the current, and protects the seed from overheating in tropical conditions, then the endocarp, impenetrable to water, serves as a reliable capsule. In unripe young fruits, the mesocarp is edible. After removing the exocarp and mesocarp, the fruit acquires the familiar appearance of a rounded brown “nut” overgrown with brown fibers. Note that the familiar phrase “coconut” is incorrect from a botanical point of view. The fruit is actually a drupe.

The fibrous layer - coir or coir - is an important raw material, for the sake of which part of the crop is harvested unripe. Coir is not subject to rotting, and this property remains unchanged at any humidity and temperature; it retains its shape perfectly and lasts an exceptionally long time. This material is used in the furniture industry as an elite mattress filler and upholstered furniture, mats, ropes and coarse fabrics are woven from it. The main producers of coir in the world are India and Sri Lanka.

The next shell of the coconut is the endocarp - a very durable brown “nut shell” by which we easily recognize coconuts on grocery store shelves. The hard shell covers a single seed, which consists of an embryo and endosperm - solid and liquid. The inside of the “shell” is covered with a layer of hard white endosperm 1-2 cm thick, and the internal cavity is filled with liquid endosperm. When buying a coconut in a store, we expect to receive a sweetish, refreshing juice (i.e., liquid endosperm) and a layer of white, fatty, solid endosperm lining the inside of the “shell,” which is familiar to us from coconut flakes, widely used in the confectionery industry. It is from this layer that valuable raw materials - copra - are obtained. A thousand nuts yield about 200 kg of copra. The annual production of copra in the world is about 5 million tons. The Philippines and Indonesia are the leaders in this production.

Before we get to the edible seed, let's look for a use for the "shell." In industrial production, “nut shells” with fiber residues are crushed and obtained coconut substrate, used for growing plants. It has high moisture capacity and breathability, is biologically clean and does not rot. These properties also make it possible to improve the composition of any soil when mixed with it. Coconut substrate is sold in the form of briquettes: 5 kg of pressed substrate turns into 80 liters of complete soil when soaked.

The endocarp has long been used to make dishes. In Russia, they first learned about coconuts in the 17th century under Peter I, who brought a cup made from a coconut shell from Europe. Since coconuts were considered an “Indian curiosity” in Europe, the price of this curiosity was royal, as was its design. This can be confirmed by exhibits from historical museums around the world.

At the base of the fruit, three “eyes” are clearly visible, not overgrown with fibers and making the fruit look like a monkey’s face. These are pores formed at the site of three carpels. Three pores correspond to the location of three ovules, of which only one develops into a seed. The pore above the developing seed is easily permeable; it is through it that the sprout breaks out, while the other two are impenetrable.

Occasionally there are coconuts in which all three pores are impenetrable. In such “tightly sealed” fruits, the embryo can turn into a unique “coconut pearl”. A beautiful white, smooth and hard shell, reminiscent of mother-of-pearl, covers the embryo, turning it into a jewel. Coconut pearls are considered the only jewelry stone in the world that has vegetable origin. So everyone who opens a coconut has a chance to find this miracle of nature in it - pearls, much rarer than sea pearls. True, the probability of such luck is extremely small and is approximately 1 chance in 7500 fruits. One of the famous coconut pearls is exhibited in the Fairchild Botanical Garden (Miami, USA). Like any unique precious stone, it has its own name - “Maharaja”.

Natural saline solution

Let's return to the contents of the opened fetus. Before cracking the nut, you need to drain 0.5-1 liters of refreshing and always cool (thanks to the insulating mesocarp layer) liquid through the hole in the permeable pore. To obtain the maximum amount of coconut water, the fruits are harvested in the fifth month of ripening. Its consumption increases lactation in lactating women and helps dissolve kidney stones. As the endosperm matures, the sugar content increases. Coconut water is sterile and in a number of parameters is close to blood serum, representing a natural saline solution. During World War II, coconut water was used as a blood substitute for blood transfusions in emergency situations. It contains a large amount of potassium (about 294 mg per 100 g) and natural chlorides (118 mg per 100 g) with a low sodium content. Nowadays, coconut water is often sold in canned form, because... Its shelf life is short and is 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

A delicacy for millionaires

As the fruit ripens, copra begins to accumulate and release oil into the liquid endosperm, which causes it to become cloudy as a result of the formation of an emulsion, followed by its thickening. Subsequently, the amount of proteins and fats increases, and by 8-9 months of ripening the seed forms a hard endosperm. By 10-12 months the fruit is fully ripe and ready to germinate.

Germination of the fruit begins with the emergence of a sprout from the pore, while primary roots begin to develop in the fibrous layer. The sprout initially covers the “heart of the palm tree” - the apical bud. The outside is covered with white edible fluff, which tastes like marshmallows. A delicious salad is prepared from the apical buds, which is called “millionaires’ salad” due to the high cost of this dish, because each serving of this salad costs the life of plants that have lost their “heart”. After 3-9 months, the first leaf appears, and adventitious roots emerge from the mesocarp.

The palm tree does not yet have a trunk; it consists of a “nut” with a green bunch of leaves protruding from it and an apical bud. Only after the bud gains strength and grows to a certain size will the trunk begin to grow. It turns out that first the palm tree grows “in width” and then rises “in height”.

As practice has shown, the most productive palm trees begin to sprout first; therefore, it is recommended to discard all fruits that have not sprouted within 5 months.

Young palm trees are planted in the ground at the age of 6-18 months. The nut is left in this case, because... A young plant continues to use the nutrient reserves it contains for up to three years. Planting can be done all year round, excluding the dry season. The plant is light-loving, so planting plans should take into account lighting, soil fertility and the growth characteristics of a particular variety. The coconut palm can withstand groundwater salinity up to 3%. The planting density on the plantation is 100-160 specimens/ha. The large distance between the trees (9 m) allows the spreading leaves of each palm to receive its share of sunlight.

Having planted the next generation of palm trees, we will return to the freshly harvested harvest

Once the coconuts are on the ground, they are cracked and dried in the sun. The white, fatty endosperm is separated from the “shell.” The collected raw materials are dried in the sun or in ovens to protect the product from bacteria and fungi and copra is obtained, which contains about 70% oil. Coconut oil is extracted from copra by cold pressing or hot pressing. The resulting thick, fatty liquid is called thick coconut milk, which is used in desserts and sauces. It consists of 27% fat, 6% carbohydrates and 4% protein and includes small amounts of vitamins B1, B2, B3, C. Fresh coconut milk tastes like cow's milk and can be used to replace animal milk. Energy value such milk – 230 kcal/100 g. Butter from cream settled after cold pressing is much more valuable than that obtained after hot pressing.

In cold pressing, the copra mass is re-immersed in water and squeezed out again to produce liquid coconut milk. It is used in Southeast Asian cooking as an additive to soups and other dishes. The cake remaining after oil production is fed to livestock.

Copra is used in the confectionery industry in the form of the familiar coconut flakes. The high fat content determines its use in soap making, cooking, in the production of margarine, cosmetics, medicinal ointments and suppositories. Let's understand the properties of coconut oil and see why manufacturers use it so actively.

Coconut oil

The melting point of coconut oil is +25...+27°C; at lower temperatures it takes on the appearance of a granular mass. It has a long shelf life and practically does not oxidize due to the high content of saturated fatty acids. Exceptional heat resistance of the oil, which does not lose its properties when heated to high temperatures, allows you to effectively use it in cooking for preparing fried and deep-fried dishes, in particular for making popcorn.

Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and bactericidal effects on the body. It promotes the excretion of bile, prevents the development of obesity and urolithiasis, supports normal functioning of the thyroid gland. Lauric acid contained in coconut normalizes cholesterol metabolism in the body.

Coconut oil is practically indispensable in cosmetics. It has a healing and softening effect on the skin, promotes wound healing. His beneficial features due to the presence in its composition of saturated fatty acids (lauric - 50% of the total acid content, myristic - 20%, palmitic - 9%, capric - 5%, caprylic - 5%, oleic - 6%, stearic - 3% and polyunsaturated fatty acids acids - linoleic Omega-6 and linolenic Omega-3 acids - 1% each). Only refined oil can be used in cosmetic preparations. In face care products its content should not exceed 10%, and in body care products - 30%.

This set positive properties, and coupled with its low cost, makes Coconut oil irresistibly attractive to industrial production. It is not for nothing that the coconut palm has long been classified as the main type of oilseed crop in the world economy. The world's main producers of coconut oil are now Malaysia, India, Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Russia imports coconut oil mainly from India.

Now we can appreciate all the possibilities of using the coconut palm and its fruits and make sure that this plant is not without reason considered the “tree of life” in Southeast Asia.

Photo: Olga Shevtsova, Vladimir Sheiko, Maria Telnova, Natalya Aristarkhova, Rita Brilliantova