Among all fruit plants, the coconut is one of the simplest to plant and grow. If you are planning to plant one tree or a whole orchard, rest assured that there is nothing easier than this. This is a plant that grows fast and with the least of trouble. The only thing that you should be very careful about when planting a coconut is the source of water. Without adequate water, and here 'adequate' means 'in plenty', your coconut will be dead before long. At the same time, you need to ensure that the soil has proper drainage so your coconut plant does not rot.
The best way to ensure you have a healthy coconut tree is to use both saplings and seeds so you could choose the best for your purpose. How do you know which seed is good for planting? Shake it vigorously and watch out for the sound of water. If you hear water, the seed is good for use; if not reject the seed.
For the saplings, take a few healthy seeds and burry them in sand. The coconut needs to be buried on its side, just as it would lie when it fell from the tree. Cover it with sand and husk in the ration of 1:3. The seed needs to be watered with warm water daily so as to promote the growth of sapling. Many people use pots for this purpose, which are placed near a heat source so as to keep the sapling warm constantly. The best climate for the coconut planting is the tropics, as this tree needs both high content of humidity and heat. The temperature should always be abut 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
The saplings should be visible in about four weeks. All seeds that do no produce a sapling within maximum 8-12 weeks need to be discarded. Now take your saplings and plant them in groups of 4-5 every 15-20 feet. You can plant them single also if you want, but when they are in a group, they survive better. The seed does not need much attention as it gets all the nutrients from inside, for a few months. Once the sapling develops, you need to ensure that it gets adequate water and nutrients for it to grow into a healthy coconut tree.
Initially, the coconut grows fast and you are gratified to see the immediate results of your efforts. The initial 6-18 months will be marked by rapid growth and development; hence, the plant would require your utmost attention in terms of manure and water. Some trees are known to grow about 60 -100 feet tall before giving any sign of bearing fruit.
Indigenously, the coconut is referred to as the "three generation tree" which implies that this is a tree that can continue feeding three generations, once it starts fruiting. The best and easiest way to provide adequate manure and moisture for this tree is to intertwine its cultivation with that of banana trees. These trees, after bearing fruits die to provide one of the best possible sources of nutrients for the coconut tree.