Cocos & Avos in Hawaiian Acres?

[hooligal]

Can you grow coconuts (actually harvest a viable nut) and Avocados up in Hawaiian Acres? I've heard they are both elevation sensitive. Thanks! Erin

* I'd rather fail at happiness than succeed at misery *

[gtill]

Sa the Acs are solid rock like most of the subdivisions, you might find a few cracks deep enough to plant same, you'll find out when it is grown and a windstorm hits. Otherwise you need to bust holes in near solid basalt rock!

[LEN]

Avocados do great for us in where we live near the top of Orchidland-not sure how much higher your part of Hawaiian Acres would be, but I'd bet they'd do fine. I'm pretty sure coconuts like it a lot closer to the ocean, but I'm no expert. Citrus do great, and bananas, starfruit, and too many others to name.

Plant It Hawaii's website is a great resource for our area- go to their home page and click on "Plant Guide" and you can get detailed information and instructions on a whole lot of tropical fruit trees, including the elevations that they like best.

As far as the solid rock problem, you can get a portion of your land ripped, or jackhammer the rock to make individual planting sites. You will have to bring in soil or make your own compost to plant anything, since there's practically no soil to speak of. But you can definitely have beautiful and productive fruit tress, with a bit of work.

[durian]

avocadoes will tolerate the entire range of elevations in Hawaiian Acres, however, avocado likes to form a tap root and needs good drainage, so choose a place where it can root well.
coconuts will fruit up to about 600 feet elevation in hawaii. this does not mean, however, that you can pick up a coconut at the warm pond, plant it at 550 feet and be certain to get fruit. Ideally, your baby coconuts would be from other "high elevation" palms. Possibly, off island coconuts adapted to cooler temps would be able to handle HA elevation.