![]() Indonesia, the Philippines and India produce 73 percent of the world’s annual total of 61 million tons. A tree can provide between 12 and 36 coconuts per month year-round for up to 80 years. > Trees can bear their first coconuts in six to 10 years, but it could take 15 to 20 years to reach peak production. They require warmth, sandy soil, high humidity and lots of sunlight. > Coconut palms grow in the tropics, between 20 degrees latitude north and south of the equator. They loosen the soil like little tractors, allowing moisture, nutrients and oxygen to penetrate deep into the ground.”įrom start to finish, the tour highlights the reasons why McPhee regards the coconut as one of the most amazing plants on the planet. Critters like worms, beetles and centipedes are thriving in the healthier environment. “Our fertilizer is droppings from the hundreds of birds that fly in and out of our farm every day. “Now we’re returning those resources to the ground by making compost from fallen fronds. “For 10 years, my dad was trimming fronds off the trees and hauling them away to keep this place nice and tidy,” he said. As tour groups linger in the grove, McPhee describes how natural farming methods are rejuvenating the soil. The sugar plantations used a lot of chemicals back then, and nutrients were being removed from the ground whenever they harvested.”īecause of that, the land was in poor condition when Punakea Palms’ trees were planted. “It had been that way for over a century. “I was raised in Lahaina, and when I was growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, there were sugar cane fields as far as you could see in both directions,” said McPhee, the tour’s primary guide. Wear sunscreen, a hat or visor and cool, comfortable clothing. > Notes: Arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour. > Cost: $49 general, $39 for children ages 5 to 12. Registration is required via phone or online booking. Where: Punakea Palms, 225 Punakea Loop, Lahaina, Maui
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