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Encephalartos longifolius funky flush


Firepalm

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Has anyone encountered a flush like this before? Hopefully you can see from the pics but the new flush is slightly off center and most of the leaves are curled back into the caudex.  A few have already broken off from the force of being pushed out while simultaneously pinned at the top. Just wondering if there is something causing this that I fix so it doesn't happen again.  This has been in this spot for several years and usually flushes twice every year.  Last year it never flushed which was a first.  Figured I would get a huge flush and instead got this one...

 

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Are these the same pictures you shared with me over the weekend?

 

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9 hours ago, Firepalm said:

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Very weird. Cycads do weird things sometimes. This is a new one for me. Has it ever coned for you? Maybe there is cone about to push out. Otherwise a very nice looking and healthy longifolius. 

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I have had this happen many, many times.  I call it an ingrown flush.  I finally got this to stop by discontinuing timed release fertilizers and just using liquid feed.  It was very common on E. woodii and Kirkwood lehmanii, and msinga.  The caudex will not be disfigured.

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On 5/2/2018, 6:17:08, Palm Tree Jim said:

Are these the same pictures you shared with me over the weekend?

 

Yup, that is the one Jim.  Figured I'd post and see if anyone had seen something like it before.

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On 5/2/2018, 8:32:18, GeneAZ said:

I have had this happen many, many times.  I call it an ingrown flush.  I finally got this to stop by discontinuing timed release fertilizers and just using liquid feed.  It was very common on E. woodii and Kirkwood lehmanii, and msinga.  The caudex will not be disfigured.

Thanks Gene.  An "ingrown" flush is really a perfect way to describe it.  Will be curious to see what the aftermath is once it finishes pushing or breaking all these new leaves.  Glad to hear that it doesn't sound like it will cause any permanent issues.  I'll cut back this year on the slow release fert and see if the liquids work better.  

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The tips of the flush will be a little messed up, but not the end of the world.  I've had this happen a few times to a large offset.

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On 5/2/2018, 8:32:18, GeneAZ said:

I have had this happen many, many times.  I call it an ingrown flush.  I finally got this to stop by discontinuing timed release fertilizers and just using liquid feed.  It was very common on E. woodii and Kirkwood lehmanii, and msinga.

 

On 5/3/2018, 2:11:49, Firepalm said:

Glad to hear that it doesn't sound like it will cause any permanent issues.  I'll cut back this year on the slow release fert and see if the liquids work better.  

So this is essentially what the Encephalartos princeps has done that I posted recently under a "Funky Flush" title.  The photo below is an updated photo.  I've used time released Osmocote for years on cycads without a problem including this one, but it's the second flush in a row to do this, albeit not as many of the leaves as last year.  Everything around it (several Encephalartos species and hybrids) are pushing normal flushes with the same fertilizer as well, so I'm not so sure that is the answer.  Of the species Gene names,  I've fed Osmocote 3 times per year for 8 years plus to a pair of different E woodii hybrids and regular E lehmannii, as well as E longifolius (your problem child) without ever seeing this.  I say 8 plus years, because the princeps and lehmanii have both been fed this for upwards of a dozen years.  I'll be interested in seeing what my E princeps does next year, since it seems to be "growing out of it" with fewer damaged emergent leaves this year than last.

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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  • 2 years later...

Well after a normal flush in 2019, it's decided to throw another garbage "ingrown" flush almost exactly 2 years later.  Dovetails nicely with the overall start to 2020...

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Perhaps it's something nutritional?

Soil related?

Genetic?

Just a few things to think about. 

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4 hours ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

Perhaps it's something nutritional?

Soil related?

Genetic?

Just a few things to think about. 

Sometimes you won't ever find out, as they may just grow out of it.  The E princeps I posted in 2018 had a perfectly normal flush last year with no change to the fertilizer regime.  It hasn't flushed yet in 2020 although it should soon.

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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On 5/9/2020 at 6:25 AM, Palm Tree Jim said:

Perhaps it's something nutritional?

Soil related?

Genetic?

Just a few things to think about. 

Yeah don't really know for sure and don't know that I ever will.  I have several other cycads in the same area and they are all fine.  Fingers crossed that it someday grows out of it, but seems like it may just alternate between norman flushes and ones like this.  I'm starting to think there could have been some trauma or damage to the caudex that is contributing to the issue.  It's hard to see in the photos but the spot where the leaves are emerging from is slightly off center from the base of the caudex.  

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Here are a few pics of the base.  You can see that the growth point has shifted off the center of the base. 

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