Ahhh!! My cycads are dead!!

[ghar41]

Actually, its a point well taken from another forum, that cycads, being slow in everything they do, also die slowly.

Mine are all seed grown, and the plants in the following pictures  are among many that were planted 5 years ago as 3-5 leaf seedlings.  Even though they are routinely throwing nice tops, they could very well be holding completely or partially rotted root systems.  I average @12 inches of rain per year and have a deep top soil with perfect drainage...

Is anybody else growing Encephalartos cycads in a similar or heavier rainfall climate?

[BS Man about Palms]

Glenn-

Are you just guessing its dead and thats a past pic?

[bgl]

Glenn,

We get 12 inches of rain in a slow MONTH here, and I have no problems growing Encephalartos!

Bo-Göran

[BS Man about Palms]

Bo-

I think you are missing the "cold" part.  Now you're just being funny.

[LJG]

Two things you can check.

1) Wiggle it. Is it lose in the soil?

2) Feel the caudex. It is getting soft?

If yes to either, not a good sign. If so I would dig it and put it in a WELL draining medium in a pot.

[ghar41]

(BS, Man about Palms @ Feb. 26 2008,22:56)

QUOTE

Glenn-

Are you just guessing its dead and thats a past pic?

The title was my attempt at sarcasm, but your post in the "sale" forum was well taken.  Even though my cycads look perfect, they could be completely rotted underground.  I have had caudexes rot in the past...for instance I planted an E frederci guillemi too deeply years ago, and it rotted right away.  I could tell it was a goner, as the top of the caudex was soft.  

No, I just took the E. natalensis picture a couple of hours ago.  No soft caudexes to be found anywhere, and last year almost all cycads threw new tops.

I'm just hoping to hear from others that may be growing Encephalartos in a climate similar to mine, and whether or not they are having root rot problems.

[bgl]

Bill,

No, actually I wasn't trying to be funny!  I just happened to see Glenn's last sentence and responded to that:

"Is anybody else growing Encephalartos cycads in a similar or heavier rainfall climate?"

Didn't say anything about cold! I was just addressing the rainfall issue. :cool:

Bo-Göran

[ghar41]

(bgl @ Feb. 26 2008,23:58)

QUOTE

Bill,

No, actually I wasn't trying to be funny!  I just happened to see Glenn's last sentence and responded to that:

"Is anybody else growing Encephalartos cycads in a similar or heavier rainfall climate?"

Didn't say anything about cold! I was just addressing the rainfall issue. :cool:

Bo-Göran

Hi Bo,

Your cycads are proof that the amount of water isn't the issue...it's how well it drains.  I would think that, even in your climate, if they weren;t draining...they'd rot.

With good drainage here, Ive always hoped they would make it through the cold, wet months.  Im still hoping!  

Big Island...my mom was born and raised in Honoka'a...these days the family is over in Kalaoa, on the Kona side ...I would love to visit your garden next time im there!

[bgl]

Glenn,

I meant to be a bit more specific, but a phone call made me cut the previous post short. But, yes, I believe you're absolutely correct about drainage, and that was my point: it's not the amount of rain, but drainage that is the key to the growth and survival of many cycads and palms. I grow quite a few cycads AND palms that are from very dry environments, and they either do very well OR they simply thrive here. I'm convinced drainage plays a very major role.

And next time you're on the island, I hope you'll find the time to visit us!

Bo-Göran

[BS Man about Palms]

Yay!  But as you noted Glenn, whats above may not be an indicator of whats underneath.

[virtualpalm]

Apologies for resurrecting an older topic, but here in Miami we typically get over 60 inches of rain a year (we even had 36 inches within a 24-hour period here at my house when Hurricane Katrina paid us a visit), but yet we can grow many species of Encephalartos with the proper well-drained soil conditions. We can do an admirable job with the "blues" (although they typically don't cone here), while the Central African giants -- like E. whitelockii (pictured below), E. laurentianus, and E. ituriensis -- grow like weeds here.

[Kris]

Hey have you tried the Kris Soil Mix...?  ???

just kidding here is my soil that i use on all my palms,cactus & cycads too...just now i got accesses to perilite course grade..

here is the visual of the soil which takes up hot summers and horriably wet winters...without any root rot ! but the soil is preety heavy to carry around.ie. the pots filled with this is a bit heavy for one to carry it alone !

love,

Kris  

[ghar41]

Thanks Kris,

Your soil actually looks somewhat like mine...slightly alkaliine sandy loam.  Mine probably has more smaller particles but they are close.  

Yes, thanks Jody.  I guess the only thing I am still looking for is someone who has wet but cold winters.  Ive enjoyed your cycad posts though, keep em coming!  

[daxin]

Both UC and SF botanical gardens have healthy specimens of Encephalartos in ground. I will check their soil/site preparation next time I visit. According to Maurice of A&A cycads, only E. friderici-guilielmi, E. lanatus, and E. middelburgensis are hardy enough for Sunset Zone 14. However, if your micro-climate pushes up your zone rating to 16, there are 16 more Encephalartos species to try.

[mppalms]

I would add E. lehmannii.  I think it would be hardy into the central valley in anything but the worst frost pockets.

Jason

[DoomsDave]

For what it's worth, I have a number of encephartos -- ferox, altensteinii, natalensis, etc.  and so far, so good.

I have clay soil and we get anywhere from 4-34" of rain in a year, depending on Ma Nature's whims.

[ghar41]

(daxin @ Mar. 31 2008,11:41)

QUOTE

Both UC and SF botanical gardens have healthy specimens of Encephalartos in ground. I will check their soil/site preparation next time I visit. According to Maurice of A&A cycads, only E. friderici-guilielmi, E. lanatus, and E. middelburgensis are hardy enough for Sunset Zone 14. However, if your micro-climate pushes up your zone rating to 16, there are 16 more Encephalartos species to try.

Ive seen these specimens...I think its very interesting to note that there are Encephalartos cycads at Strybring in SF that have been there for years.  Obviously not a perfect environment but they throw tops...

The collection at UC Berkeley is impressive.  Its warmer.

I have 10+ different Encephalartos species in the ground.  after last years cold winter, all threw new tops.  Many are small, 3-5 leaf tops. So far I have only lost an E friderici-guilielmi due to rot- planting site too wet.  

A few years ago I planted an E. gratus two leaf seedling in the coldest, frostiest spot in my North facing front yard.  It defoliated after last years week long freeze but......It threw a small single leaf top later that Spring!  I checked the caudex a week ago, and its solid.

Does anyone know if the freeze at the Huntington last year killed any cycads?  

How cold tolerant are cycads, really? ???

[freakypalmguy]

I had an E. lehmanii throw a set just prior to winter and never truely hardened off untill just recently as it warmed up. It experienced many days with light frost and even the new un-hardened leafs were untouched. I thought for sure the new set was history. My E. ferox pushed a big set just prior to the winter/frosts and had about a 25% burn on the tips of all the new un-hardened leafs.

I had Dioons and Encephalartos all go though 22F (last years freeze event) with very little to no damage at all.

[ghar41]

(freakypalmguy @ Apr. 01 2008,16:18)

QUOTE

I had Dioons and Encephalartos all go though 22F (last years freeze event) with very little to no damage at all.

Same here....even Ceratozamia's, Lepidozamias and Macrozamias were all fine and remain solid today.

Huntington in Pasadena was in the teens and when I visited later that summer it appeared almost all defoliated cycads threw new tops.

Does anyone know the final headcount of cycads that were killed in the freeze last year at Huntington?   Were there any deaths at all?