How do you jumpstart a cycad to start flushing?

[Gbarce]

I bough this Cycas Cairnsiana about 2 year ago and it stil has not produced a flush of new leaves since.

THe caudex is about 3 inches in diameter. The last flush was new when I bought it and only had 3 leaves. I repotted it about 8 months ago and the root growth was excellent - it wasn't root bound but the soil was very well covered in roots that the root ball held together. I placed it in a significanyly larger pot with a mix composed of pumice, perlite soil and sand.

The leaves are drooping to one side becuase this was in a fairly shaded spot in the vendor's store. I guess the new flush of leaves were reaching for the sunlight. I have placed it in a very sunny spot ever since I bought it.

In nature I think the natural enironment od C. Cairnsianas have flash fires. Is a flame thrower to the leaves in order?

Help-- why won't it flush?????

[BS Man about Palms]

Summer?

[freakypalmguy]

Hi Gene,

As you know, cycads are strange plants. I have a few that have not flushed in over a year. They seam healthy and the appearance of new coraloid roots tells me that they are still alive, but no new leaves. A board member recently told me about some info that was passed on to him. Cycads typically only do one thing at a time, They are either putting down roots, throwing new leaves, coning, or dying. Hopefully yours is putting down roots.

The first thing I would ask is about your pot. Does it have plenty of drainage? I have also heard they don't do as well in pots, they really love being in the ground.

I have heard you can possibly induce a flush by cutting off the leaves. I have not been brave enough to do this to my cycads though, so I can't say for sure. A fire would remove the foliage, so that supports the cutting off the leaves theory.

I say put it in the ground and wait.

Matt

[Laaz]

Cutting off the old fronds will induce a new flush. I have done this with all of my Cycas species. I have also done it with my Encephalartos natalensis. You should see a new flush in a few weeks.

[Neofolis]

Mine are in pots and flush every 3-4 months. They seem to respond to lots of warmth and fertilizer. As, I assume warmth is not an issue in Manilla, I would make sure they are getting plenty of fertilizer, it works for mine.

[Gbarce]

I will try the fertilzer thick first. I am also not so brave as to try cutting off the leaves.

I did try zapping it with one of those hand held bug zappers that looks like a tennis racket--- nothing happened.

[ariscott]

Just be patient and wait. If it is anything like an NT native (C. amstrongii) which evolved in an area where it is ravaged with fire every year, it only flushes once a year. Is it still the wet season where you are? It might be too late for it to flush this year. You might have to wait till next year. Just give it plenty of sun (if you are worried, introduce it slowly to the sun). Cycads are even worse than palms... you have to play a lot of waiting games... Don't cut any foliage, if you are unsure. Some will take it better than others.... It is a very slow grower.

Regards, Ari

[xerophyte_nyc]

C cairnsiana and some of the other australian Cycas species apparently require very deep pots, they will not flush leaves until there is an adequate root system. They also must have very well drained soil, 100% drainage material (pumice, etc.) may be the best, with supplemental high nitro fertilizer. They like it hot and dry in the summer.

A plant your size may fare better in something like a treepot, 20-24" deep.

[Al in Kona]

I got two decent size Cycas cairnsiana plants in the garden that both pushed out a new blue flush about a month or so ago. These plants are very drought tolerant - rarely ever get supplemental water or fertilizer. I hesitated to fertilize them much because I read somewhere that many of the Australian cycads don't like heavy fertilizing. One time when my big plant of Cycas platyphylla was just barely beginning to start a new growth flush, I threw some time release Nutricote fertilizer around it and watered and the result was not good. As the new leaves grew the leaflets closest to the caudex burned and turned brown leaving only the outer leaflets green. A lesson learned.

Here are the two Cycas cairnsianas I have: Last pic is just a more top view of the first one.

[freakypalmguy]

Those are very nice Al.

[Gbarce]

Al- wow thos are really nice looking specimens. I am hoping that mine eventually looks like that but it sure is taking its sweet time

[BS Man about Palms]

Very nice looking, Al!

[ariscott]

Very nice blue cycads, aren't they? I think I have to hunt for one then. I know I shouldn't have gone into cycads...

Regards, Ari

[Gbarce]

Are - they should be easy to find in your area coz they are a native australian species.

[ariscott]

  Gbarce said:

Are - they should be easy to find in your area coz they are a native australian species.

Not as easy as you think... QLD is a bit funny with their native species...

Regards, Ari

[freakypalmguy]

  ariscott said:

Very nice blue cycads, aren't they? I think I have to hunt for one then. I know I shouldn't have gone into cycads...

Regards, Ari

That's funny Ari, Palms are bad, but cycads are worse I can't get enough of either though

[freakypalmguy]

Gene,

Here is some more info I found from a respected grower,

I too have had very bad success and very good success with the more blue

and gray leafed cycas. In the past I spent a good amount of money on C.

couttsiana, C. cairnsiana, and others to watch them all slowly die. I

wondered why and started to intently look into the growing condition and

nutrient requirement of these plants in their natural habitat.

I found that many of the blue cycas grow in a very sandy, rocky soil

with pH levels from natural to slightly alkaline. These soils are also very

low in phosphorus. Most plants in these types of habitats thrive on a high

nitrogen diet (especially Australian blue cycas).

I decided to test my theory and planted a one leaf C. cairnsiana in a 5gl

citrus pot with sand and 1/4 inch gravel that you would find in a normal

cement mix. In the pot I mixed 2-3 hand-fulls of my normal palm/cycad mix.

Once stirred up, their was barely any organic matter in this mix. I put the

plant out in full sun and 18 months later I had a one inch plant with 22 new

leaves. The tall pot was to make room for the large tuberous roots that many

of these types of cycas have.

I am assuming one thing, that C. Sp. "silver" has the same growing

requirements as many other blue and gray cycas. I'm not sure but it seems

like they don't like our more acid/organic mix that we are accustomed to

using.

[Gbarce]

THanks for all the input because we have SUCCESS!!!

it looks like this flush will have 3 leaves.

[freakypalmguy]

Congrats Gene