Cycas siamensis problem

[Antonino Giglio]

Hi guys,

I'm growing 4 Cycas siamensis from seed and 3 of them have problems.

Here the pictures:

What do you think it is? The soil is moist and they are in the light but not on direct sun.

Thanks!!!

[freakypalmguy]

What kind of soil are you using? I have some that have done the same thing. I also put some right in the ground as one leafers in full baking sun and they are doing great. Not a hint of burn and they are flushing. I think they like to be in the ground.

[tropicalb]

I don't think there is a cycas species that DOESN'T want to be in the ground.....they all have a hard time in pots (with the exception of C. revoluta.....for some reason they actually do well as a potted plant).

Matt is correct; this cycas wants sun and prefers to be in the ground. Everyone that I know who grows them in pots seems to have a hard time keeping the plants looking good.

Edited September 7, 2008 by tropicalb

[Antonino Giglio]

Thanks guys for your replies.

But if cycas doesn't like to be in pots, why then in garden centres you find big pots of cycads few years old?

And have alook at this pictures of Cycas siamensis:

http://www.rarepalmseeds.com/pix/CycSia.shtml

The condition you see in the picture leads to death of the plant as it happened to other before, the leaf becomes yellow untill all leaf is dead!

Regarding the soil I'm suing, I use a free drainage quality potting mix.

Cheers guys!!!

P.S.

By the way I'm in Melbourne with Mediterranean weather

[freakypalmguy]

Hi again Antonino.

As Burt mentioned above, Cycas revoluta do very well in pots. Some just seam to do better in the ground. But that's not saying they won't do ok in a pot. The reason I asked about your potting mix is that some cycas don't do well in potting mixes. I think I remember that mixes with peat are detrimental to certain cycas. Some of the cycads I have bought, are not planted in any soil at all. Just a course medium and they thrive.

Good Luck

[freakypalmguy]

Here is some info I found written by 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.

[tropicalb]

i'm thinking you may have too much organic material in your soil and your soil looks a little too wet Antonio.

Edited September 9, 2008 by tropicalb

[Antonino Giglio]

Thanks guys for the precious infos!

I thought that Cycas are like palms that like rich soil! So, am I wrong then?

[eastern.nurseries]

Hey Tony, siamensis do well in pots, I've had one in a container for twenty years. A couple of sprays of wettable sulphur on the new flush should take care of that broad mite problem. Cheers...

[amazon exotics]

Seems to me they like a fast draining sandy soil.

[Antonino Giglio]

Hey Tony, siamensis do well in pots, I've had one in a container for twenty years. A couple of sprays of wettable sulphur on the new flush should take care of that broad mite problem. Cheers...

What soil do you use? So why do you think the browning of the leaves? Is what you just mentioned, a broad mite?

What is it? Thanks a lot!!!

[eastern.nurseries]

Broad mites are fairly common on new cycad flushes here in spring, that leaf distortion in the last picture is typical. Grape vines can act as a host for them. Originally the DPI here in Queensland identified them for me. Sticky traps around the plants are a good way to see whats going on, blue and yellow ones. I use a course sand and bark potting mix although my C siamensis has been in the same pot for a dozen years and does not drain well so I cut some more holes in the 250liter pot.

[Antonino Giglio]

Broad mites are fairly common on new cycad flushes here in spring, that leaf distortion in the last picture is typical. Grape vines can act as a host for them. Originally the DPI here in Queensland identified them for me. Sticky traps around the plants are a good way to see whats going on, blue and yellow ones. I use a course sand and bark potting mix although my C siamensis has been in the same pot for a dozen years and does not drain well so I cut some more holes in the 250liter pot.

Thank you very much for your nformations!

And what could be the drying of the leaf? It has happened before to more plants that started becoming brown like you saw in the pictures and then all the leaf died turning all brown/yellow.

I checked on couple of book on palms and while one said they can grow in direct sunlight the other say the should be grown in shade. I'm a bit puzzled.

I'm growing them inside, away from direct sunlight and with plenty of water as it is suggested in one book. Soil is notmal potting mix with very good drainage.

Are they difficult Cycads to grow?

What about the fertilizer?

[tropicalb]

Jon....

can you post a picture of the 20 year old C. siamensis please? Never seen one that old!

[Antonino Giglio]

Jon? Are you there?

[eastern.nurseries]

OK Here are the pictures, this plant has never flowered and I got it from Rolf Kburz at K Palms in 1988 as Cycas north Thailand. It is C siamensis of course

The pot is 840 mm in diameter which makes that one fat butt

[Antonino Giglio]

Jon, you didn't reply to my message though!

[eastern.nurseries]

Tony, It's difficult for me to give you useful answers without actually seeing your plants and setup. But from what you have said I would suspect mites from being indoors and root problems from to much water. If you are doubtful about your potting mix I would suggest you use one that has the Australian Standard of Premium grade logo on the bag. Some simple rules I follow, low light - less water, high light - more water. Never be afraid to pull the plant out of the pot and check the roots and smell the mix, white roots are good and funky smelling mix is bad. Keep looking, keep trying and you will get it right. Did I cover everything?

[tropicalb]

WOW!

thanks so much Jon for posting those photos....what great looking plants!

[Antonino Giglio]

Tony, It's difficult for me to give you useful answers without actually seeing your plants and setup. But from what you have said I would suspect mites from being indoors and root problems from to much water. If you are doubtful about your potting mix I would suggest you use one that has the Australian Standard of Premium grade logo on the bag. Some simple rules I follow, low light - less water, high light - more water. Never be afraid to pull the plant out of the pot and check the roots and smell the mix, white roots are good and funky smelling mix is bad. Keep looking, keep trying and you will get it right. Did I cover everything?

Thank you very much for your precious help!!!

I've repotted them and found there was definitely too much water in the soil mix and one of the cycad had the rot completely gone. So I've changed the potting mix making it more loose adding perlite. And will be more careful with water.

I think I generally have to be more carefull with watering as I've also killed a couple of big palms inside the house that I bought 2 years ago at Bunnings!

Maybe I worry too much!? Ha ha ha...