A nice start for this season,

Dean W. · Post by **Dean W.** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:38 pm

Nice photos you all!

Dean

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:22 am

Great photos!

Barb,
Good to see yours are starting up

few more here are showing signs of life,

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:52 am

Steve, great photography, especially that 4th pic.

I've gotta ask: there's not one weed in any of your pots (plants older than 1 year). How do you manage that?
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:11 am

Barb, I have my share of weeds,

End up pulling them out, ( sooner or later

, I view them as a good indicator of soil moisture levels.

I've got all sorts of things growing along with the Cycads this year

Steve

Dean W. · Post by **Dean W.** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 10:46 am

Hey Steve,

In the forth picture what is that growth called?

Dean

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 10:59 am

Congrats on having one weed.
I can always say I'm in nitrogen-fixing mode.

That lovely vine will take over your GH

Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:14 am

Barb, around here, half my containers are growing wheat by the end of the season

Dean,

# 1 & 2 ~ Zamia furfuracea

#3 ~ Encephalartos natalensis

#4 & 5 ~ Encephalartos gratus, Start of a second frond & some caudex bulding.

#6 ~ Cycas sp. "Wilailak"

Steve

Dean W. · Post by **Dean W.** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:22 am

Steve,

Cool, Thanks!

Dean

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:11 am

Dioon spinulosum moving along.

Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:10 am

Barb, great close up!

How are the rest of your Cycads doing?

Steve

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:56 pm

Here are my two cycads that are flushing.
Sorry for the clutter in the Tait pic. It's 20 degrees with snow blowing right now and I am NOT into clearing the greenhouse right now!!

Taitungensis. 4 Leaf flush.

Nova Waililik. 2 leaf flush just starting out.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:24 pm

Thanks Steve; the other cycads are showing only a hint of moving.

Wes nice strong flush.
When did you put manure on it?
Barb

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:35 pm

Actually I those flushes are with manure from last year. Now with these two fast growers, I will add manure in about a month or so when I can leave the greenhouse open and get some rain on the manure and let it settle in.
With the way I put them out in my landscape, I need a good flush the day I put them out, then I like them to flush in June or July again.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:46 pm

Wes,
So the manure goes on after the first flush then rain on it produces two more flushes in a season.
Now I got it

Spring can't be far...rotten weather has to end some time.
Greenhouses are supposed to be cluttered

Barb

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:08 pm

50's today so I got to trim that Fortunei in the background. Also was able to throw some old dead stuff out and free up some sun light thru so some of the understory trees could start getting some nice light.
I MIGHT have a new flush on a young Tait also but we will see.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:30 am

This one has come back strong, ( I quit counting new fronds after 15 or so

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:32 pm

First off, Lucky, I am anxiuosly awaiting an update pic of that Spinulosum leaf!!!!!!!!!

Now here is an update on the two I posted earlier in the thread, plus a Cardboard seedling putting out a leaf....

This is the Cardboard. Little fuzzy, but you can tell the start...

This is the Wailiak with a two leaf flush. BTW, this is also the Willy that split the caudex over Winter to allow for growth around. There is VERY much noticable growth in the fatness of the trunk on this since the split. I would dare to say it has almost doubled in girth in 2 months. Here is also it's two leaf flush...

This is the Taitungensis. The trunk has put on about 4"-5" of length and put out this 4 leaf flush...

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:45 pm

Steve, man oh man, 15 fronds...

Wes, nice very nice. Gotta get me some manure. I've been "eyeing" a horse across the fence

Nice strong stem on that baby cardboard.
Both Steve's and Wes' have such tall growth, looks great.

Have been holding off, hoping I'd get more than one frond, but nope, that's all. Darn!

Now a few days later, it looks weak, like it's about to flop. What the heck?

In a week or so hope to have pics of some movement on my Z.picta and Z.vasquezii, D.edule...
Barb

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:50 am

Barb, if you think that leaf looks like it will flop over, try putting the leaf up against a wall for support while it grows. Then after a month or so, SLOWLY take away from the wall and see if it is stronger. I had a Taitungensis leaf that was HUGE and weighed way too much on the top. It bent it completly down. I tried this and amazingly it is stronger than ever after letting it harden off.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 1:04 pm

Wes, Everything looks good!

The Cycas sp. "Wilailak" seem to be taking off, here's one of mine.

Barb,
Your Dioon leaf will harden off in a few weeks and be fine. Try to make sure it is not bunched up against anything, etc.
( once it hardens off, that will be it's final shape )

I did quit counting fronds on this one.......... ( at least 15

The other Zamia floridana is starting up too,

Another through the window photo of a Encephalartos natalensis new frond,

Steve

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 1:10 pm

INCREDABLE!!! Steve. Those cycads LOVE being next to that South facing wall. Seems to have warmed up the soil and exploded with energized roots.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:01 pm

Wes and Steve, thanks for the advice.
The leaf looks quite a bit weaker than when it first emerged, so I'll keep an eye on it.
It's a paler shade of green than last week, too.
Need a tad more fertilizer??

Man, look at the growth on yours.
You folks with your wonderful 15 (and more) leaves

I'm embarrassed to be worried about my ONE and only Spinulosum leaf.

You still can't get through that greenhouse, can you Steve?

Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:12 am

Wes,
I'm waiting to see what this one does, it didn't grow much last year, but has about doubled the caudex size over the Winter.

Barb,
Plenty of room left! you were asking about the straps on the shelves?
Bad things would happen without them

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:21 pm

This'll be some plant to watch when the caudex doubles each year.
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 5:21 pm

Barb,
How is your D.spinulosum fairing?

I think this one is done for now?

And a couple misc. photos,

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:25 am

Steve, robust growth on yours.

Mine no longer looks like it's wilting.
Thanks for the tip to increase water at this stage.

Will have to get a new pic...the new leaf looks huge compared to last year's

Still very pale in colour though.
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:36 pm

With Z.furfuracea, I've noticed the leaves start out white and grow fast, usually takes a couple weeks for them to color up.

These ones are just about hardened off, they are just starting to turn a nice color.

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:49 pm

Nice cardboard palm, Steve.
Seems I'm leery of over-fertilizing, yet cycads generally are heavy feeders.
They just look so delicate, I suppose.
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:17 pm

Barb, Things started growing this year before I had a chance to put any fertilizer down, warm temps in the GH, and longer days is all it takes

Did find some Osmocote 4 month fertilizer on sale for $1.99 this Winter, so I spread some of that around, more or less just to keep up the nutrient levels in the containers that are not getting fresh soil this year.

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:39 pm

Good you've had an early start to warm GH temps.
I went to a couple of stores, they didn't stock Osmocote!
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:23 pm

I found some Ironite with minors last year that seemed to work ok,

Just noticed a couple Sagos starting a flush

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:12 pm

Man your stuff comes up early! Great GH conditions obviously.

Last year I found a dusty old box of "Fritted Trace Elements", and used it sparingly.
Didn't do any harm so will use it again this year.
All my cycads were repotted/potted last year so I think I'm ahead of the game.
Barb

virtualpalm · Post by **virtualpalm** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:39 pm

One of my E. horridus is flushing again, and I thought some of you might like to see it:

Jody

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:00 pm

Jody, as a LONG TIME member of this group, I think I can speak for everybody when I ask you to PLEASE allow us to see the flushes in all your cycad/dioon/encephs/etc.

taylor · Post by **taylor** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:10 am

Very nice flushes everyone. Right now, only my big Taitungensis seems to be flushing. I'd say that is a pretty good start to the season...

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:55 am

Ditto kansas' sentiments. Love that color.
Maybe Todd will post his horridus pic soon.
Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:33 pm

The Dioon spinulosum leaf has finally stopped growing...it's huge compared to last year's

A little less wilted looking now that I've increased watering.

Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:08 pm

Jody, Thanks for the photos! E. horridus is one I've been saving up for.

Taylor, Feel free to add some photos!

Barb, Looking good! That is one I still don't have, going to have to do something about that....lol

These Zamia floridana have been growing non stop here, been fun to watch.
( no cones yet

, .......but there is always next year

Steve

taylor · Post by **taylor** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:11 am

Hey Steve!
I'll add some pics as soon as it pushes out a little more! It is dang cold over here right now. Went from ~80F to ~40F in less than 2 hours.

It even sleeted this morning. NOT GOOD, since I just planted all the Musa out.

Lord help them... LOL

Taylor

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 3:50 pm

STeve, IF your Zamia ever do cone with a female, would you know how to pollinate them? Reason I ask is that I have a Zamia Pumila that has a two male cones and I would love to give them to you for pollination.