New Fronds..........

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:45 pm

Wes, Everything looks great! One thing I've found I like about the Cycas 'Wilailak' is that the fronds grow about 2'-3' before leafing out They will grow above everthing else around them

Don, Get any of that rain yet

tropicman · Post by **tropicman** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 7:32 pm

Yep,if memory recalls I have had 11,and 9 before!

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:57 am

Well we got a slow and not real steady sprinkle all day Sunday until about 4:00pm, then it stopped. Then I went to bed and woke up this morning and I guess it has been steady rain since 3:00am and at 6:00am the news said we got 1/4" rain.

tropicman · Post by **tropicman** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:37 pm

About 2 inches of rain here!

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:29 pm

Yep, when all was said and done (actually it is really cloudy so we may not be done) I am not sure how much rain, but it did rain a steady soaking rain, the kind all of us tropical folks LOVE!!!

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:13 am

Always nice to see things still growing near the end of August.....

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:46 am

Nice shots Steve, look at how robust that new growth appears...
You can probably hear them grow!
Are you still fertilizing now for this second flush?
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:34 am

Barb, I fertilized once around the beginning of April ( try to time it to about 4 weeks before the first flush)
This is mostly for the bigger containers that do not get re potted too often. I try to be more concerned with keeping the minor elements available.
Although a shot of high nitrogen fertilizer is a good tool to wake up one that has been sulking, forcing one along on a high fertilizer diet tends to produce a weaker plant ( at least in my opinion, the Palms & Cycads I let grow at their own pace always seem hardier compared to the ones I pick up from other places)
I used Ironite Plus this season ( which has a real nice minor package),and things are still growing nicely long after the nitrogen componet has gone.
Also found a Fertilizer/PH meter on sale which will let me fine tune things a little better

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:38 am

Sounds as though your program is a winner!
I've read interesting stuff on the Cycad society link you provided.
You've fine-tuned to great success.

From my limited knowledge and experience, cycads have their own timeclock and I agree that it's wise
to give them "a bit of slack" unless they're sulking.
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:10 am

They defineately keep their own schedule, with some Cycads having lifespans over 500+ years. what we consider sulking for 5 - 10 years is just a small nap for them

I can say if I lived in an area that stayed above freezing I might be moe liberal with the fertilizer, it is amazing to see some of the growth rates in Florida,etc. Then again we make the best of what we have

Steve

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:08 am

2nd flush on this Sago almost done,

The Bowenia's are starting, (it's Spring in Australia and I think these are still on that schedule

Cycas taitungensis

Zamia floridana's

Zamia sp. "Mexico" ( it's a bit dusty in the GH )

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:23 pm

Great Steve!!!!!!! Glad to see they are still moving for you late in the Summer. Hope this heat sticks around as I, and sure you too, am not ready for our stuff to quit growing.
Not to mention I have done NO Winter prep work at all

I have an ASS LOAD of seeds to get to you. When I get a free day I will slide up to see you. If your not home, I'll leave them somewhere and PM you to tell you where I left them.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:58 pm

Let me know when you can make it and I'll have some stuff you can pick up too

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 2:27 pm

That second flush is amazing...as strong as the first?
I had assumed a second flush wouldn't be as robust.
The frond length is incredible

Interesting about the Australian schedule of the bowenia.
Will it eventually kick into your locale's seasonal schedule or, if it's in the greenhouse,
will it always put out growth in late summer?
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:47 pm

Hi Barb! Not as many fronds as the first flush, but these will probably end up a little larger.
( These are all leaves from this season, I trimmed the old ones off so I could past it in the GH

Not sure what the Bowenia's schedule will turn out to be, hopefully they will adjust. I've only had these a couple months so I am glad to see growth!

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 7:46 pm

As always, beautiful, Steve.
It'll be interesting to see if that bowenia adjusts to a new hemisphere.
Well done!
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 2:56 pm

Thanks Barb!
First time I've had one of these, so I'm sure to be taking way too many pictures

little further along,

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:24 am

Never too many pics.

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:16 pm

I just noticed at 3:00 today that one of my two Nova Wilailak is starting a new flush. This is this particular Nova's second flush of the year. I know Steve has posted about these, but here is link for info....Seems as thou they are a VERY VERY hardy species and fast grower. The hardiness thing I still have to see, but the growth rate is second only to Taitungensis from what I have experienced. My twoo are softball size trunk and are both white trunks.
http://www.banana-tree.com/Product_Deta ... ~18927.cfm

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:49 am

These are a nice Cycad, I've had new flushes on most that I ordered this year. All except one that was mangled in shipment, the root was broken off 2" below the caudex, ( the box looked like it was run over

........ that one is still recovering.

I'm amazed how long the roots are on these, some on these seedlings were close to 6' long, ( probably their adaptation to growing on cliff faces)

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:53 am

Those are BEAUTIFUL, Steve.
Nice specimens.
The cliff face comment I'm sure is right on...there was a link somewhere that said cycad roots
grow in rock fissures. Even my Spinulosum arrived with a well-developed mass of roots as tall as
the plant.

Let us know if that crushed one fully recovers.
Bet it will with your TLC.
Barb

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:08 am

These are BY FAR my most favorite cycad. I just love these!!! Robert Chumley told me the story about how they were discovered, but I can not remember the story.

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:03 am

So Steve tell me, are you too finding that these are some of the fastest growing cycads you have ever seen?

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:13 pm

I really haven't had them long enough to compare, so far they have settled in nicely and seem to be happy. Have you added any lime to your mix? In habitat these are in limestone rich soils, they seem to do fine without but I'm thinking it might help enchance the trunk coloring.

The story I heard on these ~ The gentleman who first collected these seeds from the wild named this Cycad in honour of his wife. Also, there is some thought these are a variant of Cycas Petraea (In the end the taxonomist will end up having to sort this one out

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:22 pm

Knnn wrote:I really haven't had them long enough to compare, so far they have settled in nicely and seem to be happy. Have you added any lime to your mix? In habitat these are in limestone rich soils, they seem to do fine without but I'm thinking it might help enchance the trunk coloring.

The story I heard on these ~ The gentleman who first collected these seeds from the wild named this Cycad in honour of his wife. Also, there is some thought these are a variant of Cycas Petraea (In the end the taxonomist will end up having to sort this one out

I have been thinking about stopping somewhere in the Flint Hills and scraping up some of that dirt (Limestone) and adding it but have been too lazy.
Yes, that IS the story. The varient from the Petraea is that the Nova were found on a hillside by the wife on a different mountain just minutes from where the Petraea are found.
I am in Wichita Thursday so I might be at your house on Friday.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 4:47 pm

The Bowenia is still chugging along,

For some reason the Dioon's have also started up again ( cooler nights now, some around 5C )

And a Cycas sp. 'Wilailak' too

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:06 am

The Bowenia's are both moving along now, interesting to watch how these branch

PalmsNorth.com

New Fronds..........

Late season growth....

Cycas sp. 'Wilailak'

Who is online