Dioon Edule v. quatero

[Dean W.]

My new babies...

[lucky1]

Sweet, Dean.
Did the nursery explain what happened to that left frond?
Good it's only affected that side.
Barb

[Dean W.]

Barb,

It was delivered via mail and got damaged. I need to cut it off, I guess I am to lazy.

Dean

[lucky1]

It probably wouldn't hurt to leave it on until late winter, Dean.
Versus an open cut where moisture could create problems over winter.

Have never heard of quatero.
It's not even on Google Images.
Barb

[Lori]

I think he means Dioon edule var. Queretaro. Emergent leaves are an intense blue-grey. A very beautiful Dioon.

[lucky1]

Thank you, Lori, that'll enable finding pics of it.
Barb

[lucky1]

Wow...here's a pic of what you're growing, Dean!

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/35707.html

[Dean W.]

Nice picture! I look forward to mine gettting that big.

Dean

[lucky1]

We should probably ask Lori or Steve, approx how old would that queretaro be?
Barb

[Dean W.]

I know that my seedlings are three years old ( and...not much of a root system). So they are a very slow growing Cycads. Does anyone know what the approximate age of the one pictured in the link might be? I was told it might take ten to fifteen years before I might be able to determine the sex, of my Dioon edule var. queretaros. An luckily, I might be able to have a male and a female.

I've read on other websites and I'm wondering if anybody has heard of this. It said, that Cycads can not bloom in pots. Maybe they were refering to King Sagos (Cycas revoluta). I know that Kansas has one cone (Dioon) in a pot, so that negates that thought. Plus these puppies in the wild (Dioon edule var. queretaros) grow in rocky soil which is quite restrictive of root growth. Just some random thoughts, if anybody cares to expand on them. Maybe, I can get a resident expert to confirm or deny any of my assertions.

Thanks,
Dean

[Knnn]

Dean, Most Cycads will benefit from plenty of room for roots, These are Cycas sp. 'Wilailak' which in habitat grow on limestone cliffs on the Laos border. The roots in this picture are coiled up, some were over 5' long!



I think Zamias will cone while in a container, ( some can go from a seed to coning size in 3 - 5 years), The Dioons and Cycas are generally so large and heavy by the time they are at coning size that containers may not be practical.

Of course 95% of mine are in containers, so maybe I will be able to give you an answer to your question someday

BTW ~ nice Dioons, they should have some companions arriving in the mail soon


Steve

[Dean W.]

Steve,

Nice picture of the Cycas sp. 'Wilailak', hopefully mine (Dioons) will cone in three to five years. I do understand when you say they, "are generally so large and heavy by the time they are at coning size that containers may not be practical".

Nice root systems by the way, you seem to have a way with plants, Steve.

Thanks,
Dean

p.s. Hopefully, I will get the Dioons in the mail today.

[Kansas]

I can have Robert Chumley come on here and tell us the exact facts on all this.
However I can add this, my coneing plant is not a Dioon but rather a Zamia. Also it was field grown by Robert Chumnley until he gave it to me and I put it in a pot. However I DO have a Cardboard palm that had a cone on it when I bought it and it was a store boughten "Lowe's: tree. o I am not sure about Dioon or Cycads being able to cone in a pot, but I do know Zamia's can.
Also, I would have to guess that the Dioon in the link is probably between 60-75 years old.
But I will ask Mr. Chumley to chime in.

[Dean W.]

Kansas,

It would be nice to hear Mr. Chumley's opinion.

Dean

[Kansas]

I e-mailed him. He will probably come on here later today and answer all our questions.

[chumleycycads.com]

Without doing research, I'll tell you my observations. I have Dioon Edule 'variety Queretaro'. But only a few small plants grown from seed. They are still too small to really tell what they will do. There are several Dioons from the Pacific coast including the 'Baja Region' One we used to call the "Boomerang Edule" because the leaves would always take a sharp left turn (or twist) near the end of the leaves. The blue color is somtimes deceptive because all too often it is only temporary. For an example, I have a variety of Edule here(about 3 acres) in a seed colony that has red emergent leaves.......and then turns a beautiful powder blue after about two weeks and remains for several months more before turning to a greyish-green. They leaf 2-3 times a year and love to sucker....growing relatively fast for an Edule. Wish I knew what to call it...they came from Oaxaca near Tananga in Central Mexico near an area Where we collected big trunks of Dioon "Purpussii" during the early seventies. I remember the roads were washed out up high on the mountain......and the Mexicans were using Dioon Purpussii to fill in the holes and ruts in the road. Purpussii was that prolific....can you imagine? Now, try to find one. I brought back 65 large 2 ft. trunks on that trip....which are now in private collections ( I only have one for myself) I traded one to Bob Alonzo for a 1964 Ford Falcon which I drove for 15 years and then traded it for a canoe (which was stolen) but Bob still has the Purpussii which is worth a small fortune. Mine goes for 5-6 years at a time between new leaves. so the Dioon Queretaro in the photo at Daves Garden may be much older than you think. The rule of thumb on Edules is 200 yrs per ft. of clear trunk. The oldest Edule I have is estimated to be 650 years old and the male next to her is about 500 years old. I think they are the 'variety Rio Verde' which is beautiful. I also grow 'Palma Sola' which I helped Larry Bussell initially find in the early seventies, and also Jalapa. So, if Dioon Queretaro stays a pretty blue color , I will like it. Robert Chumley

[Kansas]

Thanks so much Robert!
I was thinking you told me the "200 years per foot" thing on the phone, but I wasn't sure. So the one in the link is probably close to 300 years old then.
Oh, how I wish I was older and would have known you back in the 70's!! I would have made some trips with you. Sounds like they were the best of times.

[Dean W.]

Robert,

Thanks for the information. Wow, "200 years per ft. of clear trunk."

Dean

[lucky1]

A very interesting read, Mr. Chumley.
Sounds like the owner of that Dave's Garden pic should have a security fence around it!

Have you made any progress in pic posting?
We'd all love to see acres and acres of Cycads...

200 years for a foot of trunk...doesn't that make a person feel "special"?
We're scarcely a dot in the scheme of things.
Only a cycad, gingko, wollemia etc can evoke that feeling

Barb