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Here are the next two installments in the E. ferox leaf flush saga:

27 June:


29 June (I counted 11 leaves so far):


29 June (closeup of leaf bases):


Jody

And here is another D. spinulosum that just started flushing a week or so ago.

26 June:




27 June:


29 June:




Jody

Speaking of D. edule, my largest plant just started flushing this week. Here are the early photos of the flush.

26 June (first noticed it):




27 June:


29 June:


Jody

Great pictures, Jody!

Thanks so much Jody. I might have to try to get me a Ferox. I just noticed one of my SPinulosum is starting to flush. I just love those Spinis.

Jody,
Is the ferox every bit as stiff as horridus?
It looks somewhat softer but that may be the green versus blue color.

The vertical D.spinulosum flushes are what makes these Dioons so beautiful.
Looks like they receive dappled sun.

What age is that D.edule with the large caudex?

Spectacular pics!
Barb

lucky1 wrote:Is the ferox every bit as stiff as horridus?
It looks somewhat softer but that may be the green versus blue color.

Oh, yeah! They are just as stiff and vicious as horridus -- "ferox" means "ferocious" after all!

lucky1 wrote:The vertical D.spinulosum flushes are what makes these Dioons so beautiful.
Looks like they receive dappled sun.

Yes, the second one that I just posted is growing in dappled shade. The other (larger) one gets full sun for a large portion of the day and seems to be just fine.

lucky1 wrote:What age is that D.edule with the large caudex?

I honestly don't know because I got it at that size from someone else who got it at that size... but if I had to guess, I would say at least 35-40 years (in cultivation). A plant that size in habitat, though, could be several hundred years old.

Jody

Thanks for the replies Jody.
I had forgotten what ferox meant

Even 40 years in cultivation is impressive; but "several hundred years" to reach that size in habitat is
mind-boggling.

These plants are like works of art.
Barb

Thanks to everyone for all the photos !


Jody,
With the potted Dioon edule, very nice! What kind of potting mix works well with one that size? Do you have it on a fertilizer schedule?



A couple more photos........



Dioon edule still moving along,








Zamia floridana, these are into a continuous growth mode now, still like watching the new fronds unfurl !




Bowenia sp "Tinaroo" The Australian natives are showing signs of life




Cycas sp. "Wilailak",







Steve

Wow, that's some amazing color the Dioons put out.

Dean

Exactly what I was going to say.
Stunning, Steve.
Barb

Knnn wrote:Jody, With the potted Dioon edule, very nice! What kind of potting mix works well with one that size? Do you have it on a fertilizer schedule?

Hey Steve. Any kind of well-draining soil works well for D. edule. It is a very adaptable species. I have not fertilized it at all since I got it a couple years ago. Cycads really don't require much in the way of fertilization, unless you want them to grow/cone faster.

Jody

Jody,

I like to fertilize my container stuff once every spring to recharge the nutrient levels, (Palms, Cycads, and everything else) , don't think I could afford any more than that

Most of my Cycads started growth before any application this year, so things must be in some sort of balance.

Thank you for the info and photos! That has been my inspiration to put some in ground, and great to see larger ones doing well in containers.



Steve

Steve, I'm envious of your Dioon's color.
Compared to yours, mine is grass-green (older fronds have a bluish look)
...but nothing like yours.

It's breathtaking!

Barb

Thanks Barb, I like it too




This one is showing a nice bronze tint,





Steve

Re the bronze, I noticed my flush (alas, only one leaf) looked bronze-like this year too while it was unfurling.
Now fully out, it's green. (wish for your blue color).

And look at those pachypodium lamerei in the background.
Growing so bloomin' fast, they're wavy (Jay really has to get a "green with envy" smiley on here)

Barb

Barb,
Wish they would stay that color Maybe Jody would know how many color variations there are with emergent leaves on these?

Thanks for the Pachypodium comment, pretty soon I'll be able to pull a chair up to this one and have some shade





Steve

Knnn wrote:Maybe Jody would know how many color variations there are with emergent leaves on these?

Steve, there are a number of regional forms of D. edule, and each one seems to have a different emergent leaf color. The most common form, referred to as D. edule var. edule, is light green; D. edule 'Jacala' is bronze to brick red; D. edule 'Queretaro' is often pastel blue to pastel purple; I can't remember what color the 'Rio Verde' or 'Palma Sola' forms are (there are other forms, too).

Below are a couple photos that I took of a plant growing in someone's yard a few blocks from my house. Every year it flushes this same brick red color. I think it is probably the 'Jacala' form.





Jody

Wow, nice Jacala!

Thanks Jody! We now have photos of most emergent leaf colors


Received some seedlings labelled as "Palma Sola, these have a bronze emergent, then harden off to a bluish tint.
( not 100% sure of the ID, was one of those eBay things)

Is the Key to Dioon Identification Poster still available? I really need to order one


Steve

Knnn wrote:Is the Key to Dioon Identification Poster still available? I really need to order one

Yep. You can even buy it online:
http://www.cycad.org/publications/Dioon-poster.htm

And here is the page for the Ceratozamia poster if you are interested:
http://www.cycad.org/publications/Cerat ... poster.htm

Jody

That's the one, Thanks for the links!

Steve

Looks like there might be another frond coming at the base.



Barb

Back from Florida to find my Cycads decided to all get together and flush all at once...

Spinulosum that I have had for two years, FINALLY flushing...
Full Spinulosum

Flush



Wilailik that flushed 3 months ago is flushing again. I find these to be the fastest growers I have.
Full Wilailik

Flush



Dioon Edule Palma Sola looks like a 2 leaf at the least.



Dioon Merolae looks at least two, but possibly more.



Another Dioon Spinulosum with a three leaf flush



A Taitungensis Sappling





Then here are some updates...
Here is a tall and slender Revoluta that just put out an 8 leafer.


Zamia Pumila that put out a one leaf flush, then all of a sudden is putting out 2 leafs on both caudex.


Here is the Revoluta that put out a flush just 3 months ago, that just finished a 13 leafer while I was gone.



Just for giggles, here is some Spanish Moss I picked up while I down there.

Things are still moving along

Recently transplanted Dioon edule coming out of it's sulk,




Cycas taitungensis X Cycas revoluta




Bowenia frond unfurling,




Steve

Some misc,










Steve

Merolae 7/6

7/25



Dioon Ja. Sola 7/6

7/25



Spinulosum 7/6

7/25



Wilailik 7/6

7/25



SOME NEW FLUSHES


Revoluta. This Revoluta last flushed IN MAY. Thats two flushes on a Revoluta in 2 1/2 months. Grandpa's Cow Manure is MAGIC...



This is my Dioon Edule in the front yard. First pic is a wide angle of the tree, second is the flush which should fill it out GREAT.





This is a Rumphii which Robert Chumley sent me last year. This is it's 4th flush since it arrived.

Wes,

All is looking good, Those Dioons must really like the recent weather!

These are the ones that just finished,




These are the ones that were just planted in the GH.

Encephalartos gratus (just starting to send out new growth)




Dioon edule




This Ceratozamia latifolia was in a container and slow decline. Decided to plant in a shady spot and looking good




And, a new Encephalartos natalensis frond,









Steve

I can't get over how nice this one looks, Steve!

Steve, great that the Certatozamia is recovering, and nice close-up of that E.natalensis.
And yes, that blue Dioon gets my vote for top plant colour.

Are your GH beds top-dressed with gravel or does gravel make up most of the root-zone mix?

Barb

That Dioon has become of my favorites!

Barb,
The gravel is top dressing, under that is about 1' of container mix & Perlite. After that, it's native soil.


Steve

I found that with one of my DIoon Edule (first one to flush this year) that with them too, if you cut old flushes off, it will force another flush. I went ahead and cut the old flush leaves off the first one to flush which looks a lot like your Steve, hopeing it will force another soon.
Good to see your Gratus is starting. I wish mine would

Kansas wrote:I found that with one of my DIoon Edule (first one to flush this year) that with them too, if you cut old flushes off, it will force another flush. I went ahead and cut the old flush leaves off the first one to flush which looks a lot like your Steve, hopeing it will force another soon.

You can do this with good results, as has been reported here on several occasions. However, I would discourage cuttinge old leaves off seedlings and small plants because forcing a new flush on a plant that doesn't have enough stored energy to produce the new leaves can cause it to stress out... and a stressed plant can lead to a dead plant. Just a thought.

Jody

virtualpalm wrote:

Kansas wrote:I found that with one of my DIoon Edule (first one to flush this year) that with them too, if you cut old flushes off, it will force another flush. I went ahead and cut the old flush leaves off the first one to flush which looks a lot like your Steve, hopeing it will force another soon.

You can do this with good results, as has been reported here on several occasions. However, I would discourage cuttinge old leaves off seedlings and small plants because forcing a new flush on a plant that doesn't have enough stored energy to produce the new leaves can cause it to stress out... and a stressed plant can lead to a dead plant. Just a thought.

Jody

Great. I appreciate the advice and will use it. I just got a bunch of seedlings and I hope that transplanting them wont hurt/kill them
All the leaves trimming I do is on trees that are pretty old. The Edule I did this on had a caudex (sp?) size of a smaller cantelope...

Jody,
With the typically slower growing ones, (edule,etc), would leaving the oldest fronds attached speed up overall growth in the long run?


Here's the newest Bowenia frond







Steve

Knnn wrote:With the typically slower growing ones, (edule,etc), would leaving the oldest fronds attached speed up overall growth in the long run?

It could possibly enhance growth in the long run, but it is hard to make any definitive statements. Tom has shown amazing growth by regularly removing leaves off the suckers of multi-headed plants... so leaf removal can also speed growth. The main point I was trying to make was that small plants may not always have enough stored energy to allow them to flush, but if they are "forced" to flush it could stress them out. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine!

Jody

Delicate and beautiful.
Great close-up.
Barb

Jody,
Just curious as to observations on larger plants, your point on the smaller ones is well taken!



Barb,
Thanks! I've had my fingers crossed with these, but they seem to be doing well.
( sorry for all the photos, think it's cool to watch the branching form. Don't forget your Cycas debaoensis photos

Bit further along,





The new stem is about 2X the size of the previous, always a good sign





Steve

Yes, Jody makes an excellent point on the smaller ones.
I won't be removing anything off these babies; here's progress to date:

Cycas debaoensis, second frond emerges:


Other c.debao....




Cycas panzhihuaensis (the only one that made it):


Second flush, two fronds on Dioon Spinulosum:


Dioon edule isn't happy this year, but finally throwing a frond:


Sorry for fuzzy zoom pics.
Barb

Barb,
Everything looks like it's doing good, nice to see everything growing!
Your last photo of the Dioon resembles one here, it kept lifting itself up and eventually sprouted fronds from 5 - 6 different points



Here's a couple from today.

Newest Dioon fronds,



Ceratozamia latifolia still moving along,



These are a red emergent,



and two new fronds on a Encephalartos gratus,




Steve