New thread Idea for Cycad lovers

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 9:33 pm

Steve,
The red emergent are spectacular.
Barb

taylor · Post by **taylor** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 9:44 am

You will love your Gratus! Frond size is AMAZING!

Here is mine on my birthday, 7/13! (Flip Flop for size...see how big?!)

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 10:35 am

Taylor,
I hope mine ends up looking as nice as yours!

Steve

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 10:38 am

Yes the Gratus leaf size is VERY big. Here is mine the day I got it from Robert Chumley in on Feb. 2, 2008. As you can see by the Tennis ball, the caudex size is a bit bigger than a softball, but the leafs stand about 3 1/2' tall from the center. This tree has not flushed yet this year so I am thinking of cutting them off to force a flush. What do you think??

taylor · Post by **taylor** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:16 pm

Looks good! But I think someone is getting impatient...do you need a new flush right now? I bet it will give you one soon if it has been that long.

Dean W. · Post by **Dean W.** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:25 pm

Taylor and Kansas, how hardy are they? Taylor, you should be able to plant your's in the ground correct? Kansas, will you overwinter indoors?

Dean

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:14 pm

taylor: "Looks good! But I think someone is getting impatient...do you need a new flush right now? I bet it will give you one soon if it has been that long."

Well the Sun has sun burned the two flushes and the wind also tore a lot of the leaflets off. The two Flushes look bad and would love to get some new flushes.

Dean W.: "Kansas, will you overwinter indoors? "

Yes, I over winter all my Cycads/Dioons either in the greenhouse with a heater or in the unheated garage. I actually had some pretty darn good luck with the ones I had in the unheated garage. I had 3 King's which all have flushed twice this year, 2 Merolae which one has flushed and the other is going to any day now, and a Wilailik that has flushed this year. I was really surprised they all did so good.

virtualpalm · Post by **virtualpalm** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 5:38 am

This is the time of year for E. gratus to flush here in south Florida. One of my big plants is flushing a sucker right now (see below), and I expect the main plant to begin soon as well. I would be hesitant to cut leaves off a plant that small for reasons already stated.

Jody

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 6:28 am

virtualpalm wrote:This is the time of year for E. gratus to flush here in south Florida. One of my big plants is flushing a sucker right now (see below), and I expect the main plant to begin soon as well. I would be hesitant to cut leaves off a plant that small for reasons already stated.

Jody

Will do buddy (or should I say WON'T do

)I'll leave the flush on.

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 4:35 pm

No pics yet but..................guess who is getting a new flush on his big Gratus

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:05 pm

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:53 pm

Nice Jody! You probably wrote it SOMEWHERE, but other than Wes and his GF's cow manure, what fertilizer do you use on it?

Wes (Kansas), love the size of those fronds!

Steve, that dioon flushed from 5 or 6 points?

Wow that's a definite keeper.

I've never seen anything that beats the size of Dioon Spinulosum for leaf size on a first, or second, flush.
Except the E.gratus.
Stunning.

BTW, nice new thread.
Gives us (who don't know anything) something to hope for.
Barb

Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 11:10 am

This Sago has sat out all summer, now starting it's second flush.
(Leaflets are showing typical hail damage)

Steve

Dean W. · Post by **Dean W.** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 2:53 pm

How much are you watering it, Steve?

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 5:10 pm

Dean,

That one sits in full sun with a fairly porous soil mix, On days like today, (103*F), at least once a day.
Once the temps fall back into the 80's & 90's, about every 2-3 days.

(I pour the water on till it's running out the drain holes

Steve

Dean W. · Post by **Dean W.** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:42 pm

Okay, I ask because it's been hot here too. I guess I need to step up the watering if I want another flush before it gets cool.

Dean

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:22 am

Dean,

If anything, your temps are probably warmer than mine!

I usually get my last Sago flush around the middle of August. If you have any containers in full sun, you may want to water them around mid day just to lower the root zone temps.

Steve

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:50 am

Ceratozamia latifolia is a bit further along.
I Like the emergent color on these! might have to get a couple more

Steve

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 7:16 am

here is a picture of my sago palm. last year it flushed twice, a double flusher.

this year 0 flushes. whats up with that ?. any suggestions on speeding up a flush this year. I fertilized it May 1, June 1, July 1 and August 1 with Peters All Purpose 20-20-20 fetilizer. I fertilize often but do so at like 1/3 the recommended amount. This sago gets sun from about 8AM until 3PM. shaded after that.

also - a picture of my numerous small cycads. I am pretty sure that all of these were from my friend "Steve", you may know him, he lives in Kansas and posts under the name of KNNN. I have them all in small containers so nothing gets out of control big. there are numerous smaller palms included in this picture also. If you need an ID on one let me know.

Dean W. · Post by **Dean W.** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:37 am

Kent, I have the same problem w/ one of my potted Sagos. It hasn't flushed this year and is in semi-shade. I used some Osmocote on it earlier this year. I'd be intrested in what others have to say.

Dean

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:00 am

Kent,

Thanks for the photos, nice to see the children are doing well

I've used Osmocote on my Cycads this year with good results, is yours getting enough water? Mine are getting watered almost every day as hot as it has been.
How old is the potting mixture? sometimes re-potting is enough to trigger a flush.

Here is a link to a good article on fertilizing Cycads,

http://cycadjungle.8m.com/cycadjungle/fertilizer.html

Steve

Dean W. · Post by **Dean W.** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:09 am

Hey guys, I wonder if root pruning would be an option instead of repotting. Like, Kent's, mine is an decorative container and I would like it to match others on my front porch.

Dean