Split Caudex

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 12:12 pm

The caudex on this Zamia vasquezii split right down the middle. Maybe I gave it too much water at first once it had warmed up? Re-potted it with the caudex above the soil line and it seems to be drying out. Hope it pulls through

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:25 pm

Hope it makes it Steve...how's it doing a few weeks later?
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:46 pm

I rigged up a fan to keep some airflow and it's now starting to form a callous.
So hopefully....still have my fingers crossed.

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:55 pm

That's a good sign it's drying...so any previous rot would have stopped, I hope.
Good on you for acting so fast.
BTW was that THE cardboard palm I admired from your GH a month or so ago? (It looked so darn healthy)
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 4:36 pm

The Cardboard Palm is doing fine, the one that split is a Zamia vazquezii.

Have you had any luck finding one in your area? ( cardboard palm)

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 4:47 pm

Thank goodness it wasn't that one...

Nope, even though I looked in the bonsai section based on the recommendations here.

I know I could order one through Lori...already getting a Dioon edule from her nursery.
She'll ship as soon as our cold nights are over.

I'll just keep looking for one locally.

Your vasquezii'll bounce back quickly. We'll hear your sigh of relief, Steve!
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sat May 12, 2007 9:40 am

Looking better lately

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat May 12, 2007 11:58 am

Have you figured out what made it split?

There was a comment on a long-forgotten website that stayed with me:
"never throw a cycad away (or a part of one)...they'll come back in their own time".
So that's good to know.

Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sat May 12, 2007 12:27 pm

Kept it dry all Winter, I think too much water too quickly once it warmed up.....really need to ease some of these back into growing conditions.

" Never Throw Away A Cycad " I"ve heard that mentioned and did find a link to this article.

http://www.plantapalm.com/Vce/horticult ... owaway.htm

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat May 12, 2007 1:37 pm

It's good you've got it figured out, Steve.

While I'm far from an expert, I try to learn the conditions of the plant in its natural habitat.
But a lot of plants grow both in tropical understory as well as on rocky outcroppings.
So it's tough to know when to water and when to let it go bone dry.

And, yes, THAT's the article! Great sleuthing on your part.

Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 10:06 am

So far so good!
The center part has almost sealed over.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 10:31 am

Throughout this all, it is still growing

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:03 pm

Glad it's on the road to full recovery, Steve.
These plans are truly amazing in their resilience.
Can't wait to see that frond unfurl.
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:00 am

Three of them this time

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:17 pm

Wow...complete with a couple of leaves before the stem has finished!
Nice, Nice!
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:19 am

I've been trying some of these in hanging planters. Zamia vasquezii and Zamia fischeri seems to grow quicker than the ones on the bench.
Z.floridana and Z.polymorpha a bit slower.

Assuming higher root zone temp in the baskets reflecting in growth rates?

Anyways, I think the Z.vasquezii looks good in a hanging planter ( at least until it gets too big

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:36 am

I think it's safe to say this one will live

The Aquatic Plant baskets ( I found at Lowes), make great hanging planters.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:49 am

That wound healed over completely in no time!
Glad it's fine.

Nice use of those aquatic baskets.
Good humidity in your GH; otherwise they'd dry out fairly quickly?
Did you line the bottom and sides with, say, plastic or cardboard to prevent soil
washing through during watering?

Barb

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

No need to add any humidity this year, Yesterday had a high of 102F / 38.9C and a dewpoint of 73F / 22.8C
and warmer today.......

Just using the basket as is, it has a fairly fine mesh. One of my problems in the Winter months are things staying too damp, these just might be the ticket!

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:40 am

Wow, 102 !
Your heat seems relentless, glad you're not affected by the midwest flooding.
Horrible pics on TV of the damage to those folks' homes and lives.

Those baskets will do the trick for you this winter.
Good idea.
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:12 am

Barb,
The mesh baskets are working out great! need to get a few more of them.

Here's an end of season photo, think this one is going to live

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:37 am

Steve, it appears totally healed.
I'm amazed by the resilience of cycads...probably why they've been around so long.
Glad the mesh baskets are working for you.
Barb

chumleycycads.com · Post by **chumleycycads.com** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:32 pm

For those who are undoubtably new to cycads, Zamias are subterrainian plants which usually always "split" and become multi-headed plants. The "male plants" are usually the ones to do this initially anyway, as in other forms of cycads like cycas for an instance. If you see a large Cycas Rhumphii in Miami at a distance, and it is a single trunk, you can almost bet money it's a large female. But, if you see a large multi-trunked specimen in the distance, you can bet it's a male. If you're searching for Zamia Floridana in the wilds, the single -stemmed large plants will always be the females and the large multi-stemmed plants will always be the males. This holds true with most other types of zamias as well. As for the man who said "never throw away a cycad", I personally don't think you would want to listen to him on anything.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:44 pm

Robert, That is interesting, Thanks for the Info!

Steve

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:22 am

And here it is today, ready for another season............

chumleycycads.com · Post by **chumleycycads.com** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:28 pm

Now Steve , you have shown everyone what goes on below the ground in their indigitous habitat in the Zamia world.
Of course, Zamia grow naturally subterrainian without their caudex exposed. Many people do this especially as the zamias grow older to create a "bonsai effect"
showing off the caudex and multiple heads to make the plant appear older and have more character. However here in Florida, you have to keep it out of full sun shining directly on the caudex (because it will sunburn). Excellent photography, Steve, as always. Robert Chumley

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:15 pm

Robert, Thanks for the comments, and a good point about sunburn ( I hadn't thought of that )
I started lifting the caudex's of the more tropical Zamias up a bit to help them get through the Winters here,( the ones in the GH ) We can sometimes get a week of warm weather which starts them growing, then I try to give them some water, the next week when it drops back to 0F, the caudex's are not left sitting in a cold & damp container.

At least that's what has been working here so far, hoping to get a gas heater installed in time for next Winter, I'm sure a little extra heat would help things along.
( I have a new electric heater for this Winter, but with a gas one I might be able to afford to keep it at 70*F

Steve

Alchris · Post by **Alchris** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:28 pm

Nice job Dr. Steve.

Allen

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sun May 04, 2008 9:56 am

Thanks Allen, Just trying to adapt things to my growing conditions. Think I almost have some of these figured out

This one is doing well, a couple recent photos.

Steve

virtualpalm · Post by **virtualpalm** » Mon May 05, 2008 4:24 am

chumleycycads.com wrote:For those who are undoubtably new to cycads, Zamias are subterrainian plants which usually always "split" and become multi-headed plants. The "male plants" are usually the ones to do this initially anyway, as in other forms of cycads like cycas for an instance. If you see a large Cycas Rhumphii in Miami at a distance, and it is a single trunk, you can almost bet money it's a large female. But, if you see a large multi-trunked specimen in the distance, you can bet it's a male. If you're searching for Zamia Floridana in the wilds, the single -stemmed large plants will always be the females and the large multi-stemmed plants will always be the males. This holds true with most other types of zamias as well. As for the man who said "never throw away a cycad", I personally don't think you would want to listen to him on anything.

Bob, not all zamias are acaulescent (subterranean), and when they "split" it is usually as a result of dichotomous branching of the apex, not from the caudex splitting open. I also disagree with you that only males divide. I have seen PLENTY of acaulescent zamias in the wild, and the multi-headed plants are not always male. As for your last statement, it really is sad that you would continue to let your personal feelings come out against a man who has done more for cycads and understanding how they grow than anyone else in the world that I know of.

Jody

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:39 pm

Here is what it looks like today, healed up just fine, and now has two growing points.

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:53 pm

Wonderful, Steve.

Yet further proof to never give up on a cycad.
Barb

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 6:02 am

Here is a little fairness and objectivity for you. In fairness to Steve, this thread was about his split zamia caudex and the efforts he put forth to save it from the compost pile. I think its amazing that Steve's zamia recovered so beautifully from the split caudex syndrome. and quite objectively I say it looks fantastic.

Great effort Steve.

Xavier35 · Post by **Xavier35** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 5:39 pm

I WAS READING SOME POSTS!!!! then they are gone whats the big deal!!!!! i was reading about that scale disease??? what happend why are they gone now??

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 6:48 pm

Yes I deleted the posts in this thread where it got too heated. The topic is about splitting caudex.
If you can not stay on topic, I will continue to delete posts that are not on topic.
If anybody is a moderator of other boards, they should be able to understand that and agree that it is a good decision to delete all posts that attack people personally by name.
If you want to start another topic about scale, then please do, however if it states another person's name in a bad way, I will delete it.

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 6:13 am

I agree with Kansas. Those posts were headed down a destructive path. I too would be intertested in learning about the cycad scale but only if it remains civil and is informative and not accusatory.

virtualpalm · Post by **virtualpalm** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 5:33 pm

Something about this thread has sure made it popular, because 7,000+ views has got to be some kind of record!

Jody

chumleycycads.com · Post by **chumleycycads.com** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:50 pm

That's exactly what I was complaining about to the "other moderater" of the "other cycad forum" who allows a certain person to acuse and belittle my reputation "at will, with total impunity from the 'moderaters' who are supposed to be there to control the thread (like this forum does) Now, they know how unfair and dishonest it is, maybe they will understand how it feels (and maybe they will apologize and lift their bans of people who only want to defend their integrety and reputation.) The moderaters on this forum have high standards and set the pace that is far superior to some other forums. They are genuine people who really care about ALL their members and give them equal opportunities to express their thoughts about the forum and the plants. When we got out of line, and stepped over the line , they corrected it without "red flagging" or banning people to stifle them and holding them incommunicado to defend their rights as a member. They simply explained the rules, and will keep a vigilent eye on our posts and keep us on topic (or start a new topic). Thanks, moderaters.

PalmsNorth.com

Split Caudex

Split Caudex

Thanks Barb,

Update

06-08-07

7-20-07

Root Temps ~vs~ Growth

Split Caudex

Split caudex cycadacea

Re: Split Caudex

WHAT HAPPENED!!!

split caudex

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