Xavier and CycadJungle,

Thanks for you input on this thread.

Some time ago I ordered and received 10 Cycas Revoluta seeds ...

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I've been hang'n out just wait'n for some action from any one of these seeds, not know'n what was go'n on underground. I had planted all the seeds about 1/2" under soil.

Your post however caused me concern that maybe I should dig the seeds up and get them nearer the surface so they don't rot.

So I dug them up and found that 6 of them had started to swell and the outer seed coats were cracked open along the seam that runs around them and divides the coats into two halves.

But one of the seeds I dug up looked like this ...

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I am psyched! Or should I say Cyc'ed.

I dug the seeds up at dusk to avoid having the Sun's radiation traumatize the roots if there were any.

I feared that these guys would be far too complex for me to germinate properly. But I was wrong and am happy to admit it.

:)

here are some pics of the cycads i have and the 100 seeds i planted but i think im going to lay them sideways so the roots will go down in the soil well ill keep you all updated on how my seeds germinate :D

[IMG]http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k9/xavierdlc61887/DSC06407.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k9/xavierdlc61887/DSC06406.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k9/xavierdlc61887/DSC06405.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k9/xavierdlc61887/DSC06404.jpg[/IMG]

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k9/xavierdlc61887/DSC06406.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k9/xavierdlc61887/DSC06404.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k9/xavierdlc61887/DSC06405.jpg

Xavier,

If in Photobucket, you use the third 'http' tag and paste it, your pic will show without us having to cut and paste each one of your 'IMG' tags.

It doesn't cost GW anything in terms of DB space as it is still just a link, so don't let that worry you.

Try it and look what you get in the PREVIEW Message feature when you post.

It works.

Keep in mind that that the majority of the pictures you just showed are not of seeds at all. Those are offsets that are pushing a new single leaf flush. Now the picture of about 50 things in pots looks like seeds, but the offsets are treated totally different. First thing is don't water it too much and make where the green sprout goes straight up. I have an article on offsets too.

Oh, OK, I see in the other thread that you have pictures of known offsets as well, so am I correct that you are only asking about the 1 picture of seeds? I can't zoom in there, but it appears as if some of those seeds have a crack in them. If I am seing this right, you have some sort of small cycas (the genus, not to be confused with cycad seeds) seeds. The best way to plant cycas seeds is still half way in, but then rotate them a little so the crack is exposed but with one half or the other in the medium. Looks like they are pretty dry. I couldn't see much out, make sure those are sitting in the shade if they are going to be dry.

the picture is when i had just finsished planting them,second is i watered and put them sideways. As for the offsets i added some rooting hormone so im just waiting...waiting a while :P for them to root. thanks for the info though oh i also bought 100 coonite,florida cycad seeds so im wondering if they are coming clean or im going to have to clean them. anyways i need help how to plant those too. Just wondering :P um k again thanks for the feedback im starting to learn more about them :D

well this is the plant that its going to look like this is what im told

LOL, not sure how old you are, but I doubt you will see the trees look like that before your pushing daisies.

I am 20 years old

Well, if you live anywhere in the south, you should be able to get something like that in about 15 years, so you have plenty of time. If you continue to be fasinated with cycads, try to learn as much as you can. All cycads are on the endangered species list and those of us who are most interested in cycad conservation are always happy to find people in their twenties that have their whole life in front of them, who may be interested in growing and propagating cycads. Any time you start having a seed bearing colony, you will reap the benefits for decades to come. I knew one guy who put out a colony of sagos and put 2 kids through college on just selling the seeds. He will be able to sell those seeds for the rest of his life, and for that matter, if any of his kids wanted to, they could make their livings doing the same thing with the same plants. If you end up being really getting into cycads, you should think about joining The Cycad Society. Besides getting a great full color newsletter filled with information on a quarterly basis, the seed bank usually makes about 30 to 50 species of seeds available each year, for modest prices.

Awesome well i have always seen sagos here whre i live but until recently they have fascinated me because they are a challenge to grow and plus they sell at a very high price :P hahaha well i hope i can grow them and start a nursery growing palms,cycads,and other plants that im interested and what would be a good addition to where i live :D well thanks lots and i put the seeds inside the garage and lay them halfway so they can stay just moist :D...right now i have Washingtonian,coco plumosa,canary island dates,Sylvester,and many other seeds brewing right now so just waiting on them to sprout so i can then transfer them to my ranch and plant them there till they are a market size. as for the pups one is growing at a rapid pace should i cut the fronds off or should i let them be as the plant is putting energy on the fronds and not the root development???? k well thanks a bunch and hope my dreams come true and your help will keep coming :D

xavier, how did the seeds go?

I don't think so.

I'd agree, as long as you don't put them out suddenly in direct sun.

Thanks tropicbreezent for advice, although they will now be getting at least 2 to 3 hours of direct sunlight, but this sunlight is protected by translucent IBR roof sheets. It worries me a bit.

Hi. In the photo are sago seedlings that are 6 months old. Can I transplant them in deeper pots in order to develop stronger roots or should I wait until 18 months? The pots are 4" wide by 3.5" deep.

Be careful not to damage the root, but getting them in a deeper pot will help a lot. I'd do it as soon as you can. They don't need a lot of width, just depth. Here in Florida, we have what we call citrus pots. 1 gallon citrus pots are 4 inches square and 12 inches deep. Perfect for keeping younger cycads in.

Thank you plantsman56! I have some 2Litre Coke bottles which will give me at least 12inches in depth. I will get on it ASAP. Thanks again for the advice. I had 28 seed which I planted late August 2015. 22 of them have germinated already. Only 4 seed are in pots greater than 6 inches in depth. I will start the process as recommended.

Those pots are definitely too shallow for cycads. But plastic drink bottles with the bottoms cut out is a good idea for them, I've used those before as well. And do be careful with the roots, they can be quite brittle. I've lost seedlings from damaging the roots, it happens so easily.

Thanks again tropicbreezent. You guys make this website awesome with you all's advice . When I've successfully completed the final transplant of these seedlings, I will be looking for advice of what cycads and palms will grow successfully in South Africa, and from where I could import them? Thanks again.

Good day tropicbreezent and plantsman56. I would consider the operation a success. I've managed to slice off the bottom of the short pot and then placed it on top of a 12" Coke plastic bottle. The roots were not touched or disturbed at all. Now the seedlings can grow through the top pot right into the bottom "pot". I can now leave it as is for the duration of it's pot life. The seedlings have approximately 15 inches of soil to grow into. Thanks.

That looks like a great idea. It will be good in there for at least 3 years. You did cut some holes in the bottom? Right?

Thanks plantsman56. Yes I cut holes in the bottom. 3 years sounds far off? I guess I'm going to have to try planting new seeds to get the adrenalin pumping again. Any suggestions of which species I can try my hand at? I believe I have green fingers now. Haha!

"Necessity is the mother of invention!" I didn't realise you were in ZA. Have you tried googling the cycad friends site? You have all the Encephalartos species at your finger tips, and even Strangeria. But a lot of Cycas species are available, and I'm pretty sure Zamias as well. Check that site out, you'll get a lot of help. I'm a member too.

Hi tropicbreezent. Thanks! Yes I'm aware of the Zamias. They are actually the next species I'm looking to get for my garden. I'm still working out which are the perfect spots to plant them. I wouldn't like to relocate once I've put them in the ground. I've seen that name encephalartos before but I'm still new at cycads and palms. I bought my first pair purely by accident and then it grew on me...especially after the first seed germination. It was like watching a miracle come to life. I've found the most perfect spot to germinate my seeds. It's in my pump house. It can get pretty hot in there and I've covered the opening with plastic which allows the morning sunlight through and keeps the shelter warm throughout the day. But I can only keep a limited amount at a time in there. The last few of the 28 seeds I planted are showing signs of germination, and when this process is complete I will remove them and look to sow a different species.

Encephalartos is your most plentiful native genus. I think there are about 30-40 species just coming from SA. The faster growing, more common species would be E. ferox, and to me, less attractive, E. villosus. There is a learning curve on germinating Encephalartos seeds, so if you are looking for instant and good success, you may want to wait on those. Most Dioon seeds sprout well and fast. Dioon edule is a very slow growing plant, but the seeds are relatively cheap and are way more common. Most Zamias germinate easily. Some seeds are expensive and some are cheaper. The " pumila types " from the Caribbean are cheaper and easier to find, where the tropical Zamias will be harder to find and will be more expensive. Since all cycads are on the endengered species list, Zamias and Dioons are at least on appendix 2 and seeds are easy to import. Check around on what you can find, but I can help you find some Zamia and Dioon seeds, but seeds coming from the US can take up to 3 months to get to you. I don't know exactly where you live, but I hear from a guy I deal with days that at certain times of the year, your postal service is absolutely terrible. Also, you may need to check on this, but if you end up owning Encephalartos plants, I hear things like you have to have a permit for each and every plant in your yard. I don't know how that works when you start from seeds, but I do know, if you have 50 Encephalartos plants in your yard, you will have a stack of 50 separate permit papers in a drawer and the guys can come knock on your door at 3 in the morning to come see your permits. To me, it would not be worth it.

Wow! Thanks plantsman56. This information is appreciated. Either yourself or Tropicalbreezent referred me to a cycad website in SA. I was accepted to their Facebook group last night and will definitely get more clarity on the permit saga. I have noticed that in the area where I reside, nearly every yard has cycads of some sought growing in abundance. So much so, that some yards have these cycads growing outside their perimeters. In SA, everything is becoming a business and previously cycads have been kept by a very few of our population. Now with the old laws that have passed and anyone that can stay anywhere, cycads are being exposed to everyone. There are just too many issues in our country for our government to stand by such a law of permits. For selling purposes, that might be the case. As for keeping cycads for your personal collection, it would be almost impossible. But, I will check it out and do must best to stay on the good side of the law and do what's best for the presavation of this plant. Thanks again.

Each state deal with these things differently. I hear a lot about Gautung, ( I didn't check spelling) that is either one of the easiest or most difficult states for permits. So where exactly are you at? I can see what species is native closest to you. You may be close to one of my many friends over there. I've been talking with people in SA when all we had was long distance phone calls. Even though this is a good name to some and bad name to others, I used to get seeds and plants from Cynthia Giddy, probably back in 1992.

Gauteng. Not far off indeed ! I'm from Gauteng...the capital Pretoria. This might be the easiest area you mean.? It's the financial capital as well, so things are easy accessible. Money talks!! I've seen a pamphlet of cycad permits at a local nursery here. It did stipulate that if the trunk is wider than 400mm (approx 16" in your language), you would need a permit. It's not a hard and fast rule as I tried to mention earlier. Only people who collect and have a passion for cycads are aware of these permits. Others have them in their gardens and are unaware what plant it is. People purchase properties with cycads on the premises and are unaware of it's origins or status. Permits are a "good" idea to prevent theft or poaching, but if enforced, will only drive attention towards these species...and in this country people look towards it as money and then the species will definitely be in greater danger. In SA, people steal electrical cables as soon as there is a power outage because copper to the poor is money. They are not concerned of the damage that is brought about to large companies dependant on electronics and technology. A few rands (dollars) of copper costs a company millions of rands in damage. I'm not saying this will happen with the cycad industry, but where there's money to be made in our country, people flock there without any concern of side effects. Yes, it will be nice to be in touch with cycad people this side. I hope they will be willing to share as freely as you guys abroad. Thanks plantsman56.

I saw you'd joined that site. If you look at the topics index there's a section on legislation, you'll get a lot of answers there.

Thank you tropicbreezent. Yes I have joined and already communicating directly with one of the admin guys. All the best with the cycads! Thanks for all the info. Maybe we'll chat soon in the group or on this website. Long live the Cycad...

Hi guys I'm a newbie of cycad seeds germination process but I was lucky to have a germinated seed out of 2 which i bought from a street vendor (the other rotted)

Guys, any idea if this is normal? I repotted it cos the previous pot is a bit shallow and i heard they have really long tap roots.

Im happy for the germinating seed but disappoint at the same time cos there might be a chance its not surviving if its leaves are already dead inside

Heres another close up on the seed

Regards

Nathan

The first thing to emerge from a Cycas seed is a radicle, the main root. Be very careful handling this as it can be very brittle and damage will cause it to rot. The radicle goes down deep so you need a very deep pot. It can take quite a long time, months, for the radicle to get settled in before the first leaf emerges. It's best to plant a seed as soon as it sprouts so that there's less risk of damage to the roots. Overwatering or keeping the soil too wet will cause it to rot.

I am germinating E. horridus seeds using a heating mat set to 85 degrees F with a thermostat. I am germinating seeds from last year. I will try to experiment with seeds from this year that have been stored for three months. I think that the seeds will mature by the end of this year. I have some E. horridus that were germinated from seeds four years ago and most of them have six leaves. I grew C. revoluta from seeds that were planted in a planter and have grow to about six inches in four years.

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