Cycads not growing!
David Johnson
9 years ago
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Comments (8)
secretsquirrel007
9 years agotropicbreezent
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Palms in zone 5a/5b
Comments (12)None. In a 5a/5b climate you would need serious protection for the palms all winter long. You can do that if you prefer, but no palms, cycads or cordylines will grow unprotected or with just burlap. You will need to use an external heat source to provide additional protection as well as straw and burlap. I wish you the best of luck. My best advice is to grow them in pots you sink into the ground during the summer. Use hardy bananas you can lift and store in the winter too. That will produce a nice tropical effect. Add in some ginger, cannas and hibiscus and it will look great. I would also like to point out that while a Trachycarpus can survive a brief dip to around 10*F and a needle palm to around 0*F, the key word is brief. I've grown sabal palmetto, needle palm and windmill palm, and from my experience, if your soil freezes in the winter and stays frozen for longer than a couple of days, your palm will die. I've heard many people say that the needle palm is hardy to below zero so therefore it will grow in my area. It won't without serious protection. In its native habitat the ground doesn't freeze 6-12 inches down, nor is it subjected to temperatures below zero on a regular basis, two things that happen with regularity in a zone 6. Needle palm and sabal palmetto are reliably hardy to zone 7, windmill palm (trachycarpus fortunei) to zone 8....See Moreseparation of baby cycad
Comments (1)Remove all dirt from around the offset, so you can see the attachment point, but also so it is clean. Cut the leaves from the offset because they use up energy in the bulb until it roots in. Cut it off with a sharp knife, hacksaw, recipricating saw, or whatever sharp clean tool you have. Treat both the wounds on the offset AND parent plant with a fungicide, like Daconil. Let that air dry (20 minutes usually) Tehn paint all wounds with black, tar like, tree paint. You can cover the parent plant after the sealer hardens and place the offset in something inorganic like builder's sand. You don't water the offset, and you put it in the shade somewhere. It can take 3 months, even 8 months before it roots in good. You may ask about root tone or something to stimulate roots. If you can find a hormone that mixes as a liquid (like Dip and Grow) you can mix that with the Daconil and get a double treatment. BTW, for people with simular questions, this is how you seperate multiheaded plants, offsets, and even mass propagation of stem cuttings....See MoreMiniature cycads for container growing
Comments (6)Hi Joe, You don't say what you mean by "miniature". How big can the plant get? "Indoor container growing" is also a key consideration. Most cycads love lots of sun. You will be looking for an understory plant that doesn't get too big. As Alex mentioned, lots of Zamias would fit the bill. I have Z. kickii and Z. pumila. Both would fit the bill and both have the "traditional" cycad look. Z. splendens and natelenis (?) are also really cool plants but they don't typically have an above ground caudex. Stangeria eriopus is also a cool cycad that stays small and would take lesser light. If you've got more room, Cycas daeboensis is nice too. Keep in mind that most cycads don't grow very fast, so get a small one and you may not live long enough for it to outgrow your space. Paul...See MoreWhat cycads can I grow?
Comments (5)You are going to have to be more specific regarding the cold--though because it is a dry cold, that is an advantage. I really like my Dioon edule. It takes well to light frosts and is drought tolerant. Also, i can suggest Encephalartos natalensis. Both are also available at very reasonable prices and fairly common. I don't go into the really exotic ones because the prices can be quite high. But there are cycads adapted to arid climates. Cycas resoluta is not really one of the so if you can grow it, should have luck with many others....See MoreUser
9 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
9 years agoDavid Johnson
8 years agopalmbob
8 years agoDavid Johnson
8 years ago
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