Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!
Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 10:25 pm
Apologies if I've asked this before under another name (got in a muddle about whether I've belonged to this forum in a previous life!). I have searched and can't find it.
I inherited a Cycas revoluta in 2011 which at the time had 3 fronds. It wasn't something I knew anything about but was encouraged by reading they need similar care to succulents and cacti, which I'm familiar with. Being slow-growing put me off (but I've got over that) but I kind of care about this little plant. Anyway I managed to overwater it badly and save it from that; then two fronds went yellow one after the other.
I read you should cut them off if yellow, so I did. First question: is that just cosmetic, or really for the good of the plant?
It grew another, and sat there with 2 fronds. Then this year both went very yellow so I gave them the snip too, working from memory instead of googling all over again. Decided, after a few months, that obviously I'd killed it, but couldn't bring myself to get rid of it so it stayed looking worthless...
Now it has 2 fronds growing but for a while I haven't had a moment to "waste" researching what to do, so worked from memory again, but I did remember not to turn it. I did move it to a different window sill for the sake of more sunlight, but without changing its angle to the light. This week I finally had a swift google and saw something about flushing while the fronds are coming up, to mimic tropical rain.
So yesterday I drowned it. Then I read that you're only supposed to do this in hot weather.
It's now sitting in the sunniest windowsill, above a radiator (which I've been told never to do, but plenty of my succulents have been happy even on a radiator shelf (so there)), feeling probably very chilly around its sad wet feet. I've propped the pot up slightly so there's air flow beneath, to help drying out.
Hence my second question: am I better to continue flushing with water daily for a while, pretending to be the rainy season, or better to dry out and warm up those roots?
Third question: someone remind me about feed needs?
And fourth: what the hell else should I know about?!
THANK YOU!
I inherited a Cycas revoluta in 2011 which at the time had 3 fronds. It wasn't something I knew anything about but was encouraged by reading they need similar care to succulents and cacti, which I'm familiar with. Being slow-growing put me off (but I've got over that) but I kind of care about this little plant. Anyway I managed to overwater it badly and save it from that; then two fronds went yellow one after the other.
I read you should cut them off if yellow, so I did. First question: is that just cosmetic, or really for the good of the plant?
It grew another, and sat there with 2 fronds. Then this year both went very yellow so I gave them the snip too, working from memory instead of googling all over again. Decided, after a few months, that obviously I'd killed it, but couldn't bring myself to get rid of it so it stayed looking worthless...
Now it has 2 fronds growing but for a while I haven't had a moment to "waste" researching what to do, so worked from memory again, but I did remember not to turn it. I did move it to a different window sill for the sake of more sunlight, but without changing its angle to the light. This week I finally had a swift google and saw something about flushing while the fronds are coming up, to mimic tropical rain.
So yesterday I drowned it. Then I read that you're only supposed to do this in hot weather.
It's now sitting in the sunniest windowsill, above a radiator (which I've been told never to do, but plenty of my succulents have been happy even on a radiator shelf (so there)), feeling probably very chilly around its sad wet feet. I've propped the pot up slightly so there's air flow beneath, to help drying out.
Hence my second question: am I better to continue flushing with water daily for a while, pretending to be the rainy season, or better to dry out and warm up those roots?
Third question: someone remind me about feed needs?
And fourth: what the hell else should I know about?!
THANK YOU!