Big Cycas rev01 blows it's top

[Dave Brown]

My big Cycas revoluta Cycas rev01, started to go into flush back on June 16th. Slowly at first, but is now erupting in a big way.

The damage to the existing fronds was caused by the -10C we had with just a single fleece bag for protection.

16th June Flush first noticed

23rd June flush under way

29th June flush continues

29th June Trunk shot

4th July ( Today ) flush continues

I'll update every few days

[Tom2006]

Looks coiled! Do you lift it in winter?

[sanatic1234]

How do you get so many flushes dave? Do they flush more the older the plant is? or is it your extra nice climate that it loves

[Dave Brown]

Looks coiled! Do you lift it in winter?

Coiled?

No stays out. Was planted in 2002.

San, since planting out it flushed in 2003, 2007, 2009, and now 2011

[Tom2006]

Coiled as in a spring ready to go! A real beauty!

[Mr List]

Looks coiled! Do you lift it in winter?

Coiled?

No stays out. Was planted in 2002.

San, since planting out it flushed in 2003, 2007, 2009, and now 2011

have or rather can you tell that it has changed/grown in the time since you first got it?

i tend to think of these like living garden ornaments with their growth patterns.

[sanatic1234]

So it has flushed every 2 years for the past 4 years. I wonder if this could be a cycle building then Dave? And sorry must of mistaken you for someone else last year who's cycas was flushing. Possibly may of been simba??

[cordyman]

That's impressive Dave and to have come through last winter outside!

[kata]

Excellent Dave,

[Dave Brown]

No stays out. Was planted in 2002.

San, since planting out it flushed in 2003, 2007, 2009, and now 2011

have or rather can you tell that it has changed/grown in the time since you first got it?

i tend to think of these like living garden ornaments with their growth patterns.

I've had this one since 1994, and yes you could say it has changed. Here just after being bought in 1994, sorry about the white pot, they were the fashion then

Five years later in 1999, still potted, and several flushes later. No real internet info around at that time, so was treated as a pot plant. Watered a couple of times a week in summer and fed occasionally.

It was planted out in 2002 in the sunniest. warmest spot in the garden, against the south facing lounge wall. It gets about 4 hours midwinter sun when it's shining. Again was treated as a newly planted shrub and watered well in summer to settle it in.

Here in 2003 the first flush since planting out, and was bigger that expected.

Then I read on the internet that they want to be kept as dry as possible so from 2004 I didn't water. This coincided with the driest 2 year period (2004/5) for over 100 years. It was baked dry. The caudex grew a small amount but in hind sight with so little water it did not risk a flush. The drought continued up to July 2006, and in August it started to rain, but too late for a 2006 flush. You can see the leaves have not really opened out much from 2003 to 2006, which says to me they survive drought, not thrive in it.

Once we had some decent rains, the leaves opened out quickly. Also in early 2007 while discussing lack of flush on the ukoasis forum, a guy living in south Japan, said it was dry in spring, but they had the SE Asia monsoon in summer and it rained heavily virtually every day, from June to September, and there was high heat and humidity. As a result in June 2007 I started the deluge watering approach, and also hearing they were hungry feeders while in flush, fed well.

Almost within a week, the first flush in 4 years started

The flush was complete by mid August

There was no flush in 2008, but it was attacked badly by scale insect, badly damaging the fronds, so I was very glad in 2009 that a flush commenced at the end of June. Here on 7th July 2009

The 2009 flush was complete at the end of August.

That brings us up to the current flush.

In terms of seeing growth, the flushes since planting out have added 2 to 3 inches of trunk height per flush.

The deluge and high feed rate from late spring/early summer seems to produce a flush every 2 years on this Cycas. Maybe if it was in a greenhouse I might get one a year as it would have a longer growing season

[kata]

That caudex reminds me of Palm Oil fruit lol

Its a lovely color

Its big Dave. How do you treat it (protection) in winter?

[Mr List]

bloody hell, 17 years
no wonder you were so invested in this latest flush after the bad winter

it really has changed.
i've got one that looks like your very first pic i don't think i will manage to keep my alive for 17 years.
shows the more effort you put in the more you get out

[pdid]

Thanks for this Dave, some great info for someone like me who has just purchased one

I think it`s pretty unlikely that i`ll get a flush this year though having just repotted.

[Simba]

In terms of seeing growth, the flushes since planting out have added 2 to 3 inches of trunk height per flush.

That would seem consistent with the growth that I have seen with mine as well from last year...

My largest potted one has visibly increased in height, although my largest planted out one has just gotten even fatter around the middle....and so have I....

I don't think I am going to see any flushes from my group this year, but you never know, flushes do burst into action suddenly.

[Rabbie]

17 years lol, here is my first flush building up.