What temps do Cycas rev. get damaged/yellow or drop leaves?

[cordyman]

My Ikea sago had a warning on the side of the pot saying do not expose to below +5*c !!!

So i've been expecting the worst all winter after the -8 maxifleece covered pot toppled and broke. I've repotted and stuck in the unheated plastic greenhouse. Apart from sheltering from the direct elements, its reached the same temps as outside in there so x3 nights of -6*c, and several -4*c etc

But not a yellow leaf, dropped leaf, damage in site?




I remember Simba wrapping his up to a great effort last year, but perhaps all these need is a dry roof over their head

[GoggleboxUK]

I think -5 is the temp at which Revoluta fall off the perch with their legs in the air but they can take a couple of degrees of frost as long as it's not a long term thing.

+5 is an overcautious estimate I'd say.

[cordyman]

I think -5 is the temp at which Revoluta fall off the perch with their legs in the air but they can take a couple of degrees of frost as long as it's not a long term thing.

+5 is an overcautious estimate I'd say.

So I guess as it was a -6*c with protection from the open air it sailed through

[GoggleboxUK]

It was only a week ago you had those lows, if there is any damage it will take a while to show but I'd imagine the protection kept in within a couple of degrees of freezing so hopefully it will be unscathed.

I know you had a Maxifleece on it so it should have kept it fairly toasty in there apart from the time it fell over and tore.

[Yorkshire Kris]

Last winter my cycad had many nights down to -5 -6 in the garage with no ill effects at all. It was stored bone dry.

[Simba]

if there is any damage it will take a while to show..

If there is frost damage to the fronds you will be able to see it immediately, the affected parts will lose sheen and be a paler shade of green.
In time they will yellow and brown, but if you can't see damage now, I'd say that you will be OK.

But even if you did have frost damage to the fronds, it isn't the end of the World.
One good flush and the Cycad will look as good as new....

Personally, I believe that Cycad revoluta can handle much colder temps that we give them credit for.
Our judgement has too much emphasis on the frond appearance, but what we should really concentrate on, is the wellbeing of the caudex.

I remember Simba wrapping his up to a great effort last year, but perhaps all these need is a dry roof over their head

Thats true - too much effort..!!
But mine are planted outside, and we bottomed out at minus 14.7 for a week, so in those conditions, extreme protection was needed.

[multim]

My fairly small one has been planted in a well drained position against a south facing wall for the past six years.
The only protection I give it is to throw an old blanket over it on those really hard frosty nights we've had in recent Winters. If the wind blows off the blanket and exposes the leaves, they will usually go brown and turn the colour of straw. The covered leaves have been fine. My Cycas Rev flushes every year, indeed it is beginning to flush now, albeit rather later than usual thanks to the cool conditions this year. By the way, here the temperature fell to -10.6c last Winter and -11.2c the previous Winter.