Competition - ugliest cycad collection

[Mick C]

Here's my entry: (well, it's raining again..)

[metalhammer]

Looks like it could do with a couple of rump steaks stuck under it to give it some feed.




metalhammer.

[Mick C]

I've been giving it Chempak No2 & chicken pellets dissolved in the watering can, I'm wondering if the compost is a bit too free draining and the feed is just running away.

[metalhammer]

I think it could do with potting into a much bigger container,looks well under-potted.Use a soil based compost with some extra grit(20-25%).Fertilisers like Chempak don't give much in the way of trace elements,plant looks very hungry to me.Don't use the chicken poo liquid,but get some Maxicrop or whatever liquid seaweed you can get.Chempak feretiliser & liquid seaweed should help it grow away,but those leaves will never regain there color,but the next flush should return to green.




metalhammer.

[Mick C]

Thanks for the tips, I'm onto it. Got some JI3 & grit already, stopped raining too.

[kata]

Go on then Mick,

Move along there..

Good luck Mick!

[DiCasS]

I've got one just like your little one Mick, except it looks even sadder than yours with no leaves and the caudex has gone soft. Didn't want to show a photo as I was too ashamed. Forgot about it and left it out over Winter, when I remembered, it was stiff. Do you reckon it might have a chance of recovery

Di

[kata]

Hey Di,

You never know. I think I heard about them coming back again unless its totally soft.

I wonder would drowning it in june have worked?

Keep it, put it under cover.

[redsquirrel]

I've got one just like your little one Mick, except it looks even sadder than yours with no leaves and the caudex has gone soft. Didn't want to show a photo as I was too ashamed. Forgot about it and left it out over Winter, when I remembered, it was stiff. Do you reckon it might have a chance of recovery

Di

Francis and i discussed this last year and he put up a link to an article about never giving up on cycads.it contained a piece saying you could cut them up and the the out areas would sprout again.i gave him a couple of what i thought were dead sagos to try this with.a short while later,i asked if he'd had any joy but to my surprise,one had started to flush.
this year has been different with several caudex losing their roots to rot.
if you dont get any joy Di,i will save another for you

[DiCasS]

That's a very kind thought Darren. Unfortunately it wasn't a revoluta it was a communis which I'd had for a few years and was doing well. I think I mentioned it in a thread earlier on in the year how I forgot this one and it was out most of the Winter Now the whole thing has collapsed and the caudex easily coming off revealing the rot. I'm going to try my hand with seeds. I know they take forever, but there are some great ones out there which I'd love to try.

Di

[Mick C]

Sounds bad Di, I've heard that you should never give up on a cycad, but rot is rot.

Repotted the bigger one & cut a few brown fronds off. It was not potbound & the roots looked fine so have just stepped up to a 20 litre pot (Ok, it was all I had)

To be fair to the smaller one it is now flushing again, having started and stalled last Novemberish. I am still claiming victory in the competition though.

[DiCasS]

They will look right dapper Mick once they have a flush (or finished flushing). They look better already with just a few leaves trimmed off

Di

[kata]

My neck aches

[greg]

nice one Kata

[Mick C]

It wasn't easy gluing them on the wall