Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

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mand

Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by mand »

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 8) 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. icon_aaargh

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? icon_scratch

Third question: someone remind me about feed needs?

And fourth: what the hell else should I know about?!

THANK YOU! icon_sunny
kata

Re: Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by kata »

First stop being so handy with secatars(spell) :lol: :lol:

I know people who pour buckets of water around June time on the Cycads to force a flush, I also know someone who just leaves it to nature.

I have had Cycads, the leaves also went yellow in winter, they look anything but healthy but they do usually flush again with the right treatment.

When yours does flush do NOT move it till its settled...your first flush is always exciting.

They need protection Mand in winter.

Sometimes a Cycad will collapse anytime after spring from rot. Test by a gentle tug on the leaf. If it goes it will be an orange goo.

Good luck this winter, if you have a frost free garage/ greenhouse/conservatory then it should be fine.
mand

Re: Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by mand »

OK, I know more about [not!] cutting off fronds than I did this time yesterday!
But I have seen that taking them off can provoke a flush, if they're yellowed completely...?

It is in flush (is that what you say? flushing) - just the two fronds. I did move it. :oops: If it ends up strange-looking, I'll have to be a bit zen about that. I'll have to pretend it was in the wild and had some inconvenient branch pushing its growth out of true. Or something.

It's not out in the frosts, it's indoors. I've wondered about putting it in the porch, which is unheated, gets pretty bloomin' cold but rarely below 4C - never below 0.5C. Not sure how chilly it gets on these windowsills but the window frames do let in more cold than I like, and desert plants are always happy there between the curtain and the pane.

My real question is whether to keep on watering it heavily while the fronds are new, or dry it out. Does it make sense to keep watering on the basis that it's in the warm? To keep it consistently warmer than 18C I'd have to give it too little sun, so which matters more, light or water?
fern Rob

Re: Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by fern Rob »

Just a quick note. I think that a cycad can sit dormant for a few years without flushing.
mand

Re: Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by mand »

fern Rob wrote:Just a quick note. I think that a cycad can sit dormant for a few years without flushing.
I've read that, but mine hasn't done so...
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Re: Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by redsquirrel »

my last flush started just before last winter,about 8 inches worth and a third of the way out sizewise.
they got toasted and nothing this year despite good temps.
i dont bother with the drenching as that has a tendancy to happen naturally anyway in this part of the country all year round but it was relatively dry this year icon_thumleft
mars ROVER broken down. headgasket faillure
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Arlon Tishmarsh
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Re: Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by Arlon Tishmarsh »

Hi Mand
personally, i wouldn't try to force a flush this time of year. Rather, i think i'd let the plant rest. All the water you're pouring over it might just induce the roots to rot and possibly the caudex. Its possible you could induce base rot and if pouring over the top, you could end up with a soft crown..............rot. Perhaps it may be a good idea to re-pot it if the compost etc is saturated. If you do, add a load of grit / perlite etc to give it some good drainage.
In their own habitat, these fella's grow on cliff faces and rocky environments where they are very free draining. Personally ,i don't subscribe to the dunking method. I've had four revoluta's, one circinalis and one rhumpii flush this year and all i do is give them heat and a multi purpose liquid feed high in nitrogen , when the conditions are right i.e summer. I have another revoluta trying to flush at the moment. To stop it, i've put it in the greenhouse where its much colder . Come next season and it warms up, it'll continue flushing .

Here's a couple of quick vids of two of mine flushing last year............

Cycas revoluta.....



and Cycas circinalis..........

mand

Re: Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by mand »

Gorgeous vids, and gorgeous garden. I'm subscribing to your channel. :) (I love "near the UK" :wink: )

The thing is, my Cycas is producing these fronds anyway, I didn't do any forcing. It's with a crowd of succulents and was watered when they were, that is, rather less since the autumn began. I haven't been feeding either because I'd normally feed with each watering, low strength, but have run out. :roll:

It is indoors. But even in the garden, there's a buddleia in flower and along the road a neighbour's cherry tree is in fruit, not quite ripe yet. A few years ago my October-flowering white rose flowered in August and ever since has flowered in June... so I've given up puzzling over the seasons, particularly indoors.

Anyway my first reactions to these baby fronds was impulsive and I don't know whether to stick with it or back-pedal. I'm thinking now, back-pedal, on the basis that root rot is a greater risk than underwatering. I know how to rescue a plant from rot, have done before, and in fact have rescued this very plant from terrible overwatering a couple of years ago.

I might just take it out of its compost and let it sit a few days, then re-pot. Just checking though, is this ok while it's producing fronds? I'm inclined to think this poor thing has already been messed around and will have to resign itself to being a plant of character :alien: rather than a plant of perfect proportions...
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Re: Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by Arlon Tishmarsh »

mand wrote: (I love "near the UK" :wink: )
Yep, we're just to the left ... :lol:
mand wrote: The thing is, my Cycas is producing these fronds anyway,
In that case i think i'd leave it be and stop the watering. If its flushing , its likely that its drawing water up which can only help dry the compost out .Keep an eye out for bugs with it being indoors. Scale and mealy bugs can be a right pain. Provado does the trick.
I have a tiny , tiny revo, caudex the size of a golf ball and thats been continually flushing leaves for over a year. Never a set of fronds but continuous, single fronds. Even tho its tiny, it also has a couple of minute pups attached.
I've also got a two foot trunker as well that's re-rooting at the mo. It too was doing its best to flush a few weeks ago but i think i've stopped that by keeping it cooler. I want to make sure its fully rooted before it flushes otherwise it could weaken the plant by drawing on its reserves in the caudex.
mand

Re: Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by mand »

OK, I'll stop watering (only did once, but *loads* that once) and wait n see. I may even get the camera out. (Now that I've found the lost charger!)
Arlon Tishmarsh wrote:I have a tiny , tiny revo, caudex the size of a golf ball and thats been continually flushing leaves for over a year. Never a set of fronds but continuous, single fronds. Even tho its tiny, it also has a couple of minute pups attached.
That's even smaller than mine. It sounds happy.
Arlon Tishmarsh wrote:I've also got a two foot trunker as well that's re-rooting at the mo. It too was doing its best to flush a few weeks ago but i think i've stopped that by keeping it cooler. I want to make sure its fully rooted before it flushes otherwise it could weaken the plant by drawing on its reserves in the caudex.
Hm. You've made me think - but mine must be well rooted, it's been in this pot at least 2 years.

How old is your two-footer?
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Re: Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by Arlon Tishmarsh »

Hi Mand
not sure how old my two foot trunker is but thats been in a pot recuperating for a couple of years and only started rooting out about 12 months ago. They can be really slow.
mand

Re: Cycas revoluta flush / flushing ?!

Post by mand »

Slow, yeah... The plus side of that is not running out of space too soon, I suppose. :|
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