الثلاثاء، 21 فبراير 2017

Important Facts To Know Before Growing Cycads

By Joyce Davis


Cycads are among the most elegant plants found in private gardens. Although the plant closely resembles palms and ferns in appearance, it is in a distinct family of its own. One of the advantages of the plant is the fact that it can survive in a wide range of environmental conditions. It maintains the green color of its leaves throughout the year making it quite ideal for landscaping. Before growing cycads you need to know a number of things beforehand.

Understanding some basics about the reproduction of the plants will go a long way into helping you take care of them. When mature these plants propagate themselves through the production of cones. Each plant is classified as either male or female. The cones produced by each of the groups differs in size, shape and even color.

These plants are quite hardy and are therefore quite easy to grow. One of the main requirements is that there should be good drainage. Too much water may cause the roots to rot. They have been known to do well in potted soil. Regardless of the conditions provided, growth tends to be quite slow and one should be patient. Unlike similar plants, frequent repotting is not necessary.

You start by preparing the soil well. If your soil is heavy clay, plant above ground level in a raised bed. Mulch well to prevent loss of moisture from the soils. Fertilizer should be added about four times in a year to ensure that growth is optimal. The fertilizer should have phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Spray on a regular basis to keep away pests.

If you intend to transfer them from a pot to the ground, you will be well advised to do this with a young plant. The roots should not be disturbed until the trunk has emerged. The best time to transplant is during spring when the temperatures are becoming favorable. Ensure that the plants are placed in a position where there are exposed to sunlight. The temperature should average about 21 degrees Celsius.

There are a number of things that you need to consider if you intend to have the cycads indoors. Every effort should be made to ensure that the plants do not dry out. This may mean that you water them about twice a week in summer and sparingly during winter. The idea is to keep the soils moist while avoiding to saturate them.

The best location for indoor cycads is that which receives plenty of natural light. If the sunshine comes through glass, there is a risk of burning the leaves. While the plants will be unaffected by the central home heating, direct heat sources should be avoided. During the frost-free months, potted plants can be moved from the indoors to the outdoors from time to time so as to benefit from the free movement of air and the sunshine.

Dust accumulation on the leaves is a problem that you may have to deal with from time to time for plants that are grown indoors. The dust interferes with the amount of light getting to the leaves and should therefore be removed. The best way to deal with this problem is to wash off the dust using slightly soapy water. Light rains may also help get rid of most of it.




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