Thursday, January 4, 2018

Learn Something About Growing Cycads

By Dorothy Hayes


Cycads are really attractive evergreen cone-bearing plants that can be grown inside or out. They succeed very well in terra cotta pots filled with some type of a cactus mix or similar potting soil. Growing is quite easy, and the most important thing is really good drainage. Cycads need water, but good drainage will prevent rotten roots.

Even if you don't have much experience in gardening, or growing cycads, you simply cannot go wrong with these lovely plants. They really don't require too much attention, and they look really attractive, both in your living room, or in your lovely garden. In their natural environment, they grow in hard rock or sand, and any soil improvement will be welcomed. These are actually very old plants that were here before the dinosaurs.

Cycads look very similar to some types of palms, but they aren't closely related. In fact, they are actually related to pines. Even so, they really are attractive, both for inside and garden growing, and look very interesting. There are so many species to choose from, probably over three hundred of them, and Sago palm is one of the most popular ones.

These plants have separate male and female plants. Females produce seeds, while males have large cones with pollen. Some people find it hard to distinguish cycads from palms. The most important difference is that palms produce fruit and flowers, while cycads do not. In any case, you just cannot make a mistake planting these lovely things in your garden, because they really look attractive.

When it comes to pot growing, you won't have too much work with cycads. Their growth is slow, and this means that you won't have to change their pots every year, or even every two to three years, as with other plants. Just remember to keep them away from direct heat, but exposed to sun. Water them rarely during winter, and twice a week during hot summer months, that's it.

If you grow these lovely plants in your garden, choose sunny spots, because they need plenty of sun. They will successfully grow in different types of soil, even in quite sandy ones, and you should give them water whenever you think it is needed, but make sure that the drainage is good enough for them. These plants don't appreciate shade and they will grow much better on full sun.

Experienced gardeners might want to grow these plants from seed, it surely isn't so complicated. The problem is that they need some time to grow, and you should be very patient. On the other hand, it's so much easier to buy medium sized plant and place it on some nice place right now, to be able to enjoy in its lovely appearance. Smaller ones are great for pot growing, and larger ones look simply beautiful in any garden.

When it comes to fertilizing, three to four times a year will be more than enough. You can use any granular fertilizer that is usually used for palms and similar plants, the one that contains potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. That's about it. You don't have to do much more for them, you can simply sit down and enjoy in their beautiful appearance.




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