- Plant cycads correctly
- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- When is flowering time?
- Properly cut cycads
- Water cycad
- Fertilize cycad properly
- Diseases
- pests
- hibernate
- propagate cycads
- Is cycad poisonous?
- Cycad does not bloom
- brown leaves
- Yellow leaves
- How do I plant correctly?
- The most beautiful varieties
With palm-like feathered leaves on the mighty trunk, the fern palm acts as an ambassador of tropical opulence. In order to cultivate the relic of primeval flora flawlessly, essential questions require a practical answer. Here you get the tools for the authentic care of cycads.
Cycads like it bright, but no blazing midday sun
Table of Contents
Show all- Plant cycads correctly
- care tips
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- When is flowering time?
- Properly cut cycads
- Water cycad
- Fertilize cycad properly
- Diseases
- pests
- hibernate
- propagate cycads
- Is cycad poisonous?
- Cycad does not bloom
- brown leaves
- Yellow leaves
- How do I plant correctly?
- The most beautiful varieties
- Create a drainage at the bottom of the pot with broken potsherds (do not use calcareous gravel)
- Mix potting soil with lava granulate (€13.99) and fill in the lower third of the pot
- Plant the young fern palm in the middle, repeatedly pressing down on the substrate.
- Moisten the soil to the bottom when watering
- Allow the substrate to dry before the next watering
- Use collected rainwater or decalcified tap water
- Fertilize liquid every 4 weeks from April to October
- Bright to shaded lighting conditions
- No blazing midday sun
- Normal room temperatures
- Average humidity of 50-60 percent
- Set up in a light-flooded location
- A temperature level of 10-15 degrees is ideal
- Water less often and do not fertilize
- Air that is too dry: spray repeatedly with lime-free water
- Drought stress: water vigorously until water runs out of the bottom opening
- Japanese sago palm fern (Cycas revoluta): by far the most popular variety with 70-140 cm long fronds on the mighty trunk
- Zamia : this fern palm grows faster, with broader pinnate leaves and is less complicated to care for
- Rolled-up sago palm fern (Cycas circinalis): impresses with numerous, up to 150 cm long leaves and long feathers
- Zamia furfuracea: the curved leaves develop in dense bushes on a very short trunk
Plant cycads correctly
The tropical primeval plant thrives best in large tubs in the Central European climate. This should provide enough space for the expansive taproot and have an opening in the bottom for water drainage. This is how you plant the fern palm in an exemplary manner:
Finally, it is watered with lime-free water in order to place the plant in a partially shaded location for the first 2-3 weeks.
care tips
The care of a fern palm can also be easily managed by the hobby gardener with limited time capacity. It depends on these measures:
If the fern palm spent the summer under the open sky, it moves to the winter quarters at temperatures below 12 degrees. In a bright location at temperatures of 10-15 degrees, reduce the amount of irrigation water and stop giving fertilizer.
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Which location is suitable?
In order for the fern palm to develop a harmonious silhouette, these site conditions are important:
A cycad feels particularly comfortable in the open air. Carry the plant to the balcony or garden, preferably in spring, when temperatures are consistently above 15 degrees. The even incidence of light during the summer favors a harmonious habit.
What soil does the plant need?
The fern palm spends many years in the substrate. Because of this, place value on high-quality compost-based potting soil. Add lava granules or expanded clay (€19.73) to optimize permeability. A few handfuls of bog soil ensure the desired pH value of 5.5 to 6.0.
When is flowering time?
It is considered an accolade among hobby gardeners if you elicit a flower from a cycad. From May either a male cone flower or a female sporophyll, the typical flower on ferns, rises. It usually takes 6 to 14 months for the seeds to ripen.
Properly cut cycads
Since every new leaf wreath on a fern palm is greeted with joy, a cut is only extremely rarely an option. If new pinnate leaves rise in the crown, the lower leaf wreath dies. Give the cycad time to assimilate the remaining nutrients. Either the dead leaves fall off by themselves or you cut them off with a disinfected knife.
Water cycad
Uniform substrate moisture with intermittent drying phases is beneficial for growth. Water thoroughly with low-lime water and then wait until the surface of the soil has dried again.
Fertilize cycad properly
The nutrient requirement is at a low level. Fertilize a fern palm every 4 weeks from April to October with a liquid fertilizer for green plants.
Diseases
A look at the strong, leathery leaves already indicates that diseases rarely occur on a fern palm. If cycads stay outside in the summer, powdery mildew or powdery mildew can sometimes spread on the fronds. The mealy-grey patina disappears again after you repeatedly treat the leaves with a mixture of 100 ml fresh milk and 900 ml water.
pests
If the fern palm overwinters at temperatures above 18 degrees, mealybugs and mealy bugs sometimes spread on the pinnate leaves. Wipe off the pests with a soft cloth soaked in alcohol. Alternatively, pack the root area in a plastic bag and rinse off the parasites.
hibernate
If the outside temperatures drop below 10 degrees Celsius, the fern palm moves into the house or the conservatory. How to hibernate the plant in an exemplary manner:
Year-round cultivation at room temperature is possible. In view of the reduced amount of light, the fern palm stops growing, so that the need for irrigation water decreases. The higher the temperatures, the sunnier the location should be.
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propagate cycads
Propagating cycads by seed is considered the ultimate challenge. For the seeds to germinate, temperatures of 30-35 degrees and a permanent humidity of 80 percent are required. It can take up to 3 months for the first seed leaves to appear.
Is cycad poisonous?
All parts of the fern palm are poisonous. Children should not come into contact with the plant unsupervised. Also, place cycads out of the reach of pets. Roasting removes the poisonous content from the seeds, making them suitable for consumption.
Cycad does not bloom
Don't worry if cycads haven't bloomed for years. In the local regions, a blossom is considered a spectacular sensation. The more time the palm-like plant can spend outdoors, the better the chances of a female or male cone.
brown leaves
If the mighty pinnate leaves turn brown from the top, check the fern palm for these causes:
If the leaf tips constantly encounter an obstacle, they turn brown. In this case, changing the location solves the problem.
Yellow leaves
The exclusive use of calcareous irrigation water causes yellow leaves on a fern palm. If you change the water supply to collected rainwater or decalcified tap water, the plant will recover over time.
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How do I plant correctly?
The leisurely growth of a fern palm requires transplanting every 3-4 years. If the roots protrude from the opening in the ground or press through the substrate, repot the cycad in February or March. Shake off the used soil as much as possible. Dead roots are cut out with a sharp, disinfected knife. In the first 2-3 weeks after transplanting, the plant should not be placed under direct sunlight.