Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

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nachtkrabb
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Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

Post by nachtkrabb »

Hallo folks,
I am not sure if a Cycas revoluta counts as succulent. I thought yes, so I dare to ask here: My Cycas r. is creating pups. I have read that you can use them for propagation. Has anybody experiences with that and can tell me how?

Also: Does anybody know how old or big such a plant has to be to flower? Mine has a trunk as high as a big pineapple, but thicker, nearly a ball. I still have now idea whether it is a boy or a girl.

Thank you!
Nachtkrabb
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Tom in Tucson
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Re: Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

Post by Tom in Tucson »

I'm no expert, but here is my 2 cents worth:

I treat offsets the same way I propagate succulents (including cacti).
My C. revoluta bloomed when the trunk was around 3' high.

HTH
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nachtkrabb
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Re: Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

Post by nachtkrabb »

Hallo Tom,
please pardon me for not answering earlier. I didn't manage. Thank you for your tip. As soon as one of the pups will have its own leaves, I will try this.
You write, you plant bloomend 3' high -- that are 3feet, i.e. ca. 90 cm? (We are metric in Europe, so I am not too sure.)
Thank you for your patience.
Nachtkrabb
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Tom in Tucson
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Re: Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

Post by Tom in Tucson »

nachtkrabb wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 5:45 pm Hallo Tom,
please pardon me for not answering earlier. I didn't manage. Thank you for your tip. As soon as one of the pups will have its own leaves, I will try this.
You write, you plant bloomend 3' high -- that are 3feet, i.e. ca. 90 cm? (We are metric in Europe, so I am not too sure.)
Thank you for your patience.
Nachtkrabb
I think 1M is approximately 40 inches, and 10cm is roughly 4 inches.

The trunk height on my Cycas revoluta started blooming 5 years ago when it reached that height. It has formed a cone every summer since then, but my female despite producing many seeds has only sterile seeds. I have no male to pollinate it. :cry:
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nachtkrabb
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Re: Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

Post by nachtkrabb »

...the poor sods... sounds like "coitus interruptus". #-o

If my plant needs 40in = 1m to flower, then I have some time to wait: My plant is about 40cm = 160 in high and already 12.5 years old -- or at least at my place. I got it big as a man's fist.
So in maybe 24years I will have something to admire. Great expectations! :lol:

Does it help to get them a *very* big & deep pot? Now it looks very comfortable to me. I have finally managed to prepare pictures, look!

Thanks again,
Nachtkrabb
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Tom in Tucson
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Re: Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

Post by Tom in Tucson »

The pot size seems appropriate. All you might require is additional patience.
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nachtkrabb
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Re: Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

Post by nachtkrabb »

Ok, I will try to become patient straight away. Right now. On the spot. :evil:
Thank you!
N. :lol:
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greenknight
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Re: Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

Post by greenknight »

Those things are survivors from the Age of Dinosaurs, and they're really tough plants. I found videos from a guy who collected 7 of them his neighbors were throwing out (warm climate area, I guess), some of which looked dead. He planted them in his yard and they all grew. Here's his follow-up video, where he's propagating pups from them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1CqIcQSxEo

It doesn't appear that the root systems are very large, yours looks happy in that pot.
Spence :mrgreen:
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nachtkrabb
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Re: Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

Post by nachtkrabb »

Hallo Greenknight, thanks for the link. I just watched the movie -- well, the guy is a) real lucky for getting those plants + for having that climate and ) rather enerving.

Well, what he doesn't seem to know: They got their name "revoluta" from their leaves which "revolve" or curl. My plant gets that long leaves when it has loads of water during the time it produces a new set of leaves. His plants look real good but have the shorter, uncurled leaves.
So what, I still would't say NO to them...

What I just don't understand: The pups in the film all seem to grow from the below or barely just above the soil. Besides, his pups have more or less the size & shapes of potatoes and they grow leaves.
The pups at my plant grow somewhere out of the stem, between old leaf bases...? :-k What is that what is growing there...? (Aliens? :lol: )

But at least I am now relaxed about that pot size. Real cool.
N.
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greenknight
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Re: Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

Post by greenknight »

You're putting it nicely with "rather enervating". :P I'm guessing that might be Florida, which seems to have more than its share of goofballs.

Perhaps the confines of the pot encourage your plant to make offsets up high, while his are trying to spread out in the open ground.
Spence :mrgreen:
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nachtkrabb
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Re: Cycas revoluta pups -- how to grow?

Post by nachtkrabb »

...that's an interesting idea about the higher placed pups...
I will add pictures as soon as they produce leaves: Although the mother- or fatherplant (don't know yet!) had a round of new leaves, the pups are still bare.
N
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