Cycad cones and flushes

[Palmzilla]

One of my favorite Cycads, e arenarius x latifrons. Triple coner hybrid power

[Palm Tree Jim]

32 minutes ago, Palmzilla said:

One of my favorite Cycads, e arenarius x latifrons. Triple coner hybrid power

Very nice score!

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, Palmzilla said:

2 hours ago, Palmzilla said:

 

One of my favorite Cycads, e arenarius x latifrons. Triple coner hybrid power

 

 

One of my favorite Cycads, e arenarius x latifrons.

Nice looking with plenty of the latifrons showing!  I'm going to guess that those are female cones?  I have a couple of small seedlings of this hybrid which went into the ground this summer.  I'm looking forward to seeing how they turn out as they get bigger, as one never quite knows how much of one parent will come through from one plant to another when you have hybrids.

[yeye]

Hi Braden ,this hybrid is pollinated with what pollen species ?

 

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

On 11/21/2016, 4:25:04, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

Thanks for including the shovel in that picture.  Major connage going on there...

[Tracy]

6 hours ago, Palmzilla said:

A giant green that is hardiest of them all is e. Tegulaneus. Dosent make leafs quite as long as a whitelockii but they are thicker and more stout...even fights the wind better. The 3 most wimpy encephalartos with cold are hildebranti, laurentianus, and kissambo.

While I like Encephalartos tegulaneus, they do take up a bit of space.  We were at an open house around the corner from us in Leucadia back in 2010 when the Anderson's had their house on the market, and I had my wife pose with their large tegulaneus for scale.  It's pretty clear that it would have been a good grower in my garden as this is just 3 short blocks away, but I opted not to commit the space for it.  I opted for two from your wimpy with cold list - laurentianus here in Leucadia and a kisambo in my Carlsbad garden.  The laurentianus is the only one that I have had issues with, and that from flushes in winter which it bounces back out of with the next spring/summer flush.

[5150cycad]

N

12 hours ago, Palmzilla said:

One of my favorite Cycads, e arenarius x latifrons. Triple coner hybrid power

Damn Braden, those things are huge!!!! Did you buy it as a female or was that an early Christmas present . Awesome score. 

[Palmzilla]

On November 30, 2016 12:01:42 PM, yeye said:

Hi Braden ,this hybrid is pollinated with what pollen species ?

 

All three cones I pollinated with wide leaf horridus. So seedlings will be a 3 way combo (aren x lat) x (horr). Should be a awesome mix...hopefully resemble a horridus on steroids :)

21 hours ago, Tracy said:

While I like Encephalartos tegulaneus, they do take up a bit of space.  We were at an open house around the corner from us in Leucadia back in 2010 when the Anderson's had their house on the market, and I had my wife pose with their large tegulaneus for scale.  It's pretty clear that it would have been a good grower in my garden as this is just 3 short blocks away, but I opted not to commit the space for it.  I opted for two from your wimpy with cold list - laurentianus here in Leucadia and a kisambo in my Carlsbad garden.  The laurentianus is the only one that I have had issues with, and that from flushes in winter which it bounces back out of with the next spring/summer flush.

Thats a beastly Tegulaneus! WOW!

[Palmzilla]

16 hours ago, 5150cycad said:

N

Damn Braden, those things are huge!!!! Did you buy it as a female or was that an early Christmas present . Awesome score. 

I've had it awhile Bryan, first time its coned

here it is flushing before the conage 

[5150cycad]

5 hours ago, Palmzilla said:

I've had it awhile Bryan, first time its coned

here it is flushing before the conage 

That 2nd photo is one of the coolest pictures I have ever seen of an Encephalartos. Awesome!!

[5150cycad]

This was not what I wanted to see tonight. My Encephalartos Whitelockii just started flushing. It will be at least a month maybe two before the leaves come out and harden off. I saw frost for the first time yesterday. I have a bad feeling about this. I will keep my fingers crossed. Pretty sure it is going to get torched as it gets later into winter. 

[Palm Tree Jim]

Wow.....frost already?

Good luck on this flush.

 

[5150cycad]

24 minutes ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

Wow.....frost already?

Good luck on this flush.

 

Thanks Jim. Yes sir. It was a light frost. I had to use a credit card to clean my windshield before I left for work that day. Maybe I will get lucky and it will stay above freezing till the leaves harden off. 

[5150cycad]

17 hours ago, Palmzilla said:

I've had it awhile Bryan, first time its coned

here it is flushing before the conage 

I know cycads are considered slow growers, however, it amazes me when you see a mature coning specimen like Palmzillas above putting on probably 50 lbs of growth or more (between all of the leaves and cones) within less than a year in total. This is one of the reasons why I think cycads are such an amazing plant. Also, that Tegulanas posted by Tracy is amazing. I can understand why he went with another species for his garden. I have one in my yard and might have to eventually take it out if it ever gets that big. WOW

 

 

[Tracy]

13 hours ago, 5150cycad said:

It will be at least a month maybe two before the leaves come out and harden off. I saw frost for the first time yesterday. I have a bad feeling about this. I will keep my fingers crossed. Pretty sure it is going to get torched as it gets later into winter.

Good luck with this flush.  I guess the good thing you have to remind yourself, is that it may push this one and show damage, but you are just one more summer flush away from beauty.  It does seem like I am having an inordinate number of cycads pushing flushes right now for this late in Autumn.... 5 different Cycas, 4 different Encephalartos and one Ceratozamia.  I guess they all got juiced up to push from the early Autumn heat.

[5150cycad]

You are right Tracy. Thankfully I only have 3 flushing at the moment (whitelockii, kisambo & Eugene-maraisii). I agree that it was probably the early autumn heat. They probably got excited and thought it was summer  

[annafl]

Braden, I've gone back to look at it three times.  That's gotta be one of the most beautiful cycads I've ever seen!  Thanks so much for posting it!  So cool to see new creations.  Looking forward to seeing what you will create with this new cross.

 

[BS Man about Palms]

On 11/30/2016, 9:36:35, Palmzilla said:

One of my favorite Cycads, e arenarius x latifrons. Triple coner hybrid power

 

This is the same I got from you Braden? So if I actually planted mine in the ground mine would be similar? It would not surprise me at all, this thing grows at an insane rate of speed.

 

[Tracy]

10 hours ago, BS Man about Palms said:

So if I actually planted mine in the ground mine would be similar? It would not surprise me at all, this thing grows at an insane rate of speed.

Bill, I think you already know the answer to your question.  I kept a lot of my cycads in pots for several years in anticipation of moving them to my Leucadia location.  It is amazing how much faster things have gone since I pulled them from the pots and put them in the ground!  It was like they yearned for the freedom to put down those tap roots.  I got my little Encephalartos arenarius x latifrons as a two leaf seedling, and while its still tiny, it is one that has made much more progress this last summer after being put in the ground.  It insisted on pushing one more 1 leaf (the one on the right side) before winter arrives in a little under 3 weeks.  The arenarius parent appears to have been one of the bluer ones as you can see.

[Palmzilla]

11 hours ago, BS Man about Palms said:

This is the same I got from you Braden? So if I actually planted mine in the ground mine would be similar? It would not surprise me at all, this thing grows at an insane rate of speed.

 

Bill, this one is about 20 years older. Has a truck approaching 20" diameter. I wish I held back more of the seedlings from the batch you got, only kept two and they are appx 6-8" diameter caudex now

[Palmzilla]

 

Bill, here's one of them 

 

Edited December 3, 2016 by Palmzilla
Forgot pic

[Palm Tree Jim]

5 hours ago, Tracy said:

Bill, I think you already know the answer to your question.  I kept a lot of my cycads in pots for several years in anticipation of moving them to my Leucadia location.  It is amazing how much faster things have gone since I pulled them from the pots and put them in the ground!  It was like they yearned for the freedom to put down those tap roots.  I got my little Encephalartos arenarius x latifrons as a two leaf seedling, and while its still tiny, it is one that has made much more progress this last summer after being put in the ground.  It insisted on pushing one more 1 leaf (the one on the right side) before winter arrives in a little under 3 weeks.  The arenarius parent appears to have been one of the bluer ones as you can see.

Agree Tracy....putting them in the ground seems to wake them up!

Both you and Bryan seem to be getting some late flushes this year.

 

[BS Man about Palms]

6 hours ago, Tracy said:

Bill, I think you already know the answer to your question.  I kept a lot of my cycads in pots for several years in anticipation of moving them to my Leucadia location.  It is amazing how much faster things have gone since I pulled them from the pots and put them in the ground!  It was like they yearned for the freedom to put down those tap roots.  I got my little Encephalartos arenarius x latifrons as a two leaf seedling, and while its still tiny, it is one that has made much more progress this last summer after being put in the ground.  It insisted on pushing one more 1 leaf (the one on the right side) before winter arrives in a little under 3 weeks.  The arenarius parent appears to have been one of the bluer ones as you can see.

I knew that in a general sense Tracy.  I was mostly trying to find out if a litter mate of Bradens was already coning!! As you can see, the Cones had a 20 year headstart..

 

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

I can't  wait to get my encephalartos permanently in the ground. 2017 is the year...

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Ceratozamia Hildae cone dehiscing. Total seed count was 68.

[5150cycad]

On October 15, 2016 at 12:16:32 PM, Tracy said:

My spring flushes are always later than those inland, probably due to the lack of heat, and in normal years, my "May Grey, June Gloom".  Somewhere you mentioned your E whitelockii.  Those take up some space!  I just put in a couple of E whitelockii x sclavoi.  The pollen was from a blue sclavoi, so I'm hoping that the result is hint of the blue and smaller than the mother.  Here is one, using it against a south facing wall, so that it gets plenty of winter heat.

I must have missed this post. I bought one of these (maybe not same grower) off a guy on eBay. I think this cross is going look amazing. I was hoping for the same qualities that you mentioned (hint of blue and smaller) but mine decided to croak on me one day.  One of the very few cycads I have lost over my years of collecting. It must have been user error because it was shipped perfectly and looked perfectly healthy upon arrival. Hoping to try it again someday. Please post some more pictures when it wakes up again this year. Hoping to see some hints of blue. 

[Tracy]

On 12/1/2016, 8:14:24, 5150cycad said:

My Encephalartos Whitelockii just started flushing. It will be at least a month maybe two before the leaves come out and harden off. I saw frost for the first time yesterday. I have a bad feeling about this. I will keep my fingers crossed. Pretty sure it is going to get torched as it gets later into winter. 

 

So how did your Encephalartos whitlockii do this last couple of months in all the rain and wind we have experienced in San Diego County?

[Tracy]

All my potted Ceratozamias seemed to stall when I moved them a couple of years ago.  Climate isn't that different being only 3.5 miles away from my and their previous home, and I tried to select spots with similar light, as well as marking the southerly exposure on the pot so there would be no change in orientation to the sun.  This Ceratozamia didn't push any flushes since being moved in October 2014, so after 2 years I decided to put it into the ground last fall.  I have had it since it was a 1" seedling with one leaf, and the most it has ever pushed in a flush has been 3 leaves.  It's been in the ground for about 5 months now, and its now pushing an 8 leaf flush!  I guess it just was desperate to get into the ground.  At this point it looks like a multiheaded fuzzy snake.  It was labeled as a C mexicana, but flushes a deep reddish bronze, similar to my C robusta.  Perhaps its a hybrid?

[5150cycad]

On February 19, 2017 at 6:22:31 PM, Tracy said:

So how did your Encephalartos whitlockii do this last couple of months in all the rain and wind we have experienced in San Diego County?

I will have to go up and check. Luckily it wasn't a super cold winter. I will post some pictures soon. 

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Two female panzhihuaensis doing their thing really early this year.  These saw 12f in pots this January and will be placed in their final resting place in a month or so. I lost a few trunking  revoluta  (4 out of 97) but most look good. Taitungensis is dead. 

[Ben in Norcal]

10 hours ago, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

Two female panzhihuaensis doing their thing really early this year.  These saw 12f in pots this January and will be placed in their final resting place in a month or so. I lost a few trunking  revoluta  (4 out of 97) but most look good. Taitungensis is dead. 

I am just starting to get a flush on the big panzhihuaensis caudex I got from you last year.  Yay!

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

I'm expecting a few of  your sister plants to cone for the first time this year. I'm thinking about keeping the rest of them and making a giant panzh. clump of 8-10 plants.   

[Josh-O]

Crap!!

I think the Cycad bug finally bit me...

[Palm Tree Jim]

1 hour ago, Josh-O said:

Crap!!

I think the Cycad bug finally bit me...

Better late then never!

[Josh-O]

53 minutes ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

Better late then never!

I have been holding off for a long time because I know how much the good stuff goes for..lol

[Tracy]

3 hours ago, Josh-O said:

Crap!!

I think the Cycad bug finally bit me...

It's all down hill from here!   Those soft fuzzy little guys will eventually get to you.

[Josh-O]

1 hour ago, Tracy said:

It's all down hill from here!   Those soft fuzzy little guys will eventually get to you.

lol...I'm still bleeding from mine

[5150cycad]

On February 19, 2017 at 6:22:31 PM, Tracy said:

So how did your Encephalartos whitlockii do this last couple of months in all the rain and wind we have experienced in San Diego County?

Tracy, my whitelockii is still pushing out the last set of leaves which started flushing in late November/ early December. I actually feel lucky that the leaves have continued to grow throughout the winter instead of aborting growth altogether which I have seen with some of my other encephalartos. The tips of the leaves are also a little beat up from all the wind and cold as well. I am hoping that I get another flush of leaves early this summer. I guess I would have to say that beat up and stunted leaves are better than no leaves at all. I can't wait for summer. 

[Palm Tree Jim]

As we go into spring here in Southern CA, it will be interesting to see when our cycads start to flush. My irrigation has been off since October and I will be turning it back on soon.

Probably in the 3rd week of March, I will give them their first liquid fertilizer treatment. I started this treatment last year and got multiple flushes from some of the cycads.

Hopefully this year, more will flush several times! 

[5150cycad]

4 hours ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

As we go into spring here in Southern CA, it will be interesting to see when our cycads start to flush. My irrigation has been off since October and I will be turning it back on soon.

Probably in the 3rd week of March, I will give them their first liquid fertilizer treatment. I started this treatment last year and got multiple flushes from some of the cycads.

Hopefully this year, more will flush several times! 

I think I need to invest in a liquid fertilizer system this year. I have heard nothing but great things about it.