The race to harden off a flush before it rains down seeds

[Tracy]

Two of my top of the list plants in the garden are in close proximity and this spring it has been a race between them and I know what I want to happen.  Above we have the Dypsis prestoniana pushing out an ever larger flower spathe which will eventually open and rain down seeds.  Below is one of my favorite Encephalartos in the garden which has been pushing out a flush.  I want the flush hardened off before the flower spathe opens in the middle of the night and drops the sheath on it.  I think I'm ok on the seeds raining down much later, as the flush will most certainly be hardened off by then.  I've been tracking the pair for a while now, with 3 photos roughly a week apart of the cycad flush and the inflo shot of the Dypsis prestoniana showing overhead photographed last night... which will win?

Ever have a pair of favorites competing with one potentially dropping something on the other?

[Tracy]

When I got up early this morning the flower spathe was still intact but after I got home from my morning surf, the sheath was balanced precariously off the tip of the emerging inflorescence and the leaf below it.  I quickly went over and nabbed the sheath off before it tumbled down onto the almost fully pushed out flush below.  Considering that the inflorescence will continue to unfold and expand now, that is a pretty good size starting point based on the sheath I retrieved and stood next to my BBQ for the photo.  Glad it didn't pop overnight and come down on my precious.