How to cultivate a cycad to make it bloom
A comprehensive introduction to how to cultivate a cycad to make it bloom and detailed knowledge about cycad maintenance skills in the field of floriculture. Let's understand this together next.
The cycad is one of the oldest existing species of trees in the world, and as long as there are no problems with maintenance, the seedlings can live for over 200 years. The main trunk of the cycad is particularly thick, with scaly bark on the stem surface, standing gracefully, topped with feathery leaves, the leaf color is dark green, the leaf surface is glossy, and it stays green throughout the year, making it highly ornamental.
As the saying goes: "A cycad blooming is as rare as a mute speaking." It can be imagined how rare it is for a cycad to bloom. Only when the seedlings are over 12 years old and well-maintained, the cycad has a chance to bloom. In daily maintenance, we need to do the following four things to promote the cycad to bloom.
One, maintain warmth
The cycad is native to southern China, India, and Japan, belonging to the typical southern plant, and cycads planted in tropical regions can bloom throughout the year, but those cultivated in the Yangtze River Valley rarely bloom, which is mainly due to the problem of environmental temperature. The cycad prefers a relatively warm growing environment, with the most suitable temperature between 20 to 30 degrees. Keeping the environment at a higher temperature is very important to promote blooming. However, it is worth mentioning that although the cycad is a tropical plant, it is more cold-resistant than most tropical plants, capable of briefly tolerating temperatures as low as -20 degrees and enduring -10 degrees in winter for extended periods. However, to promote the growth and blooming of the cycad, the overwintering temperature should not be lower than 5 degrees.
Two, ensure sufficient sunlight
The cycad is a sun-loving plant but also tolerates semi-shade, so many households can keep it in shaded areas without killing it. However, to promote rapid growth of the cycad, we should still let it get plenty of sun. More sunlight can promote the leaves to produce more chlorophyll, enhance its appearance, and make the plant more lush. After absorbing sufficient energy, the cycad is more likely to bloom.
How to cultivate a cycad to make it bloom
If the cycad has been kept outdoors and has adapted to the outdoor environment, there is no need for shading in summer. However, if the cycad has been kept indoors or moved outdoors in summer from indoors, and has been in a semi-shaded environment, it is best to slightly shade the cycad in summer to prevent leaf sunburn due to the strong summer sunlight.
Three, fertilize appropriately
The cycad is actually quite tolerant to poor soil, and not fertilizing for a year and a half won't have a significant impact on it. However, whether the cycad turns on its own blooming function is related to nutrition. Blooming consumes a lot of nutrients, and if the soil is too poor and lacks nutrition, the plant will consider the current conditions unsuitable for reproduction and turn off the blooming function. Therefore, to make the cycad bloom, it is necessary to use fertilizers regularly to supplement nutrients.
In spring and autumn, when the temperature is between 15 to 25 degrees, it is the best time to fertilize the cycad. We just need to prepare some well-rotted organic fertilizers, such as cow dung, sheep dung, soybean cake fertilizer, etc. Every 1 to 2 months, take a small amount of fertilizer and bury it in the potting soil. Fertilization should not be carried out in summer and winter.