Family of cycads.
Homeland of cycads Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands and Australia. They are slow-growing plants and, with proper care, live long lives in indoor conditions. Young leaves of cycad are first twisted in a spiral - like ferns. The leaves are pinnate up to 50 cm long. In natural conditions, cycads grow into huge trees. In their homeland, cycad leaves are used to create flower arrangements and bouquets. In Russia, cycads are grown in open ground in subtropical areas, for example, near Sochi. But there they often suffer in winter from too low temperatures (minus).
In flower shops, Cycas is more often sold drooping Cycas revoluta - it has a strong rounded cone, tough, oblong leaves, strongly bent back. The plant is large, at home the leaf span can reach about 1 meter, at the age of three they are about 50 cm long, and in nature up to 1.5 m. Individual leaves are narrow, 8-18 cm long.
When buying a cicas, you need to make sure that the leaf buds in the cone are not damaged. It is better to buy that plant that has at least three well-developed leaves. Cicas grows very slowly.
Cicas care
Cicas is a rather demanding plant, at home it is difficult for him in winter during the heating season. Even battery isolation doesn't make things much easier. And if, and not enough light, the plants just get sick.
Temperature
Moderate, cicas tolerates temperature fluctuations well, loves fresh air, does not tolerate greenhouse conditions - stuffiness, heat, especially on the sunny side. In winter, it prefers a cool content at a temperature of 12-14 ° C, at least + 8 ° C. When insulating the pot, in dry sawdust, foam rubber and without watering (in full dryness of the soil), it is permissible to contain up to + 3 ° C. A pot can be taken out onto a glazed and insulated balcony at the end of April (see weather), and brought in October, if the balcony is not glazed, then only after the minimum temperature has passed it will be set at least + 8 ° C. For the summer, you can rearrange the pot with a cycad in the garden, in a place where uniform lighting from all sides, there is protection from wind and rain.
Lighting
Bright intense light, both in winter and in summer, is kept in the brightest place. Well suited for close proximity to south and southwest windows. But do not put the pot with the plant on the floor by the window - the luminous flux passes above the leaves tangentially, you need to put the pot on the bedside table or table by the window. In the cold season, the lower the illumination, the sharper the plant perceives an increased temperature (in a heated room). Illumination with fluorescent lamps or LEDs is possible if cold wintering is impossible, but for sufficient lighting you need 2-3 lamps per adult cycad.
Watering
Moderate watering in spring and summer, after the top layer of the earth has dried, wait another 1-2 days before watering. In winter, watering is even more moderate, depending on the temperature - when the soil dries from above, wait a few more days before watering. Cicas does not tolerate stagnation of water in the pot! Make sure that the drain holes are not clogged with expanded clay or soil. When watering, water should not be allowed to fall on the cone, since there are leaf buds in it, and moisture can lead to decay .
Fertilizer
During the period of intensive growth - from April to August, cicas is fed every two weeks with special fertilizer for palm trees or other fertilizer for indoor plants, in a concentration slightly less than recommended .
Air humidity
Cicas loves moist air, so regular spraying is necessary, especially in summer on dry hot days and in winter during the heating season. You can periodically place under a warm shower, covering the soil in the pot with a plastic bag and wrapping the cone in cling film.
Flight connections
Young plants under the age of 5 years are transplanted annually, over 5 years after 4-5 years, but the upper layer of the soil must be changed if necessary, if the soil is covered with a salt deposit. Cicas soil: 2 parts of light turf, 1 part of humus, 1 part of leaf earth, 1 part of fine gravel and several pieces of charcoal. Good drainage in the pot is needed about 2 cm high, you can use a clay shard with a hump up. When transplanting, it is important that the cycad cone is not buried in the ground.
Reproduction
Cicas are propagated by children who appear on the mother trunk. After removing the child, the cut is sprinkled with sulfur or crushed coal. The baby is dried for a couple of days and planted in a mixture of leaf and peat land and sand, watered very moderately, slightly moistening the soil. It is best to use soil heating and root formation stimulants. Also propagated by seeds - with soil heating. Seedlings will appear only in a month - two.
Growing problems
If there is an excess of moisture in the soil, or water gets on the cone of the cycad, tissue decay may begin. The leaves turn yellow, then turn brown, wilt, the roots rot. With very strong waterlogging, mold appears on the cone, the plant dies. Rotting is facilitated by very low room temperature, too dense clay soil, lack of drainage and frequent watering. At the beginning of the problem, until the petioles of the leaves are blackened, you can loosen the soil, dry the soil well, dry the cone with a hair dryer (in a weak stream, not on the leaves, but only on the cone).
The appearance of spots on the leaves and the formation of brown tips is facilitated by sharp temperature fluctuations, too dry air indoors in winter, lack of nutrients in the soil or overfeeding with fertilizers. Always check the soil first - it should not be constantly raw in the back of the pot.
From pests, the problem can be delivered by thrips, shields, worms and ticks. Almost each of the pests is recognizable and identifiable: see the heading pests of indoor flowers. The methods of struggle are alarming - the plant is large, and during treatment it is necessary to spray all the leaves thoroughly. In the warm season, it is better to take the pot of cicas outside and, lying on its side, thoroughly spray with insecticide or acaricide. In the cold season, the only treatment option is to use the least toxic drugs against insects - actara, confidor; against arthropods (ticks) - hot shower.
By the way, you need to know that cycad is extremely poisonous for animals and humans, do not let the cat eat the leaves!