How To Grow Cycad Palm

Cycad palms, also commonly known as the Cycad palms, are widely available in the US as an option for indoor gardens and outdoors. The plant is subtropical, so it is mostly grown in areas like Florida with mild winters, so the likelihood of survival in an outdoor garden is also possible.

However, given the right atmosphere, these palms can grow in all areas if planted indoors, and the temperature controls it. Here we will learn more about Cycad palms and how to grow them.

The Appearance of A Cycad Palm

Get yourself an indoor potted Cycad Palm if you’re looking for a method to make a statement or take home a plant that will never cease to surprise you or your guests.

Known for a long time as the Japanese Funeral Palm and Sago Palm, the lovely Cycad palms are a native of Southern China and Japan.

The symmetrical tree may produce a new frond every year even if the Cycad palm doesn’t have any other shoots that branch off it.

The Cycad Tree, despite its slow growth, is capable of reaching a magnificent height of about ten feet in the air. Its strong, rugged dark brown stem and pointy, exquisitely shiny, deep green feather-like leaves are distinguished.

Relations With The Prehistoric Times

Cycad Palms are no new plants; they have existed on Earth since prehistoric times. Yes, these palm trees have been on the earth for almost three hundred million years, and the potted stems you are about to buy are the ancient fossils that will grow in the corner of your living room.

Aside from its obvious beauty and ancient appeal, another significant reason you should buy a Cycad Palm is its amazing tolerance, sturdiness, and impressive lifespan.

The Cycad Palm Tree’s incredible resilience to environmental changes permitted the plant species to endure the age of the dinosaurs and make it to the current world, relatively untouched. It has evolved to blooming and surviving on neglect and an extremely uncomplicated maintenance routine.

Furthermore, even though the Cycad palm doesn’t require much maintenance, it might live for an incredible 200 years with the proper attention.

The plant would have no trouble living in your backyard or the living room if it survived millions of years in the old wilderness.

In this post, we will discover how you can grow the Cycad palm from scratch, which means using the seeds of the Sago fruit and then planting them. So let us get started.

How To Grow Cycad Palm Trees?

The first step is to gather palm Cycad seeds and properly sow those in the ground or individual containers. The seedlings’ height will be between nine and 10 feet.

Use nutrient-rich and well-drained soil in the pots and the garden; a suitable type of fertilizer can boost growth.

Until they are ready to be transplanted outside, grow seedlings in trays or containers indoors.

Always ensure that the soil is warm enough and that all the frost has passed because the plants do not thrive in ice. So, plant the Cycad palms in summer.

Then, when the weather changes and the heat go beyond 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the plants grown inside the house seeds can start during the winter and move into the outside yard.

While you plant the seedlings outside, leave a space of about two to three feet so that each tree has the area to expand its roots and the issue of rootbound doesn’t occur.

Rootbounded plants have entangled roots because of small space and start to rot since they cannot absorb water in this situation.

Finally, water the growing plant every once in two or three days.

Factors That Affect The Growth Of Cycad Palms

If you are trying to keep the tree indoors for the rest of its growth, here are some factors you must know to grow Cycad palms indoors.

Watering

If frequent watering were one of its essential requirements, the Sago Palm Tree would not have endured for three hundred million years. Instead, because of its special makeup, the sago palm tree can survive with minimal water and drought-like conditions.

Therefore, if you have a Sago Palm Tree in a pot at home, you shouldn’t worry too much about the planter’s watering needs.

Just set the alarm or make a note on a calendar hanging in the room to remind you to hydrate the indoor Sago Palm Tree at least once every three to four days. However, there is no need to be concerned if you intend to go away for around a month.

The potted Sago Palm Tree’s soil should always be kept moist throughout. Quickly use a sprayer to add some moisture back to the soil if the upper surface of the Cycad tree’s soil becomes overly dry.

Additionally, be careful not to overwater your indoor Sago Palm Tree because too much water can harm the tree’s health.

The plant’s roots won’t absorb the extra water if you accidentally overwater your Cycad palm. Instead, it will assemble and collect inside the Cycad palm tree’s pot, where it will provide a favorable environment for fungus to develop.

Any airborne fungus spores will only take a few minutes to reach the Sago Palm Tree’s extremely moist soil. The thin leaves of your indoor Cycad palm tree in a pot will ultimately dry out, curl inward, and drop off as the plant withers. At first, you may still not notice anything different.

Sunlight

Despite being able to thrive both within and outside of your house, the ancient Cycad palm Tree’s leaves and overall structure can be harmed by direct sunshine.

The Palm Tree will become hotter inside if exposed to prolonged, unfiltered sunshine. Therefore it will attempt to transpire water from its leaves. However, if the Cycad Palm loses too much water, it will ultimately become dehydrated and grow slowly.

Therefore, the best advice is to put your indoor Cycad palm tree in an area or shed that receives enough indirect light throughout the day.

Repotting

If you are worried about the Cycad plant’s trunk or roots expanding out of its pot, then worry no more because it is typically a slow-growing plant.

Instead, just one transplantation is required in three years; however, make sure to follow the correct method of repotting so that the plant doesn’t go into transplantation shock.

Role of Humidity

The majority of indoor species of plants are constantly significantly impacted by atmospheric humidity. Similarly, the indoor planted Cycad tree is extremely resistant to changes in the outside atmosphere. Still, if environmental humidity is considered, its growth rate and overall strength will increase.

The water molecules that land on the pot’s soil will be sufficient to keep the plant healthy and damp when cultivated in an overly humid atmosphere. So, humidity and watering go hand in hand, and if you are a beginner, you must never forget to delay the watering for more days.

If the place you live in has a low moisture content in the air, you can invest in a humidifier and keep watering the plant more frequently than the recommended times.

Temperature

Warmer climates are beneficial for the Cycad palm tree’s growth. The micro palm can withstand both intense heat from the outside and its own high internal temperatures because of its thin, feather-like fronds, which assist in controlling the quantity of water that escapes the plant.

Ensure your indoor potted Cycad plant is maintained in a 60 to 75°F temperature range for ideal growing circumstances.

Additionally, getting a UV lamp to give the houseplant the necessary warmth if the temperature outside falls below 55 Fahrenheit is preferable.

Is Pruning Safe For Cycad Palms?

With sterile pruners, dead fronds could be cut off. When doing this, consider using garden gloves to prevent yourself from getting stabbed by sharp, razor-like leaf points.

Then at the end of the planting season, you may decide to trim away wilted fruits gently, and flower stems for seed collection or discard them to enhance the appearance of the plant.

Always remember that only dead, brown, dry leaves should be pruned. Yellowing leaves might tempt you to pluck them, especially if you think they hinder the plant’s rich, green appeal. However, cutting the yellow leaves can cause the plant stress, resulting in it becoming stunted, and its immunity will be compromised.

Concluding It All

There may not be a better planter than the Cycad Palm Tree if you’re seeking an indoor houseplant that is resistant to drought and has the capacity to maintain its attractiveness and health over prolonged periods of neglect.

The Cycad palm is likely one of the rare species of plants that can outlive you and your offspring. It is renowned and adored for its amazing tenacity, ancient roots, and various medical properties. We hope this information about how to grow Cycad palms will help you create your indoor garden