Cycas, or cicada revolution, is an excellent plant for beginner growers. Despite the fact that it grows in a subtropical climate and exceeds several meters in height, it is also grown as a house or garden plant all over the world. Consider how to care for him at home.

Botanical description of the plant

Tsikas (Cycas) unites about 90 species of Cygnus palms. The height of the plants reaches 15 m. Tsikas Revoluta or Cycas revolving - the smallest of them. Its height in nature can reach 3 m. It lives more than 100 years. This is an evergreen tree, which is actively used in landscape design. The cypress grows very slowly, producing only one leaf per year, so it takes about 5 years for maximum development. In indoor culture grows no higher than 1 m, more often - up to 0.6-0.7 m.

Did you know? Tsikasy are considered a symbol of status throughout the world. Old and large plants collect thousands of grandees at international exhibitions and can bring income to their owners.

The base of the woody type (called caudex), which is the stem, is decorated with a cap of hanging feathery leaves, similar to the cap of a palm tree or fern. The diameter of the stem of an adult plant reaches 20 cm. Dark green leaves grow to a length of 1 m. Sparse leaf lobes reach 10 cm and finally taper to a pointed shape. Leaves are kept for a very long time.Dioecious flowers. Female flower cone-shaped golden color, male - large, pineapple. The female flower opens very slowly, after fertilization forms a dense seed box. It blooms in May. It forms large plum-like, pale yellow-brown seeds with a diameter of about 3 cm. They will develop all summer and will ripen in January-February.

House growing conditions

Tsikas is characterized by ease of cultivation. He needs to provide a sufficient amount of bright light, the humidity level is above average and not flood with water when watering. The plant adapts well to climatic conditions. And there is every reason for this: ancient tsikasas grew on all continents and in any climatic zones. The Cycas is best suited for growing in a well-lit conservatory, but it can also be placed in other rooms where there is enough light and free space for wide leaves.

Important! Tsikas revolution is poisonous, so do not let pets bite its leaves, as your pet may die from poisoning. Thin leaf plates are especially attracting the attention of cats.

Location selection and lighting

Tsikas grows well in a bright, lit place, but not in direct sunlight. Горш turn the pot weekly to ensure even development. In bright light, the cypress grows thicker leaves, and in twilight lighting - long and thin.

Temperature and humidity

Cycas prefers a temperature in the range of +16 ... + 24 ° C. For a short time, the plant can be exposed to low temperatures (up to -9 ° C), but not very long. Tsikas prefers high humidity, so you may need a humidifier if the air in your house is very dry. The plant will survive in low humidity, but will not grow and develop.

Home Care

Care includes climate and soil control to create optimal conditions for growth. The list of activities also includes periodic top dressing, pruning and transplanting.

Watering

Watering is a very important event in organizing optimal conditions for the growth of cicas. Allow the top 75% of the soil to dry before thoroughly pouring cicadas. We can say that watering once every 15 days will be enough. In winter, the cicada revolution needs moderate watering. Be careful: do not pour water on the crown of the plant. This can cause her disease and possible death of the plant.

Top dressing

Cycas are fed monthly from spring to autumn. The fertilizer should contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in a ratio of 3: 1: 3. If you are not sure that the plant is in need of nutrients, use a half dose of the norm shown on the fertilizer label. A sign of overfeeding with fertilizers is the wrinkling and drying of the leaves. A sickly looking plant can also be fed with manganese sulfate. The quantity depends on the size of the cypress and should be indicated on the package.

Pruning

Unsightly yellow leaves are a sign of a nutrient deficiency that can be easily corrected with fertilizer. Some people prefer to trim the cicada by removing these yellowish leaves. But this should not be done. Especially when it comes to lower leaves. This will cause the problem to remain and move to other, healthy leaves. Even a dying leaf still absorbs nutrients and its removal slows down the growth of cicas and makes it more susceptible to infection.

Did you know? In traditional oriental medicine, cicas leaves are considered a cure for cancer, and are also used in the treatment of hematomas.

Cut the sheet only when it finally "died". Trim as close to the trunk as possible. Be sure to cut off severely damaged and diseased leaves. If desired, you can trim flower stems and seed boxes. But this weakens the cicada of the revolution and makes it more susceptible to pests.

Transfer

The roots of the cycad do not like to be bothered, therefore, a transplant is carried out only when the plant is crowded in an old pot. This is best done once every 3 years. Transplant time is spring, before the start of the growing season.

Transplant Instructions:

1. Choose a new pot, 5 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. Check for drainage holes 1–1.5 cm in diameter.
2. Place 2-3 cm of gravel inside.
3. Select well-drained soil for transplanting. The soil may contain 1 part peat, 1 part pine bark and 1 part coarse sand. This is a very suitable mixture for cicas.
4. Carefully remove the plant from an existing pot. You may have to loosen it a bit by sliding a shovel or knife between the edge of the soil and the sides of the pot. After loosening, remove the cicada. Do not pull on the crown, but just gently help it fall out.
5. Put the plant on the newspaper, free and straighten the lateral roots.
6. Place a certain amount of soil in the pot and set the rhizome on it so that the top layer of soil is at the same distance at which it was before the transplant.
7. Fill the space around it with fresh soil.
8. Thoroughly fill the soil, and when the water is absorbed, add soil until you raise it to the desired height.
9. Drain the water drained into the pan from the pot.

Video: Cicasus transplant revolution

Propagation at home

Reproduction of the cypress in nature occurs with the help of seeds. But this way requires a lot of time, so at home, cicada is propagated by transplantation. The plant constantly produces new branches at the root, called children. Some of them are almost near the surface and can be disconnected to grow a new plant. They can be collected every year at the end of winter or early spring, when the plant is inactive.

Important! Use a manual spatula to separate large «kids» for growing new plants.

Instructions for growing cicada revolution from the "kids":

1. Sort the collected “babies” and leave them to dry for several hours after separation from the mother plant.
2. Prepare the drained soil. It can be taken in equal parts peat moss and perlite. Moss provides nutrients, and perlite provides friability and aeration of the soil.
3. Choose a pot so that it is 2 times wider than the "baby", no more. Excess soil leads to the fact that moisture in it stagnates and causes root diseases.
4. Fill the pot with soil and water it.
5. Set the “baby” on the soil and gently push it into the soil so that one half enters the soil, the other remains outside. If too deep, the plant can rot, and if planted shallowly, then it does not have enough volume for the development of the root system.

Growing difficulties

Tsikas is rarely invaded by pests, but there may be some problems with its cultivation:

• curl of leaves - this is usually associated with a lack of light or watering;
• leaves turn yellow - if at the same time new leaves do not appear, then you need to check the correctness of watering and fertilizing.

Important! To avoid root burns, never fertilize dry soil.

Caring for cicas is not so difficult. The main thing: adhere to the rules of plant care, and it will delight you with abundant foliage and flowering, bringing an element of exoticism to your room.

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