How to raise cycads?

Cycas can reproduce sexually and asexually by sowing, tillering, cutting and burying.

1. Sowing and propagation: Cycas dioecious plants can't self-pollinate and fertilize. In order to obtain seeds, besides natural gifts, wind and insect pollination are also needed, and artificial pollination is necessary to make them bear fruit. From June to July, the sexually mature Cycas entered the reproductive growth period. At this time, we should pay close attention to artificial pollination.

The seeds of Cycas cycas mature in 65438+ 10 or 165438+ 10. At this time, the weather is too cold to sow, so the collected seeds can be stored in river sand, and can not be sown until the spring blossoms in March-April next year. Sowing in the open field should be in a flat and sunny place, deeply ploughed, carefully trimmed and sorted. A layer of 20 ~ 30 cm yellow sand is filled in the compartment as the sowing substrate. Large flowerpots can be used as seedbeds for people with few seeds. Before sowing, put the cycad seeds into a porcelain bowl or basin, soak them in warm water at about 40℃ for 48 hours, and sow them after the seed coat, endosperm and ovule have absorbed enough water. After sowing, cover it with fine sand, spray it once with a fine-hole watering can, and cover the soil with a layer of straw to keep the soil moist. The flowerpot seedbed is covered with glass and placed in a sunny and warm place, and the temperature is controlled between 18 ~ 25℃, which is beneficial to seed germination. The seed coat of cycad is thick and hard, and germination is extremely slow. Generally, seeds buried in soil can germinate only after 120 ~ 180 days. After germination, it should be carefully managed and transplanted for about 3 years. 2. Tillering propagation: Tillering of Cycas is a common propagation method. Cycas over ten years old can sometimes grow small round tillers (tumors) from the base or middle-upper part of the stem. Although this small tiller has no roots, buds and leaves, it has the totipotency to develop into a cycad plant. A new cycad can be cultivated by cutting off the round tiller. The method is: before and after the long summer, cut small round tillers from the stem of the mother plant with a sharp knife, dry the cut parts and prepare for cultivation, pot culture or field planting. The substrate is yellow sandy soil, which needs fertility. It is best to sprinkle some iron chips on the surface to let the iron penetrate slowly, so that the tillers can absorb it after taking root. No matter whether it is potted or planted in the ground, it should be cultivated with soil and compacted hard after planting. After cultivation, the flowerpot should be placed in a semi-cloudy and scattered light place or in a cool place. The survival rate of tillers is high, but the growth is slow, and it usually takes 2 ~ 3 years to have ornamental value. 3. Cutting and burying propagation: Cutting and burying propagation are the simplest propagation methods. The burial time is from March to April. The method is: cut the old stem of Cycas into stem segments with the length of 10 ~ 12 cm. The juice of the knife edges at both ends should be washed with clean water, put into a clean and hygienic dish, and dry the water vapor for later use. The seedbed should be buried in sterile and clean sand, and then the stem segments of Cycas are buried in the sand and sprayed with water from a fine-hole watering can. The key to the survival of buried sowing is watering, not too much water. Because the incision of the stem is large and the soil is full of water, bacteria are easy to breed and infect the wound, which will lead to stem rot. Be sure to keep the soil dry and moist to avoid water loss from the stem. In this way, about 80 days later, there are swollen bud eyes at the base of the scaly leaves in the stem segment, which indicates that the burial is successful and the new buds can only be seen after maintenance for 120 ~ 180 days. At this time, the new buds can be potted separately and overwinter indoors in winter.