An early warm Spring has descended on the Bay and growth & abundance is flourishing. The Bay of Plenty had a typical winter with several hard frosts and cold mornings. For the past three winters we had been lucky to experience very mild winter temperatures so the frosts, particularly the late May one, caught many by…
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This is due to a mineral deficiency, either iron or magnesium usually. If you apply Epsom Salts in a diluted solution (as per packet instructions) around the base of the plant this can sometimes correct the problem. Quite often a feed of a quality slow release fertiliser will help immensely as well. Save
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These are mealy bug. One of few insects, thankfully, that actually feed on palms and cycads. Mealy bug mealy bug They feed by sucking out the plant juices from the plant. Like the aphid, mealy bugs excrete a honeydew substance over plant surfaces. Sometimes a secondary fungus called black sooty mould grows on the honeydew…
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Cycas Thouarsii Yes, most definitely. A regular fertilizing regime is key to healthy, robust palm and cycad growth. All year round nourishment A good, high in nitrogen 5-6 month slow release fertiliser is excellent for all year round nourishment. Apply this at the beginning of spring and then again late February as a top dressing…
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scale These are scale. Another sucking insect attracted to Palms and Cycads. How to control? These insects can be controlled by using a horticultural oil as a spray such as Sunoil. A gentler, organic alternative would be a canola or soya oil. The oil works by suffocating the scale insect.
Read moreDepending on where in the house it is your palm will require regular watering. Do not let it dry out, especially with artificial heating in winter months. You can pull back on the watering during the colder months but a general rule of thumb is to thoroughly water twice a week during summer pulling back…
Read moreYes, again, most definitely. Smaller rates of fertiliser are required for your indoor palms than your outdoor palms. Since the watering of indoor palms is much more controlled than a palm outside in nature, the build up of salts in the fertilised soil surrounding your indoor palm can cause it to burn. Indoor palms have…
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A Healthy Cycad Revoluta This could be a drainage problem and the plant is showing the stress caused, by browning off or dying leaves. The Soil The soil surrounding the plant either has very poor drainage or could be a dense, non-porous clay. The plants root system needs to be carefully examined for any signs…
Read moreNot necessarily true. Be careful The very worst case scenario is that you could end up paying thousands of dollars in damages to a private seller if you or they inadvertently cause damage to a house or land that the tree was planted close by or on. Another scenario is uprooting buried Telecom cabling or…
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