Sago palm, or Tsikas revolution: description, care at home

Lovers of exotic know: Cicas of the revolution - this is one of the oldest plants on Earth. This sago palm saw how the civilization was born, she remembers how the dinosaurs looked. Can you imagine that such a miracle settled on your windowsill? Now it's up to you to decide whether Tsikas will become a pearl of the interior or slowly wither because of inept care. But watching the plant is not difficult. You just need to know and observe a few simple rules.

Cicas of the Revolution is one of the well-known mistakes of the 18th century

Despite the fact that Tsikas is very similar to a palm tree, it has nothing to do with it. The name of the plant appeared due to the error of the famous botanist Carl Linnaeus. He was deceived by the appearance of a beautiful evergreen plant and gave him the name, which in Greek means "palm". Moreover, the scientist described the plant and carried it to the palms. Hence, there was confusion, which confuses the owners of the cicadas to this day.

Description and characteristics of the plant

Tsikas (a cycad), he is a sago palm - this is the representative of an ancient group of gymnosperms. It combines more than ninety species. Gymnosperms are named because of the peculiarity of the ovule, in which seeds develop without a closed shell. Their ovary is similar to scales, under which several ovules are formed. Whereas a palm is a plant from the monocotyledon family. External similarity played a joke with the plant: to whatever genus it would be, people persistently call Tsikas a palm tree.

The trunk of a cycad in nature can reach 15 m in height. It has a significant thickness, which is sometimes about 100 cm in diameter. All varieties of palm trees have pinnate or double-large leaves, which grow out of a bundle from the top of the trunk.

Adult plants are capable of branching and the formation of children. Due to this, on many of them appear accumulations of dense leaf sockets, each of which could be a separate sago palm.

How the cycads multiply

Tsikas is a revolutionary, like the rest of the sycamore, is a dioecious plant. It gives male and female individuals. On male specimens, strobilae, similar to spruce cones, develop only in large sizes. Female plants form cones similar to cauliflower. Cavaliers are polluted by the wind. Pollen from males finds cones of female palms, in which seeds will mature after pollination.

Where can you find the "palm tree" Tsikas of the revolution?

Where grow "palm trees"? Cycas come across almost throughout Asia. This plant enjoys special respect in Japan. Some species can be found in Indonesia and Australia. Gymnosperm "palm" is found on many islands of the Pacific Ocean (Samoa, Fiji and others), in addition, it grows on the island of Madagascar.

On the territory of Russia, the cicada is not bad at the coast of the Caucasus. Although the plant is not very comfortable in winter.

How does Tsikas behave on the windowsill?

Palma home sago grows much slower than its relatives in nature. It is little like a sprawling wild giants who can live for several centuries. At home, Tsikas revolutionizes only one row of leaves per year. In height, the plant grows about 3 cm. At the home-made rhinoceros, the diameter of the crown is quite large, but the dimensions of the trunk are miniature. The plant is easy to grow, since it is not picky in care.

The trunk of a domestic cicatas is often called a cone. Outwardly it resembles a pineapple covered with scales from the remains of petioles. The young leaf is softer, it is folded like a ribbon of serpentine, and looks like a fern. As the leaf grows, it becomes hard, but brittle.

How to plant or transplant a cicase

Do you want to grow a Tsikas plant on the windowsill? Care at home for this plant will not cause great difficulties. First of all, you need to pick the right pot:

• Do not take too large a pot, it must match the root system of your handsome man. For subsequent transplants, you will need a capacity that is greater than the previous one by about 10%.
• The bottom of the pot should have many drainage holes so that water does not stagnate in the flowerpot.
• A large sago palm is planted in stable containers, so that the crown of the plant does not outweigh and overturn the container.
• Small specimens well feel in flat (low) pots.

Cicadas do not like frequent transplants. Plants are better to be in crowded than to be exposed to unnecessary stress. For a pot where palm trees grow, choose the ready soil mixture. It is called "Soil mixture for palm trees". But you can prepare the soil yourself. This will require:

• Sod land;
• Leaf humus;
• coarse sand;
• Bark or crushed nutshell;
• sphagnum;
• Brick crumb and bone meal.

As you can see, the mixture has a complex composition, in which it is easy to make mistakes. If there is no way to prepare the soil yourself, it can always be purchased at a specialized store.

Stressful condition of an adult plant after transplantation lasts almost six months. The tsikas of the revolution are becoming weaker and more vulnerable. If, in the process of preparing for the transplant, the plant's owner has noticed that the sago palm is ready to discard the leaf, it is necessary to postpone the procedure.

In the pot must be a thick layer of drainage. The trunk-cone can not be deepened into the ground. Soil mixture should be able to pass water without hindrance in a few minutes, as stagnation of moisture can lead to the death of the plant.

Where to put the sago palm?

The plant loves light, so it's ideal to place the cicada on the southeast or south-west side. Southern windows should be slightly shaded, especially at noon. If the palm tree does not have enough light, then its leaves extend upwards, if there are many, they will be short. To form a beautiful crown, during the formation of the plant, the pot is rotated daily a little.

How to water a plant?

Do you want to grow a beautiful Tsikas revolution? Care at home will require proper watering. The main thing is never to wet the soil. However, you should not allow and drying the earth coma, because the sago palm can not accumulate moisture. During watering, water should not fall on the trunk, because because of this, the kidneys may die.

There is a system of watering the sago palms, depending on the season:

• From the end of spring to the beginning of autumn Tsikas of the revolution needs weekly watering. If the plant is in a sunny place, then watering is performed every 5 days.
• The rest of the time you should water the plant every 10 days. Each time the condition of the earth is checked. It should dry up to half the pot. But the sago palm, standing near the source of heating, watered more often.

Ideal is to use melt or rain water at room temperature. Water should be gradually. First, the top layer of the soil is wetted, then the liquid is poured so that it flows into the pan. Here the water should not stagnate, immediately after watering it should be removed. Note! All varieties of palm trees in question require such selection of soil, so that water is poured into the pan immediately, without stagnating in the roots. If the landing mixture is not selected correctly, there will be an excess of moisture, and the plant will die.

How to feed

As Tsikas revolt grows very slowly, it needs to be fed regularly. For these purposes, complexes for cacti and orchids are suitable. Periodicity of application - every 3 weeks, but the concentration should be lower than indicated on the label. It is necessary to avoid fertilizers with salts of potassium and magnesium. But nitrogen in the composition is very useful for cicada.

In the autumn the sago palm is fed less often, and in the winter months the feeding is stopped altogether. In addition, it is not carried out if the plant is sick or has recently undergone a transplant.

A few additional nuances of care

Often consultants in stores hear the question: "I have a sago palm. Care for her includes pruning the leaves? "Keep in mind: cicada is not a garden apple tree. He does not need pruning. Leaves are removed only if the plant is sick. Even drying and yellowish are not immediately removed, as the plant can use their trace elements.

Spraying for sago palms is an optional procedure. Dust can be removed with a damp rag. If the owner wants to put the cicada under the shower in the summer heat, then the top must necessarily be protected from moisture.