How to Fertilize Cycads, Part 2

The first part of this article discussed the problems that alkaline (high pH) soil and water present for growing cycads and other plants.  In this concluding portion, we'll address the specific nutritional needs of cycads, and how to solve the problem of alkaline soils and waters, while feeding your soil to grow healthy cycads and other plants.

Cycad Nutrient Needs

In addition to the first two concerns we've mentioned, alkaline soils and alkaline water, the third concern is Cycad-specific fertilizer needs.  In his fundamentally important article, Tom Broome pointed out that fertilizing is an important tool to augment cycad growth and coning. His research has revealed that cycads benefit from higher nitrogen, particularly soluble nitrogen, to provide the strength necessary to push forth large flushes of leaves and produce strong and viable cones. Tom points out that while cycads may look like palms, they have different fertilizer needs, writing:

I find many people using palm fertilizer on cycads. They think because cycads look like palms, they are closely related. Of the seed bearing plants, cycads are about the farthest plant group away from palms. Most palm fertilizers are low in nitrogen (with N around 7-10). To produce a high enough energy level so that previously mentioned results can be attained a fertilizer with a (higher) nitrogen level … needs to be used.

Also, it is well-documented by Tom and other cycad growers that micronutrients are necessary for healthy cycad growth.  This is something palms and cycads do have in common.

                       

Additionally, most cycads prefer a slightly acidic soil. This is opposite from what arid climates and an alkaline water supply offer.

The Solution: A Fertilizer that Addresses Soil and Water Alkalinity and Meets Cycads’ Nutritional Needs

Ultimately the fertilizer you’ll want to use on your cycads will combine nutrients from organic and chemical sources to accomplish the following:

1. Address soil and water alkalinity, both short-term and long-term, through a combination of organic and chemical sources that not only feed the plant, they also feed the soil
2. Add the necessary iron which cycads need but is absent or unavailable in most soils
3. Add organic material for the soil’s and plants’ long-term health
4. Provide a combination of nitrogen sources, organic and chemical, soluble and insoluble, to give the plant its necessary fuel for growth and also feed the soil
5. Combine chelated and non-chelated minerals for optimal nutrition

Finally, regarding when to fertilize, here is another graph from the Western Fertilizer Handbook:

If you fertilize when it’s cold outside, nitrogen takes much longer to get to your plants, and may have dissipated by the time the soil is warm enough to feed your plant(s). Weather should be warm when your cycads start pushing forth their new leaves. So, you should wait until outside temperatures average in the 70’s for a couple of weeks before you apply fertilizer in early spring. Then, apply fertilizer again in early summer, and perhaps once more in late summer just before fall.

I wish you the best growing success, and please contact us at the nursery if you have any questions regarding this information.

For information on recommended cycad fertilizers, as well as a printable version of this article, please visit http://www.cycadpalm.com/howtofecy.html

***Thank you to Glen Williams, whose contributions have augmented the information in this two part article, and have made it more clear and readable.***

Sources for this article include:
North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
Western Fertilizer Handbook
Seattle Public Utilities
Illinois Department of Public Health
Florida Water Resources Journal