OK, so I'll go with Osmocote then. Thanks for the advice, Elaine & Hetty.

Elaine, I know about seedlings and not over-watering them until they start to have signs of new growth. These I got a month ago and are around 7 years old, and other two are maybe 3-4 years old. Does that apply to them too?

It's time to water my cycads. The moisture meter is almost on red, still a bit on moist though. If not today, tomorrow I should water them. My question would be: do I add the Osmocote granules on top of the soil and then water or put the granules in the water before watering? I think it's not that important and may be a dumb newbie question, but I'm so afraid to hurt them.

Oh, and maybe wait for a warmer day to water them. It's pretty chilly today - around 64-65 and it has been this way for the last couple of days.

Also, would it be good for them to get some Epsom salts too?

Osmocote is a timed release fertilizer; you should put it in the pot and then you don't need to add it again for 3 months, it releases a bit every time you water.

Repotting always shocks a plant a bit. New top growth just indicates that your plant has forgiven you for disturbing it and is ready to go on growing. You shouldn't fertilize a plant that isn't growing, just like when they are dormant in winter you don't fertlize them and ease off on the watering until the weather warms up and they show signs of waking up.

The Osmocote fertilizer is not meant to be dissolved in water. You mix it into the top 2 or 3in. of soil. It is coated little pellets so it doesn't all release at once. It dissolves slowly over the course of months when you water the plant. Always read the directions on the package before you put any chemical on your plant!

I don't think the temperature really matters, if the soil is dry you should water them. Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) solution is good for most plants, but you should check if your soil already has magnesium in it. About a teaspoon per gallon of water should be plenty. Magnesium is what is known as a "trace" element that plants need, but they only need a trace.

Thank you for such a detailed explanation. I have to save these posts and keep them in my files.
Elaine, I did not fertilize my cycads yet because I wanted to let them acclimatize to their new home. They are not flushing yet but they seem to have grown a bit. It's time to feed them after more than a month since their repotting.

Now, that I asked about the cycads, is it a good time to feed my new plumie too? I just got it last Saturday, already potted, a little tree that already has buds. Now, I hope the weather will get warmer next days because we've had only cloudy days until now.

Mima if your plumeria is a rooted plant (rather than an unrooted cutting) you can go ahead and fertilize it.

Thanks Hetty, will do it this weekend for all of them.

I found this online today, looking for the right N-P-K content:
http://mgonline.com/articles/f...

It says there to just sprinkle on top of the soil. On the other hand, it says a different ratio than what I've found on some other website. Is it 2-1-3 or 3-1-2 good for cycads? And the same ratio would work for plumeria too, or should I get another ratio for it?

Thank you much for all the advice.

Thanks for posting the link.

I was looking for flaws in his list but he sold me when he stated 'plant professionals in South Florida do not use Miracle Grow'
I have been preaching against the use of MG for years. It is fine for annuals but does nothing to improve the health of a long-living plant.

The only thing missing in this article is an explanation of what the three numbers do.

Here is a good description:
(N) Nitrogen promotes leaf development.
(P) Phosphorus plays a key role in the growth of roots, blooming and fruiting.
(K) Potassium also plays a part in root growth, as well as in stem development.

Thanks for the explanation Hetty, it's easier for me to understand and remember things that I can link to real-life development rather than just empty numbers on a paper.

I guess that the high Nitrogen would be good for cycads, but for plumie it would need high Phosphorus? Hmmm, it seems like I'll need to go get other ratio Osmocote too. I also read that Epsom salt should be given at the same time with Osmocote (with a very low dosage of course), to keep the plant happy by having all the elements necessary. I just watered them yesterday and Epsom salt is to be given in water, so I'd give it to them in a week, with next watering. Please tell me if I am wrong and what should I do.

I've noticed in the last few days that some leaflets of a few of my cycads are not that neat anymore, they look more and more like they're ruffled but no wind here so I don't know what could be the reason. I've fertilized them with Osmocote 18-6-12 but I didn't water them after applying the fertilizer and I started noticing the ruffling of some of the leaflets a couple of days before fertilizing.

Here are a few pics taken today:

E. Manikensis - the tallest leaf.




E. Concinnus, also the tallest leaf.


Same leaf, different angle:




It also looks like my Ituriensis is kind of upset of something: its leaves are growing one over the other, and when I first got them they weren't overlapping like this.






Anybody has any idea what is happening?

I haven't found the answer to why the leaflets are so ruffled now, but I have another question: how do you clean cycads' leaves of dust? I know it is not good for them to sprinkle them because of the water that can accumulate at the caudex level and can increase the rotting susceptibility. Do you wipe the leaves with a damp cloth or something? How do you make them look pretty and not dusty?

Thank you for any input.

I just give my plants a nice hose down once in a while..with our sizzling hot temps, the plant dries up very fast. I do it early part of the day, while the plant is still in some shade, so there is no mirror effect that will burn the leaves as it dries out. Both of us are in Cali, and you are in SoCal, honestly, not a big problem at all to dry up..always dry, dry temps and very low humidity..

There's no reason you couldn't hose off the leaves of your cycads, Mima. They are tropical plants and they like humidity. Cycads growing here in Florida get rained on heavily, sometimes two or three times a day in summer, and don't have problems with crown rot. As long as your pots drain well, they will dry out and be fine.

You also should be looking at keeping the humidity up for your plants and possibly watering more considering the hot weather you've been having there. I doubt you can harm them no matter how much water they get in that hot, dry environment. I'd be misting them with a fine spray with the hose several times a day, I think. Once your summer weather sets in and you're getting maybe some fog in the daytime, that raises the humidity and lowers the temperature.

Sunset Zone 19 indicates an inland area, with no ocean influence.

Elaine, you are right about the Cycas from the Cycads family, most of those are tropical plants. However, I have Encephalartos, which are African cycads and usually grow in desertic areas. I know Encephalartos growers don't sprinkle them, so I was wondering how I could wipe their leaves to be shiny again. Oh, I have a Cycas Thouarsii but that one is not that dusty as the Encephalartos are, so I don't need to clean it.
Thanks for the advice.

Carol, indeed we don't have fog here, we're pretty inland.

In that case, you could try a mixture of mayonnaise and water on a soft cloth. That's what I used to clean the leaves of my orchids and make them shiny. I was told this is what people who show their orchids use.

The mayo has a little vinegar and a lot of oil, and you cut it with water just so it is thin enough to leave a sheen but not a greasy residue. It took off a good deal of the hard water deposits I had on a few orchids I had adopted from a fellow who watered them with well water.

So interesting, Elaine! I will try that. I hope not to eat them afterwards LOL. I love mayo.

Nice bit of information. There is commercial "leaf-shine", but the mayo trick is about as cheap as it gets. Ken