cycad blue butterfly life cycle

How do you kill a blue butterfly cycad?

Colin answers: "Look into the crown and you will see tiny caterpillars. They're from the cycad blue butterfly and they've caused the damage. Get a cup of vinegar, and add a litre and half of water. Then spray that mixture onto the leaves and that will should kill them."

What do you spray on cycads?

The good news is the solution is simple. Use Dipel, Success or pyrethrum and any of these will control the caterpillars responsible. Spray as new growth unfolds, repeat the sprays after rain, and keep going until the leaves have fully opened out.

How long do cycads take to grow?

While cycads have a reputation for slow growth, this is not always the case. Some actually grow quite fast like the Zamia species which reaches reproductive maturity in 2–3 years.

How do you save a dying cycad?

Rot can cause cycads to decline or possibly die if it is not addressed. If you find rot on your caudex, use a sharp, sterile cutting tool (knife or saw) to remove the rot. Cut the rot away until you have only hard tissue that is whitish or light tan in color.

What is eating my cycad?

The Cycad Moth, which is a blue-grey butterfly, lays eggs in the newly emerging crown of the cycad. The eggs hatch within 2-3 days and the hungry caterpillars immediately start eating the new foliage as it unfolds. ... If you can protect the cycad during the few weeks it flushes you will have an amazing full cycad.

What is wrong with my sago palm?

When sago palms lack manganese, the newest leaves will develop yellow splotches or be entirely yellow. As the leaves die, they turn brown and take on a frizzled appearance. Sometimes the leaves or fruit may be smaller than normal. If left unchecked, the sago usually dies.

What is the best fertilizer for cycads?

Fertilizing four times a year will ensure proper nutrition and growth. Typically, a granular fertilizer for palms with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) that contains additional magnesium (Mg) and a complete micronutrient amendment is sufficient for cycads and will supply all the necessary nutrients.

Do cycads prefer sun or shade?

Most Cycads Prefer Full Sun

Unless you live in a far interior desert-type climate, you should assume that the majority of your cycads would prefer full sun. There are very few species that thrive in dark garden locations.

Why do cycad leaves turn yellow?

One of the most common complaints is sago palm yellowing. However, as is the case with most cycads, this is a normal reaction as the plant conserves nutrients — with older leaves turning yellow and then brown. ... Newly planted sago palms that suffer from yellowing may be the result of improper planting or poor drainage.

Do you need a permit for a cycad?

All cycads are protected and require a permit.

Various permits are needed for any activity that relates to cycads such as possession, transport, growing, buying or selling.

Why are cycads so valued?

In respect to this, why are cycads so valued? Obviously, the bigger the plant, the more valuable it is, and female plants are worth more than males. So cycad poaching is big business. But it's not only their commercial value that is lost when plants are stolen or removed.

Do cycads have a big root system?

When the nursery obtains new offsets, they are put into pumice or cycad soil. It literally takes five to ten years to develop what I'd consider a good root system. The first year after potting them up as a new offset (sucker) they'll have about six inches of roots.

Can you replant a cycad?

Cycads transplant easily under many circumstances. ... Gardeners in warm, frost-free areas sometimes include cycads in their landscaping since the plants possess a dramatic, graceful appearance, and many species transplant easily due to their compact root system and resilient nature.

Can you propagate a cycad?

How to do it: Cut off the side bud and remove all the fronds. Place the bud on a seed tray of composted pine bark and leave it somewhere relatively dry for about a year. The bud will slowly produce roots but it won't be ready to pot on until it produces new shoots – this can happen quite suddenly.

How do you separate a cycad pup?

The procedure is easy if you follow these simple instructions:

Dig away and fully expose the caudex you want to remove.
Spray away excess dirt from the pup and the mother plant.
Use a sharp, cleansed (to sterilize use bleach and then rinse with water) cutting tool such as a saw, chisel or knife to cut off the pup.

How do I keep moths off my plants?

There's many ways you can fight off the cabbage moths to reap bountiful harvests.

Pick the worms off by hand. ...
Swat the moths. ...
Use your poultry. ...
On the subject of birds, try to attract songbirds to your garden. ...
Try moth decoys. ...
Make your own plant spray. ...
Plant a trap crop. ...
You may want to try organic pesticides.

How do you treat scales on cycads?

To manage this scale, wash your plant with a vigorous spray of water to remove any dead or living scales. Then apply a horticultural oil, like Organocide, SunSpray oil, or Ultra-Fine oil, over the entire plant weekly for one month. If you have heavily infested plants, remove the leaves before treating.

Should sago palm pups be removed?

Splitting a sago palm pup is a matter of removing the pups by snapping or cutting them off where they join the parent plant. ... After separating sago palm pups from the parent plant, clip off any leaves and roots on the pups. Place the offsets in the shade to harden off for a week.

What is the best fertilizer for sago palms?

Choose a slow-release palm fertilizer, such as 12-4-12-4, in which the first and third numbers—indicating nitrogen and potassium—are the same or nearly the same. Check to make sure that the formula also contains micronutrients such as manganese.

How often do sago palms bloom?

Sago Palm Flower Removal: Can You Remove A Sago Plant Flower. Sago palms only bloom once every three to four years with either male or female flowers. The flowers are actually more of a cone since sagos aren't really palms but are cycads, the original cone forming plants. Some gardeners find them unattractive.