any idea about cycus multihead grafting

Hi everbody
I was searching the net and i saw the pics of cycus multihead.
Does any body know this teqnique. Is it natural or some grafting style is involved

I have never heard of grafting with Cycads. They will develop multiple heads with time, generally it takes a lot of time. My Zamia cycad did not make its first 'pup' - branch coming out of the base, at the roots, until it was over 10 years old. To get branching naturally is a long, slow wait. This is one reason those cycads in Japan and China with multiple branches are highly prized and very expensive. They are very old specimens, decades if not centuries old.

Natural method is best, reliable, but very slow.

IF your cycad is young, and was inexpensive enough that if you loose it, it won't be a great loss, then try forcing it to branch.

Least likely to kill your cycad is to cut out the central growing point of the crown, while still leaving one whorl of the oldest fronds. The trunk will eventually make another growing point at that point, often it will make multiple growing points. It may sit dormant, doing nothing for a long time, but it will eventually start growing again. This will look ugly for a number of years, but eventually the wound smooths out.

One could chop off the top, make a cutting, allow the cut to dry for a week or so (keep in shade) then plant the top as a cutting, it will loose all its leaves, but then it will eventually make roots and begin to grow, though it may sit dormant as long as 6 to 10 months before growing. The base of the tree will put out new growths from the base, and possibly the trunk, near or at the cut point. Again it may sit dormant for a long time, many months to even a year before doing so. Then you will have 2 pots with cycads. The older stump will be branched.

Cutting a cycad is always a risky business. It is possible to kill it. But I have had it work. I have only work with a Zamia and a Cycas revoluta. Neither was being raised as bonsai, just a 'house plant'. My Zamia the fronds are way to long, with widely spaced leaflets, to be anything other than a house plant. Cycas revoluta has better foliage, and could look good as bonsai. My Zamia is now over 30 years old, it is still in the same pot I planted it in back then. Cycads in general are very slow growers.

Thanks leo for sharing the infornation.
I would like to know as u have a vast information about cycus that can the new buds be attached with an old plant for new growth.

When new branches start at the base of the main stem after the terminal bud of the main stem is damaged, (often called "pups" here), the "pups" will be attached to the parent root system. Over time, at least several years, each pup will develop its own root system, but they will stay attached for a long time, decades perhaps.

I have never experienced, or even heard of people grafting separate plants together. That is not to say it can't be done, but I simply have not heard of or seen it done.

If you take separate plants, and plant them tight together, maybe even tie the root bases together with wire, or plastic tape, over time they may naturally fuse at the base. You could experiment with grafting on branches higher up the trunk, but as far as I know that has not been done. Cycads have a different vascular system than true trees, I don't know the mechanics of matching up the vascular regions the way you would match the cambium of scion and rootstock when you graft deciduous or pine trees. You might have to just experiment.

Hi leo
I read u r reply about cycus and the zamia .
I did not know about zamia. I had seen it and neverknew that they belong tosame family.
I was net searching zamia also . The pics i saw were also multihead. Though they being very old. U mentioned that cycas had diff. Machanism not like tree or pines. One thing i was thinking that can a mature cucus say some above one feet can it hollowed. Or say can itsurvive after hollowing. May be not as the cycus grow from the center.or say if it survive or the new bud as u said will grow after some dormant period from the sides then the new small plants can be fitted in the hollowed trunk so if it grows then the question is can the roots graft with the hollowed trunk . May be the water in the trunk which the new plants need will decay it as the cycus does not love to much water.......
Confused........
Ok can small pups be joined togeter on matured plant and tied so that they joinand creat multihead.
Ohho oooo its a difficult question.
The japanese and chinese keep lots of trade secret. They never let know the rest of the world so easily. Great i think they are upto something u never know.

I just don't know the answers.

My climate, which is more like northern Tibet than India (joking) Yesterday the low temperature was -17 F (-29 C) and the daytime high was only -12 F (-24 C).

In my climate Cycads have to be grown indoors in winter, there are only 3 or 4 months of outdoor weather ideal for growing cycads. So here they are slow growing plants. You might have very different results in your warmer climate.

I would say you should purchase a number of young cycads and experiment. Keep notes, and post here on the forum your results.