Magnolia Landscape Supply BlogTips, tricks and answers to your frequently asked lawn and garden questions.https://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips Feature Article: ZAMIA PUMILA https://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/1069/feature-article-zamia-pumilaPalm TreesFri, 10 Mar 2017 19:56:04 GMT<p style="margin-left: -12pt;"><span><strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"></span></strong></span></p> <p style="margin-left: -12pt; text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color: #1d1b10;">&nbsp; &nbsp; contributed by:&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin-left: -12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">&nbsp;FAN AND FEATHER NEWSLETTER</span></p> <p style="margin-left: -12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Published by the Gulf Coast Chapter of the International Palm Society</span></p> <p style="margin-left: -12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>SPRING ISSUE * MARCH 2017</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">&nbsp; &nbsp; Feature Article: ZAMIA PUMILA</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 15px; color: #1d1b10;">BY:J Taverniti</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">This issue of Fan and Feather instead of featuring a palm we</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">will be looking at a cycad: Zamia pumila also is listed as Z.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">floridana and commonly known as Coontie. It is the only cycad</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">native to North America, (not counting Mexico) specifically,</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">peninsular Florida and three counties in SE Georgia. It was at</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">one time abundant throughout peninsular Florida but due to it</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">being a source of food for humans and being very slow</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">growing it is not very common presently in the wild.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">The name 'Coontie' actually is derived from the Native</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">American word meaning 'flour root'. Another common name</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">for this plant is 'arrow root', and during the early 1900's it was</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">widely harvested and processed into starch in factories all</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">over South Florida. These factories produced starch from</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Coontie, some of them up to 10 to 15 tons per day. By 1925</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">the once vast populations of Coonties were reduced to a small</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">remnant. In some areas of south Florida there were large</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">colonies especially near what is now Miami and Ft</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Lauderdale. In fact, there were so many in the Ft Lauderdale</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">area that the Indians called this place "Coontie Hatchee".</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">The Seminole moved to Florida in the mid 1700s and used</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">this plant as an important source of food. It was the Seminole</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">who gave us the name 'Coontie' which as stated above,</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">means 'flour root.' They processed the Coontie by cutting up</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">pieces of the root, pounding it nearly to powder, then putting</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">them through several washes, letting the starch sink to the</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">bottom. The resultant paste that formed was fermented, and</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">then dried to a powder and then used to make a flat bread,</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">called Seminole bread. Nowadays, Coontie are rarely</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">consumed for food but rather are appreciated for their value</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">as a landscape plant.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">The hardiness zone range for Coontie is 8B to 11, which</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">encompasses all of Florida, the Gulf Coast and much of the</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">West Coast as well as the most significant population centers</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">of Texas and Arizona. Coontie are best suited for partial</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">shade but do well in full sun. In Florida they are frequently</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">used in low maintenance landscape situation including urban</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">highway medians. This is a rugged but subtle accent plant</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">that boasts a deep green color and unique form. Although a</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">slow grower, Coontie is very tough, drought resistant and easy</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">to maintain. And although it is not a palm, in its low growing</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">profile, its leaf habit suggests a palm look-alike. Speaking of</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">form, with its arching leaves a single Coontie can stand</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">upwards of 3 feet and a colony of suckers can slowly form a</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">mound 5 to 6 feet wide. Coontie do best in soils with</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">moderate to good drainage. Soil pH is not usually a</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">limiting factor, and Coontie are considered to be salt</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">tolerant. The plant stores carbohydrates in a caudex</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">which allows it to survive relatively long periods without</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">water. The caudex also makes it possible to sell bare root</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">plants, which can be a great advantage when shipping</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">long distances Unfortunately, due to its long tap root in</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">mature plants, and the fact that Coontie roots are very</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">sensitive to being disturbed, it is very difficult to dig without</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">damage to the root and transplanting has a low success rate.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Plants should not be dug from the wild, as it will continue to</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">deplete the native population and survival rate is low on</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">these extracted plants. Instead Coontie are readily available</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">from certain nursery outlets and online. Also, Coontie produce</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">an abundant seed crop and individuals can be grown from</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">seed which we'll talk about further along in this article.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Coontie are dioecious plants. The male plants produce</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">cones that emerge in August and shed pollen in</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">November and December. Male cones can be up to 16</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">cm in length and are usually 3-5 cm in diameter.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Female cones emerge at the same time and are</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">rounded and 14 cm in diameter. Female cones are</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">generally shorter and always broader than male cones.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Pollinators for Coontie are two different species of</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">beetle and the wind. At one time there was an</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">extensive planting of Coontie around the Naval Hospital.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">From them, I collected seed and grew the Coontie that I</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">presently have on my property. Unfortunately, all of</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">those Coontie were removed when the hospital grounds</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">were re-landscaped during an expansion project.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Growing your own from seed is the primary way to get</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Coontie. The key to Coontie seed germination is</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">removal of the seed coat residue. The seed coat is</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">thought to inhibit germination. To do this, collect seed</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">from female plants when the seed cone begins to break</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">apart. Soak seed in water for six to eight weeks to</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">soften the seed coat. After this step place the seeds in</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">a bucket 1/4 to 1/2 full of uncleared seed. Add sufficient</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">water to barely cover seed. Use an electric drill</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">equipped with a long shank and a round wire brush to</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">agitate the seeds in the bucket. When the water is thick</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">with seed seed coat residue, empty the bucket into a</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">strainer or onto a wire mesh screen and wash with a</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">stream of water. This may take three or four cycles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">After seeds are clean they can be planted in community</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">pots to save space as the seeds will germinate</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">erratically over a two year period. Keep the community</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">pots watered to remain moist. As they germinate and</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">attain a little size they can be transplanted to single pots</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">and eventually placed in the ground.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">CAUTION: seeds in community pots should be covered</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">with hardware cloth. I like to cut the wire into a disk that</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">neatly fits into the top of the pot and can also be easily</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">removed. Why do this? Because rats and squirrels like</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">these seeds more than you do and will steal them right</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">out of the pot even though planted under soil.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">There are few pests that bother Coontie. About the only</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">one of significance is Red Scale, which can be controlled</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">with horticultural or dormant oil.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">A close relative of the Coontie is the Cardboard Palm -</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Zamia furfuracea, a species native to Veracruz state of</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">eastern Mexico. Most of us are familiar with this species</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">of Zamia. It is an attractive plant with thick, very stiff</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">leaflets, hence the name cardboard, but is not as cold</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Hardy as the Coontie. That said I have gone winters</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">without it dying back to the ground, but if it dies back it</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">will send leaves up again when the weather warms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Unfortunately, specimen plants in the ground rarely</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">attain any significant size due to periodic freeze backs.</span></p>1069Sago's and Scalehttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/1066/sagos-and-scaleGeneral,Lawn & Garden Tips,Palm TreesFri, 02 Sep 2016 19:40:03 GMT<p>The latest tidbit to cross our paths is regarding Scale on Sago's. It is an organic route and i<span>t does takes a while to show the benefits but by this time next year your Sago's could be scale free. What is it? </span>&nbsp;<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coffee Grinds.</span></strong> We have heard w<span>ith continual application of coffee grinds&nbsp;</span>to the surrounding ground of your Sago it can be an effective treatment in eliminating the scale on the Sago's. This is an ongoing application as is any routine to keep the plants healthy. Give it a try, it could save you a lot of aggravation and added expense trying to keep the scale off your Sago's.</p>1066July Lawn & Garden Tipshttps://www.magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/12/july-lawn-garden-tipsLawn & Garden Tips,Palm TreesTue, 01 Jul 2014 18:39:00 GMT<div class="itemIntroText" style="color: #444444; padding-top: 4px; padding-bottom: 12px;"><span style="color: #840a27; font-family: 'PT Sans', cursive; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 34px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="" src="/Portals/magnolialandscape/Crapemyrtle/Tonto_thumb.jpg" />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Planting</span> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Get your flower beds noticed with all the color of the Coleus, hibiscus, penta, plumbago, marigold, zinnia, periwinkle, petunia, ageratum, just to name a few.&nbsp; These plants are not only showy, they are heat and drought resistant and a good addition to any flowerbed.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Your houseplants can spend the summer outdoors. Assure they are sheltered from the sun&rsquo;s direct rays and any hard winds/rain. Feed and water them regularly.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Fertilizing</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Now is the time for the second and last fertilize application for the centipede yards and you can fertilize Zoysia lawns now with the lawn fertilizer 16-4-8.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Palms are in active growth cycle during the summer and need the extra magnesium sulfate. You can use an 8-2-12. We carry a complete line of Palm Fertilizers from 5 to 50 lbs as well as Magnesium Sulfate.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Most trees &amp; shrubs are poised for a second flush of growth and should be fertilized with a ratio of&nbsp;12-6-6.&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Watering/Irrigation</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Assuring your plants/trees and or garden get plenty of water should be your biggest concern during the heat of the summer. Add a rain gauge in your garden/yard to keep up with the amount of rain you&rsquo;ve had to help you keep up with how much you need to supplement. Remember to deep water, not just spray over the plants. Don&rsquo;t forget your plants on the porches and decks, those beautiful container gardens and hanging baskets you have around. They need to be checked more often and possibly watered more frequently as they have such a small space to store water.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Your irrigation may be supplying the lawn with all the water it needs but make sure the plants and trees are also being watered well by it.&nbsp; They have deeper roots than sod and should be checked for additional watering.&nbsp; Consider drip irrigation for the plants/trees. &nbsp;You may want to consider drip irrigation for the container plants and/or hanging baskets as well.</p> </div> <div class="itemFullText" style="color: #7b8181;"> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Pruning and Maintenance</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Do not prune your azaleas and rhododendrons after the second week of July. They are beginning to set new buds for next year&rsquo;s blooms.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Deadheading is the chore for this month.&nbsp; Cleaning out the faded and spent flowers. There are some that you maybe holding out for those seeds but once you have collected those, it&rsquo;s time to make way for the new. Regular deadheading of some of our plants of today, just make the plants produce more and more for long showy seasons.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">This is also a good time to clean out any dead or diseased plants or limbs/stems.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Miscellaneous</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">This is the beginning of the hottest parts of summer and the thought of garden chores can really cause us to groan, but stick with it. Every small amount you do adds up. So if you have a large chore, break it down into smaller jobs, pick the morning or evening time to do it when the heat isn&rsquo;t so bad and before you know it, you&rsquo;re done.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">While working in the yard, pay attention to yourself as well. Make sure you drink plenty of liquids for hydration, wear a sun block to help prevent sunburn and take breaks often, preferably in the shade. If you have a health condition that may be aggravated by extreme heat or exertion, consider a medic alert bracelet or necklace for your additional protection.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">These hot days are good days to start planning your fall gardens because you can do that inside.&nbsp; These is also a good time to check in with your local nursery to see what new flowers they may have gotten in and what may have gone on sale to make way for the next season.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Pests</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">To help keep the mosquitoes down in your yard, eliminate any standing water. It is the prime incubator for mosquitoes.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Keep weeds from your gardens/flowerbeds. The weeds use up the nutrients and water you have provided for your planting. Top-dress your mulch if it has settled too much or washed away.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">You can aide your Roses in the prevention of a rose disease by having a fungicide spray program.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">You should scout for insects and disease to stay on top of it. To look for the hard to see insects, hold a sheet of white paper below a branch and tap the branch. Look at what falls off, if the black spot moves, you have an insect problem. It would need to be identified and dealt with before it causes any or more problems.</p> <h2 style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Lawn</h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Did that last rainfall remind you of that low spot in your yard? Add a good topsoil but if your low spot is more of a hole, add gradually so your grass will grow up through it and establish it as the new height of that area.&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 15px; background: transparent;">Keep your lawn at about three inches so the grass actually shades its roots and the soil. This helps to retain water and keep roots from the heat of the direct sun. As we said last month, don&rsquo;t bag your clippings, this is a good way to return the nitrogen back to the soil and it doesn&rsquo;t cost a thing.</p> </div>12