Post
by chumleycycads.com » Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:39 pm
Yes, a few years ago, I was able to witness this first hand with Dr. Dehgan, at first treating Zamia Floridana with this new process with his horticultural students doing the treatments and the final outcome was a tremendous sucess taking the seedling thru a 3 year growing plan with the resultant plant being a full 7 gallon with many multiple heads. Quite impressive! The plants were big , full, and beautiful to say the least. As I had given him many Taitungensis, he decided to try a seven gal. plant of it also, with the result being about 200 pups about 3-4 deep completely surrounding a pineapple size Taitungensis. He also did similar experiments with Revoluta and Dioon Edule with the same results. It seemed the more chemical treatments of the plant.....the more suckers. And if less amounts of the treatment was applied....the fewer amount of suckers were expected. Upon visiting the large Cycad nursery I was managing at the time, Dr. Dehgan suggested that his crew of students treat many of my mature Taitungensis as an experiment. But the travel from Gainesville, the Hotel expenses, etc. for himself and his students was a 'difficult sell' to the nursery's owner, so we had to pass on his offer. The University quickly laid claim to the process and has not allowed him to use it as his own, unfortunately.
I live on 12 acres in Central Florida about half way between Tampa and Walt Disney World.I have seed colonies of over 60 varieties of cycads. I have over one half acre of variegated cycads and I make many hybrids as well.