Growing guide
How to plant cycad seeds
Cycad seed is not difficult — it is just slow, and unforgiving of too much water. Work through these steps and keep notes of dates and species, since germination times differ widely between them.
1. Clean the seed
Remove the fleshy outer coat completely and wash the seed until nothing sticky remains. Left on, that flesh feeds mould and attracts insects. Wear gloves — cycad seed is toxic.
2. Let the seed rest
Freshly harvested cycad seed is usually not ready to germinate: the embryo still needs weeks to months to finish developing. Store it dry, cool and airy while it after-ripens rather than sowing the day it comes off the cone.
3. Float-test and sort
Drop the seed into water. Seeds that sink generally have a firm kernel; persistent floaters are often empty. Cut one doubtful seed open — good tissue is firm and white, not shrunken, grey or sour-smelling.
4. Soak before sowing
Soak for one to two days in clean lukewarm water, changing the water each day. This rehydrates the kernel and softens the seed coat.
5. Sow on the surface, not buried deep
Lay each seed on its side, pressed about half its depth into a coarse, free-draining medium — washed river sand, perlite and a little bark or coir works well. Keep the top of the seed visible so you can watch it and catch rot early.
6. Warmth and even light moisture
Aim for roughly 25-30 °C with a cooler night, in bright shade rather than direct sun. The medium should stay just damp — wet medium rots seed faster than anything else. Good air movement and clean trays matter more than fancy equipment.
7. Be patient
Some species push a root in six to eight weeks; others take six months or more, and a batch rarely comes up all at once. Do not throw a tray away early — keep it warm and lightly damp and let the slow ones catch up.
8. Pot on carefully
Once the root is a few centimetres long, move the seedling into a deep bag or sleeve — cycads root down, not sideways. Keep the seed itself sitting on the surface, do not break the root tip, and hold back on fertiliser until the first leaf has hardened.
Common reasons seed fails
- Flesh left on the seed, which turns mouldy.
- Sown too soon, before the embryo has finished developing.
- Buried too deep, so rot is only noticed once it has spread.
- Medium kept wet rather than just damp.
- Too cold, or wild swings between hot days and cold nights.
- Given up on after three months.