Cycads sold for indoor use by the Palm Centre will be happy in the average home. Many will cope with the dry air and low light levels that winter and central heating produce. To get the best from your cycad you should keep it away from any direct sources of heat and choose a location where it receives bright natural daylight, but avoid direct sunshine through glass as this can burn the leaves.

Generally speaking, cycads are not fussy about soil so any general purpose compost, mixed with some John Innes #3 and perhaps some slow release fertiliser like Osmocote, would be a good basis for your plant to thrive.

Indoor cycads should be kept moist and never be allowed to dry out. During the summer you will be watering as much as twice a week to maintain the moisture levels, whereas during winter you should water very sparingly. Don’t be tempted to over-water; most cycads dislike their roots sitting in a saucer of water and the soil should be moist, not saturated. Although not essential, palms which will benefit from being watered with rain water or water from a softener.

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