I place it on my deck in the summer and bring it into the house in the fall, because it gets quite cold here in NV in the winter. Before buying our puppy, we knew of the dangers from our friend's tragic experience, but we felt safe knowing that we had no sago palms in our yard. Sagos don't flower but do produce large, cone-like structures after about 15 years of growth. I don't even know if they grow where I live. The repetitive damage to the roots causes the palm to stop its growth. You might be able to save the plant. Sherry Venegas (author) from La Verne, CA on March 27, 2018: Hi Jeanette, I leave them on the tree and let the next years new flush of leaves push them down. Use a long-handled branch trimmer. One spring it took me two days to get the pups off. Mark where you will cut slits for the leaves to poke through. Sago palms are bright red to orange-hued. This blocks the penetration of sunlight to the leaves and reduces the ability of the plant to make food. Many gardeners prefer to use unglazed terra cotta pots because excess soil moisture can evaporate through the porous pot. After reading this, I am not tempted to grow it. Usually, it is a male that will branch off. Third, fertilize sago palms with a balanced fertilizer. ( unusual for here ) BUT I have had my Sago in SE Missouri for 15 years..its almost 6 ft tall in a huge pot..I have to use a 2 wheeler to roll it out to the patio..Most folks have no idea what it is or why I kept it so long. Sherry Venegas (author) from La Verne, CA on August 22, 2018: Fairygardens. Unfortunately that was a false sense of security. The deficiency appears as yellow spots on the plant and can gradually lead the leaves to curl in unnatural ways. The leaves on my sago are yellowing. Planted 2 Sago palms from pots a few years ago beside a swimming pool where I live. Fortunately, there are some easy solutions to help bring your Sago Palm back to health if its leaves start to turn brown. Look for new flush of fronds in late spring early summer. Looks dead but its not brittle to break off ? Are they worth anything? Sago palms are easy to grow and maintain if kept in ideal growing conditions. They are beautiful plants, though." It adds the beauty in your garden area outdoors and they need partial shade to grow. Elevation: 15 feetI'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade. The damage causes stunting of growth and dropping of the leaves. I have a couple of Sago Palms in my front yard, well, more like a cluster. Neighbor did ten years before I moved here and it takes hours of cutting every spring/summer. Since theyve been around since prehistoric times it seems they are doing fine left alone. Cut the fabric to the size you need, allowing enough extra to tuck under the plant. It has 9 original fronds. Scale is airborne so keep all your sagos sprayed even if they don't show scale. Sherry Venegas (author) from La Verne, CA on December 31, 2019: I have not moved a sago that large, but if you wait longer the trunk will only get heavier. To prepare the seeds, soak them in room temperature water to soften them and remove the outer husk. Drink the brewed water twice a day, cup each. Cut off the dried up fronds at the end of winter. Allow your plants to dry out a little between each time you water. Avoid overhead watering the sago palm trees to prevent building a moist environment for the fungus spores. It's probably only going to become more of a nuisance and harder to move as it gets bigger and continues stretching for light. We bought our very first sago Palm a few months ago and the tips of the leaves have gone yellow and some leaves have started to curl and look quite dry. I managed to trim the outside part, but the interiors are a bit trickier to get to. This makes the sago palm unable to extract the necessary nutrients from the soil. Ensure the top layer of soil has dried out before watering. She is still rumbustious and curious as pups are. That option is for those who have experience handling such equipment. "Sherry Venegas (author), "If they would just top out at about 2 feet tall, they would be awesome!!!! Check and see if the trunks remain dry the whole summer. There are pups halfway up the 4 trunks though. I have three sago palms and our pup has chewed most of their leaves. What are the Most Common Pothos Pests and Diseases? I would go for good spacing between each tallest tree. Start by gently reducing the watering as the plant has more limited needs. Adding value to underutilized food resources: substituting wheat flour with sago starch in cookie formulations. The curled leaves present a smaller surface area to the wind, which reduces the amount of wind damage the plant experiences. Sago palms are hardy up down to zone 8. Should I fertilize it? I have a question, after how long will sago pups will give offsets as well? It has has just the one frond and hasnt added ant other growth. Deborah Carr from Orange County, California on May 25, 2014: I don't have this type of palm, but I am glad you wrote this article so that I am not tempted to buy one! With all this nurture, she thrives well and grows new fronds yearly. If so, make sure it is not crowded among other pots and flowers. By reading all the above information, I am sure you will be able to handle all your Sago palm problems with no sweat at all. Male crown of the sago palm: This is growing on the crown a few weeks after the branch cutting I did above. My plant has spent many years between trimmings. You have an experimental situation. These pests suck the sap out of the leaves of the sago palm, causing them to turn yellow and eventually die. I know it's not dead because it's ready to cone. Especially in the spring and summer, these shrubs are covered in huge globes of blooms Beangrowing.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. They are a pain to maintain ..we LOVE the plant. The summers are hot. Question: My female sago has doubled bloomed which has never happened before. Let dry out before watering again. Answer: I would give it a try in the ground in a sunny, dry place with the root ball. Like other palms, the sago palm's root system doesn't have a tendency to spread horizontally through the planting site, but grows vertically deep into the ground. Sago is a a starch that comes from the sago palm. I am of the opinion that removing all of them would not harm the original plant. Do it once a month so those pups do not get too big. Also like other palms, the sago palm forms a large root ball that becomes extremely heavy as it ages. Rooted pups are very popular at yard and garage sales, but it is impossible to tell which is female or male. Our 7 1/2 ft sago is quite happy. The grower from where I bought the plant told me. The porous material will help absorb excess moisture from the soil. They have grown beautifully. Any hope in straightening out this leaning Bentinckia condapanna away from my walkway and saving it from my wifes wrath? The leaves can be up to six feet long and are arranged in a spiral pattern on the trunk. When grown in the garden, plant them in the early spring or late fall. While a sago palm will tolerate lower light conditions, it does best with bright light indoors. It is looking very stately. You should be enjoying a clean plant till the beginning of next year. Joseph Boggs, "Give your sago spouts as gifts!" Sago palms can develop yellow leaves due to many different problems but the most common conditions are described below: The most common pests which disturb sago palms include the Asian scale. Water whenever the soil feels dry to the touch, making sure never to overwater to the point of soggy soil. Some of the most popular choices include: 1. Even if your plant has recovered from an insect strike, you might notice small black spots that look like dirt or soot on leaves or stems. I bought a sago palm 45 years ago and kept it in a pot until 20 years ago. Sherry Venegas (author) from La Verne, CA on September 07, 2017: Josie, plant nurseries no longer want sagos as mature specimens for landscape design because there are too many available. James, Your older plant may need repotting. The tree was neglected for a number of years, and now it has trunks or three crowns on the top and numerous sprouts at the bottom. 1. No pests. I've got two potted sagos, one for about 15 years, the other for about 8 years and seven boston terriers who have never gone near them. Sooty mold is a fungus that grows on the secretions that tiny bugs leave behind. The first symptoms of the disease include yellowing of leaves which then gradually affect the leaves and cause them to curl. When would you recommend doing the trimming? Any suggestions? I'm taking care of the pups until they get bigger, but I'm not sure what to do with them once they grow up. The partial shade and the moister air in Florida.It is good that you trimmed it. Holy crap, you folks sound as if the sago palm is a creature lurking in the dark, ready to eat you. Just wanted to let you know the story. Their fronds bush out in a radial pattern, growing to between 3 and 6 feet long. Leave seven or eight this year. Not posioned so she must be part Indonesian? Palm Sugar. If it's a bad scale year you need to stay on it, every week or ten days especially when it's super hot. In cooler climates, they're often grown as houseplants. Be sure to read the other Q&As in this column for more info." All parts of the sago palm are extremely poisonous. One of the most distinctive features of these plants is their leaves, which are long, thin, and curl up at the edges. Sago palms are an iconic landscape plant in many parts of the world, but they are also one of the most pest and disease-prone plants around. I have started trimming (hacking away at more like) a Sago that probably hasn't been trimmed in 10+ years at a house we just bought. The Dr couldn't believe it was in there about 2 was. Boil 13 grams of dried sago palm leaves with 2 cups of water. You may see some shock the first year, but next year should be looking good. You want the water to get down at least two feet (61 cm.) As to readers who get their set in stone opinions from the TV news I'd need to see the news readers landscaping credintials first. If you have a curious pet who likes to chew on plants throw them away as soon as the pet can access them. Answer: You can remove it while it is still green. Sago palms do not like wet, soggy soil, so opt for anunglazed ceramic or terra cotta pot. Sherry Venegas (author) from La Verne, CA on June 22, 2020: If the plant is in a pot place it in partial sun. This plant is widespread in the eastern and north-central United States. Sherry Venegas (author) from La Verne, CA on February 13, 2019: Yes, that is normal. Later I cant reproduce this growth. The stout trunk and the crown of bright green fronds make them quite attractive for landscaping. This will help to promote growth and prevent browning of the leaves. If you have no spot to relocate or a pot to replant your anthurium, pruning might be your best bet to solve that leggy issue. Then you may see pups around that trunk sprouting. I planted a lush green Sago Palm in my front yard last Spring in Myrtle Beach. However I owned a sawzal/reciprocating saw & this is much more effective giving a sawing action as on the bigger male plant I had to cut away the larger pups as I could not pry them off with a large metal bar. I will keep it in mind. Sago Palm Quick Facts They are slow-growing, taking as long as 50 years to reach their full height. If you put it inground the first year will be time to acclimate. Dig your hole so that it's at least six inches wider on all sides and six inches deeper than the plant's existing root ball. Another sign of root rot is an oozing, black sore or stain on the trunk. With a tape measure, determine the width and height of the palm's root ball and then dig accordingly. It was a slow plant to grow. I would not have one where children will play. The roots keep getting deeper until the tree reaches full maturity around the age of 50. But when in doubt, rip it out. Too much moisture will sit on the crown and cause white fungus and rot. Maybe not till spring even. 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