Question about Sago palms (home, neighborhood, move)

[mawipafl]

My Sagos got an extensive haircut yesterday - they look ridiculous (like tall umbrellas). What is the growth habit? Will they sprout new fronds underneath and go back to looking like they used to (oversized mushroom shapes with the fronds weeping over to hit the ground) or will they grow fronds just from the top (and continue to look like umbrellas)?

[FLPL75]

they grow from the top
you may get a couple babies that pop out at the bottom these you can remove and replant elsewhere

I did the same thing to the sagos at the project I just finished and the new growth came out pretty fast

[riveree]

I like them when they're short and wide too, Mawipawfl .

With age though, they become tree-like. One thing you can do, if you have the room, is to plant a few new ones around the tall one so you have a mulit-level thing going on....might look nice.

I planted a tiny sago about 5 years ago, and it's huge now, but I've never cut the old fronds off. When the sago starts to look a little yellow, I feed it the following:


1) Epsom salts (for the magnesium)

2) Milorganite (for the iron - great for turning things green )

3) Manganese (a micronutrient that palms need)


Once I do that, the yellowing stops and the sago greens up again .

[travelingfood]

what about white spots on the leafs?

[FLPL75]

travelingfood
look at this article from the U of fl Ifas
http://polkhort.ifas.ufl.edu/documen...ago%20Palm.pdf

[riveree]

Originally Posted by travelingfood

what about white spots on the leafs?

Yup, I agree with Karla, sounds like scale. Scale can be in black or white (different bugs).

I had one incident of white scale (I think it's an Asian scale?), and what ultimately worked was Ivory soap:


Buy regular Ivory dishwashing soap

Put a squirt into a spray bottle

Spray directly onto the white scale


You could also use Seven. Either way, it may take a few tries, but you want to hit it soon before the sago is covered. Spray the underside of the fronds too - anywhere you see the scale. Scale is tough and it takes tough measures to kill it .

[travelingfood]

Thanks Karla and Riveree ! noticed my beautiful sago's underside was covered in them, had to cut them off and hope new ones will grow healthy still.
wish can rep you both still!

[mawipafl]

K with a K - I know your sentiments about sagos :-)

Riv - thanks for the idea about planting little ones for the multilevel look

travelingfood - scale is why the fronds were trimmed although some research I've done says that unless the ground beneath is treated (so that the palm will soak up the treatment), the scale won't disappear -- I don't know the truth in all that -- plus I was told that scale travels easily throughout a neighborhood, so if there's scale next door, it'll come back.

I do know that our resident black racer was freaked when his/her home (the thick shady sago palms) were cut away -- poor thing didn't know where to go to hide and dove into a holly bush.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by mawipafl

travelingfood - scale is why the fronds were trimmed although some research I've done says that unless the ground beneath is treated (so that the palm will soak up the treatment), the scale won't disappear -- I don't know the truth in all that -- plus I was told that scale travels easily throughout a neighborhood, so if there's scale next door, it'll come back.

I have coonties/zamia - another type of cycad like a sago - and one gets scale all the time (the black scale) and the others don't, even though they're in close proximity. The one that's most susceptible is closest to the road my neighbor says that plays a role (road dirt carries the scale or something? ).

So some plants may be healthy enough to fight off the scale, but yes, if you're treating scale, it's a good idea to scoop up the leaf debris under the plant since the scale can be present in the debris and can reinfect the plant.

[FLPL75]

Originally Posted by mawipafl

K with a K - I know your sentiments about sagos :-)

imo sagos are like seafood
everyone else may like them but
not on my plate thanks