Xtremehorticulture

Different Types of Sago Palm (Cycad)

Q. Have you ever seen a sago palm that has different types of leaves and fronds? I can’t find any pictures of a sago that look like this.  Also, mine grew extremely fast, in a matter of weeks. I purchased the sago with the original fronds that are dark colored.  The tree had been living about 6 feet from a windmill palm tree.  Do you think it could have crossed? Even if sago palm (cycad is a better term, Cycas revoluta) is located on the north side of a home it still has a browning on the leaflet tips because of our low humidity. This sago palm can handle colder temperatures than other types. A. First of all, the sago palm is not a palm at all. It is just called a type of palm which its not. Each sago palm has evolved different strategies to handle where they are from. There are different types or species and even genera of sago palms. These are based upon their appearance, how big they grow and where they are available. Most are classified as the King sago palm, Queen sago, Queen sago palm and (a totally different genus and species) and the true sago palm to name just a few. The king sago palm, or Cycas revoluta, is the most widely grown type and most commonly available. The king sago palm is quite small, growing only to about 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide, making them small enough to qualify as an “indoor plant”. This is a queen sago palm (Cycas circinalis) is from a large nursery in central India. It is native to southern India and grows about 12 feet tall and 12 feet wide in hot, humid climates.   https://www.naturenursery.in/product/queen-sago-palm/             Sago palms come from a variety of climates but mostly tropical or semi tropical. Lots of different kinds to pick from if you can search online or buy them from out-of-the-way places. I occasionally look at Lowe’s and Home Depot’s garden centers for occasional “deals” but you have to know what you’re buying or at least willing to take a loss if you don’t. Rare sago palms can also be purchased from nurseries online as well as eBay.             All the information is the same regarding the fast-growing sago palms. They prefer to grow on the east side away from direct sunlight or at least in what we call “filtered” or speckled light. They also prefer to grow in amended soils and not in rock mulch. Some of them like warmer climates than others. Each one has evolved differently.             Be careful of fast-growing sago palms or cycads. It usually means they become larger than most others. Most sago palms are characterized as “slow growers”. I don’t know which type you have but some are meant for interiors and not the winter cold outdoors. Be careful unless you know what you are looking for. Use the scientific or Latin name when possible. Sometimes nurseries will confuse them and sell you one that you are not expecting. Even the pros get it wrong sometimes.

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How to Water Sago Palm (Cycad) Once Each Week in the Winter

Q. Now that our irrigation is only allowed for 1 day, I was wondering if once a week is sufficient watering for my small sago palm. Should I hand water it on other days? Not the readers sago palm (cycad) but it is small! It is in a container so it is more difficult to water than one planted in the ground. The soil in the container is more limited in size than one planted in the ground. A. Hard to say. Depends on how much water your soil around the sago palm holds, where the drip emitters for it are located and the side of the house it’s on. Hard to believe this cycad, or sago palm, is growing in Las Vegas. It was situated in the right location with the right care.            Ideally the drip emitters are located between 12 to 18 inches from the trunk. For large sago palms I would suggest three emitters spaced in a triangle. Run the irrigation system long enough to water 12 to 18 inches deep. you can measure that with something long skinny and hard like a piece of rebar. If the sago palm is smaller, it may need only two emitters to wet the soil to the same depth. Smaller plants don’t use as much water, but the system needs to run just as long. Hard to accept this is the same plant as the one above. But this one is located in the heat of the sun and growing in poor soils.            Plants on the south and west sides of the house or wall use more water faster than those on the east and north sides. A deep watering once a week should be all that is necessary for them in most soils and locations except the hottest.

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Can Sago Palm Grow in the Hot Desert?

Q. I understood that sago palms liked afternoon shade.  Can this plant handle afternoon sun with reflected heat and rock mulch? Sago palm or cycad in planter in desert landscape A. Sago palm or cycads will perform better with less care if they are planted in eastern or northern exposures rather than southern or western exposures. They will survive in your spot but will not look their best. They will grow in full sun and under some very tough desert conditions if the soil is improved, they are receiving the right kind of irrigation and fertilizer and surrounded by wood mulch.  Sago palm growing in partial shade in the desert When grown under these very harsh conditions they usually grow shorter fronds, the fronds are frequently discolored with a yellowish or bronze appearance and the fronds may even scorch or burn at the tips. When these plants are grown in more protective environments they look much better with more succulent growth, longer fronds, darker green with a lot less care. It would be incorrect to say they will not grow under some very harsh conditions but they will perform better and with less management in less hostile environments. Will it survive with rock mulch in an intense desert environment? Sometimes. But it will not have a long life expectancy and not look as pretty. Under rock mulch conditions with very little soil improvement I would give them 5 to 10 years looking okay after they were planted. 

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No Reason to Remove Female Inflorescence from Sago Palm

Q. It is my understanding that the ball growing in the middle of my Sago palm is part of its reproductive system. However, since I do not plan on pollinating the plant, how and when can I remove the growth?  Also, can you tell from the images if it is male or female Sago? A. Sago palms come as male or female. The flower or inflorescence of the male is long and cone shaped while the female is flat and disc shaped. That should be easy to remember. Yours looks like a female. Female sago palm or cycad.             Normally this inflorescence is not removed and you let it run its course. I am not sure why you would want to remove it anyway. It is a part of its natural appearance. Here is a nice little bulletin on it from Texas A&M on cycads or sago palm biology. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/Gardening-Handbook/PDF-files/GH-051–male-&-female-sago-palm.pdf

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Sago Palm Not Easy to Propagate

Q. How does one start new sago palms? I have a few fronds coming up at the base of our mature sago. What is the process for getting them to live after transplanting?   A. In the past sago palms were never very popular among nurserymen because they had a hard time making money from them. They were slow to grow to a marketable size and had a reputation for being hard to propagate from seed. They can be grown from seed, divided stems and pups. For you, the best way to propagate it will be from side shoots or pups. These are carefully cut from the stem with a sterile knife, dipped into rooting hormone and then placed in a soil mix that easily drains, and out of direct sunlight, for rooting. They need lots of light but it should be indirect light, not direct light. It is also a good idea in our climate to make a plastic bag greenhouse (clear plastic) for them to help keep the humidity high until they root. Rooting can take a long time so as long as the pup remains healthy, leave it in the propagating soil mix. Once rooted you should see a push of new growth. Make sure you let wounds in the main trunk heal before you let any soil come in contact with it. You might also increase your chance of success if you dip the pup into a fungicide, such as Thiram, Captan or Zineb, to prevent rotting. As an alternative to a fungicide you can let the pup air dry for a couple of days out of direct sunlight inside the house, not outside in the heat. Once the roots have formed it has been suggested that cycads respond well to fertilizer applications of nitrogen and potassium. I hope this helps.

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