by Matt Gibson
Looking to add a sago decoration flora to your garden ? Like some ferns , the sago palm tree plant has been around since the prehistoric era , and the sago palm is one of the old groups of plant in the jazz world . How cool is that ? Despite its namesake , the sago palm is not a palm tree , but rather is a member of the industrial plant family holler Cycad , of the genus Cycas .
The sago palm may not be a palm tree by name , but it does look like one , which is how the sago palm came to gain its slightly shoddy name . This easy - growing houseplant produces just one new set of folio for every year of care from the nurseryman . The most recent year ’s fresh craw of leaf are easygoing to the touch as they emerge , but as the foliage starts to grow and ripen , the leaves each morph into a hard , pointed spear .
Varieties of Sago Palm
There are around 40 acknowledge species of sago palm in the Cycas genus , but only one type is normally grown in the United States . Unsurprisingly , that type is love as the common sago palm , also call in Cycas revoluta . The common sago decoration is grown in two different form : one male and one distaff adaptation of the plant .
King Sago
While the manful plant , referred to as king sago , grows bombastic enough , new crowns set out to appear as the plant starts to branch out . Once male monarch sago plants become established in the garden , the space - claiming core becomes detectable as new outgrowth start to come out from the tree ’s two- to three - foot body .
The Martin Luther King sago plant life is much smaller than its female twin , reaching maturity at around eight feet in superlative and width . King sago is normally grown as a houseplant , while its poove requires an outside environment , as it is too large to grow indoors .
Queen Sago
The female , or queen sago — counterpart to the king sago palm , is a mammoth from the age of the dinosaur . Queen sago is really more of a tree diagram than a bush , turn as large as 15 animal foot in stature and 12 metrical foot in breadth once maturity is reached .
Growing Conditions for Sago Palm
Sago ribbon trees opt lustrous but collateral light , so take maintenance to choose a property to plant your sago palms ( and select a spot to store them ) in a location that does not invite verbatim sunlight . Keep the soil moist throughout the spring and summer month , then reduce your level of watering during the wintertime . Sago palms thrive in ardent , humid climates and can not perform well in zone with climates where they ’ll experience freezing temperature and extreme wind .
If you ’re grow your sago palm plant in a container , verify that you use a well - draining potting mix with lots of organic matter and a neutral pH. You ’ll also require to verify to fecundate your plant both at the beginning of the spring and throughout the grow time of year . rent the ground dry out completely between tearing .
How to Plant Sago Palm
The best way to get a sago palm flora of your very own is to take a gardening friend who owns a mature plant if you could have one of its pups . Though sago medal plants are most normally propagated by seed , the sago palm is seldom grown from cum at home by hobbyist gardeners . This phenomenon is because the sago palm is a fleck reproductively finicky in that it ask both a male and a female industrial plant to be present in ordering to bring forth viable seed .
Once you get your hands on your own sago palm specimen , commence by drying out the moist ends of the puppy . Then plant your sago palm two inches below the soil , making sure to bequeath its prickly spines give away to the candid air . Water your sago palm often after implant until the new tree diagram begins to take root .
Care of Sago Palm
Regular watering is required during the growing time of year , but hydration should be lessened during the winter . pee deeply , and leave the ground to dry completely between waterings .
Fertilize sago medallion trees in the spring as well as throughout the develop season . Amend clay - heavy or sandy soils with scads of compost to ensure right drainage .
Trim the leave of absence of your sago palm once per year , in the declivity . slue the leaves back as close to the tree trunk of the tree as potential using a long - handle branch trimmer . Start at the bottom , and cut the spears off from underneath . Work around and toward the mall of the plant , leaving one words of spear at the crownwork .
Because sago palm trees grow so slowly , you will only necessitate to repot your plant once every three or four years . However , every spring , give the plant some care by remove it from its pot or garden bed then amending the territory withlots of compostor constituent material to ensure continued healthy growth .
Reproduction of Sago Palm
Though propagation of sago palm plants is typically done via seed , it is virtually impossible to grow sago ribbon from seed successfully in a home garden . Therefore , as we ’ve mentioned , the best way to get more sago palms is to harvest the pup from a matured sago decoration plant . Both a male and a female sago must be present for the founding of new pup . Patience is the key factor to propagating sago palms , as it may take a period of more than of 15 years for mature industrial plant to reproduce .
To disseminate sago pups , use a shovel and lodge it into the base of the pup . Leverage the whelp outward with the handle of your shovel until the new sago plant pops off . If the pup does not separate from the parent plant easily , it is not quick to withdraw yet .
Tips for Sago Palm Success
Sago plants are often grown indoors because it is easier to replicate a tropical environment at heart for those not lucky enough to live in a tropical clime . try out to create a warm , humid environment indoors for your sago palms by providing plenty of warmness and misting the plants frequently . Consider move sago palm out of doors during the summertime so that your plants can enjoy the rude heat the warm season allow for .
The sluttish elbow room to down your sago palms is to overwater them . Though these plants do n’t like being overly moist , they do appreciate moisture in the air , so strain to provide a humid environs for them . If sago palms are allow to dry out for longsighted period between waterings , the tips of the foliage will go to dark-brown or get moderate dieback .
Garden Pests and Diseases of Sago
Palm
plate bugsare a common problem with sago palms , especially in sure mood areas . plate bugs can be the culprit if you notice the parting or lance of your sago thenar plant begin to yellow .
yellow leaf can also be due to insufficient drain or overwatering , but the yellowing effect is usually due to scale bugs . handle the infestation aggressively with a systemic insecticide when you see yellowing crop up in Modern growth .
The farewell of the sago palm are also susceptible to fungal rot , which is easy to detect , as brown spots will commence to appear on the leaf of affect plants . Though fungous rotting will not belt down your sago palms , it can make them look indisposed and unhealthy . hit strike foliage entirely to get rid of the fungus .
Toxicity Warning for Sago Palm
All parts of the sago palm flora aretoxic to pets and human beings , particularly the plant ’s seeds . If you have dogs , cat , or small children , it is best to trifle it safe and keep your sago palm plants far out of their range . If any part of the plant is take by children or pets , immediate medical aid should be seek , as toxicity degree of the works are considered knockout .
Want to Learn More About Sago Palm?
This unretentive , informative introduction teach you the basics of sago palm care and criminal maintenance :
Interested in propagating your sago palms ? This tutorial film express you the proper manner to glean sago laurel wreath pup for generation :
Trimming your sago palm is an important part of its care , and this instructional moving picture shows you just how to do it right :
Love your sago palm tree , but detest where it ’s located ? This short how - to will teach you to relocate your sago palm without damage its beginning system :
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