Sago Palm Care

Although called a palm, the sago palm is a cycad which includes plants that are referred to as the 'living fossils'. The name stems from the fact that fossilized remains of cycads have been found that date back millions of years. While some species have become extinct, others have thrived till date with little change. One such member of the cycad family is the Cycus revoluta or the sago palm as it is more commonly known. These plants are very easy to grow. Sago palm care is easy even for those who are new at realizing their love for gardening.

Caring Tips

Being a very symmetrical plant that supports a crown of leaves spreading in all directions on a thick rough trunk, the Sago palm is a popular choice for ornamental plants. These are one of the easiest plants to grow that require minimal care. This palm can bear a wide variation in temperature ranging from 15 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it is important to take care that the plant is not exposed to frost during its early years as this may damage its leaves.

As far as light is concerned, the tree prefers the shade. But it grows well in bright light as well. As far as the water content in soil is concerned, one should be very careful as this plant will not tolerate excess moisture. For optimum sago palm growth, provide it with well drained soil. Water logging can cause root rot to set in which will hamper the growth of the plant and also cause it to die. Hence it is important to allow your palm tree to dry between successive watering. Humidity requirements for the sago palm ranges between dry to wet. Although it is a good option for plants for landscaping, it can also be considered to be grown in containers. If planted in the landscape then water the plant when the soil is dry. If grown in a container, let the soil dry completely. If the plant is receiving sun in the morning or afternoon or if the temperatures are high then water it once a week. Once the plant is established, the sago palm will tolerate drought conditions reasonably well.

For complete information on how to care for sago palm, one needs to be aware of yellowing of leaves which is a common problem of the cycad. Old leaves of this tree turn yellow to brown and then finally fall off as part of the plant's measures of conserving nutrients. However, yellowing of new leaves indicates nutrition deficiency. This problem can be handled by providing a feed of fertilizer like palm food to the plant. To minimize such problems, provide fertilizer to the plant once every six weeks during the entire growing period. Another point to remember when one sees yellow fronds is that the discolored leaves should not be removed, specially the lower ones as this may worsen the condition by accelerating yellowing of younger leaves. Hence refrain from pruning sago palm unless it is meant to remove the brown, dead leaves.

Although a hardy plant, it is susceptible to scale infestations. Scale insects are a common problem with most houseplants as they suck the sap from their host hence robbing them of important nutrients. This if left unchecked can cause death of the plant. One easy way of getting rid of scale infestations is to locate and hand pick these insects. Some insecticides also work well against these insects. Try to coincide the spray schedule with the crawler stage of the insects when they are most vulnerable to insecticides.

It is true that sago palm care is not a very demanding task. However, there is another fact to consider for those who love to see their plants grow quickly and it is that the sago palm is an extremely slow growing plant. In most cases, these trees add only about an inch or two, every year. So, even with the best care do not expect your plant to show a growth spurt.