I Think it's a Sago Palm - HELP!!

[Broke Down Ranch]

OK, my latest score is this little tree-ling that DH brought home from the little old couple. I think it's a Sago Palm "pup" and he was able to bring lots of rootage. But everything I've read says to cut off all the leaves and roots then stick it halfway down into my potting medium and wait for it to root (months).

Is this right? Has anybody else done this from babies?

 

[beefy]

i have started many a sago palm pup like you describe. but when you start them from pups they dont usually have roots like that, just the little base. that one has been pretty much living on its on looks like and not mooching on its parents much if any. usually they recommend to cut the fronds off when you transplant them (if not in container) or start pups. it will have a lot of starch reserves stored in its base so dont be hesitant to cut it back if you think thats what you need to or want to do. or if you want you can plant it like it is and wait and see if it begins to yellow. it may or may not, but when it sprouts new fronds they will probably be a little shorter and stockier at first anyway so you may want to just so all the leaves look proportional later on...
its really up to you. you wont kill it by cutting them back or not cutting them back. the reason they tell you to cut them back when starting pups is b/c the energy reserves in the crown are needed to develop the roots to support the plant. b/c yours has such a good root system start its not really necessary to cut it back but it wouldnt hurt either and would make the plant look tidier when it does sprout new growth.

i see no need to cut the roots back, but if you choose to do so then i would also cut the fronds back. just plant the crown about halfway down in the soil. (another reason for cutting of fronds is b/c it had no roots to support the plant --like keep it standing up, not like support it with food in this case-- and the wind will catch the fronds and knock it right over. but yours has roots! so you are pretty much good to go once you get it in the ground...

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

i have started many a sago palm pup like you describe. but when you start them from pups they dont usually have roots like that, just the little base. that one has been pretty much living on its on looks like and not mooching on its parents much if any. usually they recommend to cut the fronds off when you transplant them (if not in container) or start pups. it will have a lot of starch reserves stored in its base so dont be hesitant to cut it back if you think thats what you need to or want to do. or if you want you can plant it like it is and wait and see if it begins to yellow. it may or may not, but when it sprouts new fronds they will probably be a little shorter and stockier at first anyway so you may want to just so all the leaves look proportional later on...
its really up to you. you wont kill it by cutting them back or not cutting them back. the reason they tell you to cut them back when starting pups is b/c the energy reserves in the crown are needed to develop the roots to support the plant. b/c yours has such a good root system start its not really necessary to cut it back but it wouldnt hurt either and would make the plant look tidier when it does sprout new growth.

i see no need to cut the roots back, but if you choose to do so then i would also cut the fronds back. just plant the crown about halfway down in the soil. (another reason for cutting of fronds is b/c it had no roots to support the plant --like keep it standing up, not like support it with food in this case-- and the wind will catch the fronds and knock it right over. but yours has roots! so you are pretty much good to go once you get it in the ground...

Sadly I have already butchered it - no roots or fronds I have wanted a Sago for EVER so I am really hoping I can get this one to live since these suckers are so dang expensive

 

[injunjoe]

Plant it anyway.
It might still root for you.
It looks like the large root on the left is damaged anyway.
The trick will be to keep the soil just right, to wet and the crown will rot, yo dry and it will die.

Joe

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

Yeah, I need to let it dry for "a week or so" so that the cut areas don't develop issues. What should I use for a planting medium? Sand mixed with potting soil and perilite? Or mixed with vermiculite?

 

[injunjoe]

Sand mixed with potting soil and perilite?

The mix sounds good, but I would think if that critter sat for a week it would not make it!

Joe

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

Sand mixed with potting soil and perilite?

The mix sounds good, but I would think if that critter sat for a week it would not make it!

Joe

See, that's what scares me. But the same site that says to cut everything off says to let it "dry out" for a week or so before planting.....


http://www.rhapisgardens.com/sagos/sagopups.htm


Here's another one that says only let it set a couple of days....

http://www.texasriviera.com/gthumbs2/sagoimagepage2.html



It still scares me tho.....lol

 

[injunjoe]

They both seem to know what they are doing.
I would pick one site and go with what they said.

They grow very slow. If you want a nice size plant I would look on Craigslist or even put a request for one on there. Here people give them to you if you dig it up!

Joe

 

[beefy]

these are very tough plants. they can set out for well longer than a week and still live. all the reserves stored in the crown. dont worry broke, it will live despite the butchering and probably benefit from it. trust me, i do it all the time. you can even slice the crown up into pieces and those pieces will root and form new plants (over a long period of time). the biggest thing for sagos is good drainage as they will rot... and you need to let the scars callous over so it doesnt rot in those places.

since it has already started forming roots, it should do fine in plain ol potting soil or if you want to mix in some sand that will work nicely for drainage as well. they recommend "starting" them in a well draining mixture like sand, but yours is basically an independent plant already anyway. and it should sprout roots right back out sooner than a regular pup.

 

[beefy]

these are some i started

the top one didnt live b/c i cracked the bottom half of the crown off when i was separating it from the parent. but the other three did (even the little one in the bottom left i made into a separate plant)