Repotting a Sago Palm
It’s finally feeling like autumn here in the Northeast with temperatures expected in the low to mid 60s for the next few days. My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew will soon move all the tropical plants back into the heated greenhouses where they will spend the winter months, including my collection of sago palms, or cycads, which I enjoy displaying outdoors during summer.
Unfortunately, earlier this week one of my sago palms fell over during a rainstorm. Its pot was completely broken and the plant had to be repotted right away. I love all cycads and have both large and small varieties. In fact, many of the plants started as pups, which were removed from adult specimens and replanted in my greenhouse.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This year, I displayed a collection of sago palms in the courtyard in front of my stable. This glazed terra cotta pot fell over during an overnight rainstorm. Thankfully, the plant itself was not damaged and can easily be transplanted.
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- The pot is not salvageable – the sides and the bottom were all cracked and broken. We will, however, save the pot parts and use the shards in planting other containers – nothing is ever wasted here at the farm.
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- Unfortunately, all my large planters were already filled with plants. This one was the only pot I had that could accommodate the large sago. Cycads like “deep pots,” so take depth over diameter when selecting a container size for a sago palm. This will work fine for now.
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- A little soil is placed at the bottom of the new pot along with shards of broken pots which are used to cover the holes to prevent soil from spilling out when the plant is watered.
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- Here, one can see the hole – one of six – in this large container.
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- This plant definitely needs some attention – the root mass has grown quite a bit. Repotting is a good time to also check any plant for damaged, unwanted or rotting leaves or pests that may be hiding in the soil.
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- Sagos don’t mind being a little root bound. This one is not too bad. If the roots were wrapped around the plant, that would be called girdling and essentially chokes the plant, and restricts the movement of water and nutrients to the leaves as they put pressure on the trunk.
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- Brian scarifies the root ball, or slices through the roots, in several areas to encourage root growth. It may seem harsh, but the plant will send out new feeder roots and should soon recover.
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- Sagos and other palms do not have woody roots like most of our woody ornamentals but they are massive and will continue to grow in length as long as the palm is alive. The roots are unbranched and go straight down to the soil.
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- Here, Brian shows a live root and one that has died and already turned color.
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- Cycads like a good draining soil. Be sure the soil medium includes elements such as peat moss, perlite, and a little sand.
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- I have many, many cycads. The sago palm, Cycas revoluta, is a popular houseplant known for its feathery foliage and ease of care. Native to the southern islands of Japan, the sago palm goes by several common names, including Japanese palm, funeral palm, king sago or just plain sago palm.
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- The pinnate leaves are typically about four to five feet long at maturity, and nine-inches wide, reaching their greatest length when grown in partial shade.
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- The rough, symmetrical trunk becomes leafless as it ages and gives way to an evergreen crown filled with upward pointing fronds. The tips are quite pointy and sharp, so it’s best to plant it away from lots of foot traffic.
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- The sago palm is a slow-growing cycad, and it can take up to 100 years for it to achieve its maximum height of 20-plus feet tall. Its slow rate of growth makes the sago palm suitable for use indoors. It thrives in sunny to shady sites and can withstand some drought once established.
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- These are where the leaves were cut. When pruning, only cut off the old and dying leaves, especially towards the base of the tree where they are oldest. And cut them off as close to the trunk as possible.
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- Ryan and Brian carefully lift the sago plant and root ball and place it into the new pot.
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- This pot is actually the perfect size for the plant until it is moved to a more permanent container.
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- Ryan sprinkles Osmocote fertilizer – small, round coated prills filled with nutrients, and gives it a drink.
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- These plants will likely spend another week outdoors and then be moved inside a hoop house designated for all the tropical specimens. Now… time to go shopping for a new pot.
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