How to Grow Sago Palms ( from Seed)

Sago Palms look like palms but are actually a member of the Cycad family and therefore are grown a little differently. They are slow-growing (producing roughly one new leaf a year) and grow as a stiff green rosette on top of a base resembling a pineapple. There’s only one type offered for sale – Cycas revoluta.

Cleaning Sago Palm Seeds

Once viable Sago Palm seeds have been selected, place seeds in a large bucket or pan of water and soak for 24-48 hours to soften the fruit on the outside of the seed. Any seeds that float can be discarded as they will not be viable.

Once the fruit has been soften, using a pearing-knife or other sharp blade, gently scrap the red-orange colored shell and fruit from the seed. You will not damage the seed by scraping them. The seed itself has a hard shell that can not be penetrated by scraping the fruit from the outside. Once seeds are completely cleaned, wash with warm water and dry immediately using a cloth or paper towel.

Store seeds in a mesh-like sack (pantyhose will do fine). Sago palm seeds need to be stored for at least 3 months to allow the embryo to ripen fully before they will germinate.

Planting Sago Palm Seeds

Once Sago Palm seeds have been cleaned and stored to ripen they can then be planted. Planting is simple but can be done in many different ways.

The first step in germinating the Sago Palm seeds is to prepare the planting site. The amounts of seeds will determine the size of the area that will be needed. If planting only a few seeds then a 1-gallon pot will due fine. If planting several seeds then a planting bed or even a small plastic pool (the $10 pools from Wal-Mart) will do better

Once the container has been chosen, fill the container with at least 6 inches of growing medium. A course, a well-draining medium will do fine. Half-and-half peat and sand will also do well. Water well and allow the soil to drain. The soil needs to be moist but must never be soggy as the Sago Palm seeds will rot.

Once the soil is prepared, plant the seeds by laying them on their side. Press them halfway into the soil so that the pointy tip is just penetrating the soil. Some growers grow them by pushing in the soil and leaving the tip-up.

This does work but, better results have been seen laying them on their side. This allows for the tip to produce a healthy tap root to go down into the soil, while the first set of leaves will shoot up. The seed will continue to grow and form a bulb at the tip. The seed will later fall off.

Once the Sago Palm seed has been planted, water well and place the growing container in a warm, shaded area that will get partial sun. The direct, scorching sun will cause the majority of the seedlings to dry and burn before they ever get the chance to develop a good root system.

Continue to water as needed to keep the soil moist but never soggy. Allow the soil to almost dry out before watering.

When the seedlings begin to put on the first ‘true’ set of leaves they can be transplanted into individual one-gallon pots or directly in the planting site where they will live from then on.

How to Care for Sago Palm

Palms prefer partial shade and good drainage. Keep the soil moist but not wet at all times. If the room it’s in is heated, mist the leaves occasionally to raise humidity.

Only repot when the plant is completely root bound because they don’t like being moved, and never ever prune palm-the tips are the only growing point and cutting them off will kill the plant.

Common Problems

Spider Mites can be a big problem for Palms kept in hot, dry rooms. To prevent, mist regularly or place the plants on a humidity tray. Hot dry air can also cause the leaf tips to turn brown. If the entire leaf turns brown it could be one of several causes.

It’s normal for Palms to lose their lower leaves as they age. Simply cut off the affected leaf. If the browning isn’t restricted to one leaf, check for overwatering. Yellow leaves, on the other hand, are a sign of underwatering.