Question
Hi Dan,

I purchased a Sago Palm in Lowes which had been marked down from $39.95 to $4.00 in a beautiful pot.  I love to purchase plants on their last leg and try to bring them back.  I'm not sure how to care for this palm at this point.  It has well balanced low growth, but each stem is yellow in the center with green tips.  From the center of the plant, there are several very long stems which do not look at all like the lower growth, but are very green and look healthy.  I was thinking of cutting this tall growth so as to keep the plant more compact.  I was hoping the lower growth would return to green with good light and care.  I would appreciate any advice.  Thank you in advance for your attention with my question.

Bernice

Answer
Bernice hi;

Wow I have so many ways to answer your question!

First I need to disclaim that I am hardly an expert on sago palms.  My field of expertise is ferns, but I do have some experience regarding Florida's landscape plants.

Oddly (and I know this may sound confusing), sagos are neither ferns nor palms.  They are members of the Cycad family.  You can find more general information about them through the University of Florida website here:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr316

I may be able, however, to assist you with your dilemma.  First rule of thumb is, leaves that have gone yellow will never turn green again!

In fact, it is advisable to cut off the lower (yellow) leaves so that more energy and resources are diverted to the new growth.  The new leaves will eventually open up and lay flat as the old ones now do.

This plant does not lend itself to a clumping, compact form.  Like a palm, it wants to grow upward.  By chopping its head off, not only will you not promote lateral growth, you may actually kill the plant.  It will, however, grow 'pups' around the base of the stem.  In most landscape applications these are removed to maintain the clean upright form and accentuate the 'trunk' of the mother plant.

And now for the bad news...

These plants are becoming more and more difficult to handle due to a terrible pest called Cycad Scale.  It will appear as white, powdery spots on the underside of the leaf.  My guess is, if your plant is sad and yellow, it has been infested by this pest.  At this point, it is almost impossible to control, but cutting off the infested leaves is a good starting point.  There are several soaps and household products that can then be used to try to keep the pest population manageable.  

My personal opinion is that the cycad palm will eventually disappear from Florida landscapes due to this bug, but others may argue this assessment.

You can find more information about this pest here:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in474

I wish you best of success with your plant!

DC