How Long Does a Sago Palm Need to Grow Before It Blooms? Detailed Guide to Care Methods and Taboos

Sago Palm, scientific name Cycas revoluta, also known as Bihuo banana, phoenix-tail banana, phoenix-tail pine, and phoenix-tail fern, is a plant in the Cycadaceae family, Cycas genus. But do you know how long it takes to bloom? How should it be cared for? Are there any taboos? According to Li Jianhua, a nursery grower in Suqian, Jiangsu, sago palms generally bloom and set seed after about 10 to 20 years in the south. In other regions, due to lower heat, it is very difficult for them to bloom, and the flowers generally last about two months; by the fourth month, white fresh fruits grow, and one month later the fruits mature and turn orange-red.

How do you care for a sago palm?

1. Soil selection

Sago palms are best grown in fertile, slightly acidic sandy soil. The potting mix can be prepared with 1 part coarse sand and 4 parts garden soil, or 5 parts leaf mold and 1 part fine gravel, or 2 parts sandy soil and 2 parts leaf mold, etc.

The sago palm is a plant that likes iron, so when preparing the potting mix, a small amount of iron filings can be mixed in, or in early spring iron filings can be scattered on the surface of the pot soil or buried in the pot. The iron gradually seeps in and is absorbed. You can also use a 0.5% ferrous sulfate spray to supplement iron, making the leaves firm and deep green. Before planting, place 5 cm of coarse sand or crushed stone in the bottom of the pot as a drainage layer, and use decomposed soybean cake fertilizer as base fertilizer. After planting, water thoroughly and place in a cool place for half a month, after which it can be used for ornamental purposes.

2. Fertilization method

During the growing period from May to October, apply compound fertilizer or urea 1 to 2 times per month. Urea is best diluted 1000 times with water and sprayed on the leaves; when applying foliar fertilizer, follow the principle of “small meals, more often.” The daily rice-washing water from home, as long as it is not contaminated with oil, can be stored in a bucket or basin and used the next day as liquid fertilizer for watering, and it has a certain fertilizing effect. During the growing period, apply diluted decomposed soybean cake liquid fertilizer once every 20 days. To make the leaves glossy and deep green, add a small amount of ferrous sulfate to the fertilizer water.

3. Watering method

After the temperature stabilizes in late April, move the sago palm pot outdoors and water it thoroughly once, then appropriately control water for a period until new leaves appear, after which increase the amount of watering. After the new leaves unfold, prune off the lower yellowed leaves to make the plant more colorful. During the peak growing period in summer, water once every 1 to 2 days, and apply decomposed soybean cake fertilizer or human waste once a month to keep the soil with sufficient moisture and nutrients. After autumn begins, the temperature gradually drops, plant growth slows, and it is best to water twice every 3 to 6 days. Before frost, move it indoors for the winter, control watering, and keep the pot soil in a semi-dry state.

Sago palms grow slowly and do not like heavy water; especially in spring, autumn, and winter, watering must strictly follow the principle of alternating moisture and dryness, that is, after watering once, wait until the pot soil looks dry before watering a second time. In summer, except on rainy days, water once a day and spray water on the leaf cluster, but avoid waterlogging, otherwise root rot can cause death.

As for watering, in spring and summer during the vigorous growing season, water a little more to keep the soil moist; after autumn begins, growth gradually slows, so water should be controlled and a certain degree of dryness maintained to facilitate overwintering.

4. Temperature requirements

The suitable growing temperature for sago palms is 20 to 30°C, but they are relatively tolerant of high heat and severe cold. In winter, they can still overwinter outdoors at around minus 5°C; below minus 10°C, protection is needed for overwintering. Sago palms fear snow, so on snowy days they should be moved indoors or covered with plastic film, otherwise the old leaves will turn yellow the following spring and lose their ornamental value.

Sago palms like a sunny, high-humidity, and well-ventilated environment. In the north, they can be moved outdoors in early April and moved into a greenhouse before frost in November for overwintering; the room temperature should be kept between 7 and 10°C, but they can also tolerate low temperatures of 0 to 5°C without frost damage.

5. Light requirements

Sago palms relatively prefer a sunny, warm, and moist environment, and should usually be placed in direct sunlight. However, potted sago palms are not tolerant of intense sun exposure, especially the new leaves, which are very easily scorched and yellowed. Therefore, after new leaves grow and in midsummer, some shade should be provided.

The sago palm is a sun-loving tree species and is best maintained in a sunny environment. In midsummer, when the sunlight is strong around noon, appropriate shading should be provided. Especially during the growth of new leaves, they must not be placed under strong light, otherwise the new leaves will develop scorched edges or withered tips.

6. Pest and disease control

① Leaf spot disease: a fungal disease. In hot, rainy weather, this disease spreads easily. After the leaves are infected, small light brown spots first appear, then spread into nearly round or irregular shapes with a diameter of 1 to 5 mm, causing the leaves to wither and break apart. For control, water more with clear water in summer, promptly remove diseased old leaves, and in the early stage of disease spray 75% carbendazim wettable powder at 800 times dilution, or 50% thiophanate wettable powder at 800 times dilution, about once every 10 days, for better results.

② Scale insects: when grown and maintained on a balcony, ventilation and light transmission are often insufficient, and the leaves are often susceptible to scale insect damage. Repeatedly wipe the affected leaves gently with alcohol, which can kill adults and larvae; use a cotton ball soaked in rice vinegar and gently wipe the affected leaves to kill the scale insects.

What taboos are there in keeping a sago palm?

1. Avoid keeping it on a balcony

If a sago palm is kept on a balcony, it will have an adverse effect on overall fortune.

2. Avoid hanging red objects beside the sago palm

Red objects in feng shui have the special functions of driving away evil, warding off evil, increasing blessings, and improving health fortune.

3. Avoid keeping it in a crowded environment

The sago palm does not bloom. Although we now often see sago palms bloom, whenever a sago palm blooms, it is a time when the surrounding fortune noticeably declines.

4. When keeping potted sago palms indoors, never use clayey soil.

Sago palms like fertilizer, especially iron-based fertilizer. To keep the leaves moist, deep green, vivid, and glossy, apply a thin liquid fertilizer once or twice in late spring and early summer, with added ferrous sulfate solution. In folk practice, crushed iron filings are often used as a basic fertilizer. In early spring, place crushed iron filings on the pot soil, and through normal watering and care, the iron rusts and gradually seeps into the pot soil, which also has a certain effect.