A great way to propagate a Sago palm is through its offshoots. Sago palms along with other palms like the date palm and ponytail palm, produce offshoots known as pups. There is a technique though, for ensuring that the separation and transplantation are successful.
Here are some tips that will help you safely separate the pup:
- Try to separate during warmer weather. It's ideal to separate the pup during the springtime with summer coming up.
- Make a clean cut! Use a sharp knife or cutting tool to carefully separate the pup from the mother tree while being mindful of not damaging the roots. Make sure the pup comes away with enough intact roots. I know I may sound like a broken record when it comes to the roots but they really are key in transplant survival!
- Give the pup a haircut. Remove the leaves from the pup until it is bare. Don't worry, they will grow back again!
Tips for transplanting and growing your Sago pup:
- Give the pup a break before planting. Allow the pup to dry out in a shady area for a week in order to give it a chance to allow the cut to dry. This reduces the risk of rot when it is planted.
- Use a bigger pot. Make sure when choosing a pot, to go with one that is 2 inches larger than the diameter of the pup.
- Use good soil that has a sandy mixture. Make sure that it has good drainage. Once the pot is filled about two-thirds of the way, give it a good watering.
- Plant the pup halfway into the soil. Set the pup on top in the middle of the pot and push down until it is halfway covered by soil. Be careful not to push down too much because the pup may rot. On the other hand, not pushing down enough will inhibit the roots from growing.
- Only water when the soil is dry! Too much watering will cause the pup to rot.
- Make sure the pup is big enough before transplanting. A good rule of thumb is to make sure the pup has been growing for at least two years. This ensures good root development on the pup. Removing the pup too soon will decrease the chances of the pup surviving the transplanting. Not sure how old the pup is? You can check its roots by removing some of the dirt from around the pup. The more roots, the better!
- Have the area you want to plant the pup planned out ahead of time. Keep in mind that although the sago is slow growing, it does need its space. Faster growing, neighboring plants can crowd out the sago if there is not enough room.
I hope these tips help make things easier when it comes to separating and transplanting your sago pup. There are lots of videos out there that are helpful in showing you the different steps so don't be intimated by the process.
***Interested in adding a sago to your home or business? Email us today for an estimate and pictures of our current inventory of sago palms!***
GREGORY PALM FARMS
(714) 814-8525 OR (714) 4588-3720
GREGORY PALM FARMS
(714) 814-8525 OR (714) 4588-3720
