Q&A for How to Trim a Sago Palm

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How can I make a sago palm grow taller?

Greenhouse Anderson

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A sago palm is not a real palm. It just looks like one. Your plant is a cycad. It does not get tall like a palm. The leaves will always be generally horizontal. It will be 15 feet tall when it is 50 years old.

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The tips of my sago palm turned yellow a couple of months ago. I think I overwatered it. I have since moved it to a pot with good drainage. Can I cut off just the tips that are yellow?

Greenhouse Anderson

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Yes, you can cut off the yellow leaf tips if you wish. Be sure that the plant is in a sunny location. Direct sunlight should fall on the leaves three or four hours every day.

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Last winter my Sago shot out four new fronds which are much longer and higher than the older fronds. They are also curled at the ends and have never flattened out. What can I do?

Greenhouse Anderson

Top Answerer

The appearance of the new leaves is telling you that the plant is not getting enough light in the current location. A Sago should get direct sunlight for three or four hours every day for normal growth in the home. The leaves will not change when you move it to a better light situation, but next year's leaves will be more normal.

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All my fronds are a brownish color. It had been covered by a breathable plant protector all winter. I live in Chattanooga TN. Should I trim all of them down to the base?

Greenhouse Anderson

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The leaves froze, so your plant probably needs better winter protection. Don't remove the old leaves until new leaves emerge. Be sure the plant has plenty of light so the new leaves will be normal.

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The trunk (the area that the fronds are coming out of) is growing and forming a point. Does this need to be trimmed to keep the pineapple appearance? Where do the new fronds grow out of?

Greenhouse Anderson

Top Answerer

Sago palms have been around for thousands of years. The pineapple appearance of a young sago disappears in a few years as the trunk develops. The new leaves grow from the top of the stem, just like most plants. It's a low-maintenance plant. Just clean up what drops. No trimming is needed if it's grown in a sunny spot.

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I live in zone 8b. Should I remove the female flower that holds the orange seeds or just remove the seeds and leave the round casing?

Greenhouse Anderson

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No need to remove any reproductive parts until they fall off. Sago palms are low-maintenance. Remove old leaves when they are brown and dried, long after the new leaves are completely formed.

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My sago is too big. It is blocking my window. last year I cut the limbs in half, and it grew back double the size! Is it bad to cut the limbs?

Greenhouse Anderson

Top Answerer

Sago palms are low-maintenance. You should not cut the leaves in half. Sago palms get pretty big. In the right location, leaves will be three or four feet in length, so the plant will be up to eight feet wide. Although they grow slowly, they increase in height three or four inches a year. So you need a new location if you want to keep your Sago.

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Can you top a sago palm plant?

Greenhouse Anderson

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Generally, no. However, older plants sometimes produce pups on the lower trunk, so you could remove the top and allow the pups to grow.

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