King Sago Palms

Caring for your king sago palm

King sago palms are hearty plants that are easy to grow and care for.  To keep you king sago healthy and happy, follow these guidelines:

Temperature Ranges – King sago palms can thrive in a wide temperature range. The plants will stay healthy in a range of 15 degrees F/-11 degree C to 110 degrees F/42 degrees C. Leaves can become frost-damaged in temperatures in the high teens Fahrenheit and may turn yellow or brown. To reduce stress on the plant, remove the yellow/brown leaves. This will also encourage new leaf growth in the spring. At temperatures below 15 degrees F/-11 degrees C the king sago may be damaged or even killed. However, as long as the trunk stays solid, the plant should recover.

Humidity – The king sago palm is a subtropical plant that thrives in areas of high humidity.  But that doesn’t mean that you can’t grow a king sago in a drier area.  King sago palms are very adaptable and can be grown in areas of either high or low humidity.

Sunlight – King sago palms do very well in full sunlight, but they can also adapt to outdoor shade or brightly lit indoor areas, provided the indoor areas receive at least a few hours of sun.

Watering – King sagos should be planted in well-drained soil. Watering should be limited to times when the soil is almost, but not completely dry. Plants grown in full sunlight or indoor plants which receive a minimum of sunlight each day, should be watered weekly. Plants grown in shade or cool temperatures may only need to be watered every few weeks. Soil moisture should determine frequency of watering.

Fertilizer -- As a general rule, king sago palms do much better with too little rather than too much fertilizer.  Fertilizer should be applied during the spring or late summer months.  If the plant is growing in partial to full sunlight, follow the directions on the container.  Plants growing in shade or low sunlight should only receive about ¼ of the rate recommended on the container.  Fertilizer should not be allowed to fall into the crown of the plant as to do so could inhibit future leaf growth.

Pruning – King sago palms should be pruned at least once per year. All yellow or brown leaves should be removed. Leaves growing low on the plant should also be removed. Removing these leaves will allow the plant to focus its energy on producing new, healthy leaves. To remove leaves, cut as close to the trunk as possible without damaging the trunk.  If new leaves emerge distorted or a yellow/brown color (likely due to over-fertilization), removed them to allow healthy leaves to emerge.