pollinating mature sago female palms

[jreitz]

I am perplexed. My mature female sago bloomed twice this year. First time it had a normal pollination with bright orange seeds developing, apparently from male pollination in the wind. The second time it bloomed late in the summer. I mistakenly thought that this bloom was new leaves coming out. So....I cut the top leaves off since they were really brown from a dry, hot year in the valley. But this mass was a second bloom! Now late in the year the bloom has never elected to open up wide by itself. It is now December and their are giant pups coming from the base of the huge sago. The bloom is slightly open with immature orange seeds inside. I have an old male bloom that has been sitting around protected, from the summer. I thought that I might try and hand pollinate my female plant. It is close to freezing outside in the valley. But the plant is close to my back patio.
Will this plant open up by itself? Will it pollinate this time of the year? Will it die because of my cutting off all the top leaves earlier in the season? It is producing small light brown shoots inside of the bloom. Is it dead if their are many pups around the base of the plant?

[Bruv]

You are perplexed ?

Me too..................

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by Bruv

You are perplexed ?

Me too..................

me three i thought it was something to do with womans hands and oh never mind


another friend that has meant to type in garden forum

stay around dear friend

[qsducks]

Is this a convo about a palm tree?

[spot]

Originally Posted by qsducks

Is this a convo about a palm tree?

It's a post from someone who thinks, because of the site's domain name, that we are a gardening forum. For some reason he didn't read a few posts first to discover whether we are or not.

Has anyone here got green fingers or is he plain out of luck?

May I suggest registering and discussing the question on an existing relevant thread at Sago transplant trauma?

[qsducks]

Originally Posted by spot

It's a post from someone who thinks, because of the site's domain name, that we are a gardening forum. For some reason he didn't read a few posts first to discover whether we are or not.

Has anyone here got green fingers or is he plain out of luck?

There is a gardening thread...how did he miss it? Green fingers? Don't even want to think where he's put them

[G-man]

Originally Posted by jreitz

I am perplexed. My mature female sago bloomed twice this year. First time it had a normal pollination with bright orange seeds developing, apparently from male pollination in the wind. The second time it bloomed late in the summer. I mistakenly thought that this bloom was new leaves coming out. So....I cut the top leaves off since they were really brown from a dry, hot year in the valley. But this mass was a second bloom! Now late in the year the bloom has never elected to open up wide by itself. It is now December and their are giant pups coming from the base of the huge sago. The bloom is slightly open with immature orange seeds inside. I have an old male bloom that has been sitting around protected, from the summer. I thought that I might try and hand pollinate my female plant. It is close to freezing outside in the valley. But the plant is close to my back patio.
Will this plant open up by itself? Will it pollinate this time of the year? Will it die because of my cutting off all the top leaves earlier in the season? It is producing small light brown shoots inside of the bloom. Is it dead if their are many pups around the base of the plant?

I've never heard of a cycad blooming twice in the same year... they generally only bloom once in late spring to mid-summer. The bloom on the female plant will look like a cabbage, just let it do it's thing naturally and it should be just fine. You did the right thing in removing the brown leaves, too... these leaves should be removed immediately. The sago should be fine... I've had some lose all of their leaves and eventually grow them all back. Your sago palm is not dead if there are small offshoots coming up... this is a good thing! ...this is one of the ways in which your plant reproduces.

If you wish to propagate new plants, just remove the offshoots with a sharp knife, remove all of the leaves and allow the offshoots to set for a week or so until the wounds have calloused over. Then plant the offshoots halfway deep in sand and water... allow the soil to become nearly dry before watering again and you should see new growth in time.

To grow cycas from seed, soak the seed until the skin is easily removed, and then plant with half of the seed above the soil line in a well-drained soil mix, keep the soil moist but not wet. Seeds will germinate in three to nine months from sowing.