Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Sago Palms

Q. What is the best thing to feed my sago palms this spring?

A. I want you to get a house plant food for foliage. If you have an outdoor gardening one, check the label and see what the three numbers are. Ideally, it would be 30-10-10, 20-20-20, or some other combination, with the first number, nitrogen, being the highest. That is the one that pushes new vegetation [green growth] in plants.

Since you do not have to concern yourself with flowering, the middle number supports it, being phosphorus, you want to push with a big first number. Sago do not take a lot of fertilizer, preferring only so often. I recommend that you drench it well once every month. Allow to drain into a saucer and empty the excess.

Give the palm very good light. An outdoor patio or balcony is great throughout the summer, with protection inside if you have cool to cold winters. They are used to dry air, high temps, low food, and low water. Remove the lower fronds as they dry or yellow. This is a natural occurrence in palms and many other trees.