What ia going on with my Sago palm flush?

[Coasta]

I was away for a few days and returned to my sago palm flush looking like this. 

The fronds leaflets seem short and when it finishes unraveling looks like its going to be skinny. Also i notice some of the new fronds are curving downward. 

Is this a water issue? I have three irrigation lines on it with no top. I also had someone water it by hose once while I was gone. 

Also I notice the fronds a little yellow. 

Is there any saving this flush?

P.s I love in arizona and it has been pretty hot.

[John hovancsek]

Looks good. Am I missing something?

[Coasta]

5 minutes ago, John hovancsek said:

Looks good. Am I missing something?

Hi John,, Some of the tips are falling as if its struggling, please see below. 

 Also they each frond seems to be way skinnier than any other flush.

 

[JLM]

1st: Not a palm

2nd: Im not exactly sure what could be wrong with it. It looks fine to me, but im sure someone else here would know a little more about this than i do.

[Coasta]

Just now, JLM said:

1st: Not a palm

2nd: Im not exactly sure what could be wrong with it. It looks fine to me, but im sure someone else here would know a little more about this than i do.

Thank you for your response and yes irs a cycad

[Tracy]

6 hours ago, Coasta said:

The fronds leaflets seem short and when it finishes unraveling looks like its going to be skinny. Also i notice some of the new fronds are curving downward. 

Is this a water issue? I have three irrigation lines on it with no top. I also had someone water it by hose once while I was gone. 

Also I notice the fronds a little yellow. 

Is there any saving this flush?

P.s I love in arizona and it has been pretty hot.

Coasta, you probably will just have to wait for this flush of leaves to finish pushing to assess how much different it really will be.  I think that is what some others were noticing is that the leaflets always look smaller while they are still pushing and unfurling.  I would imagine that it has been a bit on the hot side in Mesa lately and can't rule out the heat as a factor if this flush is a little stunted compared to prior flushes, even with your shade clothe over it.  The reference to this not being a palm was a subtle nudge to post things about cycads over in the "Tropical Looking Plants - other than palms" section.  How long have you had this Cycas revoluta in the ground?  Has it flushed previously in this type heat if a newer planting and by newer planting is it something planted since last summer?

Relative to your question on "saving the flush", this flush is probably going to continue on it's path independent of what you do.  On the water question, whether it is enough or too much probably depends a lot on how fast your soil drains.  We know that any moisture near the surface likely is evaporating fast under the Mesa, Arizona summer sun.  Hopefully someone else from the Phoenix valley can share often they water their Cycas revoluta during the summer there.

[Coasta]

30 minutes ago, Tracy said:

Coasta, you probably will just have to wait for this flush of leaves to finish pushing to assess how much different it really will be.  I think that is what some others were noticing is that the leaflets always look smaller while they are still pushing and unfurling.  I would imagine that it has been a bit on the hot side in Mesa lately and can't rule out the heat as a factor if this flush is a little stunted compared to prior flushes, even with your shade clothe over it.  The reference to this not being a palm was a subtle nudge to post things about cycads over in the "Tropical Looking Plants - other than palms" section.  How long have you had this Cycas revoluta in the ground?  Has it flushed previously in this type heat if a newer planting and by newer planting is it something planted since last summer?

Relative to your question on "saving the flush", this flush is probably going to continue on it's path independent of what you do.  On the water question, whether it is enough or too much probably depends a lot on how fast your soil drains.  We know that any moisture near the surface likely is evaporating fast under the Mesa, Arizona summer sun.  Hopefully someone else from the Phoenix valley can share often they water their Cycas revoluta during the summer there.

Hi Tracy, I completely understand and apologize. For future reference I will post in the correct location. 

I had planted this cycad last August so this is its first full summer. It flushed back in April with 31 fronds and the fronds looked gorgeous during the flush. I will wait and assess the cycad after the flush is complete. Below is my flush back in April. 

 

I really appreciate your advice Tracy, and will just see how it goes.

[GeneAZ]

Your plant  looks very good to me, considering our heat.

This is simply the stunting effect of our unrelenting heat.  I believe we're at 35-plus days now of  110 or above for July-August, and no end  in sight.  Not to mention many days at 109.  The flush will probably be a  bit stunted this time since cycads simply slow down or  stop growing  as a  survival response to this level of heat.  At 112 they don't metabolize nutrition so you can't correct apparent deficiencies until the temps come back to 105 range.  Even if you apply any fert during the heat, it is just sitting in the soil waiting for the plant to begin to take it in and metabolize.  All you can really do until 105 days start is to keep it hydrated and shaded.

I expect to get a second spring around October, as we usually do, and you could easily get a normal replacement flush on that very same plant.  

 

 

 

 

[Coasta]

Thank you so much GeneAZ!! Thats really exciting to hear i could get a flush from it in October.:) cant wait for this heat to drop!

[DoomsDave]

@Coasta, praises to you for being such a good daddy to your plants!

I think your sago's fine, and if the people in AZ concur great, if they don't go with what they say.

I'll share a cycad sorrow story that had a happy ending.

On the infamous Death Ray of Doom Day^TM,  i.e,, that big heat wave we had on July 6, 2018, I had a couple of cycads flushing, oh so nicely, then ZAP that 115 FF heat hit them, and they fried. We were not prepared. You guys kind of are. Bummer.

For a year, that flush of leaves was all gimpy, quick-fried to a crackly crunch, sort of. They never opened up fully.

But the following year, new flush, WHAT-EVER, fugeddabout 2018, this is 2019, oy, who cares. Same in 2020.

Palms are tough too, though not as tough.

Cycads might be a good emblem for the Marines.

[Steve Mac]

Mate , I reckon the the plant could have a Manganese deficiency. And possibly Boron. Have a look through some of the pages in the 'Palms in pots' section. Sago is particularly susceptible to Manganese deficiency in my experience. Mine are, and yours looks like mine has, especially the yellowing in the older leaves.  Also put manganese in the search box and have a glance down the results page, it surprised me.

[Coasta]

On 8/17/2020 at 3:37 PM, DoomsDave said:

@Coasta, praises to you for being such a good daddy to your plants!

I think your sago's fine, and if the people in AZ concur great, if they don't go with what they say.

I'll share a cycad sorrow story that had a happy ending.

On the infamous Death Ray of Doom Day^TM,  i.e,, that big heat wave we had on July 6, 2018, I had a couple of cycads flushing, oh so nicely, then ZAP that 115 FF heat hit them, and they fried. We were not prepared. You guys kind of are. Bummer.

For a year, that flush of leaves was all gimpy, quick-fried to a crackly crunch, sort of. They never opened up fully.

But the following year, new flush, WHAT-EVER, fugeddabout 2018, this is 2019, oy, who cares. Same in 2020.

Palms are tough too, though not as tough.

Cycads might be a good emblem for the Marines.

Lol hi Dooms Dave!! I love your story :). I am hoping I get one more flush in October!

[Coasta]

On 8/17/2020 at 6:45 PM, gtsteve said:

Mate , I reckon the the plant could have a Manganese deficiency. And possibly Boron. Have a look through some of the pages in the 'Palms in pots' section. Sago is particularly susceptible to Manganese deficiency in my experience. Mine are, and yours looks like mine has, especially the yellowing in the older leaves.  Also put manganese in the search box and have a glance down the results page, it surprised me.

Thank you Gtsteve!!! I added some

[Merlyn]

I'd agree with the Manganese deficiency, that's pretty common.  I use Rite-Green Manganese Sulphate for my sagos.  I sprinkle a half-handful around each one in the spring, and haven't had any visible deficiency problems since I started doing this.  The new flush looking a bit odd could be heat-related, as others have said.  It rarely gets over 95F here in the swamp of central FL, so I wouldn't know what it looks like.... 

[Coasta]

53 minutes ago, Merlyn2220 said:

I'd agree with the Manganese deficiency, that's pretty common.  I use Rite-Green Manganese Sulphate for my sagos.  I sprinkle a half-handful around each one in the spring, and haven't had any visible deficiency problems since I started doing this.  The new flush looking a bit odd could be heat-related, as others have said.  It rarely gets over 95F here in the swamp of central FL, so I wouldn't know what it looks like.... 

Lol you are lucky!!! Florida has all the beautiful palms and cycads that grow easily. 

I have spread some manganese and will be adding sulfur as well.