SAGO PALM CARE & MAKEOVER #2. How To Trim Fronds, Remove Seeds, Cones, Flowers & Pups. (5 Plants). 

Thank you Helen! It is always nice to know when a video has helped someone. Hope to hear from you again… hope you subscribed 👍 Burke

I bet that homeowner was not happy when you over-trimmed that one plant after they requested to leave some gree.

Thank you for the nice comment. Lucky you, getting 10 large sagos. I’m sure you gave them a great makeover. I love hearing when a video gives someone the confidence to start clipping away!! Enjoy your masterpiece. Burke ✌️

Thanks for watching, glad you found my channel. Good luck with the detailing. I hope to hear from you again. Burke

@@burkefranklin1 I got a little carried away and went it with a scythe hand saw, she looks like a pineapple right now, with her little fronds coming out

Hi Elly, I am glad you enjoyed the video and it helped you attach your project. I bet they look great!!! Thanks for the comment 🙂 Burke

Hi Dave, it is crazy how quickly the fronds open up on a healthy plant. Glad yours is happy!! Thanks for the message 👍 Burke

I am glad the video helped Andre. Thank you for watching 👍. Burke

Thanks for checking out my videos Dave. I try to mention the possible danger of the seeds but maybe I missed the opportunity in this video, but thank you for reminding me. Good luck with your Sagos!! Burke

So happy to hear I can cut it back must have gloves and I wouldn't have planted if I knew about how their poisonous for dogs! Gonna really have to watch out for that thank you for the info❤

@maryriseling209 mine came with informstion for pets and children. I actually pricked myself cutting the fronds the other day but no reaction

Hi LaToya, so happy you enjoyed the video. Thanks for taking the time to send me a message 🙂. Burke

Hey Jim, glad you enjoyed the video and glad you pulled out the chainsaw to make things easier! Thanks for leaving a comment and hope to hear from you on a future video. Burke

Just curious about your screen name… seems like you are a VW guy. If so, check out my other channel profit picker

@@burkefranklin1 The k4vw is my Ham Radio call sign. :)

Thanks for watching Bruce… enjoy that new sago and hopefully it is small enough to bring out into the natural light every so often. Burke 👍

Thank you for watching and very glad you enjoyed the video. There are more videos to come so I hope to hear from you again! Burke

Hi Jamey, Always makes me happy when a video helps someone… thanks for letting me know. Burke 😊

👍. Thank you for watching and the comment. Burke

Coming soon!

Not a bad idea Tommy! Thank you for watching and for the suggestion… much appreciated 👍 Burke

Thank you Mike! I appreciate the feedback!! Hope to hear from you on another video 👍 Burke

Hey Robert, Cutting the brown/dead fronds off is a good idea, I probably would have kept the green ones since the plant can grab nutrients from them. No big deal though, they will return 🙂. If you have 2 new cones I would let them grow for a while since they are interesting and they are all you have left. Thank you for watching and for the question. Until next time ✌️. Burke

@@burkefranklin1 Yes, rookie mistake by me I'm afraid. My wife says they look like rabbit ears. Thanks again for the quick response.

Hi Karen, removing very large pups is actually very different than removing/ amputating an arm off these sagos. Since you seem to have many, I will assume you know the difference. I wish I could see how long the arms are. Keep in mind that you can actually saw these arms off and they will root in a couple years 🙂. Without seeing your plant, I would make very sure you do not cut too close to the original head. I have seen many occasions where pups will form where the head/arm was sawed off… at least they just come off easy. Thank you very much for watching and let me know how this works out for you. Burke

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Burke

Thanks for watching and subscribing…glad you got something out of it! More videos in the works. Burke

Hello hello, thanks for watching and taking the time to say Hi 🙂 Burke

Hi Joan, great question. You can remove the flower and all the seeds anytime now. Make sure not to leave any seeds behind if you have a dog. I have found that removing the flower helps to accelerate the appearance and growth of a new frond set. Thank you for the question and make sure to watch my video on removing the flower. Hope to hear from you again. Burke

Hi Andrew, sorry you got hit with a freeze. The fronds will not repair themselves, depending on how bad it is the plant may still get some nourishment from the old fronds. If you just can’t stand the look then you can trim them off now. My guess is March or April will bring you a fresh set of fronds. In general, I like to trim the old fronds off every time The new set starts to show. Thanks for watching 👍 Burke

Hi Michelle, glad you found my channel. If the growth is larger than a cone it may be a flower. I have a video showing how to remove the flower. I trim the fronds as you see. If you enjoy it without removing the old growth then let them grow, but they will eventually turn brown and cutting them off once they are old is a tougher job. Good luck, Burke

Hello, I like using clippers for a couple reasons. 1. Allows me to keep a nice clean look and 2. I think I would need shoulder surgery eventually if I were always yanking and pulling on fronds. But, to answer your question…. Yes, there is a technique you can use that is quit effective. I am sure most orthopedic surgeons would love for us all to yank, tug and pull on branches that could simply be cut with clippers. I appreciate the question and you watching. Burke

@@burkefranklin1thank you for your fast and and years of real world experience you bring the truth is that I have 3 surgeries on my left shoulder. I find it much easier and way faster to just pull the old growth. I just wanted your wisdom to make sure I wasn't exposing the plant to illnesses ce or hurting the sago plant

I wish I was there to help fix the problem. Without seeing pictures I am only guessing…. But, I would probably chain saw the palm out of the middle to ground level…. Or remove both Sagos and pups with a shovel… then dig out the scrub palm. Lastly, plant the two pups back where you got them. Thanks for watching and hope to hear from you again !! Burke

Hello Margaret, I am glad saw my video. I have a few for you to watch. Maybe you will feel like a pro after watching all of them. Please let me know how your work comes out. I am located in Southern California, so our distance is probably too far. Keep me posted. Burke

@@burkefranklin1 Thank you for replying. I’m going to watch all your video on Sago plant. My sago is around 7 years all and it growing in the center of my front yard. I believe it a female, But she trying yellow on the leaves. I’m located in Florida and it’s been cold a lot lately. I have never cut any of her leaves off as I see that you do in your videos. so the sago is really full of leaves. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Again Thank you and have yourself a wonderful day.

Hi Marguerite, sounds like you did it right. It is important to let the wound dry up. I am not sure how large the pup was but I have always just let them heel on their own… and never had a problem. Thanks a lot for watching 👍. Hope to hear from you again someday. Burke

Hi Sabrina, those sagos that develope multi head trunks are sometimes wanted and other times not the right look for the space. The short answer is yes, you can separate, but there is a lot to consider first. 1. The not so pleasant scar that the main sago will have. 2. The two heads you remove Will likely take years to develop a root system to support the plant. 3. Is it better to just replace the entire sago instead of going through all of that. I think it all depends on the size of your sago and taste. Hope that helps and thanks for the question. Burke

@@burkefranklin1 thank you for responding! I would like to send you a pick so you can see what I have. Because of how the three are they at crowding one another and causing none of them to spread out.

Thanks for watching. Southern CA….. welcome to the neighborhood! There can be a few reasons. First, do you fertilize the plants at least once a year with any time released nitrogen products? If not, then give it a try… even if that is not your problem. Does it get enough water? Is the sago in direct sun all day and if so has the sago been in the same spot for a couple years to become acclimated…. Keep in mind that once they turn yellow they don’t change back to green… you need to wait for a new set of fronds to appear! Thanks again, Burke

@@burkefranklin1 thanks so much Temecula area- been planted for 7 years I do hammer palm spikes in once a year with magnesium is that often enough? They get drips four times a week - should I increase water? Otherwise they look dark green and healthy just a few yellow fronds Thanks so much! Love your videos

@@artistcarolyngrace1711 sounds like you are doing a good job. I did not ask.... are the yellow fronds the most rescent bunch or are they from the previous bunch of fronds? If they are from the older growth then that just happens. I always remove the old growth while the new ones are just ready to open up.

Hey Jennifer, I am glad you have new fronds on the way… cut those brown ugly fronds off! In the future, if you use a mixture of soil and (volcanic rock, pumice or perlite) you will not have to be so worried about overwatering. Thanks for watching. Burke

@@burkefranklin1 Ok - thanks for getting back to me so quickly!

Hi Linda, I wish this channel would allow pictures to be sent. Removing pups, even very large ones from the base is always safe. After you remove the pups, allow the scar to dry for 2-3 days before covering back up with dirt. When you say cut the mom in half, I assume you mean cutting the trunk at about 5’ tall? If you left the bottom half in the ground, it would be pretty bad looking in my opinion. You would not get new fronds from the center anymore, but would get lots of pups growing around the base and maybe around the outer part of the cut trunk. The interesting thing is that you could plant the top 5 feet and would probably have a thriving plant in 4-5 years. Thanks for watching and leave me a message what you ended up doing. Thanks, Burke

Good question… I am sure there are many answers but I think I will just tell you what I do. I only use a light soapy water. Usually I just run across a scale issue. Depending on the size of the plant dictates how I apply it. You can apply with a cloth for really small, next a spray bottle, then possibly a plant feeder attached to a hose for bigger plants. Not too soapy… leave on for about an hour and then rinse off. That’s just me !!! Thanks for the question and for watching. Burke

Hi Jimmy, thanks for watching. I think the best time is right after the new fronds start to come up. This way the plant does not look bare for for that a couple weeks while the new growth is starting to open. Truth is you can do it just about any time if you don’t mind a “bald” sago for a while. Thanks again. Burke.

@@burkefranklin1 Thanks Burke really appreciate your time getting back to me and the time and effort making your videos to teach. I am a new gardener with lots to learn and this video has helped me a lot. Many thanks. 🙏🏾

This is above my pay grade… but, I think I would first address the ant issue and make sure the colony was exterminated. I am not sure where the whole is on your plant but I would make sure it fully dries out one the ants are removed. Good luck. Burke

Thanks for watching and the question. The cone usually starts out a buttery yellow and then as it ages will become kinda grey and actually looks like it’s time to go. It’s whole purpose is to pollinate and feed the bees a little. Once that process is done I remove it. If you wanted to remove it a lot earlier then no problem either… just cut or break it off. Hope to hear from you on another video. Burke

Hey Kim, I went back to see what you were talking about… I can only guess now but I would not be surprised if there was some scale on the underside of those fronds. Sometimes , in fact often these sagos will develop scale on the underside of the fronds and at the base of the fronds close to the trunk. They often look like little brown dots. If they are few then you can easily pick them off but if it’s a bigger problem you can use some scale spray or soapy water. Anyway, that is probably why the yellow spots are there. Thanks for asking! Burke

@@burkefranklin1 my fronds started with yellow spots on them. It has gotten darker now. I have not seen scale on the plant. My guess is that some kind of insect may have done this but no indication of scale though. Thanks!

Hello, interesting question… I guess there is a possibility of sending those to you in the right situations. I might have to look at the legalities of sending plants across state lines before I can give a firm yes. Thanks for watching 👍👍

It sounds like your sago is flowering. Those yellow mushy things are probably leaves. Under those leaves would be all the seeds, it takes a while for the flower to mature… if that is what you have going. I have another video that shows the flower and how to remove the flower. Good luck and thanks for the question Burke

Hello, not sure how large the cycads are… so, this might be a real easy job or take a little more time. The solution is the same but how you apply will depend on plant size. Sounds like a simple solution of insecticidal soap spray on will work. You can start with a hand pump sprayer if they are small or you might use an attachment to your hose for larger plants. Make sure to spray the underside of the fronds/ leaves. This should do the trick. Good luck! Burke

Hello, best chance at success is between Winter & Spring but you can have success most of the year. Thanks a lot for watching and hope to hear from you again. Burke

Hi Rick, most sagos get new fronds on a regular schedule… I do my trimming as the new fronds are in the middle of coming out… whenever that is. Thanks for the question and thanks for watching 👍 Burke

I think you are asking how long does it take for the leaves (fronds) to come out once they start? But I will also answer a couple other possibilities… They take about 2 weeks to come out. The length of the fronds will vary a lot depending on the size of the plant and if it is in a pot or in the ground. You can expect one or two sets of fronds each year. Hope one of those answers helps. Thank you for watching and for the question. Burke

Hi Andrea, I’m not sure if I understand your question. I think you are referring to pups and not cones. Cones are formed on the male plants every couple years or so, and will be removed when you are done looking at them 🙂. Pups, may or may not be removed depending on how you like your plant to look. Or you may want to grow them! The pups will not affect the growth of the adult sago. Thanks for watching and I hope I answered your question.

I almost always cut the old fronds off as the new fronds are approaching their full length. Thanks for watching and for the good question. Burke

@burkefranklin1 thank you. Very grateful for finding your video. Im a must see to learn and been trying to research how to help her

Sorry to hear that. I’m not sure I can help off the limited info I have. I guess you could email me some pictures at sagomon1@gmail.com Maybe tell me how often you water and how many years of good health under same conditions? Thanks. Burke

Lol… I can honestly say I have never sold a sago, pups or seeds. I just don’t have time to be in the Sago business. I have given away plenty of pups to neighbors and friends. I have too many at my home already. If you lived close I could donate some pups to you after my next makeover. Thanks for watching and hope to hear from you again. B

Hi Jo, you can always clean them whenever you feel like it as long as you don’t mind a bald plant for a while. Or you can just do most of the clean up in December and do the finishing touches closer to Spring. Pup removal can be done whenever you have time. Thanks for the question!!! Burke

Hey Linda, I am in Southern California. Hope you enjoyed the video. A new makeover is in editing now! Take care. Burke

Sorry, your complete question did not come through.

You have your hand filled Ivan! Surely an expert by now. Wish I could see the Sago farm you have. Thanks for watching and saying hello. Burke

@@burkefranklin1 it's keeping me too busy.... I'll make a video soon. I'm not an expert at all, I felt the 14 top handle chainsaw easier to use in comparison to my back handle saws... I spent over $1,000 on 3 new Stihl chainsaws from the ms250 down to the ms170 just for the sego palms, Unknown to chainsaws nor sego palms I experimented with the first 20 until I saw an echo top handle for $60... watched a few videos and my sego palms look nice. Previous owner did not water them for some time he sed. One step at a time started making them look healthy, fertilizer & some mulch around them 6 inches or so away from the trunk. The tallest is 10 feet or so with 4 feet on the smallest, I re-did the whole grass to match the sego palms..well according to me, I went with tall fescue and it looks good. Sago palms are pricey. Anyway I'll post a video soon.

Hey Sly Simon, that is a good question. The only way to do such a thing is with a saw or chainsaw. The chainsaw would be my weapon of choice. The head or arm you cut off can actually be planted and will root in a couple years and continue growing. The downside to all this is the scar on the original plant… you will always see that you chopped off a limb… good luck. Burke

My experience is no, even the dried dead fronds are best removed by trimming shears.

I remove fronds every time new ones appear! But, if the sago is having a cone or flower I will leave the fronds on. Thank You, Burke

@burkefranklin1 thank you mine has never coned or flowered. I live in Massachusetts so i take her in the house for the winter. Very slow for growth. But since she wasnt doing well i re-potted and cut the old browning fronds and she's growing new ones.. back to square one hope once these grow in she looks great

Hi Monica, yes… Ventura County. 🙂

Hi Chris, they do get expensive. Enjoy watching it grow!! Burke

That is a good suggestion. I will have to wait the right opportunity when I have a cone with lots of pollen. I will look for the right time… thanks. Burke

Hi Phil, there are a number of reasons but I think the most common is too much water. The best soil will have really good drainage. If your soil is retaining moisture then try to let it dry before watering, especially if it is in a pot. If that does not seem to be your problem then maybe some nutrients added to your soil will do the trick. Unfortunately, once fronds have turned yellow they will not become green again. So you won’t know if you found the solution until a new set of fronds have matured. Let me know how it goes. Burke

Hi Debbie, thanks for the question but I did not receive any pictures or descriptions the problem…. Sorry Burke

Hey Sipie, how you start depends a lot on how large the sago is. How large / tall is the trunk excluding the fronds?

@@burkefranklin1 300mm by 300mm ruffley the springs are huge tho I’m in newzealand so I thing the leaves grow faster than the base

@@sipiesipie2877 so the trunk is about 12 inches tall and 12 inches wide. This will not be too difficult. I am guessing you will need to dig a hole about 12 inches deep and 18 inches wide. Pull the fronds together and tie them together so they are out of your way. I would start with a shovel and dig about 3 inches out side the truck all around. Then dig down with a pick or continue with the shovel. The root ball should not be too big. Saving every root is not important… these plants will survive. Once you have pulled the plant out of the ground, I will usually wrap the rootball with a towel, tarp, sheet or ? So that I can drag it and all the dirt will stay together. Drop it in its new home if the soil is similar. Good luck.

@@burkefranklin1 thank you so much I’ll send a pic I’m doing it next week great advice I was worried as I heard they are poisonous eekk

I would rather have the plant put it’s energy into the new leaves (fronds) that were already showing out of the center. I always remove last seasons growth once the new growth is well on its way. I also remove the seeds or cones even though they may look decorative. That is just me. The cool thing about these plants is you can trim them however you think looks best. You may enjoy all the pups growing at the base and others may not. Nothing wrong with leaving years of growth on your plant if you like it. Thanks for the observation and hope to hear from you again. Burke

@@burkefranklin1 Yeah i mean it's fine if that's the look they want and i know the plant can handle it just fine, i'm just saying that cutting those leaves is depriving the plant of energy since they are already full grown and are producing food for the plant, and even if this does make the new shoots grow quicker, this is only because it "stresses" the plant and in the long run it isn't making it grow any faster

Probably has something to do with watering… is it becoming dried and brittle or is it really yellow and not dried out at all? Burke

It starts as a spotty yellow thendryes out to become dry and bottle on the new growth

Brittle

Some of the older prong stay green I will in crease the watering time.and let you know

Southern CA. Ventura County

Sorry Tonya ! If you were a neighbor, You would get all my pups 🙂. I try to take only the biggest and best if the owner does not want them. I am personally maxed out on Sagos but do try and give away whenever possible. Thanks a bunch for watching and see you on the next video. Burke

Thanks for watching JoAnn. These videos only show how I care for and my preferences of how to trim them. I assure you that there are many other ways to trim these plants, including leaving them alone to lose their fronds naturally. Thank you for taking the time to comment. Burke

Hi, you should be getting at least one new growth a year. If you are not then you need to make that plant happier. If you cut a particular frond partially, it will not grow back and you will have to wait for the next full growth. Thanks for watching! Burke

I hope you are not watering too much… depending on the size of your Sago, consider digging it up or repotting with a soil mixture that includes a substantial amount of volcanic stones for arrogating. It might take a year to take off again but well worth it. If you think that is not the issue, let’s talk more about it. Good luck. Burke

Hello Sky, I went back to see minute 21. I guess the answer is this: I was doing an instructional video on how “I” care for Sagos. I am not their gardener and have never been back since the project. The new fronds were already on their way up and I personally don’t like to have more that a single season of growth on the plant at a time. Two weeks from that video and that sago would have beautiful fronds. It is a bonus that removing the seeds is much easier when there are no fronds on the plant. Everyone has different taste in how they like trees, shrubs and sagos pruned. My way is just one way. I hope to hear from you again. Thanks, Burke

Thank you Danielle, that means a lot to me 👍

Thanks for watching my videos and glad you get something out of them! My answer would vary pending the size of the Sago. If it was pretty small then you can just pick off the scale or even use a spray bottle on a jet stream setting with hot soapy water. Spray the scale then let it sit for a few minutes, repeat again. Then take a garden hose and spray it pretty strongly. Most of the scale should be gone. Maybe do this again in a couple weeks and you should have it pretty under control. If it is a large plant then I suggest spraying the base of the fronds all the way to the trunk with that soapy water. Start doing this before your new fronds are due to start coming up. It’s too hard to pick all the scale off large plants so I would not personally. Make sure not to ever spray the new delicate fronds very hard because they will just get destroyed and then you will have to wait for new growth again. Good luck. Burke

​​@@burkefranklin1 thank you. I'm dealing with this right now. I have two rescue sagos with a little scale. I started using neem oil, but not sure if that would work. I will definitely use the soapy water

Thank you Paul, I only trimmed the Sagos… I do not perform ongoing care. I love your suggestion though. Burke