Sago Palm "Pup" removal

[Ray]

Ann,

I'd like to share a success story and get some advice and I think you can help. About three years ago someone gave me some Sago palm "pups" as he called them and I stuck them in some pots with potting soil and three of the five grew. My first propogation attempt was 3 for 5!!! I then got several more from him and started them and again, about 60% grew. I've since given away about 40 plants as gifts, swaps for other plants, etc. I now have the inside track on many more mother plants at some plantation homes nearby. I could have as many as 250 "pups" if my estimate stands. How can I increase my survival rate to 80% or higher? What am I doing wrong? I use my own compost with sand and cow manure, keep it moist, not wet, and have about 6-8 hours of sun a day. Any ideas? Anybody else have any ideas?

ray in south louisiana

[Ann B.]

Ray,

The only advise I can give is to make sure you let the pup dry out for a couple of days. In humid environments, you might want them to dry a little longer.

Use a potting mix of 1 part course sand and 1 part peat moss and plant the pup so that only the base is in the media, and let the media dry out some in between watering.

If you have them outside, put them out of direct sun and give them filtered sun. If it rains often, you might want to protect them from too much rain.

Most people around here do not use a rooting hormone, so I don't know if that will help. It can take from 2-6 months for them to establish roots, so patience is key.

Good Luck!