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quaching

Sago Palms in greenhouse over winter?

Quaching
10 years ago

Has anyone tried growing Sago Palms in their indoor greenhouse over the winter? I have about 60 pups that are putting off leaves and I want to keep them going over the winter. I turned my garage into a greenhouse so I'm wondering how the Sago Palms will do. If you don't have a greenhouse do you normally let them go dormate over the winter? I did see other posts where people had new leaves that grew 3 times the size of the original leaves due to the wrong light conditions but I'm still willing to try in order to keep them actively growing over the winter. Any suggestions?

Comments (14)

  • mimalf
    10 years ago

    If no response here, try this forum. It's an international one, based in South Africa, and those guys are specialists in cycads. You'll get advice there from US specialists too.

    Mima

    The portal: http://cycadfriends.co.za/site/

    The forum: http://cycadfriends.co.za/index.php?sid=573294d2082e707fb1b6414b678dfd6c

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cycad Friends

  • User
    10 years ago

    I overwinter mine in the garage w.o. any problems. What temps do you maintain there? Mine is cold, so I water very, very, very seldomly. Also depends on where you are. What zone are you? Mine only get protected for about three months. Fact that yours are smaller is a factor regarding temp maintence and watering though--still, C. Revoluta is a robust plant. Also over winter a few Diion and Encepalartos.

  • Quaching
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the link Mima and thanks for the info njoasis. I live in Alabama so I think its zone 8. I have a heater for my indoor greenhouse and keep the temps around 75-80 degrees. I have lights also that should keep them growing so hopefully they will get much bigger over the winter.

  • User
    10 years ago

    Confused here. You are maintaining the garage at 75-80 over the Winter? Is this an attached garage--that is warm for a garage in Winter! You want to keep it cool so the cycads do not grow over Winter, because the growth will be very, very leggy if not deformed. You just cannot match actual sun with grow lights in a garage. I keep my cycads in a large, south-facing detached garage with temps that range from about 35-60 in mid-winter with blight light --some direct sun. They don't grow in the Winter so I keep them dry. If you are keeping them that warm over Winter, you will need to pay more attention to watering and will experience more bug issues. C. revoluta can deal with some cold over Winter and this keeps the bugs down.

  • lzrddr
    10 years ago

    If you have plenty of light in your greenhouse, and it's well insulated, you can grow these at most comfortable temps, up to 100F (the hotter, the faster they will grow). No etiolation will occur if there is plenty of light, but the new fronds will not be that sun hardy, nor cold hardy if you plan on taking them out when it's still cool outside.

    But if you have little to no light, then you can 'hibernate' them easily overwinter in a cool garage. I would probably take them out of the soil, though

  • Quaching
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    See this is why I need you guys....I have no idea what I'm doing with sago palms. This is my first year even owning a sago palm and now I have right at 100 pups that are putting out fronds. My plan was to keep them in my garage greenhouse with temps around 70-85 degrees with lights. I have a really huge garage built on to my house that we don't even use so I turned half of it into a greenhouse and grow my plumeria's in it over the winter. I have a heater that keeps the temp exactly where I want it. I have lights (white lights during the day and blue/red LED lights at night). I'm having a big plant sale next year so I thought if I could keep the sago palms growing all winter they would be bigger for the plant sale. I have no problem putting the sago palms in the garage and letting them go dormate if thats what I need to do (it would actually be less maintenance that way). I really don't want to take them out of the soil though. So what do you guys recommend? Should I even try the greenhouse or let them go dormate over the winter? I use Bayer spray for bugs and that normally does a really good job on my plumeria's but I've never tried it on sago palms before.

  • Melanie Sharp
    6 years ago
    Quaching: Ive never used this site to post but im just making it through my 2nd winter with my 2 sagos and im having the same issue. ive been nipping off the overstretched, yellow fronds and just maintaining these 2 plants for 2 years because all the growth happens in my grow room rather than outside in summer. have you figured anything out yet? Im in zone 6a/b in Toledo, OH. and have absolutley no place to attempt some kind of dormancy for our long, gray winters.
    I have a room full of sub/tropicals and these are close to the top of my list of favs, determined to figure this out! How did all your pups manage? And how did your sale turn out? :)
  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Best to keep them cool and dormant in winter. ..like 40s-60s. When kept cool they don’t need much light. Only encourage growth when they get ample sunlight to prevent etiolated fronds.

    Acclimate to full sun gradually over three weeks. I put bird netting over mine when I first set it out to cut the full rays of the sun, otherwise fronds will sunburn

  • Henry Terry
    4 years ago

    think bout start a sago palm buisnesss here in houston texas i have access to over 300 pups they grow wild here in tezas in the woods elieve it or not and these things is every couple of feet was wonder did u do good with selling your 100 and how did it come out and need pointer if i should be even doing this cause want to make profit i can have pup that havent been planted yet and sell some already planted like you and have the same sizes 4 in 8 in and 12 in even have some pups a foot and a half already dryed and ready to plant just need to know if it any money in this before i invest the time cause like u i just have to pay for soil which is also very cheap for the soil needed here in texas

  • Melanie Sharp
    4 years ago

    Dave, just want to thank you for your comment. I've never attempted to care for them this way during winter. I wasn't aware they could go into dormancy (I jumped into this hobby head first and have way too many plants to be responsible for in result but I still have so much to learn). I'm definitley trying this method this year, and will do a little more research on it before I do.

    I just seen your response (also fairly new to this site, lol) and wanted to thank you for your time and suggestions!

  • blue bayou
    4 years ago

    That is exactly what I do with mine. Mine are kept in a cold garage in the winter but alway put out vigorous new growth in the growing season outside (very coldest they have to endure is upper 20's). Biggest issue is what to eventually do with these monsters! They weigh a TON but we love 'em!, and they are mostly outside as I only have to protect them for 3 months.

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    4 years ago

    Henry Terry, if sagos grow wild in woods, I'm not sure they'd be much of a money maker in your region. LOL! Honestly, even up here in Northern VA, my sago makes many pups and I can't even give them away. Also keep in mind sagos are cheap at local Home Depot/Lowes stores.

  • blue bayou
    4 years ago

    I have never seen soooo many sagos in all my life! They are everywhere these days..., big box stores, local green grocery selling mostly flowers, supermarkets, etc...They USED to be relatively rare years ago.

    P.S., Regarding the Sagos growing in the woods, I would think that it would not be legal to remove flora from the woods (if not your land). I realize that they are NOT native to Texas and somehow got introduced, but why worry about a legal hastle.

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