Sago Palm Tree - Seeds

Name: Sago Palm Tree

Quantity: 3 Bulk Seeds


Description:
The sago palm (Cycas revoluta) is a popular landscape tree which can be grown outdoors in both Georgia and Florida. An introduced species, the sago palm is not a true palm tree. Botanically, it is classified as a cycad. But regardless of its name, it is a beautiful plant. If you have acquired a quantity of sago palm seeds you wish to plant, the process is easy to initiate, but good results require diligence and persistent attention to the seed plot.

How to Grow?
1 Drop the seeds into a bucket of water. Mature seeds, which have a bright orange or red color, will sink, while immature or infertile seeds will continue to float.

2 Separate the mature seeds from those that floated. The yellow-colored immature seeds must continue to ripen until they turn orange or red, at which time you may plant them as well. Set them aside for now in a warm, dry place.

3 Scrape the outer coating of the seeds with your garden knife. The seed coat of the sago palm is very hard; scraping it, which is known as scarification, slightly weakens this outer coating, enabling moisture to penetrate into the seed. Wear your garden gloves when performing this activity, as the seed coat is poisonous.

4 Select a warm location that does not receive any direct sunlight.

5 Dig a series of shallow furrows into the soil. The furrows should be about 1 inch deep and 18 inches apart.

6 Place the individual seeds in the furrow. The pointed ends of the seeds should be oriented horizontally. Space the seeds 12 to 24 inches apart. This spacing will make it easier to transplant the seedlings later on.

7 Lightly cover the seeds with soil or sand. It is not necessary to tamp the soil into place.

8 Water the area thoroughly, but do not saturate the soil.

9 Continue watering the seed bed on a regular basis, never allowing the soil to dry out completely. If your seeds are viable (fertile), they will begin sprouting in three to six months.

10 Continue a regular regimen of watering the seedlings for another one to two years. The sago plam is a slow-growing plant and it may take that long before the seedlings develop a root system large enough and strong enough to permit transplantation.