Potting Up Sago Palms Outside My Winter House
Planting continues in front of my Winter House carport - this time, with four young sago palms, and some Scotch moss.
A few months ago, my friend and owner of Luppino Landscaping and Masonry LLC, Carmine Luppino, gave me four beautiful antique ornamental urns. They look so beautiful on the stone wall in front of my White Garden. Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, potted them up with four sago palms, or cycads, which were cut as pups from a mother sago some time ago. Ryan also underplanted them with Scotch moss 'Aurea' - a lush, chartreuse to yellow, moss-like herbaceous perennial that forms a low-growing, soft mat. The combination is so pretty.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Each of the four round lead antique planters is decorated with cheerful repeating sunbursts. I knew, right away, that they would look stunning on this low stone ledge in front of my White Garden.
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- The sago palm, Cycas revoluta, is a popular houseplant known for its feathery foliage and ease of care. Native to the southern islands of Japan, the sago palm goes by several common names, including Japanese palm, funeral palm, king sago or just plain sago palm. I had four sago palms that are all equal in height – they’ll look perfect in these planters.
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- The sago palm may look like a tiny palm tree with its glossy, stiff fronds, but it is not a palm tree at all. Sago palms are cycads, one of the most ancient plants that have been around since prehistoric times.
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- Healthy sago leaves are a deep green color. The pinnate leaves are typically about four to five feet long at maturity, and nine-inches wide, reaching their greatest length when grown in partial shade. New growth starts from the center.
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- Cycads like a good draining soil. The soil medium should include elements such as peat moss, perlite, and a little sand. I already filled these containers with a sandy soil medium, so they’ll work just right for these cycads.
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- Here, Ryan digs a hole in the middle of the pot. Cycads like “deep pots,” so take depth over diameter when selecting a container size for a sago palm.
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- The soil is then sprinkled with some Scott’s Osmocote fertilizer – small, round coated prills filled with nutrients.
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- These prills coat a core of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The resin-coating is made from linseed oil and as the plant’s root system takes-up nutrition from the soil, it also takes up the needed nutrients from the Osmocote.
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- Ryan removes the sago palm from its plastic pot and gives it a quick inspection.
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- Repotting is a good time to check any plant for damaged, unwanted or rotting leaves or pests that may be hiding in the soil. Ryan scarifies the root ball just a bit to encourage new growth.
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- The plant is placed into the new vessel at the same depth it was in its previous pot and then backfilled with more soil.
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- The sago palm is a slow-growing cycad, and it can take up to 100 years for it to achieve its maximum height of 20-plus feet tall. It thrives in sunny to shady sites and can withstand some drought once established. I have many sago palms in my collection in all different sizes.
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- These are where leaves were once cut. When pruning, only cut off the old and dying leaves, especially towards the base of the tree where they are oldest. And cut them off as close to the trunk as possible. The rough, symmetrical trunk becomes leafless as it ages and gives way to an evergreen crown filled with upward pointing fronds. The tips are quite pointy and sharp, so it’s best to plant it away from lots of foot traffic.
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- Scotch moss is a low growing soft herbaceous perennial ground-cover that requires little maintenance. It’s great for underplanting, filling in between pavers, in rock gardens, or along a path. Botanically known as Sagina subulata, this plant is a native of western and central Europe and is hardy in zones 4 through 8.
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- Scotch moss grows dense, compact mats spreading to a foot or more wide and just one to two inches tall. Tufts of slender, subulate or awl-shaped leaves cover thin, creeping stems. True moss does not flower; however, yellow Scotch moss has tiny star-shaped, five-petaled flowers.
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- Also, unlike true moss that grows in moist, shady conditions, this plant does best in full sun to part shade and requires good drainage.
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- Scotch moss is an easy plant to divide – just tear apart a clump into smaller pieces. Here, Ryan places a few in the pot first to see how many each pot will need.
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- Then he plants them gently into the soil – each clump spaced about four inches apart. It will start to spread and fill in the gaps within a few weeks.
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- The bright chartreuse-yellow color of Scotch moss provides such a brilliant contrast with the darker green foliage of the sago palm.
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- All four are all done – next, Ryan will give them a good drink. It’s always important to water after planting and transplanting. This is a good way to avoid transplant shock, and will help the plant settle in to its new location. These plants will thrive in this area. What are you planting this weekend? Share your comments with me below.
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