The Best Kind of Plant Food for a King Sago Palm

Nutrient Needs

• Always slow growing, the king sago grows best when the soil contains an ample amount of nutrients. This ensures the roots continually absorb a wide but beneficial array of nutrients to sustain the plant in all stages of development. A nutrient deficiency manifests slowly as new leaves emerge or on old, persisting leaves. Correcting the deficiency takes lots of time as the king sago must first absorb the minerals and transport them to the various affected parts of the plants. Cycads have a greater need for nitrogen than palms and woody trees and shrubs, and still need a good balance of other nutrients, include traces of micronutrients.

Best Fertilizers

• The best fertilizers for king sago are rich in nitrogen, with a basic ratio formulation on the lines of 3:1:1 -- three parts nitrogen to one part phosphorus and potassium. Tom Broome, cycad specialist and nursery proprietor in Central Florida, wrote on the Palm and Cycad Societies of Florida website that he discovered Scotts Premix with Minors, 24-7-8 with micronutrients was best, but that product is no longer manufactured. Instead, Nutricote 360, 18-6-8 is a good alternative. Broome, discouraged that the Scotts product was discontinued, formulated his own "cycad special" fertilizer that promotes better growth and coning. Its nutrient makeup is similar to the Scotts product. All cycad fertilizers must include micronutrients, such as iron, magnesium, boron, manganese, zinc and molybdenum. In a pinch, a balanced general garden 8-8-8 formulation or a palm fertilizer is better than no fertilizer at all, according to the Harry P. Leu Gardens website.

Timing

• Liquid fertilizers are not practical to use on king sago and other cycads, even when grown in containers. They leach through the soil rapidly, creating gaps in nutrients when plants may need higher or consistent nutrients during active growth. King sago only sends out new fronds during the heat of the growing season, usually from late spring to late summer. Granular fertilizers need to be applied in late winter to ensure nutrients are already in the soil profile around roots by the time new growth occurs. Contact your cooperative extension office for advice on seasonal timing of fertilizer around the king sago. Local soil and climate considerations may dictate multiple applications, up to three or four times annually, to ensure nutrients are available for the king sago at all times.

Cultural Insight

• King sagos grow well in clay, loam or sandy soils as long as they are well-drained and never become soggy or flood. Sandy soils leach water and nutrients significantly faster than clays. Using organic mulch around the king sago, maintained at a depth of 3 inches and spread at least three feet beyond the cycad's trunk helps improve soil nutrition. The decomposing compost or mulch bits add humus to the soil to improve tilth, aeration and microbes as well as supplying trace nutrients. Scatter granular cycad fertilizers directly atop the mulch. Irrigation and rain water degrades the fertilizer, causing the minerals to move downward through the mulch into the soil for roots to still utilize. Do not overfertilize any cycad, as the salts in fertilizers can still burn and kill roots if in high concentrations. Follow product label directions for proper dosages.