# Sago Palm



## Taz38 (Sep 13, 2008)

I have 2 Sagos in the front yard--about 4 feet apart. One is beautiful and dark green. The other looks like it is dying. I asked a "landscaper" what to do about it and they suggested Ironite. Welp after a month and 2 treatments of Ironite--it looks worse than when I started.

Any ideas?

Here is my little palm--sad isn't it?!


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## Kap (Jun 20, 2008)

We get a lot of email asking "my sago palm is getting yellow leaves so what should I do?"
Be aware that the natural course of leaves on plants, including palms and cycads, is first green, then turning yellow, and finally brown and dry
The yellow stage is where the frond is losing its chlorophyll as it is being re-absorbed into the plant. The final brown stage is the completion of the nutrients re-absorption process
So... if you cut off sago fronds too soon, you are actually depriving your sago palm of its natural technique to conserve nutrients. Best is to wait until a frond is totally brown and shriveled up small
The exception to not being worried about yellow or brown fronds on your sago palm is if they are occurring in the center "new growth" area
If new fronds soon turn yellow and head for brown, you have a nutrition problem. You are not feeding properly. Sometimes a sago may take a year or two or more to develop the "quick yellowing" symptom. Don't let that fool you. Food is the answer
Bugs may also be the problem, but not nearly as likely as improper feeding. Poor drainage may also be the problem, but not if your sago palm is well established in its location. Newly planted in your soil or a pot, poor drainage is a suspicion. A final suspicion for a newly planted sago is that you planted it too deep


The EPA on Ironite:

*Release of Heavy Metals from Ironite®*

Ironite® is a common fertilizer made from mine tailings available at any lawn and garden store. The presence of heavy metals in Ironite® has resulted in its banning in Canada and lawsuits in the United States due to the potential release of heavy metals, most notably arsenic and lead. Bioavailable arsenic released from Ironite® is dependent on its mineralogical form. Previous work sponsored by the producer of Ironite® identified the arsenic bearing phase as arsenopyrite with the conclusion that arsenic in that form does not pose an ecological threat. However, a closer look with EXAFS has identified the arsenic phase within Ironite® as scorodite-like. Scorodite is more soluble than arsenopyrite, in fact, the dissolved arsenic released from scorodite can exceed the US drinking water standard. In addition to the data collected at Argonne National Labs in February 2005 that identified arsenate sorbed to iron oxides as the dominant arsenic bearing phase, secondary identification techniques are currently being used to confirm this finding such as thermogravimetric analysis and Mössbauer spectroscopy.


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## Taz38 (Sep 13, 2008)

thanks for the info--reckon I'll throw the rest of my bag away


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