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MOST RECENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS RE: CULTIVATION (updated Jan. 2001)
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"SAGO PALM" LEAF DAMAGE
These plants (Cycas revoluta) are not actual palms but cycads, an ancient plant family related to pines and other plants that cone during their reproductive process. This is what happens to them when they are planted in alkaline soil and NOT fertilized w/ extra manganese. Concrete from walkways and in this case pool decks can leach into perfectly neutral soil and raise the PH level up to alkaline proportions. Large to moderate sized plants will need one or two lbs. of manganese applied near the base of the stem each year, preferably at 4 to 6 month intervals. Just like w/ Syagrus palms the manganese will not correct already damaged foliage but will prevent the new leafs not yet formed from appearing this way. With cycads a new leaf flush may already be formed and about to emerge. In that case the extra Mn will not be of much help. You can cut off ALL of the leafs, apply the Mn element w/ a high nitrogen fertilizer (18-6-12, 24-5-11 or thereabouts) and the next set of leafs will flush out quicker.

TREATING SCALE INSECTS

Palm trees can be a bit tricky to eradicate scale from especially if they're younger palms w/ no visible stem. I use a basic mix of 2 oz. horticultural oil per gallon of water mixed w/ a few squirts of any liquid dish soap or spreader sticker. I spray the newest leafs so the solution runs down into the bud where the scale often originates. With smaller palms you pretty much have to spray the entire plant, wait a few weeks, then do it again to take out any new crawlers. For older, larger palms with some trunk I still try to get the solution into the bud some and spray most if not all of the fronds. I've never noticed them on the actual stem or older leaf bases that much but they can reside there easily enough. For cycads like Cycas revoluta (the King Sagos above) it is important to treat the ENTIRE PLANT - not just the leafs or anywhere else the insects can be seen.

But no matter the cycad or palms' size it's important to treat both sides of leafs on both types of plants or any plant material in general for that matter. Most palms have tiny folds in their fronds (out towards the ends of the split leaflets) and if left untreated the scale will nest in there for a long time and continually move out to more exposed foliage. With cycads the scale nests in the folds and crevices of the actual stem or caudex on smaller specimens.

The newest version of scale insect (Asian Cycas Scale) has one slight variance from the native magnolia scale - they can reproduce at an astonishing rate, so quickly you have treat the infested plant(s) weekly for the first month. Also you should remove any foliage that is already heavily infested. Most likely it is beyond saving anyway. Prune off the leafs and burn if possible (no sense sending them to a recycling center to be spread back out among the rest of your area).

There are some who favor products w/ a systemic mode of action: Cygon which the EPA is eliminating, sometimes Merit (imidacloprid) or Orthene (acephate). These work okay if you're willing to deal with the extra costs involved and a more "toxic" form of insecticide. The reason I don't recommend them is once the application in taken up by the plant the active ingredient in all systemics will move into the newer growth only. The initial treatment kills off any scale it comes in contact with but once absorbed there is no residual action left on the leafs (though Orthene smelly as it is, will last longer on exposed surfaces than other systemics). If you've ever dealt w/ magnolia or white scale on a large "scale" before (gotta love the english language) ... you know the majority of the time the infestations spread from the oldest foliage first. On plants like "sagos" (Cycas revoluta) the infestations often start on the stem or caudex.

Give thought to and watch the surrounding plants - for instance if you have any plant growing next to another plant that is prone to scale infestations (e.g. Magnolias, Camellias) you can count on having to combat scale problems on your palms & cycads from time to time no matter what you do. Lately I have been trialing an injection treatment with dicot plants only, mainly plants prone to large infestations. I've been using Merit instead of oil (hort. oil is a "smothering" contact treatment only). And this is a projected long-term treatment. Unfortunately you can't inject palms; being monocots palms will not close the wound(s). This program is in an experimental stage right now but this may be the way to go in the future. It works well for fertilizing rootbound oaks or other dicot trees unable to pull up nutrients so it may work with insecticides too. When in a growing mode the cambium tissue of dicot plants appears to pull and spread injected materials throughout the plant in a uniform and quick manner.

PALM "FRIZZLETOP"
This is a classic case of manganese deficiency. The photo above is a very advanced case, the palm is near death. This is a common problem encountered w/ several palm species (most notably queen palms) on alkaline soils. Royal palms (Roystonea regia) as well as Paurotis palms (Acoelorraphe) are also susceptible. This element can be easily obtained at most local garden centers or home improvement warehouses. You can sprinkle a 5lb. bag around the root zone of the palm & water it in thoroughly. That should handle the problem for the next year or so. Also cool (soil temp @ 60f or below) weather slows down the palms' ability to pull nutrients from it's roots; it may become necessary to apply an additional dose of manganese via liquid mixture to the foliage. The same garden centers should be able to help you locate this product. Even though it has been very warm lately this is still our winter season; the liquid application should be repeated, particularly on warm days. Note this will not correct foliage that is already damaged but it will prevent the fronds that open later this summer from exhibiting the same problem.

BUTIA "JELLY PALM" RECIPE
Some use 3 cups (Butia) fruit juice to 2 cups sugar, some use 2 cups fruit to 3 sugar - you will have to taste test it for yourself. You combine the fruit juice & sugar w/ a pack of Sure-Gel or fruit pectin, boil for 5-10 minutes (depends on how thick you want it), add in Sure-Gel or pectin stir/boil for 1 minute, skim off foam, put into container & seal. You can puree Butia fruit in a blender as a pie filling or throw some bananas in, chill it & use w/ salad or Jell-O. I know of some that mix it w/ mango slices and bake the equivalent of an upside-down cake.




GROWING MAJESTY PALMS INDOORS ???

It can be done but ... it's really not worth all the hassles. Ravenea palms grow right next to water courses in Madagascar. There is constant moisture for the roots (which you could emulate easy enough) but there is also constant humidity, which is not easy to replicate, particularly if you choose to run your A.C. during the summer. A lack of humidity causes the foliage to wither as well as lose it's green color. The palm loses most of it's crown of leafs and you are stuck w/ a skinny stick. This palm is easily produced from seed and grows quickly to a "sale-able" size for nurseries thus ... it is easy for them to market and make money on, that's why it is so readily available. Problem is no one bothered to inform the public (and places that sell'em) that it is a horrible palm for indoors. For that matter so is the widely sold "Areca" palm, Dypsis lutescens, and for most of the aforementioned reasons.
Save yourself some money, do yourself & the palm world a big favor and stay away from using them as indoor plants. What to use instead: pretty much any Chamaedorea palm A.K.A. Bamboo palms or Howea forsteriana A.K.A. the Kentia or Sentry palm. Either one is usually available at most garden centers. Some unusual palms to try indoors are Syagrus schizophylla the Arikury palm, Euterpe edulis a denizen of rainforests but I have kept small ones inside as long as they are well-watered, and lastly Chambeyronia macrocarpa which did very well in a trial run last winter plus it has a cool looking emergent red leaf!