Origin : .

Cycas revoluta – the upturned sago is a species of plant belonging to the class of sagophytes and the family of sagophytes . The natural range includes southern Japan . A popular ornamental plant , in central European climatic conditions grown as a potted plant . Cycas revoluta belongs to the sagaceae – plants that grew on Earth more than 200 million years ago .

CHARacteristics : .

Cycas revoluta is a plant with a very regular habit . The appearance may be associated with the palm , with which it is very often confused . However , it is closer to tree ferns than to palms . It impresses with a plume of long , dark green , stiff and pinnately divided leaves , which crown the top of a cracked “trunk” called log . The trunk in young plants sunk into the ground , with age it grows slowly into a log 20 cm in diameter and up to 7 m. in height and can branch , at the top of each branch producing a plume of leaves . Leaves , depending on the age of the plant reach 50 to 150 cm in length . Single leaves are narrow , set on about 8 cm petioles and are 8 -18 cm long . Their edges are characteristically curled , hence the peculiar name of the species . Cycas revoluta is a dioecious plant . It produces separately , on male and female specimens , characteristic flowers – cone-shaped strobiles . In the middle of the plant appear golden yellow flowers and fruiting bodies . Seeds in orange or red shade are characterized by a long germination period . It grows very slowly , in natural conditions it reaches 6 -7 m in height , while in home cultivation it will be much smaller .

Requirements : .

Cycas revolta does not tolerate temperature drops below -5 °C and requires summer temperatures of 20 °C – 30 °C . Under Central European conditions it grows best in the ground , it can also be successfully grown indoors . The plant requires a lot of space for its spreading leaves , so it feels good only in large , bright rooms . Cycas revoluta requires a bright site , but it can not be exposed to direct illumination by strong sunlight . Growing it in an apartment may not provide enough light , especially in a dark room . The plant can be set in the garden , on the terrace or balcony in full sun only after preparing the sago for plenty of light . After the winter it should be accustomed to the sun . Small yellow spots on the leaves , testify to sunburn , which , however , is not particularly harmful . Such spots usually occur from spring to mid-summer . A good period for the growth of new leaves is summer . For the sago tree , an average substrate for potted plants with the addition of coarse sand is good . You can use a specialized soil for palms . The pot should not be too large , because in large pots sagacas grow badly . The diameter of the pot should be not much larger than the diameter of the “bulb” . The plant is repotted only when the trunk has grown so large that it fills almost the entire width of the pot . Since sagacas are sensitive to damage to the root ball – repotting should be done carefully , in the case of older plants not more often than once every 4-6 years . Sagowiec should be watered once in 10 days . The soil should not be allowed to dry out . It is advisable to sprinkle the leaves about 2 times a week . In winter it is advisable to water very infrequently (the so-called rest break) , on average once a month . This plant requires moist air . Abundant watering is not advisable , as well as heavy fertilization . Too much watering can cause the appearance of fungus , root rot , partial yellowing of leaves . The plant should be fertilized once a month , from April to October .