sago palms

[agnatha3141]

hi there, i am not myself an avid gardener so much as an orchid enthusiast, but i have recently been caring for a dying sago palm outside of my house. here in florida there has been a recent epidemic of what is known as "scale" upon the local cycads. scale is some kind of terrible insect that has been recently introduced to the area, and no one at all knows what to do about it. has anyone who reads this forum been able to tackle this pest? i have heard rumors that flea and tick spray works but it does not appear to be doing anything currently. i am very much desperate to save it.

-- agnatha3141

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[hermine stover]

Have you spoken to other Cycad enthusiasts in your area? i know florida is full of them, We are an offshot of the Palm Society and we founded the Cycad Society in Miami about oh, 1977 (rough guess). you cannot be the only suffering person.Do you wqnt me to comb through the membership in your area of Cycad people whom you could contact? I could do this if you cannot find your Palm Society people DeArmand Hull in Miami, Richard Button in Coral Gables, these are some savvy people, i am sure you could look them up!

I would like to hear how this turns out. regular old cycad scale shows up in southern California and looks horrid, in can bleed a plant to death if it gets out of hand.... hermine@endangeredspecies

[animaux]

Insecticidal soap, sold in any garden center including the box stores is the best product for scale. You will have to treat about three times, 4-6 days apart to get the scale in all stages of growth. In a few months, if eggs hatch out, you will need to treat again. It's not epidemic, it's infestation.

Victoria

[MLW]

In the garden section of the Orlando Sentinel newspaper last Saturday someone asked about the same problem. Here is the answer from Tom MacCubbin - horticulturist at the Orange County Cooperative Extension Service.

Question: My sagos are covered with a white moldlike covering that appears to be killing the plants. What can we do to control the problem?

Answer: Entire communities are infested with cycad scales which are attacking mainly king sagos, but they may affect other related plants. Entire limbs, trunks and fruiting portions are covered with the small white insects that suck juices from the plants. Control is needed; otherwise, the pest will destroy the plants.

Use an oil spray available from your garden center to obtain control. If you wish, a homemade oil treatment can be made by combining 2 table- spoons of extra-virgin olive oil with 2 tablespoons of mild dish detergent in a gallon of water. Keep homemade mixtures agitated to prevent the ingredients from separating.

Apply an oil spray once a week for three weeks. Be sure to wet all portions of the plants. At week four, wash the scale residues from the plants with a strong stream of water. If the scale returns, repeat the treatment.

Yellow to brown fronds can be removed. Try to keep as many green leaves as possible on the plant to continue food production that supports new growth.

[agnatha3141]

wow, thank you for so much information. i had sprayed it with a strong stream of water, and then left for a week. when i came back it seems that the whole water thing did not do too well, because the scale is either back, or never actually got blasted off. i will take all of your advice now, and keep my fingers crossed. thank you all.

-- agnatha3141

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