Get rid of the rocks yesterday. Keep it in all the sun you can dig up (indoors) and don't water til it's quite dry (right now, in winter, that means maybe monthly at most).

here is bartholamew as my sister has named him the rocks were about an inch or two deep and im wondering what to fill in the empty space with and if i should try to save the moss that came with it. also could i and/or should i remove the little one and put it in its own pot. also in the second pic what is that red stuff and should i cut the leaf off.

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Don't touch the small one, don't worry about the 'red' thing (it's just another stage of the branch's development). Ditch the moss fast (these 'trees' need to stay very dry, and moss will want lots of water to survive). You have a beautiful set there (of Cycas revoluta), so don't go looking for trouble.

Lucy and Woodze, I was given a bonsai sago palm (Cycas revoluta) about 10 days ago and am trying to find out how to care for it. (I started a new thread about this but so far no replies there, then I found your thead).

The plant I got has glued gravel all across the top, two decorative rocks standing upright and a bit of moss around the palm trunk. The top layer of glued gravel seems very solid, so I don't know if I can remove it.

The planter has a drainage hole in the bottom. Does this mean I should soak it in a saucer of water every so often? I don't see how it can get water any other way due to the solid mass of glued gravel at the top.

I have a photo (jpg in Photoshop) but don't know how to attach it here.

Woodze, how is your plant doing?

LaurieDutch

Peel off the gravel yesterday, starting at the opening, using a can opener thingy - once you get it going, it'll all come off in chunks, no problem. Don't ever sit it in a wet saucer. Get rid of the $*(U# rocks (unless you like them and don't find they detract), and definitely get rid of the moss. I suggest you go to www.rhapisgardens.com/sagos/ and read up on them (lots of info!). In my experience, they don't really like their roots messed with any more than absolutely necessary, they definitely like to dry out between waterings and they won't do well in dull light, but those are basics only.

Thanks very much!!

It's in a square decorative planter. I don't think we can use a can opener without damaging the planter, but we'll try something else now that I know it's a matter of cutting through the top layer and breaking off the glued gravel in chunks. Any idea why they use that stupid stuff? I wonder how they watered the plant while it was covered with a hard surface.

I printed the Rhapis Gardens article. Good stuff!

Cheers,

LD

There should be an opening near the tree itself and that's where you use the 'church key' (the little 3" thing with a pointy hook - not a regular can opener).