That is one of the most heartbreaking photos I've seen on this forum. But, just what have you been using to fight the Aisian Scale with? We were advised to trim off all infected fronds (that would be a huge job for you!)bag and put them in the regular trash, to saturate the soil with (oh phooey, I forgot, will find and post it later)and to spray the tree every 10 days or so with an oil spray. I'll get specific brand names for you, later.
Right now, my three big Sagos are naked of fronds. I was going to spray them again today, but have wresteled with the sprayer all afternoon, then broke the thing! Now, must send for a new part. cora

Ladywingr,

I recently read an article by Tom Broome (cycadjungle) that was regarding treatment of asian scale. He advocated use of coffee grounds! I don't remember exactly how, but I think it was both an on-ground and foliar spray method. Please wait for him to chime in. I think he will eventually find your post. I kinda think he was leaving the fronds on. I really don't quite remember, but it sounded really successful. That queen sago must be sooo many years old. It really it heartbreaking, but there seems to yet be a lot of life in the pups, so I'm holding out hope for it. Good luck.

Anna

Thank you both.

Cora - Ultrafine is what I had been using, ladder and sprayer every 10 days for a couple of years. I starting treating as soon as the scale showed on the trunk and lower pups but I just couldn't keep them out of the crown - I can't get that high to spray.

Anna - I didn't know cycadjungle's real name but knew that he was soon to be published on the topic. I know he still pops in now and again and has given me some guidance in the past. She is an old one for sure, and you're right - it most assuredly heartbreaking. I had a "certified arborist" tell me to to just cut it down a year ago because it was going to die. As you can see, I disagreed :-)

I just don't know if I'm too late to try the coffee grounds and other "secrets" he has.

Anna - thank again for his name. I found two articles: one that recommends Imidocloprid and the other coffee grounds. I've got some studying to do...

What you need to do first is get up on a ladder and find out if the head is all rotted away, or if the leaves just died off. If that apex is really hard, you are fine and need to get onto making it flush out again. They are right, I check in every few days, so write back and we can go from there once I know what we are dealing with. If the head is firm, I would fertilize it at once to get some energy back into the stem and then get a few bags of used coffee grounds from Starbucks and cover the root area (about 2 to 3 feet out) with the grounds. I haven't added my own article to my site yet, so here is the same thing on The Cycad Society site: http://www.cycad.org/Documents/Broome-Coffee-2007.pdf

Thanks so much for your reponse. I'll get the ladder out in the morning or borrow a taller one to see what I've got. I read your article this morning (Google is a wonderful tool), very helpful! We recently had a Starbucks open in town so I may have a supplier too.

I'll let you know what I find.

Thanks again!

Cycadjungle,

I can't imagine I'm wrong, but the close inspection is very disheartening...

From the side
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From the top
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With flash (digital cameras are wonderful)
{{gwi:810167}}

Thanks so much for your support,
Terri

Yea, that hollow top is not a good thing. Not only has the top rotted, but it is hollow because the scales sucked out so much energy that the starch was used up in the stem. Well first, you will not have a large apex like that again. At this point, it really makes a difference on how much work you want to do and to experiment on saving as much of the plant as possible. I would hope that once you go down a foot or so, to that point where the offset plants on the stem start, it might not be hollow any more. I would start by removing that top couple of feet to see if it is clean, or if the rot goes all the way through. If it stops, like in my never throw away a cycad article, I would treat the top wound with fungicide, seal it off and put a bucket on top to keep the rian from getting in there and continuing the rot. If it is rotten all the way down, I would remove as many offsets s possible, and the old leafbases and plant them and the trunk at ground level will start many new plants. If the stem is still good, then you might get a ring of new apecies at the top, which will make a branched cycad in time.

I use to spray my plants with Baby oil and soap. My queen sago looked healthy and happy and no more little white killers infecting my plant. Have you ever tried this

Sounds like there are still some possibilities then - thank you!

It appears the rot is only down about a foot from what I can see. If I understand you correctly, I need to saw off the top of the plant - down to the solid wood - treat and seal? After that, it may branch at the top?

What happens if I leave some offsets on the trunk? Do they grow large or do they just get to a certain size then die off? We've always kept the trunk clean so I don't have a clue.

If you get to the point that you have good wood and there is an offset plant at that top part, it will become a branch, and others should start coming out too. The ones in the middle will usually stay small, but you can always plant them and make new plants that will grow to be big. Apical domanance and all that kind of thing.

Thanks so much for all your help. Now we'll get to work and see what happens!

Teri, what happened to your Queen Sago? The photos are long gone (boo, Photobucket), but I'm wondering if you were able to rescue any part of the plant? What does it look like today? If you have time to post, I would love to see an updated photo.

Tom, is there anywhere in the Jacksonville area that sells Queen Sagos? I have one, but I'd like a couple more. Also, the one I have is in a large clay pot. Can I put it in the ground? Probably not... gets too cold here on those freak nights, right? Thanks!

Carol in Jacksonville

It does get a little too cold at times up there to keep a tall trunk intact. You know, queens are hard to find in general, unless you are in Miami. I had a local customer asking for one, and in a pinch, I couldn't find one anywhere around here.

Thanks very much for the reply. I read on one website that Queens can have up to four flushes per year. Here it is, well into spring weather in Jacksonville, and mine has yet to have one. It has quite a few sunburned fronds from a year ago when I brought it home in the car and got burned through the windshield. :( I want to remove those fronds when it has enough new leaves, but those new flushes will not come. The plant seems happy enough - no new problems have developed. Anything I should try? I have not fertilized it for fear of doing it incorrectly.

Also, I have read that they grow best in everything from full shade to half/half to full sun. What is your experience? In what light conditions are yours? Mine is in dappled light right now. Should I move it to more sun?

Here's a few photos. (I find it difficult to photograph plants with thin leaf structure.) Hopefully you can see the toasted frond tips. So much for running errands in June with a new plant in the front floor of the car - I should have known better.

Thanks!

Carol

They may look better in some shade, but the more light it gets, the better the energy. I use my Cycad Special fertilizer the end of February so they will flush in early April. Most cycads seen to wait till April-May to flush like the coonties do.

Thanks, plantsman. Would you please tell me more about that fertilizer? Do you sell it on your site? Or if not, do you post the recipe anywhere? As I said previously, I've been afraid to fertilize for fear I would lose the whole thing. However, I can monkey-see-monkey-do with the right guidance and product.:)

Thanks!

Carol