Hi Everyone, My husband bought me a miniture Sago Palm 2 years ago. It stays indoors by the window and has been beautiful and green up until 2 months ago. It started getting little flies so we sprayed it with indoor houseplant bug killer. Within 24 hours, the leaves turned yellowish green with brownish tips. The leaves are also droopy. We changed the soil and still no change. Is it dead? Is there anything I can do to save my plant? Also, today there are mushrooms growing from the soil and a fuzz like substance on the trunk and stems. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
The flies, mushrooms, and the fungi ( fuzy stuff) are usually from over watering and keeping the soil to wet. And I dont know if its true or not but I heard that houseplant bug killer isnt good for sago palms, but like I said I dont know if its true or not it probably isnt. O ya a thing to try insted of plant food would be epsom salt mixed with water. Thats what alot of people hav e told me to do with mine. But a plant food would probabaly be good to. Good luck
Possibly white flies (they're common greenhouse and houseplant pests). Horticultural oil might help. Or soap. The mushroomy stuff indicates possible overwatering. Make sure your plant has good drainage. They grow happily outdoors in sand. Your sago might like spending some time outdoors. It should be warm enough for it to be comfortable. They survive freezing temperatures and Gulf Coast heat. Coffee grounds may be helpful--sagos take up alkaloids from the grounds, which kill scale insects (especially a southeast Asian scale that has killed most of Florida's sagos) and might discomfit white flies.
Sago palm care from the University of Illinois extension. Also, see the second question and answer from the Univ. of Washington Botanic Gardens (though it references this site).
