Hello,
I have an Italian Palm which has grown multiple pups this year. Refer to picture.
Can a hands on experienced person advise how to transplant the pups without damaging the mother plant.
Had a bad experience when tried to propagate Madagascar Palm pups which didn't survive.
Please assist.
Rgds, AY100002

I have several big old Sago Palms out in my yard. I have tried to remove the pups in the past but don't anymore. Its hard to do without causing damage to the pup and the tree trunk.

I have read its just a matter of twisting or snapping them off the mother trunk. If you can manage that, go for it. I can never find a little neck to snap or twist so end up cutting and destroying the pup.

I have a lot of cycad experience, but I cannot tell from your picture if the pups are large enough to be removed. I would say as a rule-of-thumb that each one should have a caudex (trunk) as big as a softball ( aprox. 13 cm.) or bigger to be safe.
They should be removed with as much of their own roots as possible, even if you have to cut some of the mother plant's roots to get them. The pups should go into a very deep pot in a fast-draining soil mix (I use 80% pumice, 10% peat, 10% compost). It would think in your climate they would need a protected place with some shade cloth.
It may take years for them to establish a good root system, so be patient.
By the way, I don't believe that is a sago (Cycas revoluta), but another species of Cycas. If you post more and better photos I might be able to tell which.
Good luck.

I've only grown them from seed, never tried to divide them. Good luck

Thanks Lucy, Gina & Hortica for your continuous support.
I am attaching more pictures of Italian Palm pups. Are they ready for propagation?
Rgds, AY100002

No they don't look big enough.
I can't tell which species it is.

We have sago's in our yard that are 40 years old. They have pups around the trunks, I don't know if they are vegetative props or from seeds that have fallen. But they take forever, it seems to get bigger

Do you think the attached pictures might help to identify the tree?
Rgds, AY100002

@Baja_Costero might be able to help

Sorry, I can't help here.

I cannot say with any confidence what you have, but when I googled "Italian palm" some pages show up with Cycas rumphii.
No cycads are native to Italy, nor are they commonly grown there (although C revoluta is sometimes seen in milder coastal areas), so I have no idea how that became a common name for a cycad from China.

Hello Hortica,
Regarding the name of plant that its called Italian Palm where as actually its a kind of Cycas species, we will leave the debate for some other time.
Do you happen to have a picture of pups when they were ready for propagation. Seems the one we have to grow a lot to have stems of soft ball size.
Any suggestions about separating them from mother plant? We have not found any video on YouTube about it.
As you must have noticed that many new branches have grown on main plant. Shall we leave the outside old branches or prune them?
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Rgds, AY100002

Call your county university extension service horticulture division.

Hello,

To transplant pups from your Italian Palm safely, water the soil around the mother plant first to make it more pliable. Then, gently excavate around the pup, taking care to dig far enough out to avoid cutting into the main root system. Use a clean, sharp knife or spade to separate the pup, ensuring it has some roots attached. Transplant it into well-draining soil and water it in without saturating the soil, which could lead to rot. Avoid direct sunlight initially to reduce stress on the pup. Remember, patience and gentle handling are key. Good luck with your propagation!

bumplbea said: Call your county university extension service horticulture division.

@bumplbea, not sure Dubai would have something like this.

Thank you bumplbea & Mohsin for your advice, much appreciated.
Mohsin,
Do you have hands on experience of propagating Italian Palm pups.
There is always grey area and one is not sure if instructions are followed correctly.
Not long ago we did a similar exercise for Madagascar Palm, two very large pups were separated and replanted but both died in few weeks.
Rgds, AY100002

No I don't think Mohsin has hands on experiences, most likely an AI post. There are others like it.

@AY100002 What is the size of the caudex on the pups (offsets) you would like to remove and root?
How far out from the parent Cycad trunk are they growing?
Baseball size is the ideal size from my experience with Cycas revoluta.
If the size of the caudex is not easily visible you can carefully remove soil surrounding the top 1/2 of the pup.
If they are ready I will post the steps for success in growing them on their own.

Hello ScotTi & Calif_Sue,
As you can notice in the pictures, the pups are growing only a few inches from mother trunk.
They dont appear to be have caudex of soft ball size. I will remove some soil to find out the exact size.
Will keep you apprised.
Rgds, AY100002