Disease vs. nutrient deficiency?
Hello-
Just recently, our 5 year old sago palm released a brand new level of beautiful, delicate fronds. A week later, they became dried up and looked like they had been scorched by the sunlight. The individual needles turned brown and began curling up. There is no evidence of pest infestation. We live in Southern California (Inland Empire). Should we cut off these fronds to make way for the next level of new fronds, and what exactly do you think may have happened here?
If the leaves are dead, then there's no point in leaving them, so yes, cut them off.
One possibility is fertilizer burn. On cycads, new leaves are particularly susceptible to fertilizer burn. IF you have recently fertilized, I bet this is the case. Nothing to do except wait, and maybe give the surrounding soil a good, deep watering or two to help flush out some of the salts. But don't overdo the water, as sagos don't enjoy wet conditions.
