- Caused by a fungus that usually thrives in situations where there is too much moisture, rust appears on the tops of cycad leaves. Rust spots are yellow or orange in color. The discoloration detracts from the plant's overall beauty, but does not typically threaten the plant's well-being.
- Once rust appears on your sago palm, it is usually easily treated by spraying with a fungicide containing copper. These are widely available commercially, or you can mix your own Bordeaux mixture, which is out of copper sulfate, hydrated lime and water.
- To prevent the occurrence of rust, don't let the sago palm stay wet throughout the day. This means watering it in the early mornings so that leaves can dry quickly and not remain damp overnight. Irrigation is another option, where the plant can be watered without wetting the foliage.
- Cycads may also suffer from wilt diseases like fusarium wilt, root rot, sooty mold, damping off, bud rot, and lethal yellowing, all of which are fungal and spread from tree to tree through the soil, the air, or poor sanitation when handling the plants. In some cases, they may also be spread by insect pests like scale.
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