Pony Tail Palm newbie in need of some help!

[RyanG]

Hi I'm new on here and I'm not sure I'm in the right place. Hopefully I am!

I have apony tail palm, I heard its a type of a succlent is this correct?

heres a picture of my palm



I had a few questions;
How do I care for it
How and when do I water it
about how old dose the plant look
how often do I repot it
does it need plant food?
dose it look healty?
what are signs its unhealty, and what can I do to prevent this or reverse it?

Thanks,
Ryan

Note I did post this in bonsai and relized it its not a bonsai. Can someone tell me how to delete the old post

[RyanG]

Ryan,
I deleted your post on the Bonsai forum. We all make little mistakes, so don't worry about it. Just browse our forums and see what you can learn!

Thank you!

[baileysup]

I have no experience with this plant, but will give you what I can. The first thing I would do is your own search through an internet search engine. You should be able to pull up most of the care details this way, and it may be easier for you. As far as watering, I would use the chopstick method, and water only when dry. Also, your palm appears to be quite healthy. I would learn as much as you can through a search engine about the plant, yet I'm sure someone who has experience with this plant will chime in with more info for you. Sorry, but, I've never owned one of these, and know nothing about them. I think they store water though. Very nice palm. I likey.

[RyanG]

I have no experience with this plant, but will give you what I can. The first thing I would do is your own search through an internet search engine. You should be able to pull up most of the care details this way, and it may be easier for you. As far as watering, I would use the chopstick method, and water only when dry. Also, your palm appears to be quite healthy. I would learn as much as you can through a search engine about the plant, yet I'm sure someone who has experience with this plant will chime in with more info for you. Sorry, but, I've never owned one of these, and know nothing about them. I think they store water though. Very nice palm. I likey.

I tried googleing it and it couldnt find much info thus is why I'm here.

[baileysup]

Oh, and if it's root bound, you may want to plant it into a slightly larger container in the spring. I'm looking right now to see if I can find anything. Give me a minute. I'll be back

[baileysup]

Ponytail Palm

Botanical Name: Beaucarnea recurvata


Ponytail Palm for Sale
Often mistaken for a palm, Ponytail Palm is actually a semi-succulent more closely related to the Yucca.

This plant is easy to grow and drought-tolerant. Its swollen base stores water, so occasional lack of water will do no harm.

If you're forgetful about watering, this may be the ideal house plant for you.

In fact, the most common mistake with this plant is overwatering it, especially in winter. When in doubt, keep it on the dry side.

At the top of its trunk, long, narrow green leaves grow in a cluster, curving downward like a pony's tail. Keep them dust-free by spraying leaves with room-temperature water, then wiping them with a soft cloth. Cleaning the leaves will also help to prevent spider mites that prefer the same dry living conditions as the ponytail palm tree.

ponytail palm, ponytail palms
Clusters of small, white flowers may appear on plants when they are several years old. However, plants that are grown indoors rarely flower.

Easy to Grow
Because of its tolerance for living indoors, ponytail palm makes an easy-to-please house plant and a striking accent for any room.

A native of the Mexican desert, this house plant tolerates the dry air of heated homes extremely well.

If you find that the leaf tips are turning brown, it is caused by overwatering and underwatering. Snip off brown leaf tips with sharp scissors or pruners, but take care not to cut too much off.

Good ponytail palm care will ensure that your house plant will live a long time. Slow-growing, it rarely needs repotted. In fact, it grows best when it's pot-bound. As it grows tall, it's a good idea to pot it in a heavy container to prevent toppling.

Ponytail Palm Care Tips

ponytail palm, succulent house plants, beaucarnea recurvata
Origin: Mexico

Height: Slow-growing, it can take 20 years to reach 6 ft (2 m) indoors. It is easy to grow as a bonsai, reaching only 1-2 ft (30-60 cm) tall -- it doesn't need shaped or pruned at all.

Light: Bright light to full sun.

Water: Allow soil to dry out a bit between waterings. In winter, water only enough to prevent the soil from drying out completely.

Humidity: Average to low room humidity.

Temperature: Average room temperatures 65-75°F, 18-24°C

Soil: A fast-draining medium such cactus potting mix.

Fertilizer: Feed monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half.

Propagation: Can be sown from seeds. In spring, you can remove the offsets that grow from the base of the plant and pot them in their own containers.

[baileysup]

https://www.guide-to-houseplants.com/ponytail-palm.html


That's the link to what I just posted above. You can read it better with pictures, if you just go to the link. Hope that helps.

[RyanG]

https://www.guide-to-houseplants.com/ponytail-palm.html


That's the link to what I just posted above. You can read it better with pictures, if you just go to the link. Hope that helps.

Thanks, but I read that, and I thought maybe I could get a better decription from someone whom has taken care of one, and not just an online post. The recamneded dosnt allwyas have best results.

[baileysup]

Agreed. Hopefully someone chimes in soon

[imafan26]

Pony tail palms can be kept in pots for quite a while, it will tend to stunt the growth and keep it smaller longer. They can get quite big when they are in the ground. Yours looks like it has a healthy head of green leaves. I would repot it myself just because I don't like for it to grow crooked.

It looks like it is happy in that location. Once in a while take the plant out and flush the dust off the leaves.
Inspect under the leaves, every week, that is usually where pests like to hide. It looks like it is in a clay pot, that is good because clay breathes. If the pot gets a lot of white scale, then the salts are building up and it is time to get a new pot.

Otherwise, it is safer to keep the plant on the dry side and fertilize it lightly. The base expands quite a bit so I keep about an inch or two of space for it to grow.

[ElizabethB]

Easy to grow. Drought tolerant. Will do well in a bright sunny window out of drafts. They like to be pot bound. A pot only 1" larger than the root is all you need. You may want to repot yours just to straighten the lean. Be careful to re-pot at the same depth. Do not pot any deeper than it already is. Rotate the plant weekly to maintain straight growth. Little or no feeding is needed. Let the soil dry completely between watering. Allow the pot to drain before returning it to its home. No pot saucers please. Use pot feet or a plant stand to keep it off of the floor. I like using metal stands with floor protectors under the legs. This is especially useful with large plants that can not be easily moved for watering. I just slide a large bowl under the pot to catch drips when I water.

Good luck

[RyanG]

Easy to grow. Drought tolerant. Will do well in a bright sunny window out of drafts. They like to be pot bound. A pot only 1" larger than the root is all you need. You may want to repot yours just to straighten the lean. Be careful to re-pot at the same depth. Do not pot any deeper than it already is. Rotate the plant weekly to maintain straight growth. Little or no feeding is needed. Let the soil dry completely between watering. Allow the pot to drain before returning it to its home. No pot saucers please. Use pot feet or a plant stand to keep it off of the floor. I like using metal stands with floor protectors under the legs. This is especially useful with large plants that can not be easily moved for watering. I just slide a large bowl under the pot to catch drips when I water.

Good luck

Thank you so much!, I kinda like the lean, I think it gives it a tropical look, but I will rotate it for it probly is best for my baby. Do you happen to know how old it is? Also where would I get the plant stand you were speaking of? Once more, thank you!

[wysteriangnome]

I am in a different zone, but just wanted to let you know my experience; I took one out of a pot and planted it outside. It has done extremely well through the hot hot summers, and also a couple winters with snow. (We don't get a lot, but it did snow the last two years) It is planted in an area protected from the morning up to mid-day sun, and it is still growing healthy. It must be a fairly hardy plant.

I do run around like a crazy woman; with big plastic bags to cover some plants; when it snows though.

Yeah overwatering will eventually cause the roots to rot.

All the best. Beautiful plant!

[wysteriangnome]

P.S. Ours is approximately 4 years old and the trunk is not as big as your ponytail plant.