Clean it up
Let’s tidy up your plant first. This enables the plant to focus its efforts on encouraging healthy new development.
- Use a pair of sharp scissors or pruning shears to cut off the affected area or the entire brown frond (they won’t turn green again).
- Wipe the blades of your scissors with rubbing alcohol between each snip.
- Because you never want to remove more than 20% of the problematic leaves at once, you might need to trim your plant in stages to avoid shocking it. Let’s now restore the health of your Ponytail Palm.
Although your Ponytail Palm can withstand droughts well, you shouldn’t ignore it entirely. Make sure your plant is not being overwatered or overgrown. Water on a regular basis, only when the soil feels fully dry.
The leaves of your Ponytail Palm may get limp, droop, and potentially even begin to brown and curl if the soil is unintentionally left entirely dry for an extended period of time. The trunk could also start to droop and wrinkle. A thorough soak is required if the soil is completely dry throughout the pot and there are indications of severe underwatering.
How to soak-water your ponytail palm is as follows:
- Without the saucer, put your plant in the sink or bathtub. Pour roughly 3 to 4 cups of water into your basin. Check to see if the water is warm.
- Give your plant at least 45 minutes to absorb water through the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot.
- After giving your plant a soak, feel the soil’s top to see if the water has gotten to the top 2-3 inches.
- Water your Ponytail Palm softly from the top of the soil to assist hasten soil saturation if not all of it feels soaked.
- Drain the sink or tub once the soil of your plant is evenly moist, and then leave it to rest while it completely drains. Put the plant back in its proper place on the saucer.
How to fix stem/root rot?
It makes no difference whether you water your ponytail palm too frequently or with too much water, or whether you planted it in a potting mix with inadequate drainage—overwatering can cause root rot and stem rot.
An overwatered ponytail can have yellow leaves, feel mushy and soft at the base, and if you look closely at the soil, you might even notice fungus growing on top of it. The earth can occasionally even start to smell.
As I previously stated, the likelihood of recovering a ponytail palm with root rot depends on how severe the condition is.
If it’s still young, you can transfer the plant to a separate container and add fresh potting soil with improved drainage and aeration to replace the old, damp soil.
Remove any decaying, soft, or unhealthy root tissue during repotting. Hopefully, your ponytail palm will thrive after being transplanted.
Reevaluate the plant’s watering requirements as well. Between two waterings, wait until the soil is totally dry (check with your fingers or a wooden stick), and then drain any extra water that collects in the saucer.
How to fix overfertilizing issues?
There are a few things you may attempt to nursing your ponytail palm back to health if you’ve been overfertilizing it.
If this is a one-time occurrence, you can try flushing the soil with running water to remove as much fertilizer as you can.
However, if the issue persists, you should repot your ponytail palm in new potting soil and stop fertilizing it.
How to fix stress related issues?
Possible remedies rely on the root cause of the stress because it can be brought on by a variety of factors.
You can attempt to revive a very parched ponytail palm by watering the bottom of the plant. Just submerge the pot in a 4 inch deep pool of room temperature water, and then wait 45 minutes.
Temperature regulation can prevent temperature shock by ensuring that the plant isn’t subjected to extremes or swings.
While to prevent them from getting out of control, insect infestations should be treated with as soon as they appear. Spraying the leaves with soapy water or a solution of alcohol and water will get rid of pests like mealybugs.
What does an overwatered ponytail palm look like?
- Often, over or underwatering causes this. Insufficient water causes the leaves to turn brown and brittle, while too much water can result in brown tips with noticeable yellowing. With a fresh pair of sheers, trim the leaves and then assess the soil to determine the appropriate watering schedule.
- Most likely not! Simply said, these plants grow extremely slowly. There is nothing to be concerned about as long as your plant appears to be in good health.
- The first symptom of overwatering is the yellowing of the leaf tips. If this occurs, stop watering the plant until the soil is completely dry and then cut back on the amount of water you give it. Other symptoms of overwatering include drooping leaves and a soft, squishy base to the plant.
- Fertilizing indoor plants from spring through fall generally results in their thriving. Use an organic houseplant fertilizer once a month, dilution and application instructions on the container. In order to ensure that your plant doesn’t require fertilizer within the first six months of receiving it, Greenery NYC employs an organic potting mix with a slow release fertilizer in the soil.
- We advise repotting smaller desktop plants every 12 to 18 months. In order to allow for growth, you need often use a potting vessel with a diameter that is 1- 2 bigger. Selecting a pot that is significantly larger than the previous one could drown the plant’s roots. Repot your plant into the same container, add additional soil, and remove some roots and foliage if you’d like to keep it at its current size. Repotting should be done in the spring or summer when the plant is at its healthiest.
How does a ponytail palm look as it ages?
Overwatering is the most frequent reason for Ponytail Palm death. The leaves turn yellow and the base feels mushy, which are signs of root and stem rot. A trunk that is dehydrated will be limp and have leaves with brown tips. The wrong soil mixture and even the wrong pot size can contribute to the early demise of Ponytail Palm, as can an excess of fertilizer.
How frequently do ponytail palms need to be watered?
You are taking good care of your ponytail palms if you water them once a week.
Ponytail palms’ bulb base holds water, so they don’t need to be watered frequently.
The plant thrives in warm, dry air, moderate temperatures, and plenty of sunlight and can reach heights of up to 2 meters.
Water them once a week while they are developing. The soil should be allowed to dry out in between waterings, though.
In the absence of this, your ponytail palm may be susceptible to pests and illnesses brought on by root rot.
Watering During Summer
Overwatering is equally as prevalent, though. So, you shouldn’t leave the plant’s roots submerged for an extended period of time.
Therefore, water your ponytail palm every two to three weeks to prevent any annoyance to the plant.
You should first examine the dirt. Water the plant if the top 2-3 inches of soil are dry.
Wait a few days before watering if the top 2-3 inches of soil are still wet.
Ponytail palms grow most actively in the summer. As a result, they also need more water and nutrients. The summertime heat might also result in water loss.
Watering During Winter
Slow growth occurs in the plant during the winter. As a result, both the temperature and the amount of water needed decrease.
You can water once a month in the winter. Examine the soil. Water your plant if the top 2-3 inches of soil are dry.
To prevent the roots from needing to be wet for an extended period of time, you can maintain the plant in a sunny area. This could stop root rot.
How do you know when to water a ponytail palm?
It requires less regular watering because water is held in the trunk for longer periods of time. In order for the soil of your Ponytail palm to dry completely between waterings, you must wait until the following week if you are unsure whether or not to water the plant. You can be certain that your Pony tail palm has been underwatered if it develops dry, brown leaf, a shrunken stem, or dried roots. Watering plants too much might smother their roots and lead to deterioration. Remember that the Ponytail Palm is extremely drought tolerant due to the fact that its enormously thick, bulbous trunk acts as a reservoir, storing water against dry spells. Due to this property, the tree may go up to four weeks without water without suffering any damage. Ponytails typically require watering every two weeks, although there is no specific schedule for this. By inserting your finger into the dirt, you may periodically inspect your bonsai. When the topsoil feels dry, water deeply and thoroughly. Do not water the tree if the soil is cool or damp. Make sure the soil is well-draining and the roots are not resting in water before watering again if yellow leaves starts to emerge. Wait a few days before watering again. Our Haws Watering Set, which includes a professional mister and a watering can, will enable you to provide your Ponytail Palm with just the right amount of water.
Do ponytail palms require sunlight or shade?
- By separating them from the parent plant and repotting them, you can grow more ponytail palms.
The ponytail palm (Beaucarnea), which is easy to cultivate indoors and has a long lifespan, is not a palm tree at all. It’s a succulent in its place. Ponytail palms belong to the agave family, but despite having rough-to-the-touch leaves, they lack the stiffness and thorns that one would often associate with agaves. Those leaves have a ponytail-like appearance and shoot from the stem’s apex in a fountain-like fashion. Because of the plant’s wide, grey base with peeling bark, ponytail palms are also called “elephant foot trees. One common name for this plant is the “ponytail palm,” since each one has a base that tapers up to a slender, graceful trunk “container palm Ponytail palms are native to Mexico and may be grown outdoors in well-drained, sunny locations where they can grow up to 20 feet tall by gardeners in zones 10 and 11.
Where to Grow Ponytail Palms
Ponytail palms require intense light, so place them near windows but out of direct sunlight in the house’s sunniest room. They thrive in dry environments and are ideal for the low humidity seen in most indoor environments.
During the summer, you can move your ponytail palm outside to give it a vacation from the house. Place it in a safe spot, perhaps on a porch or patio close to the home, to give it a few days to adapt. If desired, relocate it to an outside location with indirect lighting after that. When it is at its brightest, outdoor light—which is significantly stronger than inside light—can hurt plants that are accustomed to growing indoors.
How to Plant Ponytail Palms
Choose a pot that is no wider than 2 inches around the plant’s base because ponytail palms prefer to be a little crowded in their containers. It ought to have a drainage hole as well. Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix should be poured into the container up to a third of the way; this will provide the plant the ideal drainage it requires. Once the root ball has been gently teased loose, place the plant in the pot with the bottom of the stem and the top of the root ball meeting about an inch below the rim. The plant will rot if any part of the stem is buried. More potting mix should be added to the area around the root ball. Thoroughly water the plant and let it drain before transplanting it to where you would like it to develop.
How to Water Ponytail Palms
Ponytail palms are succulents and can endure for extended periods of time without water. You shouldn’t overwater them, but it doesn’t imply you should never water them. Between waterings, let the top 2 to 3 inches of soil dry up. Then, give the plant a vigorous soak. This means that if you have a ponytail palm indoors, you’ll probably need to water it every three to four weeks. If you’re letting your plants spend the summer outside, keep an eye on the weather forecast and bring them inside if several inches of rain are expected. Don’t let plants stand in water that is still.
How to Feed Ponytail Palms
Ponytail palms should be fed Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Food a month after planting since it delivers immediate nourishment and is especially developed to promote succulent plant growth. Apply directly to soil, using 1 pump for small pots and 2 pumps for larger pots (over 6 inches in diameter), then water as normal. Make sure you adhere to the label’s instructions.
How to Prune Ponytail Palms
The terse response is, “Don’t!” Ponytail palms are slow-growing and shouldn’t require pruning when cultivated inside. However, you can clip off the growing tip and let the plant re-sprout if you want to encourage it to grow several trunks. Small stems will start to sprout anywhere outside the clipped edge.
How to Grow More Ponytail Palms
At the base of the stem, ponytail palms may generate offsets, or young plants. You can break or chop these off if you’d like to replant them (chances are, they will already have roots). After a few days of drying out, pot the cut sides like you would fresh plants (see above), being careful not to bury the stems.
Getting ready to plant ponytail palms? To learn more about a product, to buy it online, or to locate a retailer near you, click on any of the product links above.
Will a palm with a ponytail return?
To grow a new plant, many gardeners have rooted the top half of cactus. The strong stem of the ponytail palm resembles a cactus and even swells to store water, however a piece broken from the base of the plant will not take root. Even though the damaged piece is permanently lost, the plant can still survive and grow. The ponytail palm will split into multiple segments at the point of the break if the diameter of the trunk there is less than 6 inches, and it will then continue to develop. Similar to how a ponytail will divide and continue to develop if it breaks off from a mature plant’s branch. Keep in mind that plants grow very slowly and exercise patience.