Comments on: How To Care for A Ponytail Palm

By: Holly

Holly — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 19:49:48 +0000

I have a plant that is at least 60 years old. Without asking, my gardener (or his workers) cut the leaves back. I’m in a panic that it may have been harmed. It has never been cut like this. Will it regrow?

Thanks

By: Ellen

Ellen — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 02:14:49 +0000

Stop watering it and see what happens. I have had one for 40 years and it is now 20 feet tall. I live in California, but it’s first 8 years it lived in my bathroom in Oklahoma. I was forgetful sometime about the watering, so I figure yours must not be use to water either. Mine lives in my frontyard now in east county San Diego. Very good drainage! (South African climate) Stop watering and good luck.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 02:05:31 +0000

I got a pony tail palm (3 inches tall) when I was 10 years old and now it lives in my court yard in San Diego and it is 20n feet tall(because I could not buy bigger pots) …I aged with it and am now 53 years old. Put your little one in some cactus dirt in a bigger pot and water once a week, but don’t drowned it and it will do great. Now if anyone can tell me how t0o separate a baby from the momma plant I would appreciate it. I am possibly retiring to a different location and can’t bear to not have a small grandchild plant!

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 20:26:41 +0000

How do I divide a pony tail without damaging it?

By: plantlover

plantlover — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 21:19:33 +0000

I will share my experience with the ponytail and other plants, hope it helps.
I’ve owned my ponytail less than a year but it has grown from a small tabletop sized plant to one in the extra large clay pot and over three feet tall. It has towering curved leaves and a huge base. It wont fit into the car it came home in. I have repotted it three times andd during the summer I watered her every day.
I start with store soil and amend it with perlite, tree bark, and a soil perfector until it no longer clumps. I’ve experimented with equal parts soil and additives before, but it required to much watering and I didn’t have the time. So now the ratio is 2 parts soil and two parts of all of the other stuff. Beware: if you don’t have time to water your plant daily or every other day, it will die quickly. Also, my plant sat outside from the outset, I only now have it inside.

By: gloria

gloria — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 05:54:45 +0000

Hello, I have the same problem as Tennille. My cat loved to munch on the leaves. I have moved the plant out of her reach, but not much change in its appearance. Its foliage is droopy, turning brown then falling off. What should I do to help my plant be healthy?

By: Tennille

Tennille — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 04:00:15 +0000

My mom bought us a ponytail palm for Christmas and it was doing great until our cat munched half the leaves off. I had to hang it from the ceiling in its pot and now the leaves keep turning brown and dropping and the green parts are really saggy and droopy. How can I save it? Any help is greatly appreciated.

By: Ruth Ann Sargent

Ruth Ann Sargent — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 22:16:44 +0000

I got A ponytail plant for my birthday and had no instructions ,It’s in a little 8 in pot with the bulb really showing, can I replant this now and how big should the pot be to start out and how deep I have the soil instructions you just gave someone ,I have a sunroom so the temperature will be the same at all time. I was concerned about exposing the bulb to much or not enough it’s really healthy looking and what kind of fertilizer do I use, when I do fertilize it. It’s approximately 16 inch from the bottom of the pot to the top not counting the limbs ..Any help will be appreciated

By: Lynn

Lynn — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 21:57:46 +0000

Hi Meg, I bought a similar ponnytail at costco about 10 years ago. It’s still in the same pot (glued pebbles and all) and is thriving. I give it about a cup of water every week or so…sometimes I forget, but it doesn’t seem to mind. I wouldn’t worry too much about your ponnytail in it’s current pot.

By: Debbie Sweet

Debbie Sweet — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 22:57:24 +0000

My husband has had this Elaphants Foot Plant for 38 years. This last year it has been through a lot. It seemed to be in a bad apot. Something got dropped on it and put a small gash in the trunk. It was not growing at all so I made sure it had water. Apparently too much. Now the top of the plant is loose and moves some. I wondered if cutting the loose top off would be a good idea. We live in a cold climate, so putting it outside is not an option. Any advice to keep this plant alive would be appreciated.