Ponytail Palm Care Must-Knows
Ponytail palm grows best in full sun and well-drained soil mix. A quick-draining soil mix for cacti is a great choice. To achieve quick drainage, you can incorporate sand or small gravel into regular potting mix. A desert plant, ponytail palm is adapted to bright sun. Place it near a window where it will receive as much light as possible. This plant can be moved outside for the summer. Transition it slowly from indoors to outdoors by placing it in part shade for several days before moving it to a full sun location. Watering ponytail palm differs from summer to winter. In summer, water ponytail palm deeply but infrequently, allowing the plant to dry out before watering again. Reduce watering significantly in winter. In its native environment, ponytail palm receives little or no water in winter. Mimic those conditions by watering the plant deeply every few weeks in winter. Fertilizing is rarely necessary, but plants can be fertilized once or twice during spring or summer. Use a general all-purpose plant food. Brown leaf tips are common in winter and aren’t cause for alarm. Simply snip off the brown ends to clean up the plant’s appearance.
More Varieties for Ponytail Palm
‘Gold Star’ Ponytail palm
Beaucarnea recurvata ‘Gold Star’ is an exciting selection that has leaves streaked in chartreuse. It does best in high-light situations. It grows 8 feet tall. Zones 9-11.
