PonyTail Palm Care Guide and Profile:

Instructions

Soil Preference:

1. PontTail Palms prefer well draining substrates. The roots will rot quickly if they sit in moist soil.
2. Use a succulent soil mix for the pony tail palm. OR
3. Make a mix of 1 part potting mix, 1 part perlite and 1 part orchid bark or sand will keep the roots areated.
4. Make sure your pot has drainage at the bottom.

Pot Size and Type:

1. The Ponytail palm can grow in many different kinds of pots. Terra Cotta, concrete, ceramic and plastic are all great materials for this plant. Unglazed pots will help wick moisture away from the roots.
2. Repot every second year or when roots come out the drainage holes on the pot bottom To the next pot size up. Don't jump to a huge pot from a small one. Just go to the next size up pot.
3. NOTE: Pot size determines growth to a large extent. This plant will grow well in a small pot. The larger the pot the larger the ponytail palm tree will get.

Lighting:

1. This plant loves the light. It will tolerate Strong direct light all day.
2. However, If you are transistioning the bottle palm from less intense indoor light to direct strong outdoor light the leaves may burn. Get the palm used to intense light by setting it into strong light gradually until the leaves can tolerate it. Remove it to bright shade unitl the leaves get used to the direct light.
3. Strong direct sunlight from west or south facing windows, or on a patio should not bother the ponytail palm.
4. However, the bottle palm also tolerates lower light conditions well. If you can give it moderate lighting in a large north facing window it should thrive. But the growth will slow.
5. You can also supplement low lighting with artificial grow lights.

Watering:

1. Water your bottle palm when the soil is dry.. These plants are like camels. The large trunk is designed to hold water. This makes them drought resistant. The trunk retains water. The plant lives on it for quite a while.
2. Outdoor the Elephant plant can survive in very dry climates. That is what it is best suited for.
3. Indoors Water about once a month when the soil is dry. Otherwise leave it alone.
4. Soak the ponytail thoroughly and then drain out any excess water in the drainage plate. Now leave it alone.
5. Watering is best done on a regular schedule so the plant is not over or under watered. Both can cause stress on the plant.
6. Never let this plant get wet feet. Overwatering can cause root rot and attract fungus gnats to your plant.
7. Underwatering causes the leaves to turn brown.

How to Fertilize:

1. Apply a good quality slow release fertilizer (linked in materials) annually.
2. Over fertilizing can cause the leaves to turn brown.

Temperature:

1. The ponytail palm will tolerate a large range of temperatures. However it is happiest above 55 degrees F to 80 degrees F.
2. In winter patio plants can tolerate constant temperatures in the 50 degree range but do not let them freeze.
3. Indoors room temperature is fine for these plants. You can remove them to a cooler room in the house for the dormant months.

Leaf Care:

1. Washing the ponytail palm leaves helps keep the plant stomatas (pores) open so they can respire well.
2. clean leaves are attractive.
3. Washing and inspecting the leaves on a monthly basis also helps you discover plant problems that may need addressing.
4. Pests are best found with close leaf inspection done at washing time.
5. you can use our homemade neem oil spray found in all our pest control guides as a wash on plant leaves to deter pests.

Pests:

1. This plant is a hardy resilient plant. However all plants can get attacked by pests.
2. Stress by longterm overwatering, poor light, extreme temperatures and soil conditions are contributors to plant stress..
3. Spider mites, mealy bugs, scale, thrips and whitefly are the most common houseplant pests you will see.
4. Read our post on How to get rid of aphids and other pests with our homemade pesticide soap recipe or neems oil.
5. To minimize the possibility of pests be sure to check all nursery plants before bringing them home.
6. Quarantine all new plants until you are sure no pests live in them.

How to Propagate:

1. The mature bottle palm will grow offshoots from the trunk called pups.
2. They can be removed from the plant and planted in another pot to make a new plant.
3. You can also propagate the ponytail palm by seed if you have years to wait. The process is the same as you will find in our video series and posts on planting and growing Monstera from seed.