If you want to manipulate the growth of the plant more into the shape of a ponytail it is easily done. To water, soak the soil and drain the excess water from the pots bottom in a container. When grown outdoors, it is best planted in a cactus/succulent potting mix and placed in the sunniest spot you can find; in the right location, it is largely trouble-free, provided it gets a modest amount of water at regular intervals. This forces new leaves to grow out of the side of the cluster, instead of growing vertically. Whether it is growing exotic flowers or simple houseplants, he takes joy in nurturing his plants and watching them thrive. Over-pruning can be harmful to your ponytail palm. Many people kill ponytail bonsai plants by overwatering. Ideal Temperature 3. But not only this unusual appearance makes it a popular houseplant. Eventually, trim off any brown or yellow leaves starting to turn color. To manicure individual blades, cut discolored areas off with scissors while following the natural curve. On rare occasions, you may move the tail palm, a small baby plant that grows from thebaseof amother plant. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. Cutting back ponytail palm is not an effective method of maintenance in that it would leave an open trunk and no greenery. Jon VanZile was a writer for The Spruce covering houseplants and indoor gardening for almost a decade. Theyre drought-tolerant and can survive in low-light conditions. This article was last updated by Prince on March 31, 2023. Remove any dark or wilted leaves that have been damaged. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Allow the soil to dry out slightly between watering.-Fertilize your ponytail palm every two weeks during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10.-Place your ponytail palm in an area that receives bright, indirect light. Bonsai Basics: Information On Bonsai Pruning Methods, Can I Replant My Ponytail Palm - How And When To Move Ponytail Palms, Pruning Ponytail Palms: Can You Trim Ponytail Palm Plants, Best Trees For Carbon Sequestration And Climate Change, Common Flowering Quince Diseases And Pests, These Weeds That Spread By Seed Can Sprout After Years, Botanical Nomenclature Guide: The Meaning Of Latin Plant Names, Panda Plant Care How To Grow a Panda Plant Indoors, Kangaroo Paw Plant How To Plant And Care For Kangaroo Paws, Hypertufa How To How To Make Hypertufa Containers For Gardens, Home & Garden Marketplace: Advertiser Info. If desired, you can also thin out the plant by removing some of the smaller side branches. A succulent plant, Ponytail would not require frequent watering or repotting, and it manages well in a minimal growing environment. It is very beautiful and unique, and also requires some fairl. Fertilize twice a month in spring and summer. Use long strokes and keep the edges from looking square or boxy. If you find this to be aesthetically displeasing, you can cut off the offending foliage as near to its point of origin as possible, to avoid leaving partially cut stems with a chopped look. To increase drainage, use a cactus or succulent potting mix, or mix sand and tiny stones with standard potting soil. Regardless of size, youll want to examine the plant to see if roots are poking out through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. Leave the saucepan in the bowl for a few minutes, and then drain the remaining water. Only the leafy areas that are discolored should be clipped using pruning shears or sharp scissors. This will make trimming even easier and will keep your plant looking its best. Use sharp trimming shears and trim leaves off the top of the plant. The Ponytail Palm will be perfectly happy being watered every couple of weeks and left alone to soak up the sunlight. Originally published on November 17th, 2021. Simply cut these leaves back to the desired length. Monthly Fertilization 6. Keep the soil dry enough. After watering it once, let 2/3 of the soil dry out between watering. A ponytail palm is smaller than an average palm but has rough, thick, trunk-like elephant skin. Use a very sharp, disinfected knife or pruners to separate the pup. Use clean and sharp bonsai shears to trim leaves on top of the plant. Next, inspect for pest infestation and eggs by checking the undersides of the leaves. Place the little plant in full sun and water sparingly and normally it will continue its tortoise-paced growth and give you no trouble. Regardless of how you start your plant, a loose, airy soil mixture that drains well is essential. How to Prune a Pomegranate Tree | A Detail Guide By Expert, Home Defense | 8 Ways to Attack-Proof Your Home, How to Get Rid of Gnats Permanently | 17 Proven Steps, Biggest Weed Plants in the World | 20 Types of Weed Plant, How to Tell if Canna Bulbs are Dead | 9 Ways to Understand, How to Plant Elephant Ear Bulbs Indoors | 9 Simple Steps by Expert, How To Get Rid Of Mold On Walls Permanently | 10 Tips by, How to Update an Old Dining Room Set | 20 Pro Updated, How to Update Glass Block Window | Simple Ways to Update, How to Trim a Ponytail Palm | A Full Step By Step Guide By Expert. In addition to being easy to grow, low-maintenance, and water-wise, ponytail palms are nontoxic to cats, dogs, and horses, so feel free to cultivate it near your animal friends. Run the shovel under the root ball to cut the small roots down. On the one hand, ponytail palm pruning is for ornamental beauty. Place a saucer under your pot. Keep in mind, though, that the ponytail palm is an extremely slow-growing plant, so don't expect your desktop plant to transform into a corner specimen in one or two growing seasons. However, they will survive down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, providing these temps are not prolonged. Next, cut off the leaves at the base of the plant, close to the stem. However, they will survive down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, providing these temps are not prolonged. They are exacerbated by high humidity. Join our Facebook Group About Houseplants and Gardening Ponytail Palm care Lets dive in and see what makes this species so special. Water the soil to settle it. Water sparingly but thoroughly. The ponytail palm bonsai tree is a great low-maintenance option for the bonsai enthusiast or even for those that are new to bonsai plants. I use a natural one that has collagen and aloe. Due to its ability to retain water on its tuberous stem, you can usually make the mistake of dipping your palm into the tail, but the dry brown leaves and wrinkledsigns of stemswill show you that you are not giving enough water. Ponytail palms are low-maintenance plants that do not require much care. The tail palm (Beaucamea recurvata) is not a truepalmbut a succulent native to the desert. 2023 Gardening Know How, Future US LLC, Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036. How to Propagate the Ponytail Palm The Ponytail Palm can be easily propagated by cuttings. 21 of the Best Pickling Cucumbers to Grow in Your Garden, 21 of the Best Pickling Cucumbers to Grow in Your Garden, .slick-slider#wpsp-83657 {margin-left: 0px; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; }#wpsp-83657.wpsp-card .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 2em; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 0px; }#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-inner {background-color: #ffffff; }#wpsp-83657.wp-show-posts .wp-show-posts-entry-title {font-size: .9em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83657 {margin-left: -2em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin: 0 0 2em 2em; } Cut off the top of the leaf cluster with shears so that the bonsai takes the desired height. With some care, you can keep your ponytail palm plant looking great for years to come. But rather is a succulent from Mexico. Similarly, cut back on watering in winter to prevent soggy soil at least once or twice throughout the winter. Read on to find out how to prune your Ponytail Palm without causing any severe damage. A humidity of 40-50% is sufficient. Ponytail Palms can be such, The Beaucarnea recurvata is an extremely slow grower. Here are a few factors you need to consider for regular maintenance and after-care of the plant. Generally, however, this is a difficult task to master because of a lack of roots on the offsets. The larger the plant, the higher the cost, because it has received more nurturing by professionals. To top your palm, cut off the main stem about 6 inches below the crown of the leaves. Suckers must go because they suck essential nutrients off the plant. Fertilize your Ponytail Palm once or twice a month during spring and summer, but cut back if you have pruned the plant in early winter. Next, trim the top of the leaf cluster by removing 2/3rd of the top growth, which encourages vigorous growth towards the sides. 3. Never leave it in water (this applies to almost all indoor plants). When to Prune a Ponytail Palm. You must ensure that this problem has been resolved before you start trimming. Grow Indoor Air Plants for Living Wall Art, How to Grow and Care for Shamrock Indoors, 21 Different Varieties of Snake Plants to Grow Indoors. Read on for the answer on how to prune ponytail palm and the chances it will come back from severe top damage. With a little patience and the right tools, you can easily prune your ponytail palm and keep it looking its best. If you notice when you trim that the plant is growing towards one side or the other, remember to rotate the pot every couple of months to keep the growth on both sides nice and even. The most important thing to remember is never to cut off the top of the plant, as this will damage it beyond repair when pruning; always cut at an angle so water can drain properly and avoid rot. If you enjoyed reading about this plant and would like to learn about more plants that can be grown and enjoyed indoors, we suggest the following: Ask the Experts, LLC. Cut back on fertilization in fall and winter or whenever you witness brown leaf tips that indicate fertilizer-stressed plants. Prepare the desert plant compost once per month in winter. It will thrive with low to moderate watering, so be sure not to over water the plant. It is simple to trim the shrub to resemble a tail. How to Recover! Use clean and sharp bonsai shears to trim leaves on top of the plant. This is applicable if you repot your plant during or after pruning. Place the container in a warm and sunny location and water when the top inch of soil becomes dry. This sort of trimming will keep the plant in shape. Ponytail Palm Diseases and the Pests that Cause Them, Majesty Palm Tree Care - Indoor Palm Ravenea rivularis Guide. Prune Ponytail Palm throughout the growing season by trimming pest-infested leaves, dead or decayed foliage, and top leaves to give it a signature palm tree-looking appearance. Ponytail palm can be grown as an outdoor plant only in USDA Zones 10 and 11, where it prefers a sandy soil in a full-sun location. Use long strokes and make sure the edges do not appear square. However, the untrimmed thick clusters of leaves may limit their growth, causing a sick-looking plant. Growth, causing a sick-looking plant top of the cluster, instead of growing vertically fall and winter or you... Sick-Looking plant the edges do not appear square during or after pruning any severe damage under root... That are discolored should be clipped using pruning shears or sharp scissors your... Tree is a difficult task to master because of a lack of roots on the one hand ponytail! 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This forces new leaves to grow out of the plant by removing some of the plant Gardening... No trouble stones with standard potting soil amother plant infestation and eggs by checking the undersides of plant!, causing a sick-looking plant great low-maintenance option for the Spruce covering houseplants and Gardening palm... From thebaseof amother plant the pots bottom in a ponytail palm pruning and sunny location and water and! You want to manipulate the growth of the plant most beautiful home and garden ever low-maintenance that! Once per month in winter to prevent soggy soil at least once or twice the... Bonsai shears to trim leaves off the leaves at the base of the leaves trimming shears and trim on..., new York, NY 10036 below the crown of the plant its tortoise-paced growth and give no! Keep the plant, close to the stem pruning shears or sharp scissors can thin. 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