The Ponytail Palm is an evergreen perennial native to eastern Mexico and has been found to live for 350 years and reach heights of 15 feet!
The Ponytail Palm, despite its common name, is not a true palm and needs maintenance similar to that of other plants that thrive in arid climates, such as cacti or succulents. The Ponytail Palm needs at least a few hours of direct sunlight each day, so place it where it will receive a sufficient amount of high light, ideally in front of a southern or western-facing window. Root rot and leggy growth are more likely to occur when plants are placed in medium light. Low light levels are incompatible with this plant.
Table of Contents
Methods To Know When To Water Ponytail Palm
It is still possible to overwater or underwater the plant, even if you take good care of your palm babies and water them once a week.
Consequently, the following are some quick and reliable ways to determine when to water ponytail palm plants.
1. Weight Check
Consider wetting your ponytail palm and weighing it.
You can lift the pot with your hands and feel the weight.
You can see that the topsoil is drying out after a few days. It could be an indication that your plant needs water. In order to determine the weight, you can lift the pot once more.
Watering should be done as soon as your plant starts to feel lighter. So you can avoid getting dirt on your fingers when checking the soil by using a weight check.
2. Touch Test
In order to check the moisture availability for the touch test, you must dunk your finger into the soil.
One of the most frequent issues with owning a ponytail palm plant is overwatering. As a result, if you want your plant to have strong roots, avoid them.
You should water the plant if your finger feels dry to the roots during the touch test.
Your finger can easily be dipped down to the root level because the soil is sandy.
In the event that moisture is detected, you must wait a day or two.
3. Moisture Meter
A moisture meter can be used to determine how moist your ponytail palms pot is.
Nowadays, gardeners frequently employ moisture meters.
You can buy a moisture meter for your plants if you want more precise measurements of the soil’s moisture content.
4. Check For A Deflated Bulb
For the plant, water is stored in the bulb at the base of the ponytail palm.
The bulb appears filled and vibrant if your plant is well-hydrated. On the other hand, the plant needs water if the bulb appears wrinkled, deflated, or shrunken.
Therefore, if you see a bulb that has shrunk and deflated, your plant is thirsty!
Signs Of Underwatered Ponytail Palm
Ponytail palm emits the signals so you can recognize when you are drowning the plant.
Sometimes you might forget to water the plant. Additionally, you might dehydrate the plant for a few weeks if you frequently travel.
Here are a few indicators of an underwater ponytail palm.
1. Dry, Brown, And Crispy Blades
Initially, the browning of the leaf tips begins. The leaves of the plant may also appear to be dry. The leaf blades finally appear to be dry and have a crispy appearance.
If you don’t water the plants right away, the leaves also begin to curl at the edges.
2. Limp And Droopy Leaves
The leaves wilt from a lack of water. When the ponytail palm is submerged, the leaves wilt, become limp, and begin to hang lower than usual.
Ponytail palm that has been submerged for a long time begins to lose their leaves.
Beginning to sag and become limp is its trunk.
3. Shriveled Stem / Deflated Bulb
If the plant is properly watered, the base bulb and stem appear full and vibrant.
Your ponytail palm is dehydrated if the bulb appears deflated and the stem appears shriveled. It is a symptom of submersion.
The plant’s water supply is getting low when a bulb deflates.
4. Dry Compost
Even if you water the ponytail palm in a timely manner, the top few inches of the soil mix dry out. You are underwatering your plant if the compost at the bottom dries out.
Where To Grow Ponytail Palms？
Ponytail palms require bright light, so place plants near windows but out of direct sunlight in the house’s sunniest room. They can withstand dry conditions well, making them ideal for the low humidity found in most indoor environments.
Moving your ponytail palm outside in the summer will give it a break from the house. Put it somewhere safe, like a porch or patio close to the house, and give it a few days to adjust. Then, if desired, relocate it to an outdoor space with indirect lighting.
How To Water Ponytail Palms？
Ponytail palms are succulents and can go for extended periods of time without water. You shouldn’t overwater them, but you should never water them either. Between waterings, let the top 2 to 3 inches of soil dry out. Then, give the plant a good soak. You’ll probably need to water your ponytail palm every three to four weeks if you keep it indoors. If you’re letting your plants spend the summer outdoors, keep an eye on the weather forecast and bring them inside if several inches of rain are expected. Keep plants out of any water that is left standing.
How To Plant Ponytail Palms？
Choose a pot no wider than 2 inches all the way around the base of the plant because ponytail palms prefer to be a little crowded in their containers. A drainage hole ought to be included. Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix, which will give the plant the superior drainage it requires, should be poured into the container up to a third of the way. After gently teasing the roots to loosen the root ball, place the plant in the pot so that the junction of the bottom of the stem and the top of the root ball is about an inch below the rim. Put more potting soil around the root ball to fill in the space. Before moving the plant to where you want it to grow, give it a good watering and let it drain.
How To Feed Ponytail Palms
Ponytail palms should be fed Miracle-Gro® Succulent Plant Food a month after planting because it provides immediate nutrition and is specially formulated to promote succulent plant growth. Use one pump for small pots and two pumps for larger pots (those with a diameter of over 6 inches), directly on the soil, and then water as usual. Ensure that you adhere to the label’s instructions.
How To Prune Ponytail Palms
Don’t is the short response. Ponytail palms are slow-growing and shouldn’t require pruning when grown indoors. Cutting off the growing tip and letting the plant re-sprout will encourage your plant to grow multiple trunks. Around the perimeter of the cut edge, tiny stems will start to grow.
How To Grow Ponytail Palms
On occasion, the base of the stem of ponytail palms will sprout offsets or young plants. If desired, you can break or cut these off and replant them. After a few days, let the cut sides dry completely before planting them in pots like new plants, being careful not to bury the stems.
Conclusion
Plants frequently experience overwatering and underwatering, even if they are succulents.
Ponytail palms may perish if their roots and base bulbs are overwatered beyond repair.
The ponytail palm plant can be revived by removing rotten roots.
Drying the stem, bulb, and leaves can result from underwatering. If the ponytail palm is not irreparably dried out, it can be hydrated with a water soak or water bath.
A ponytail palm that has been overwatered or submerged can be revived with proper fertilizer care, regular watering, and ample sunlight.