Ponytail Palm Losing Leaves and Browning
Justin LeJeune
2 years ago
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Justin LeJeune
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Ponytail palm 'shoots' (flowers?)/ new leaves problem.
Comments (11)Rhizo you make me laugh :) Trying to keep the peace, I like that.. I agree, she misinterpreted...I was trying to "re-interpret". It's ALL good ;-) By the way, Mehawkes, I just got a ponytail (second one, the last one died on me). I think it's a toughie because it's tropical but also succulent. I think it needs a lot of humidity (correct me someone if I'm wrong), but not much watering in Winter. I'd go by what Webkat said....that sounds about right. Going by a schedule is good but should only be secondary...in other words, water about monthly but first and foremost go by your instincts, how dry the soil is, and how the trunk looks. No clue how to answer the shoot question though..sorry :) Good luck....See MoreQueen Palm and Ponytail Palm in Austin?
Comments (11)What part of the RR/Austin area are you moving to? The winter lows are moderated nearest the downtown area and nearby neighborhoods due to a small urban heating effect on calm, cold nights. I can't say I've seen any ponytail palms in the ground in the Austin area. Without winter protection, I doubt they would last too long in the ground; but one could always try. There are a few good sized Queen palms planted near Taco Cabanas at two locations: south of the lakes downtown & some on highway 79 neat Redbud lane. A cold winter could certainly kill them without protection, but if they are near a building facing south and have some added heat, they can do alright at least for a few years. I have one in front of my home for 3.5 years. I planted it as a 7 gallon palm from HD that was perhaps 6 feet to the tallest frond. I've put C9 Christmas lights (w/o a sheet or tarp to trap the heat) on it to protect the trunk and bud from the winter. The coldest it has seen was 17 degrees for a low temp. Some tips were a little brown on the fronds, but it didn't lose those fronds. It is now about 22 feet tall to the topmost frond and the trunk is about 1.5-2 feet in diameter at the base. Drip irrigation and fertilizer help a lot. I have some smaller ones in my backyard on the north side that were planted as 3 gals 2 years ago, they have handled the cold without any protection and are growing at a good rate. Others in my neighborhood have planted Queens in the past few years and they are doing well. They don't cost very much at these small sizes, and seem to grow pretty well, so you might try them as an experiment. These queen palms might be a slightly different variety compared to those from Florida as the Texas varieties seem more robust, but perhaps that is just due to the soil and nutrients available. If you can find them, there are hybrids between the Butia and Queen (and some other combos as well) that should handle the worst of the cold weather better than a Queen and grow faster than a Butia. As other posters mentioned, if you want trunk forming palms, the California and Mexican Fan palms do well, with the California being much hardier to the cold and ice here. The Butia (Jelly) plams do fairly well except in heavy limestone and are cold tolerant. Sabal palms are also very tough. Windmill palms seem to grow well and are pretty cold hardy. Date palms seem to grow well, but a record cold outbreak cold kill almost any palm, with a trunk, as the all time low is below zero. Good luck....See Moreponytail palm tree stem rot / browning
Comments (3)Sam First problem (most likely) is poor drainage. Is that saucer attached to the pot? They don't drain very well. Watering ..." it here and there in small amounts"... isn't so good. Plant should be watered thoroughly, with any excess water draining out of pot and discarded (not letting to sit in saucer - it will be absorbed back to already wet soil). If you already know the soil is wet 'inside', that is sign of too much water being retained by the soil. Plant is, possibly' sitting in a 'muck' and the roots can't breathe. This is surest way of destroying the plant and quite often one doesn't realize what is happening - giving it more water 'cause it looks thirsty. If soil is very peaty, it is even easier to miss the signs since it will be very dry on the surface. Well draining potting medium and well draining pot will allow proper watering and good aeration. I do not grow this plant, but these are general rules......See MorePonytail Palm brown leaves
Comments (22)Kate - I think it's the right choice to leave the brown ends and roots until spring. Just discard the completely dry leaves to keep the plant tidy and let the drying ones take care of themselves. It's riskier to repot now and while the palm isn't in optimal health there doesn't seem any danger of it dying. Lots of time left in winter to research root pruning, getting the right tools, and maybe even considering a better mix. In spring you will probably need sturdy chopsticks (I like metal ones), pruners (sharp, double bladed kind), hose sprayer, and a helping hand to do the job. There is a great deal of helpful threads in the Houzz/Gardenweb Container Forum about this topic. Lots of people in this forum frequent that one too and are very experienced growers. =)...See MoreSans2014
2 years agoTiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
2 years agopetrushka (7b)
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoTiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
2 years agoJustin LeJeune
2 years agopetrushka (7b)
2 years agopetrushka (7b)
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoPhoto Synthesis
2 years agoJustin LeJeune
2 years agoTiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
2 years agoPhoto Synthesis
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoTiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
2 years agoPhoto Synthesis
2 years agoRebecca/N. IN/z6A
2 years ago
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