Ponytail palm dying
Tia Davis
3 months ago
Hi can someone please assist me with my ponytail Palm I bought it in November of 2021 I repotted it in part organic dirt and succulent mixture and part paralyte and part sand and it has been failing ever since I do not water regularly and I'm trying to see if it's dying or what should I do the shoots are peeling and have a lot of flakes on it and it doesn't seem to be growing but there's a little green left can I please salvage it please help. Also when I did soak it I didn't know it was sitting in water for almost a month. So I took it to work for better lighting conditions and to repot again into a dryer soil mixture. But the leaves continue to get soft. I asked around that they say they think I shocked it from the weather bringing it to work, the soil and different environment. A nursery said just leave it alone and see but the green foliage shoot are getting hard and grow ing up near the foliage.. i don't know what to do
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callirhoe123
3 months agoTia Davis
3 months 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 MorePonytail Palm brown leaves
Comments (20)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 MorePonytail palm?
Comments (1)That's not a ponytail palm :) Could be Albuca humilis?...See Morehelp! Save this large ponytail palm – dying??
Comments (6)Giving your plant little tiny sips of water is doing more harm than it is any good. Tap water has dissolved minerals within it. When you give your plant a small amount of water, none of it drains through the soil and out the drainage holes. Your plant soaks up this small amount of water and the dissolved solids get left behind in the soil where they eventually begin to accumulate, more and more, each and every time you give your plant another little sip. When you water any plant, always flush out the whole entire pot with more than enough water. This washes away any excess mineral buildup from the soil. "Overwatering" a plant isn't about giving your plant too much water. That's where most novices get confused. It's about having a soil that holds on to too much water and remains soggy. Even though plants take in carbon dioxide thru their leaves, they also breathe in oxygen through their roots. And having a soggy soil with too much moisture essentially cuts off this supply of fresh air to the roots, which ultimately leads to those roots suffocating and rotting away. I stopped typing to give your photos a much closer inspection and I noticed the overturned wine bottle sticking up out of its pot. Are you using this as a water globe? If so, then it's entirely unneeded. Ponytail palms store water in their caudices (caudex/trunk). Compound this wine bottle/water globe with what I suspect is a glazed pot with no drainage, and I think we have the answer to at least one of your problems. Glazed pots are completely fine, just so long as they have adequate drainage. It's what I have all of my ponytail palms planted in. Well, all except for one (long story). I would advise you to repot it as soon as possible into a pot with drainage holes, as well as with a fast draining soil mix. For mine, I use the Miracle Gro brand soil for cacti and succulents and it works fine. I don't even add anything to it, either. And when you water it, always flush out the whole pot. If other members on here saw how much I water mine, they would think I was crazy, and that I was drowning my plants. But they're all kept outdoors down here in the South, where it gets very hot and very humid. Plus, they all are planted in a soil that never gets soggy, even when I "drown" my plants. Because all of the excess water always drains away. Now, about the leaves... Your ponytail isn't getting enough sunlight. This is why the leaves hang straight down. These plants are notoriously tough and remarkably tolerant of less than ideal growing conditions. But even they can endure only so much. Just because a plant can tolerate low light levels, that doesn't mean that it prefers lower light levels. I would suggest gradually moving it to a much brighter window, or brightly shaded porch. All of mine grow in full, direct sunlight almost all year long, with no shade whatsoever. But they are used to receiving that much sunlight. Yours isn't. It would need time to acclimate and adjust without getting sunburned....See Moreken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 months agoTia Davis
3 months ago
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
3 months agoTia Davis
3 months ago
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 months agoTia Davis
3 months agoTia Davis
3 months agoTia Davis
3 months agoTia Davis
3 months agoHi everyone thank for all the feed back and assistance..I'm back at work and I took the plant out and I see the roots are still damp..I think some fool watered it..but here is the photo of the root..I know I should leave it but I have to check the roots and hers what they look like
Tia Davis
3 months ago
Bianca Milke
25 days ago
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