How do you recommend tackling this problem? (cramped ponytail palm)

I just bought this beautiful set of ponytail palms, but there's a problem. They have grown so into their pots, they have warped it.

Should I try to dump it upside down, or cut the pot or what?

Also, how likely is it that you think I can manipulate the roots apart?

When I re-plant them, if I do get them separate, should I keep the soil level where it is now, or can I make the plants more in an "upright" fashion? From going like \ to like |

Here's a picture.

p.s. don't mind my dog, she stalks me where ever I go! She even goes with me to the nursery, they love her there.

 

what beautiful plants!!!

yes, you do need to repot them if they are disfiguring the planter...i'm guessing it's plastic? to get them out, take a long knife and work it down between the soil and the container - get it down as far as you can and go all the way around. gently tip the pot over - and i'd suggest having a helper to hold the trunks so nothing of the top part is hitting the floor. gently work the root ball and soil out of the container...if you can't budge it, then you'll have no choice but to cut the pot.

once it's out, gently lay them on their side so the roots are visible (maybe through a rolled up blanket under the trunks to support the plants) and then gently work the roots apart. you want to do this ever so gently!! do the least amount of damage to them as is possible. they've got to be pretty intertwined at this point...you'll need to work one root out of the mess at a time. yes, time consuming and will probably take more than one day (just cover the roots with moistened newspaper overnight).

once you get them seperated, you can repot individually or together - just get a container that's large enough so that they have plenty of room for the roots to grow. i'd say they should have at least 5 inches between them even if that puts them close to the edge of the new container, they'll have decent room to grow and the roots shouldn't become to entangled for a while.

yes, when you repot, you can certainly do it so that they are in a more upright position.

i wouldn't do anything to repot now, though. still a bit early yet - wait at least another month - maybe even six weeks.

post pics again when you're done - i'd love to see the finished work!!

 

Use a hose and some water pressure to help make seperating the roots a little easier, I reckon it helps with reducing stress too.

 

Well, they are already showing new growth (bright green sprouts at the top of the crown.) Do you still think I should wait? I was going to let the soil dry out before doing it to make it easier to untangle the roots, but I'm also eager to fertilize it since it has new growth and since I've read that they only grow for a very short period of time, and this is when you should fertilize them.

Thank you for the help/advice, joclyn! They are indeed very nice plants! I love the "local" nursery here. (It's a 30-40 minute drive, but the closest one to where I live.) They take great care of their plants.

 

Beaucarnea are primarily summer growers (May-September in the Northern Hemisphere), but that is not to say they do not grow throughout the year, just slower. So, given that it is February, I would suggest not fertilizing until they have been repotted and re-established for 4 weeks in their new container(s).

When dealing with succulent roots, they are prone to rot if they are damaged and wet. Therefore, you can separate the plants, prune any dead roots (most plants have some), dust the roots with root stimulator/anti-fungal powder (optional), then repot in a loose, well-draining, mix. DO NOT water for at least 1 week to allow the roots to callus over. Slowly, introduce water over the following few weeks, gradually increasing the amount. In time, you will know when the roots are healthy, as the soil should dry out within 2-4 days. "Water when the soil is dry" is a general guideline. However, this does not mean "water when the plant is dehydrated", so keep an eye on the plants.

Mark

 

you're welcome, laticauda!

mark, thanks for picking up on what i missed!

big oops about not saying to let them sit unwatered in the new containers for at least a week!! and also missed about trimming off dead/damaged roots!

 

Thanks guys!! You are the greatest!!

 

Wow I think working in Nurseries has made me a little tough on plants I have always used, as I mentioned water pressure to help with seperating roots, and never bothered with the ettiquette of root trimming and such. Do you suggest not even watering the plant in, once potted and leaving for a week? I know they don't like excessive water but aren't you stressing the plants from seperating then stressing it more by not watering?
However much people will say succulents/caudiciforms/cacti thrive on neglect they do a lot better if actually cared for. From experience I can say the less stressed a plant is by re-potting the quicker it will continue to grow.

 

I would agree that many plants do like a good soaking after repotting. Succulents and arid-climate caudiciforms are obviously a different group of plants.

Succulents and many of the arid-climate caudiciforms are generally best treated like cacti when it comes to repotting and root trimming. Most sources suggest a week, or so, without water to allow the roots to callus and heal. Some, obviously, are more sensitive to rot than others. Most healthy plants will have a reserve of water to survive this time. I've never had an issue with a "stressed-out" succulent or caudiciform immediately following a repotting. Most of mine are repotted every 1-2 years, at the beginning of their growing season.

Weakened plants or plants that appear a bit dehydrated are best "nursed" to health before a potentially stressful repotting procedure.

Mark

 

I was just outside thinking that you probably aren't putting the plants out into as extreme conditions as they get here. I know most succulents etc. will collapse somewhat and recover well and as you say definitely let damaged material dry before doing any thing with it to stop rot. I have bought a lot through mail and other than the initial watering on first pot up they get treated as the rest, watered once to 2 twice a fortnight depending on the weather. I could really water every other day in summer here and not harm them because that's how quickly they'll dry.
I tend to forget you are on the other side of the world:}

 

to reiterate what mark said, since it's a caudex and very healthy, it can manage just fine after a repotting.

avoiding watering right away (which IS the usual procedure when you repot) allows any damage to the roots to heal over and avoids the possibility of the open sores on the roots developing into rot (which is a major concern when keeping succulents in pots inside).

lol, yes, we're on the other side of the world here...and it's SO different here from down under - even our areas that match your zone aren't the same and conditions are more extreme in oz!

 

So long as there's good air movement it takes a couple of hours for things to dry out here. I started growing plants following the books but realised pretty quickly they were written with different conditions in mind. My cuttings left sitting for a week looked more like grapes turned into sultanas :}
There are couple of positions around home where I have found potted cacti and such to be the only thing saving me excessive watering. It wasn't unusual to water twice a day (even some succulents etc.) in Nurseries through summer because of how quickly things will dry. Then on the other hand if there is not enough light or air movement plants take forever to dry because of the humidity. It's good because it gives a chance to grow a good range of plants.
If you saw my beheaded Aloe you'd have seen what wrong the position can do for a plant that doesn't get watered and little rain. My potted one is still powering on because it's in that dry hot area.
That all said I''ll keep the info in mind for the future because I really didn't take the different growing conditions into consideration. It is interesting to learn the different approaches that need to be taken and I truly admire the effort I see on this site being put into growing plants totally out of their natural environments :}

 

Following any repotting/root trimming procedure, I would never let the plant sit out in the sun. Rather, I would place that particular plant in a somewhat shady/protected spot for a few days.

Western Michigan is quite a bit different than Australia, I would imagine. We have rather extreme temperature fluctuations with deep freezes in the Winter and then 90+F temperatures in the Summer. We have Lake Michigan on our western border, with the prevailing west winds, so it can get quite humid (60-80% mostly). It is the second cloudiest region in the U.S., but most of the cloudy weather is from Fall through Spring, with the Summer being mostly sunny.

Mark

 

I do understand they are hardier and especially caudiciforms but by letting them dry any longer than a couple of days (here) would be causing them stress as they go very spongy, which is similar to wilt in other plants and once that has happened you have actually damaged the plant whether you see it or not. My Adenium in bonsai pots will go soft by the afternoon if it's a sunny day. My Pachypodium are the same in normal pots, cacti do better and can be left longer. Succulents vary.
I live about 2km from the ocean so temps are very stable most of the year and the reason for the humidity here. Like I said I think working in Nurseries has made me a little tough on my plants but I can honestly say I rarely loose a plant and never to potting/planting errors. I used to supervise potters as well doing so myself so I can say I've potted more plants that most people would care to grow.
I used to live a few hours further south and the difference in climate is quite surprising I would definitely have more of your approach back in that area. I am not even trying to suggest your method is wrong it's obviously the best way for your climate. Here it really is a case of plant and continue as normal with no extra care needed. That's why I said earlier it really amazes me the extra lengths that you guys will go through to get your plants to grow.
The nursery where I got the bulk of my Pachypodium and some of my first Adenium from water 4 to 5 times a day for short intervals and the like of P lamerei will get re-potted 3-4 times a growing season! Yet if that were done where I originally lived they'd all rot without a doubt. So, again to clarify I am not telling you that you're wrong it's just that I am able to tackle this type of problem differently. I wouldn't do this in the middle of winter here (max temp 27 c min 10 c) because I would be causing problems like you say but through most of the rest of the year I can literally treat these guys as normal plants and they'll be happy for it.

 

I kinda like them they way they are growing myself. A new pot certainly, but I think they have some charm to the way they are growing...makes me think of the bendy growth you see in pictures of palm trees on the beach. A funky ceramic pot and maybe some rocks on top of the soil...anyway.

 

i agree, chester, they do look kind of cool together since that one has that 'windswept' look about it.

they'd still need to have the roots seperated out though. laticauda, you could seperate out the root systems and replant in one larger container (putting some decent space between the two caudices) and then maybe put something else in there to give some more visual interest/some bit of contrast. something that trails down from the top of the planter, perhaps. something that blooms or has a completely different texture to the leaves.

 

Hey J. I meant to reply a few weeks back and never did...

Well here I go again disagreeing, but I don't think you need to entirely separate the plants. Detangling the roots a bit as they are most likely potbound would be enough. If you separate them entirely, you're gonna monkey with the charming way they've grown together and will not be able to reposition them convincingly. I just really like the sway and growth of them together, and it you do as well, then consider how they got there to begin with.