Pontail Palm Trimming

Discussion in 'Caudiciforms and Pachycaul Trees' started by dcx3, Sep 28, 2008.

  1. dcx3

    dcx3 Member

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    Location:
    Palouse, Pacific NW
    I have a ponytail palm, and the end of most of the leaves are brown, about 2 inches or so. I have just been trimming this off. Is this typical for the plant, or am I doing something wrong with it?
     

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  2. markinwestmich

    markinwestmich Active Member

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    Location:
    Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
    Everything appears to be normal. The bottom foliage will eventually dry up and be replaced with new growth at the top.

    Sometimes, though, the tips of the leaves will dry out during it's winter dormant period. I am not sure if it is just dormancy and/or being indoors with low humidity. Just trim it up a bit and in the spring it will begin sending out nice green foliage again.

    Mark
     
  3. Cereusly Steve

    Cereusly Steve Active Member

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    Location:
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    Its Beaucarnea recurvata. Its a desert species and its normally grows under "dry" conditions.

    One horticultural "expert" once insisted that the leaves must always be trimmed back to remove the browning tips so that the plant have a "natural" look. My question was "Who trims them back in nature?" Nobody does. That is the way they normally look in the wild. The dead leaves form a skirt around the trunk to protect the stems and eventually fall away on their own.

    If you must remove the drying tips, you should cut the leaves on an angle not straight across so that they don't look truncated.
     

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