I have a large ponytail palm. The trunk is about eight feet tall. It is planted below a skylight in my home. I cut an eight foot by eight foot hole in the concrete slab and made an indoor garden. Put in good soil. I have had it for over 30 years. It is beginning to get too tall for the skylight, the inner part of the dome is about eleven feet above the ground level but the leaves are bunching up against the inside of the dome. I have been pulling off the dead leaves, but just keep gettng more. I wondered how much I can safely prune the woody part? If I can cut it back sufficiently, I think that I can get a handle on the mealy. I am also having a mealy infestation. Have been spraying it with insecticidal soap, but not good enough. Is there a systemic that can help? Please see pictures.
Any ideas? I have read about mealybugs and that the plant should be isolated. Can't do this here as it is planted in the ground. I m concerned as they are beginning to spread to other plants. Very difficult to get up to the higher fronds, think my best bet is to prune off the higher parts anyhow. Maybe use a systemic? Recomendations? Bill
There have been past discussions on the subject of pruning. I suggest a search using "ponytail prun*" to retrieve them. The thread How to grow multiple trunks on a Ponytail Palm? | UBC Botanical Garden Forums may provide some answers.
