Pony Tail Palm placement outside

Discussion in 'Caudiciforms and Pachycaul Trees' started by soccerdad, Jun 30, 2007.

  1. soccerdad

    soccerdad Active Member 10 Years

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    I have several "pony tail palms" that I bought in a small container several years ago and that I have separated into their individual containers. I cannot give them enough light, so they are healthy but growing very slowly - maybe they have grown about 5" in 4 years. Anyway, I am thinking of moving them outside for the rest of this so-called "summer" that we are having. But I have this question:

    Right now the leaves (or whatever) emerge from the top of the plants about 8" above the surface the plants are on, go up a ways, then arch down. And down, And down. So the ends of the leaves are about 2' below the surface (as you can guess I have them on a sort of shelf). The pony tail palms that I see in pictures never look like this, but anyway mine do ...


    If I put them outside on the soil, the leaves will sprawl all over the soil and, I suspect, l rot when it rains. I do not want to put them in hanging baskets. I could put each plant on top of a couple of cinder blocks - ugly and maybe the plant would blow off in a wind and crash to the ground.

    Any suggestions as to what to do?
     
  2. markinwestmich

    markinwestmich Active Member

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    Location:
    Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
    Decorative planter boxes. Make your own or purchase them. Your local home improvement center should have cedar boards you can use to make the boxes. By making your own, you can make them the size, shape, and height you want. Use paint or an outdoor polyurethane to achieve the effect you want. The height/depth of the bottom platform (inside the box) where the pot will sit is up to you. You can simply put your potted plants into the boxes when the weather warms up and then you can take them out of the boxes and move them indoors when it starts to cool off in the Fall.

    2ft x 2ft outdoor patio pavers or perhaps flat landscape rocks work well to set the plants on. That way, if the foliage drapes onto the ground, it will not be setting on the ground per se.

    I have found landscape rocks to work well at keeping container plants in place. Smaller rocks can be placed right onto the soil. Larger rocks can be strategically placed next to the container. Winds and rain should be no problem. Rock adds weight to the container and also keeps rain from splashing the soil onto the plant.

    You have several options. Personally, I just use the landscape rock. Throw the rocks in the garden in the Fall, and then come Spring, use them again.

    Since your Beaucarnea have been indoors, they will need some time to adapt to the new light conditions. A week or so, in a shady location, then move to a place where they can get a few hours of sun during the day. I have found full sun tends to sunburn the foliage...and that is permanent (or for however long the plant keeps that foliage).
     

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