I recently purchased 3 Ponytail Palms they are about 18" tall ..the base of the Palm is 15" around...it is in a container that is 12" wide and only 5" deep which seems small to me for the size of the Palm...it also has small rocks glued all around the base all the way to the edge of the container...I am wondering if I should break up these rocks as they are very hard and solid which seems it would hamper its growth ...Also I have searched for information on how much water and how often to water all I have found out is to water infrequently...but what does that mean how can I tell when I need to water them with the rocks you can't even see the soil....I do not want to kill these plants as I have quite a bit invested in them and they will have to be inside for the rest of the winter as it is cold here...desperately need help! Thank you.....
definitely take the rocks out!! they will impede your ability to check the soil moisture - and they will cause the soil to retain moisture which wouldn't be good. does the container have holes on the bottom?? i hope so as the best way, that i've found, to water ponytail palms (and most other plants, too) is from the bottom. simply place the pot in a large dish/bowl or larger ceramic pot and put some water in. let the pot sit there until the water is drawn up into the soil - you can see the soil color deepen as it becomes moistened. ponytail palms retain water in the bulb (which should only be partially below the soil) so they don't need watering too often. let the soil dry out pretty well (a couple inches down) and then give a good soak.
Thank you so much..they would have been doomed to die for sure...there is no hole in the pots...the rocks completely cover everthing with the glue they look great but can't imagine not having better directions with these plants....
they're not particularly fast growers and they do pretty well being a little bit rootbound. that does sound like it's a pretty tight fit though, so, i would put it in a 14 inch diameter pot - and it should definitely be deeper than 5 inches!!
With your help these plants now may have a chance...since my thumb isn't to green I need all the help I can get...I am definiantly going to take your advice on all these matters...Thanks so much...
The above info sounds great. The pot should have about 2-3 inches away from the base. It does like to be rootbound this will increase the size of your base. About those glued rocks if you ever come across them remove them immediately. Producers do this to keep the grow media in the pot during shipping. Other than that they cause problems as mentioned by joclyn. If you like the look of rocks on top buy yourself a back of pea gravel or some other type and just place them around the top of the container. When you base gets about an inch from the edge of the pot then you can upgrade. They are very slow growers indoors and in containers but make a beautiful speciman for a deck or patio in the warmer seasons. Shelby
