I have a Ponytail Palm that is about 1 1/2 feet tall (unsure of age, but bought a few years ago when it was already about a foot or so tall) in a large pot (which I transferred it to about a year or so ago when it looked like it was getting too big for its original pot). I have had to move it outside since I got cats that like to pester it. Lately we have had freezes outside and I made the dumb decision to water it and put it in the (warm, but very dark) garage to "protect" it from the freeze, only now I realize that was the worst thing I could have done. The top several inches have turned white and fallen over and the rest of it looks wilty or even dry. I know what I did wrong; the question is if/how I can save it. Is there a way to dry out the soil now (it's barely moist to the touch at the top of the soil if you stick your finger in, but I don't know about deeper down)? Like uprooting it, laying out the soil on a towel to dry, and then putting the whole thing back together in the pot? Is there anything I can do to get it more sun? Am I going to need UV lights in addition to sunlight? While it is currently freezing at night and will continue to freeze as it is just the beginning of winter, I live in the Austin area, so I don't expect it to ever get colder than the twenties on some nights. Is there a certain temperature at which I need to cover it or move it indoors? Lately I've opted for leaving it outdoors for fear that not getting enough light will be worse than it getting cold... since I figure it probably gets pretty cold at night in the desert-like environment it's from. I would be very sad if this plant died on me. Thanks in advance.
It was as low as 24F(-5C) at my home in Austin, teens in the suburbs. Any plant outdoors in a container likely was injured severely if not killed outright. Just keep it warm and dry until Spring to see if there's any life in the woody part. Beaucarnea planted in the soil and mature can tolerate the temps we've had, potted specimens must be brought in or covered and heated. http://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant html files/beaucarnearecurvata.html
