Growing PonyTail Plam

I just bought a ponytail plam with 6 inches base diameter. I live in 9b, Northern California valley, where summer get s really hot and winter can get really cold. I need following information on
1. pot size. does this plant like deep or wide pot?
2. Indoor or outdoor plant?
3. soil mix?
4. ferterlizer?

This message was edited Feb 25, 2006 9:02 PM

This message was edited Feb 25, 2006 9:03 PM

First of all... it's not a palm.

1. If it's going to be in a pot, I recommend one not too much larger in diameter than your plant (maybe a few inches between pot and plant on all sides)... you can get a bigger pot if you are sure you are not going to over water it when it's REALLY cold. Depth is less of a concern since these plants have very short roots (not much deeper than the base of the plant) so any depth below that (maybe 4"-6" would be OK) is wasted soil and makes a heavier pot.

2. Plants do much better outdoors in full sun.. don't get as leggy.... but if it gets really cold, need to bring it back in. Here in So Cal, really cold means low 20s or less. It can handle temps higher than that year round outdoors.

3. Well draining soil... though if in full sun in warm climate, they tolerate clay ok (and grow much faster in clay, too... but can rot in it if not careful).

4. Don't think these need much fertilizer... I have never fertilized any of mine and not sure I have noticed a problem. I guess if living in a pot, I might fertilize it once a year.

Thx Palmbob. I bought a wide and short clay pot and place the plant outdoor with morning sun and partial afternoon sun. My only concern is the rain. I guess I need to bring the plant inside when rain starts pouring...

Rain will not hurt this plant, as long as it's not freezing cold for days on end. Rain water has some magical properties that tap water doesn't ... hard to overwater this plant with rain water as long as the soil is well draining. But if it's raining and 35F day after day, the plant will rot. I have mine outdoors in rain.. and last year we had weeks of rain that never seemed to end and it didn't hurt any of the succulents. But it stayed about 45F most of the time.

Hi palmbob
My elderly neighbors gave me 2 ponytails they have been growing for the last 30 yrs or so. They are not able to move them in and out any longer so I ended up taking them so they wouldn't freeze. They are both about 6-7ft , terribly rootbound. I've seen the instructions for repotting which seem simple enough. My ? is one of the Ponytails was too tall for the old couples make shift greenhouse and got alot of its ponytail rubbed off. It does have a few leaves. Will it's leaves grow back? Is there anything I can do to help it? I 'm about ready to repot do you think that will help?
Cindyy

The leaves will probably grow back as long as the base of the plant is healthy and no damage to the stem. Repotting may increase its nutritional status and could help. These don't generally mind being pot bound, though. There isn't that much root below what you can see. They are basically big caudeces with very small (relatively) roots coming out the bottom, which can all easily be sacrificed when moving. If all the roots are damaged, just don't water it when repotting it for a few weeks.