Place the pot in the area where it is partly shaded, or in a place with moderate light. They are smaller than a regular palm but have a rough, thick trunk-like elephant skin. He said it will not kill the tree. It’s actually a succulent! This first fact may come as a shocker, but the ponytail isn’t actually a palm at all. These pus are not growing in the ground. The base of the bulbous trunk looks swollen. A warm window sill is perfect. Q. Ponytail Palm pups. Moisten the paper towels until they are slightly damp. Good luck! It’s also not a tree even though it’s often called a ponytail palm tree. Using seedling mix, cover the seedlings until only the top leaves are out. My ponytail palm is covered in pups. You can also apply a little rooting hormone on the stem if you want. If your fragile seedlings get too much light, they’ll dry out and die. If it’s too stubborn, you can cut it. The base root is 550mm in the shape of an upside down square pyramid. Splitting the pup is actually removing it by cutting or snapping them from the parent plant. The palms develop pups, or side shoots, as they mature. There are Ponytail Palms living in Mexico that are officially documented to be over 350 years old. The ponytail palm is not a real palm. Ponytail Palms can be such a nice addition to your houseplants, recreational area, or outdoor garden. Remember, indoors or out, they like a lot of sun. I clicked on the link, only to see a small ponytail palm with three sprouts on the top. Pups that are 4 inches (10 cm.) It belongs to the Agave family and is actually a succulent. As a young plant, ponytail palms barely have a noticeable trunk… Best offers for your garden - http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/1Wy5buU-----How to Divide a Ponytail Palm. Q: I have a ponytail palm that has a couple of “pups” at the bottom. Those bulbs store water so as the plant grows. Sign up for our newsletter. Next, you should have a potting soil with a good drainage system ready. The Ponytail palm, also known as the Elephant’s Foot, is native to Mexico and belongs to the family of Asparagaceae. Propagating new plants from existing plants is as easy as it may sound. But don’t worry. The Ponytail Palm is not a true palm or even closely related to one of them. Another name for this plant is elephant’s foot palm due to its thick, roughly skinned trunk. Pups that are 4 inches tall are usually forming a root base and make the best starts. Carefully excavate around the base of the parent plant to expose the base of the pups. The Ponytail Palm (aka Elephant's foot) is non-toxic for dogs, cats, and horses. By: Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist. However, note that propagating using seeds has a lower success rate compared to using cuttings or shoots. When the seeds sprout for about two inches high, move the seedling with the soil around it onto a fresh pot with potting soil. 5 POINTS TO A THRIVING PONYTAIL PALM PLANT Keeping these plants happy isn’t all that challenging, especially if you know where to start! These pus are not growing in the ground. After a few years, it is ready for a new container and sometimes provides more plants, If the plant has been in the same pot for awhile, bulblets may be visible … There are Ponytail Palms living in Mexico that are officially documented to be over 350 years old. They come straight out of the bulbous part of the stem. If I dig them out with the roots, the bulbs will be left with gouged holes. They are not a real tree or real palm, instead, this plant belongs to Agave family and is succulent with a bulbous trunk and long narrow leaves, presented like upright ponytails. All About the Ponytail Palm . Although it certainly looks like a palm tree, this majestic plant is actually a succulent. You’ve probably noticed that ponytail palms are popular as houseplants. One option is just buying seeds. When you make a cut, make sure to leave at least 2 or more inches of stem above the bulbous base. You wiggle the pup until it comes out. Whenever I read about how to transplant palm pups, the instruction is to dislodge them carefully with earth. Sago palm pups are clones of their parent plants and grow in the base of the plant. Continue caring for your new plant the same way as the mature ones. Once the palm has matured, it begins to grow smaller versions of itself that sprout from the base of the mother. Use a nearly soilless medium, such as a cactus mix or sand-based potting soil. These little versions of your ponytail palm or elephant’s foot are totally effortless to splice away from the mother plant, they are also great as cuttings. It is in the same family as agave plants and native to southeastern scrub desserts of Mexico. Indoor ponytail palms rarely bloom, and if they don’t bloom, there’s no way that you’ll get seeds. Feb 8, 2014 - Ponytail palm plants develop pups, or side shoots, as they mature. tall will result in the plant producing more heads. Use a clean, sharp knife and cut the pup away from the adult plant. The palm is slow growing but may get up to 30 feet (9 m.) in its native habitat, although it is more likely to be less than 10 feet (3 m.) in captivity. Cover the container with a plastic bag lightly secured around the edges of the pot. © 2020. Here’s how to grow and care for a ponytail palm in your home. I've heard that Pony Tail Palms are slow growers but I think eventually those leaves will grow up and the new branches will appear, like in this photo: Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) Posted by … Spring is the best time to divide ponytail palm shoots. Other plants of that family include the Dracaena and the popular Yucca Elephantipes. Don’t worry since new heads will grow just below the area where you make the cut. You could divide each fat bulb and and pot them up separately or leave them all together in the same pot. You can also use a plastic bag that is supported with two wooden sticks so that it won’t make any contact with the leaves. In times of drought, the trunk will shrink in diameter and get slightly shriveled bark. The ideal temperature around the germinating seeds is about 73-77 degrees F. Gently but regularly water them. Making a Three Headed Plant Pruning ponytail plants that are less than 6 inches (15 cm.) https://www.urbanorganicyield.com/ponytail-palm-propagation She is especially passionate about sustainable ways to better run small-scale farms, hydroponics, urban farming, and indoor gardening. It rarely flowers indoors, but if you’re growing your ponytail palm outdoors it will also produce flower stalks that can reach 16 feet or more in height. Only move them to another pot (or again, on the ground) once the leaves start sprouting. Cut off damaged or diseased foliage as it occurs and repot every 2 to 3 years. When grown as a houseplant, it will usually grows to about three feet tall. msbonita716 I did have a tree expert look at my ponytail palm. Home » How to Propagate Ponytail Palm From Cuttings and Seeds. Despite the common name and the appearance of the foliage, this is not a true palm, but rather a member of the Asparagaceae family that includes edible asparagus. Once the sprouts start appearing, take the seedlings out carefully as well as the fallen seed hulls using tweezers. If you want to expand your collection, read on to find more about ponytail palm propagation. They come straight out of the bulbous part of the stem. Learn more about removing and planting these pups in this article. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Also called the elephant’s foot palm or bottle plant, Beaucarnea recurvata is native to eastern Mexico and can grow to over 20 feet tall outside. In this post, we’ll review an easy ponytail palm care guide, as well as how to propagate the ponytail palm. Spring is the best time to divide ponytail palm shoots. If I dig them out with the roots, the bulbs will be left with gouged holes. Plant details. However, they can be planted on the ground outside too. How do I propagate these into new plants? Description of Ponytail Palm, Beaucarnea recurvata. If the leaves of your ponytail palm started to turn brown at the end, the reason could be under-watering, or they are Over-fertilized. I didn't want to damage my 15 year old plant, so I went to Home depot, found some in 4" pots for $1.00 on clearance. If placed on the pot, position it on a partly shaded window sill; do not crowd the seedlings. Check the towels from time to time and make sure that they are still moist and not drying out. The foliage generally curves downward and can be as much as two feet long and just an inch wide. The bark of the trunk at maturity turns a … They said they didn't know what caused this rarity. Learn how your comment data is processed. Winter & Fall: once in 4-6 weeks. A wide variety of palms, like sago palms, date palms, or ponytail palms, will produce offshoots that are commonly known as pups. Another name for this plant is elephant’s foot palm due to its thick, roughly skinned trunk. UrbanOrganicYield.com, How to Propagate Ponytail Palm From Cuttings and Seeds, Propagating Ponytail Palms through cuttings, Ponytail Palm Care For Newly Potted Plants, Houseplant Fertilizer Guide: How And When Should You Feed Your Succulents. A: Ponytail palm, Beaucarnea recurvata is a succulent that is more closely related to yucca than a true palm. Then, you place them in shade to get … True pups typically grow from the base near the soil, and I don't see any of those. But rather is a succulent from Mexico. For the first method, place them over two layers of paper towels. Carefully excavate around the base of the parent plant to expose the base of the pups. Ponytail palm shoots divide easily from the parent plant and then require rooting to produce viable plants. The plant only needs water every two weeks or so and you can completely suspend watering in the winter months. I didn't want to damage my 15 year old plant, so I went to Home depot, … Common name: Ponytail palm, elephant’s foot tree Botanic name: Beaucarnea recurvata (also known as Nolina recurvata and N. tuberculata) Description: A slow growing, evergreen tree to about 9m (30′) tall. As soon as I saw it, I thought; "I'll bet I can figure this out". The ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) makes a surprisingly interesting desktop plant, considering that when grown outdoors it can be a full-size tree that towers over homes. Solution? Description of Ponytail Palm, Beaucarnea recurvata. Plant the cutting about a third of its total length into the medium. It is not a true palm but a succulent, which saves moisture in the trunk. You need to be a muscle man (or woman) to lift a large Ponytail. His comment was, "If I'm concerned about the elephant foot growing into the patio tile ans causing it to crack, I could saw back the part of the foot that was close to the tile". As a container palm, the Ponytail Palm can fit anywhere. They are very easy to grow, provided you don’t overwater them! Put another layer of damp paper towel over the seeds. She started UrbanOrganicYield.com to discuss gardening tips and tactics. Your Ponytail Palm should be fine if it has enough light. It is not a hardy plant in cooler zones, and can sustain damage to the roots and trunk in excessively wet soils. The base of the bulbous trunk looks swollen. https://www.urbanorganicyield.com/ponytail-palm-propagation It has a single trunk-like stem that can grow up to 30 feet tall. Ponytail palms do best when potted in the type of fast-draining soil you would use for other succulents. The ponytail palm, also known as the elephant’s foot, is a whimsical-looking, low-maintenance plant that anyone can enjoy caring for. Before learning how to propagate them, here are some quick facts about ponytail palms. Lindsey Hyland grew up in Arizona where she studied at the University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center. However, if you want to make cleaner cuts, make sure your knife, pruners, saw, or trimming shears are sharp and clean. Best time to fertilize in Summer & Spring: once in 2-3 weeks. Place the rooted end of the pup in moistened medium in a well-draining container. Obviously, more will opt to propagate with the ponytail palm shoots. Pups that are 4 inches tall are usually forming a root base and make the best starts. Ponytail palms are a unique-looking, long-lived indoor plant that thrives on benign neglect. Removing pups from ponytail palms is the easiest way to grow more of the succulent palm. Propagating ponytail palm pups will give you new little palms to share with friends and family or just provide you with another source of this attractive ornamental succulent. The Ponytail Palm is not a true palm or even closely related to one of them. If you want to expand your collection, read on to find Make a warm and humid surrounding by placing a transparent cover over the newly planted shoot. Irrigate with a bit of water just to moisten it. Use a plastic bag to cover the pot. It will most likely be faster to grow them from seed as ponytail palms can take years to grow big enough to produce offshoots that can be planted. Use a nearly soilless medium, such as a cactus mix or sand-based potting soil. It can be grown indoors or outdoors and does not need fertiliser.