Ponytail Palm Care Instructions

Soil and Fertilizer

• Plant the ponytail palm in a mixture of half sand and half soil. If sand is not available, use potting soil. Make sure the soil is quick draining so the palm will not get root rot. Work fertilizer into the soil once a year. If the palm is in a pot, replant it every three or four years as it grows too large for its current pot.

Light and Heat

• Keep the ponytail palm in full sunlight. It does best in warm locations, but is easily able to adapt to temperatures as low as 50 degrees F. in the winter.

Water

• Water the palm well once every two or three weeks, or whenever the leaves start to wilt. Only water the plant if the top inch of its soil is completely dry. Overwatering is the leading cause of death for ponytail palms.

Health

• If the tips of the leaves turn brown, they can be trimmed off. Brown tips are usually caused by too much water or too much fertilizer. If the plant is outdoors during a frost, its leaves may die. If this happens, cut off the "head" of the palm and place the plant in a warm spot with plenty of sun. If the trunk of the palm is still living wood, there is a good chance the head will grow back. The ponytail palm may even grow back with two trunks, which usually takes many years to occur.