Hi everyone! I recently got my Ponytail Palm around a month or so ago and this started happening. I watered it a bit a couple days ago and left it alone to hopefully heal but it still looks like this. The soil is completely, completely dry so I’m watering it a bit again. Anyone know what’s happening and how to fix it??
I would often give mine a little haircut and just trim the dead leaves off
0 likesOther then that everything looks okay?
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It sounds like you could up the water some. How often do you water it? Has it been repotted? Ponytails store water resources in the caudex but the leaves will dry out when not getting enough moisture.
0 likesI just got it and was told to water once a month. And no it hasn’t be repotted.
0 likes Probably the best way to monitor the soil moisture would be the chopstick method. This is how I use it for succulents/cacti. Poke a chopstick into the soil down to the bottom of the pot and leave it there. In 24 hours, remove and check the soil moisture. Does it come out “clean” (no bits of soil clinging to it)? Does it feel damp? If yes to either, put the stick back in the soil. Check again in a couple of days. Withhold water until you no longer find evidence of soil moisture. Once the chopstick comes out “clean” / dry, water that dude. If you continue to see drying leaves, I would check the roots. If they look healthy, then I would up the water frequency.
1 likeThe soil dries out super quickly and it seems like it doesn’t absorb much. Could the roots be impacted and I would have to move it to a different pot?
0 likes Possibly. I would find a way to check the soil’s moisture level that works for you. These plants like to dry out so I don’t want to steer you in the wrong direction. If the soil isn’t holding onto water, then it could be pot bound. Check for roots coming out of the bottom of the pot or pushing out of the top of the soil. Sometimes plants that have been in nursery pots for lengthy periods can distend the pot. You can also pop it out of the pot to take a look at the roots. In my experience, ponytails like a snug fit so I would be cautious upping the pot size. Rather than repotting, you might consider replacing the top inch or so of the soil with fresh soil. Another possibility is the soil may have become dry enough it’s hydrophobic. I have found bottom watering helpful when dealing with hydrophobic soils. I have replaced the top layer of soil and bottom soak my ponytail because water seemed to run right through the pot. I wasn’t getting the brown crispy leaves like you are but I also water more frequently. It looks like you will need to take a deeper look at your plant and it’s soil to get to the bottom of your issues. Good luck!
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