Growing A Ponytail
January 27, 2008
As surprising as it is, I leave plants behind at the greenhouse more often than I
bring any home. There are several reasons for this, such as:
- Appeal: How interested am I in the plant from 1 – 10? If the interest radar doesn’t register at least a 7, the plant stays in the greenhouse.
- Size: I can’t accommodate large plants in my home, so if it’s a beast, it stays put.
- Care: Does the plant have needs that I can’t fulfill such as astronomical levels of humidity or a super sunny location that could only be obtained by breaking down my living room wall (which I have a feeling the landlord would notice)? If it does, it stays behind.
- Reputation: Is it a plant that is well-known for its problematical nature? You know the type. It looks fabulous in the greenhouse, compelling you to buy it, and ends up looking like a bus ran over it - before you can say “what the heck was I thinking?” Gardenias come to mind.
- Price: Does it cost too much? Is it more than I allow myself to spend for plants? How much more?
Number 1 is a breeze. I never buy a plant just to buy a plant, so if the interest is
minimal, there’s no way I’ll take it home. The same goes for number 2; I really
don’t have space for very large specimens, so it would be foolish to lug one
home. Number 3 and 4 are a little trickier. Sometimes I’ll ignore the little
voice that says “Don’t do it, you’ll regret it” and convince myself that I can
overcome these ‘minor” obstacles. I must do a fine job because I end up taking
the ‘notorious-for-being-difficult-and-full-of-specific-needs’ plant home,
which – sure enough – ends up looking like a bus ran over it before I can say
“what the heck was I was thinking?” And of course, that annoying little voice
inside my head has the satisfaction of saying: “I told you so”
And finally, there’s the price. In a previous article I wrote that I limit myself
to inexpensive plants, typically paying anywhere from $2.00 to $6.00,
occasionally up to $10.00 and on the (extremely) rare occasion, up to $20.00.
And I’m quite disciplined when it comes to sticking to this budget. I have to.
If I didn’t, I’d spend a small fortune on my plant hobby with the amount of
purchases I make per year. Most of the time this works out great; there are
many wonderful choices available that cost no more than $5.00, usually as
little as $1.98.
But every now and then some plant will come along that I’ve been pining away for that
will test my resolve. Most of the
time, I stick to my guns regardless of the added pressure. Not always;
sometimes I crack under the pressure and pay a hefty amount. Or even worse,
I’ll leave a greenhouse, (smugly) determined to beat the temptation, only to
return the next day or the day after to (humbly) pick up the plant. And that’s
what happened with the Beaucarnea Recurvata, sort of.
I’d been waiting for a reasonably-sized, reasonably-priced B. Recurvata for years and
finally ran across one at Wal-Mart in November of 2006. Even though my heart
skipped a beat when I spotted a shelf of these plants, I left them behind because
they were priced close to $15.00 with tax and I didn’t want to pay that much.
In fact, I refused to. My (foolish) pride kicked in. “I’m stronger than this” I
told myself.
I lied.
It goes
without saying that I was back at Wal-Mart within 3 or 4 days. But the plants
were all gone.
I did not run across another batch of decently-priced Beaucarnea Recurvatas until March
of 2007 - four months after the Wal-Mart ordeal - at an Ikea near my home. No
need to explain what happened next.
Caring For The Ponytail Palm
Beaucarnea Recurvata is truly an oddity with its large swollen base and long, grass-like
leaves that cascade from the top like a ‘ponytail’. Native to southeastern Mexico,
this slow-growing and intriguing specimen is an excellent choice for indoor gardeners searching for a low
maintenance plant. There’s no need for an experienced green thumb with the
Ponytail Palm, a plant that requires very minimal care and is able to put up
with (hopefully temporary) periods of neglect.
This palm-like succulent, which is not a palm at all, is a member of the Agave
family and can reach heights of 30 feet in its desert homeland. As an indoor
plant, it may reach heights of six to eight feet eventually, but it will take a
long time to get there; this is a painfully slow grower. Plants available for
sale at garden centers are usually less than two feet tall.
With a thick trunk that stores water, this native of arid regions can withstand
extended periods of drought effortlessly and will succumb easily to over-watering.
Make sure you are growing the plant in an airy, well-draining potting mix to
help avoid rot. Water thoroughly during each application; allow the soil to dry
between each subsequent watering session. Over-watering is a guaranteed death
sentence for the Beaucarnea Recurvata, so be very careful with your watering
habits, especially during the winter when the plant prefers to be drier.
The Ponytail Palm requires as much light as
possible to stay healthy and grow vigorously (or as vigorously as this slow grower
can grow). Lower light levels can be tolerated for awhile but the plant must eventually
be moved to an area that offers more light. Choose a spot that offers direct
sun or very bright filtered light. Average household temperatures are fine and
low humidity is not an issue.
One of the most interesting things about the
Ponytail Palm – or so I’ve read - is that you have the option of deciding just
how big you want it to get. Apparently, growth can be manipulated by the pot
the plant grows in. In other words, every time you repot your Ponytail Palm
into a larger container, the base will expand, which in turn encourages the
plant to grow taller. I have not tried this myself (my plant is still in its
original container), so I can’t swear by it. But it is interesting enough to
try, which I intend to do this spring by moving my Ponytail Palm to a larger
glass vase. It’s important to bear in mind that this is a slow grower, so even
if this ‘strategy’ is true, it would probably be awhile before there’s any
(noticeable) substantial growth.
For an alternative growing style that will eliminate all
water worries, switch this prime candidate to hydroculture. Wash the base well
when transplanting to remove all traces of soil. The plant will experience some
stress during the conversion; expect the loss of some leaves. Water roots
appear fairly quickly, within the month.
There is a moral to this story:
Pick up that rarely available plant you’ve been pining away for when it comes to town -
even if it costs a few more bucks. Chances are the much longed-for specimen has
been much longed-for by a multitude of other people who won’t hesitate to
snatch one up.
I learned this lesson with my Beaucarnea Recurvata, which I didn’t hesitate to pick up the next time it
became available – even if it was few extra bucks. It’s a small investment for an outstanding specimen
that will grace my home for many, many years.
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