Last summer, we had a ponytail/elephant foot palm on the deck. Someone or
something pulled the top out of it. The top was laying on the deck. Now the
plant is inside the house, and not doing too good.
There is no new growth coming out of the top, and the growth that is there is
not looking good.
The other one that suffered no damage outside is doing great!
Is there anything that can be done for the sick one, or should it be pitched?

first thing you need to do is take your pruners (the large loppers you cut
branches with) dip them in a bleach solution and cut the thick stem about
two inches below where the ponytail was. It sounds like the ponytail part
might have succumbed to rot or mealies. Dab the cut spot with rubbing
alcohol and water the trunk a bit and place it in a south window for now.
Once it dries well, new shoots should start growing from near the severed
area. If not, feel the "foot" or trunk and see if it feels too soft and
yielding. Kinda like the skin of a melon. If you have no sign of growth in
the next six weeks, but the trunk still is firm, hang on until spring and
you can put it outside and possibly it will sprout replacement leaves. One
of the worst enemies of these palms is mealy bugs. they get down in the
folds of all those leaves and chew until they all dissattach. (Lowe's might
have replacement plants now for $5.98 for a 2 gallon pot, might give it a
check, we have that size at our store now for those prices. A new shipment
of tropicals came in and they're going for 3@ $9.99 and that's gallon pots!
Let me know how it goes when you prune it back and if it finally sprouts new
leaves.

madgardener whose had the same problems with this palm herself
"TOM KAN PA" wrote in message
...
Last summer, we had a ponytail/elephant foot palm on the deck. Someone or
something pulled the top out of it. The top was laying on the deck. Now
the
plant is inside the house, and not doing too good.
There is no new growth coming out of the top, and the growth that is there
is
not looking good.
The other one that suffered no damage outside is doing great!
Is there anything that can be done for the sick one, or should it be
pitched?

This plant...not a palm...is very sensitive to overwatering. Here in
the desert SW I water my potted once a month!

Beaucarnea recurvata or B. stricta is an Agavaceae



On 19 Jan 2004 21:24:52 GMT, c (TOM KAN PA) wrote:

Last summer, we had a ponytail/elephant foot palm on the deck. Someone or
something pulled the top out of it. The top was laying on the deck. Now the
plant is inside the house, and not doing too good.
There is no new growth coming out of the top, and the growth that is there is
not looking good.
The other one that suffered no damage outside is doing great!
Is there anything that can be done for the sick one, or should it be pitched?

It may produce a new leaf rosette in the spring but if the caudex is getting
soft and mushy, you should throw it out.


TOM KAN PA wrote in message
...
Last summer, we had a ponytail/elephant foot palm on the deck. Someone or
something pulled the top out of it. The top was laying on the deck. Now
the
plant is inside the house, and not doing too good.
There is no new growth coming out of the top, and the growth that is there
is
not looking good.
The other one that suffered no damage outside is doing great!
Is there anything that can be done for the sick one, or should it be
pitched?

Not anymore.

Beaucarnea, Nolina, Dasylirion and Calibanus were in their own family
Nolinaceae but now they are included in an expanded concept of Ruscaceae
(including Convallariaceae and Eriospermaceae)!!


Tom Jasz wrote in message
news
This plant...not a palm...is very sensitive to overwatering. Here in
the desert SW I water my potted once a month!

Beaucarnea recurvata or B. stricta is an Agavaceae



On 19 Jan 2004 21:24:52 GMT, c (TOM KAN PA) wrote:

Last summer, we had a ponytail/elephant foot palm on the deck. Someone or
something pulled the top out of it. The top was laying on the deck. Now
the
plant is inside the house, and not doing too good.
There is no new growth coming out of the top, and the growth that is
there is
not looking good.
The other one that suffered no damage outside is doing great!
Is there anything that can be done for the sick one, or should it be
pitched?

Subject: Q. ponytail palm lost it's top, bad shape
From: "Cereoid-UR12-"
It may produce a new leaf rosette in the spring but if the caudex is getting
soft and mushy, you should throw it out.
____Reply Separator_____
Thanks for ANSWERING my question. I read my OP over and over and couldn't see
where I had asked:
Is a ponytail/elephant foot palm really a palm?
How should it be watered.
I'm glad I didn't ask a question about planting cucumbers in a vegetable
garden.

How should it be watered? With that wet stuff that comes out of the tap, of
course.

The real question this time of the year is: How often should it be watered?

Since Beaucarnea go dormant over the winter, they need only enough water to
keep the thickened caudex from shriveling up.

Water the plant thoroughly only once a month until new growth appears in the
spring. Never let them sit in standing water for any length of time.

Common names are meaningless. Beaucarnea recurvata is a caudiciform woody
monocotyledon from Mexico but is not at all closely related to Agave or
Yucca, other than being a flowering plant.



TOM KAN PA wrote in message
...
Subject: Q. ponytail palm lost it's top, bad shape
From: "Cereoid-UR12-"
It may produce a new leaf rosette in the spring but if the caudex is
getting
soft and mushy, you should throw it out.
____Reply Separator_____
Thanks for ANSWERING my question. I read my OP over and over and couldn't
see
where I had asked:
Is a ponytail/elephant foot palm really a palm?
How should it be watered.
I'm glad I didn't ask a question about planting cucumbers in a vegetable
garden.

How should it be watered? With that wet stuff that comes out of the tap, of
course.

The real question this time of the year is: How often should it be watered?

Since Beaucarnea go dormant over the winter, they need only enough water to
keep the thickened caudex from shriveling up.

Water the plant thoroughly only once a month until new growth appears in the
spring. Never let them sit in standing water for any length of time.

Common names are meaningless. Beaucarnea recurvata is a caudiciform woody
monocotyledon from Mexico but is not at all closely related to Agave or
Yucca, other than being a flowering plant.



TOM KAN PA wrote in message
...
Subject: Q. ponytail palm lost it's top, bad shape
From: "Cereoid-UR12-"
It may produce a new leaf rosette in the spring but if the caudex is
getting
soft and mushy, you should throw it out.
____Reply Separator_____
Thanks for ANSWERING my question. I read my OP over and over and couldn't
see
where I had asked:
Is a ponytail/elephant foot palm really a palm?
How should it be watered.
I'm glad I didn't ask a question about planting cucumbers in a vegetable
garden.

Hi,

I have one here in metro-phoenix. When it cools off like it is now I
don't water it at all. All it gets is the rain-a-natural.

When the temperature starts soaring again I water it weekly, and
fertilize with a balanced fertilizer. It grows in leaps and bounds.

This is a great plant. At first when I bought it, and had it in the
house several years ago, it did nothing much. Now outside, in the
last two years it has grown to two feet. It was maybe 4 inches when I
first purchased it.

Mary

On 20 Jan 2004 13:28:53 GMT, c (TOM KAN PA) wrote:

Subject: Q. ponytail palm lost it's top, bad shape
From: "Cereoid-UR12-"
It may produce a new leaf rosette in the spring but if the caudex is getting
soft and mushy, you should throw it out.
____Reply Separator_____
Thanks for ANSWERING my question. I read my OP over and over and couldn't see
where I had asked:
Is a ponytail/elephant foot palm really a palm?
How should it be watered.
I'm glad I didn't ask a question about planting cucumbers in a vegetable
garden.