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Ponytail palm dividing. What type of soil?

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 9:07 am
by hasty22
Hello I bought a ponytail palm with 7 plants in one pot so I wanted to divide them. I pulled it out of pot , separated roots carefully, using a 4 inch clay pot with drainage hole I put rock in bottom that I had washed and bleached. I then put plant and soil in pot. My question is I used a tropical soil mix from local nursery, I was then reading on the internet that I should have maybe used cactus mix or half cactus and half potting mix. The tropical mix soil bag does not list what is in it.
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Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:16 am
by lucky1
Nice dividing job, Keith.

The tropical soil looks a little too humusy/peaty.
Cactus mix would've been better because beaucarnea stores water in that fat trunk as it ages.

Using unglazed clay pots makes up for the soil, so I think you're OK.

Mine's in a plastic pot (not good), but cactus soil, so that works.
I put it in semi-shade on a hot patio all summer long.
Does best when ignored, but it's about 10 yrs old:

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Stock up on bandaids...the leaves are lethal :lol:
Barb

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:23 am
by hasty22
Thanks Barb. Very nice palm. Are you thinking the tropical mix will retain too much water?
Keith

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:38 am
by lucky1
Not if you water sparingly, after the initial potting up drench.

But they do need sufficient water when young.
Just let them get really bone dry in between waterings.

My ponytail's soil is so dry between sparse waterings in summer that it feels like a slab of styrofoam.
The roof juts out and shades the plant, but the pot/soil are in full sun all day long.

Yours will be fine...don't overstress them by changing the soil now.
The dividing was a lot of stress.

Barb

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 1:48 pm
by hardyjim
They will probably suck all the soil out of those pots in a year or so anyway......

just don't let them stay wet-those big elephant feet are there for a reason :D