Ponytail Palm

[toxinsmile]

I was wondering if I can trim my ponytail palm so that the cool trunk can be seen better, anyone know? I don't want to kill it or make the leaves brown

[DandyLioness]

HOLY MOLY... I googled your plant to see a gorgeous species! The only thing that I read about "trimming" was to trim the tips of the leaves.

Ponytail! What an adorable name! :wub:

[Rich]

Can't you just hold them back with barettes?

[MrSeedy]

I think you may have to wait til the plant has matured considerably, and then with age the lower leaves are shed as the trunk gets longer to reveal the swollen base.
I'd not reccomend doing anything to the leaves, and only time will provide the specimen you wish to see. Could take several years however. I must say living in Key West , I saw some of the biggest pony tails immaginable , with some having bases almost two feet in diameter and the trunks being three or four feet tall or perhaps even taller. I'd guess they might have been many decades old however!!

Oh my! I went to one site that said ponytail palms can get up to twenty feet tall, and I had no idea they got that big!!

[Sneezie]

:unsure: Whew that sounds like a tree to me!!!!!!!! How bout it Mr. Seedy?...........................Let it up to you Rich, barettes yeah ok. 20 feet tall with barettes!!!!!! hahahahahaha :lol: :lol:

[HarleyGal]

Rich--you're really on a roll lately!! :lol:

What's your DW been feeding you?!! :unsure:

[toxinsmile]

well, I don't mind mine growing but....20ft? Did I mention that it is in a pot in my livingroom??? lol! I think I'm just going to let him grow, he doesn't meed any trimming as of yet but I know that the leaves get super long and I kinda like it looking like a tree.

[boo]

Wow, I love the look of the that plant. :wub: Very cool. I hope it doesn't grow to fast for you.

[Rich]

Nice plant, but it looks like it could use a comb. ;)

[MrSeedy]

Actually the plant looks much better than I'd pictured , and I was expecting to see a very young plant with the leaves obstructing the view of the base and stem entirely . Looks great to me, and a beautiful specimen!! I'd guess your's may be a fair number of years old already , as I don't think they're very fast growing as a rule, and I've seen younger ones with barely any base or stem to be seen at all.

[toxinsmile]

I have had him for about 3 years, but lately I have started to notice that the leaves are getting longer and longer and I have seen pictures of them where you can't even see the trunk. I kind of like the tree look myself.

change of subject... but I have also noticed that this place is starting to look like a greenhouse in here... I live in a 2 bedroom apartment and there is at least 5 plants per room... I think I need an intervention :unsure:

[Rich]

I'll be over with my new shredder. Just call. 1-800-whipitout

[boo]

:unsure: hmmm, I thought that number was for something else.

Can't you give the guy a little hair cut? I suppose that would make the leaves look awful. Well, you could tie them up in a ponytail for the bam bam look.

plant intervention? You will find no help here. :P :lol:

[toxinsmile]

oh my rich!! I think boo is right.... what exsactly are you getting at?!? lol!!

:lol:

[Rich]

You probably weren't here when I got a lot of stick for having a purge of houseplants I had become bored with and put them through my shredder. :lol:

Hence my signature below.

[gonzer]

B) Any pulling of leaves that exposes a white base underneath means you've gone too far. Ponytail palms (Nolina recurvata) (used to be Beaucarnea recurvata) need no trimming a'tall. Super easy to raise from seed also.

[PRH]

toxinsmile -
I have a Ponytail Palm myself ( looks like about the same as the one you have pictured )!
Anyway, I have some articles in a book of mine about how to take care of them and all. Well, from what I understand, you are better not to trim any of the leaves off the plant reguardless, because if you do trim off the brown tips - you will just get more dry/dead tips where you made the cut.They suggest that you leave the leaves go and the plant will show signs that its getting older and has sorta an age-look to as it grows. I understand how you might feel in wanting to show off the trunk of the tree though! But just leave it be because it can do more harm than good and besides this type of tree seem to not require much attention anyways,so why start giving it something that its really not use to getting and wind-up having it go bad on ya! Hang in there, it looks like its doing ok to me!!!
Phil :-) ;)

[ungreenthumb]

mum says that brown/dead leaves on her ponytail plant gives it character, nana wright says that she likes hers to be popping out of the pot so it looks likes a mushy, and i tend to think that mine might not live :lol: . so let it grow a bit, if it dies :( get a new one and make a mental note not to cut the leaves again.

[PRH]

ungreenthumb -
Sounds like a winner to me and you got some good advice to boot!
Good Luck to you!
Phil :-) ;)