Some trends just make sensation . Consider the fact that ponytail palms are popping up in more and more places as bonsai .
One expression at their center - catching trunks that resemble the leg of an elephant and their elegant strap - like leave of absence , and it ’s no admiration mass require to trance the feel of this alone plant with the art of bonsai .
Unlike many bonsai , which can only grow outside , this beauty can grow indoors full - time if you favour , plus it grows slow . It does n’t need a gross ton of brightness and thrives in indirect lighting .
Photo by Clare Groom.
It ’s also passing drought large-minded , which is perfect if you have bonsai dreams but you are n’t on the nose authentic when it come to lachrymation .
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This industrial plant is easily identifiable . Just appear for the big , bellying base , scaly gray trunk , and stringy leaf . When compound with a simple bonsai container , it creates a visual statement that is trusted to start a conversation .
Up ahead , we ’ll go over caring for and shaping these little beauties . Here ’s what to wait :
What You’ll Learn
Whether you bring a pre - made ponytail palm bonsai home or you ’re hoping to train one of your own , this guidebook can avail , so let ’s get start .
What Is a Ponytail Palm Bonsai?
Settle in , because things are about to get a bit confusing .
Surprise ! To start , ponytail palms ( Beaucarneaspp . ) are n’t actually laurel wreath at all .
Genetically , they have been classified in a number of unlike ways . At one prison term , they were put in the same mob as lily ( Liliaceae ) . They were also classify primitively as part of the Nolinaceae ( formerly Agavaceae ) kinsfolk .
Today , they have been reclassified as part of the asparagus menage ( Asparagaceae ) and part of the Nolinoideae subfamily after new genic inquiry was complete .
Yep , this decoration - resembling industrial plant is actually a relative of those dark-green shoot you gnaw on in the spring . It ’s also related toagaveandhostas .
As if that was n’t enough , you ’ll sometimes see them ( inaccurately ) pertain to as mintage ofNolinaas well .
Despite the categorisation chaos , once you bonk what to take care for , ponytail palms are gentle to identify visually .
That bulbous base and crop of shoulder strap - like foliage on top is pretty unique . That ’s why some people report it as the plant version of a boisterouswater jet .
So why does this industrial plant get in such an unusual shape ? That bulbous base ( called a globose caudex ) is in reality a ingenious version to aid the plant survive in dry climate .
This base continue moderately petite when the succulent is raise as a bonsai , but in its rude habitat , it can become extremely exaggerated .
As the bulbous foundation ages , it turns white-haired and can develop cracking , which is why these plant are often called elephant foot trees .
The caudex acts like a mobile canteen for the plant , storing water up for the lean times .
The evergreen plant leaves appear fluid , but if you look at them through a magnifying glass , they are very finely serrate .
The leaves can be straight or kink , or they can twist and curl . Each leaf can reach up to 36 inches long . As they maturate , the leaves will turn dry and lily-livered or dark-brown .
When these plants are well-chosen and turn in idealistic conditions , they ’ll shape panicle featuring pallid pinko , dark pinkish , white-hot , or cream - colored heyday . distaff plants will also raise seeds . But this seldom happens indoors .
In their native habitat in the semi - desert area of Mexico , Belize , and Guatemala , they will grow up to 30 feet improbable , though they usually stay modest . This succulent has become a democratic houseplant because it is so sturdy and tolerant .
In a bonsai container , they stay squeamish and heavyset without much work , which is another cause why they make fantastic bonsai specimen . They do n’t abide when their roots are restricted , and they farm nice and dull .
A majority of species grown as bonsai need to be keep on outside year - circular , but not elephant foot . Not only can you keep it indoors all year long , but it even does well in the dry heat get hold in the typical wintertime environment of most homes .
In fact , if you want this succulent to be really happy , keep it in a teetotal , warm , sunny patch and just let it be . If you hold out inUSDA Hardiness Zones9 to 11 , you’re able to keep the flora outdoors for part or all of the twelvemonth if you want .
you may learn and handle for ponytail palm indoors in our guidebook .
Planting
you could often purchase this plant ready - to - go at nursery and bonsai peculiarity stores . Home Depot even carriesa pre - trained , potted six - twelvemonth - previous specimen with an let in humidity tray .
Ponytail Palm Bonsai with Humidity Tray
If you go this road , you do n’t need to do anything initially other than feeding and lacrimation .
The exception to this is if you buy a pre - potted bonsai that has rocks or moss glued to the surface of the soil .
You need to get disembarrass of that clobber , so you should remove the plant from its container , brush away all of the soil and glue - on textile , and repot it withfresh pot substratum .
If you purchase or otherwise obtain a untested transplantation , you ’ll ask to do a trivial employment to mold it up for arrangement in its newfangled home .
First , remove the whole thing from its produce passel and brush or rinse off out all of the soil .
Untangle the theme ball as much as you could . Use a dyad of scissors grip to trim away any numb or mushy roots . Then , persist in to pare the smaller roots until the root ball will fit well in its newfangled container .
set a screen over the drain holes in the container to foreclose the substratum from lave out , or clogging those super - important holes .
Because ponytail medallion are semi - tropic succulents , you ’ll want to use a potting substratum that is made for those type of plants . These generally contain more grit and do n’t retain as much water as stock substratum .
Tropical Mix Bonsai Soil
you could buy a pre - made mixat Bonsai Boyin a two - pound bag .
Place a fragile layer of pot substratum in the bottom of the container , and put the works in place . Fill in around the roots with more substratum and water to settle everything into place .
Shaping
If you decide to begin with your own young start , you may have a hand in shaping your ponytail medal .
you may pick up a vernal plant in a five - and - a - half - in potat Home Depot .
Ponytail Palm in 5.5 - Inch Pot
Plants under six in in diameter can be chopped off to encourage branching . cut back the industrial plant during the dormant season and it will grow two , three , or four Modern heads .
Then , you may hack the new trunk and they will branch yet again . It fill a few months for the newfangled sprouts to egress , but be patient . They will come , so long as your ponytail medal is keep healthy .
In the natural state , sr. plants will eventually branch naturally on their own , but this is rare – though not unheard of – in bonsai . To encourage the bushy shape it takes in the wild , you might want to form multiple branches using this proficiency .
To prune back the automobile trunk , use a large twosome of secateurs or bypass pruners to sever the trunk at the desired height , taking care to go away at least six inches of the torso in post .
To prune the green shoots , use a duet of secateurs and nip the shoot at the desired altitude .
Once you ’ve reach the hope shape , all you necessitate to do is withdraw any stagnant , pathologic , or untempting leaf , using a span of scissors .
Care
In the winter in their native habitat , these plants receive very trivial body of water . Reproduce this by limiting the amount of water you give them during the winter . The stain should altogether dry out for several Day in between watering .
In the spring , summer , and flow , let the soiljustdry out before adding more moisture .
fertilise in the bounce with a deadening - release bonsai plant food . Bonsai Boy carriesa four - ounce bag of pellets that slowly release food for thought into the soil over sentence .
Slow Release Fertilizer Pellets
Use care not to over - fertilise this flora because it is sensitive to common salt .
If you find the folio tips turning brown , you are potential either overwatering or underwatering . stress set how much water you give the plant , keeping in mind that overwatering is usually the problem .
This succulent can really go for weeks without water if the temperatures are n’t exceedingly hot or the air passing dry .
Your plant life will do practiced if you grade it in a sunny windowpane with southerly exposure , but it can survive in an field with bright , indirect light for the majority of the day .
softly tug aside any dry yellow or brown foliage . New ones will pop up in their place .
Species and Cultivars to Select
There are several species , cultivar , and forms that make lovely bonsai .
B. recurvata , whose leaves are long and curved back , is the most common variety that you ’ll find for sales agreement in storage . The leaves ofB. guatemalensisare perverted and minute . B. gracilis . has graciously curved , long , narrow leave-taking .
B. recurvataf.variegatahas forget with a green center and a pick - discolor margin .
‘ Gold Star ’ is a cultivar of thevariegataform , and it ’s in particular good for indoor growing because it is compact , and the yellow chevron are highly vibrant .
Managing Pests and Disease
basically , you’re able to call back of these as houseplants with a unique container .
What do I stand for by that ? Those common pests and disease that may touch most houseplants are also the ones you need to see out for with ponytail palm bonsai .
Insects
I think of these three as the common suspects when it comes to houseplant pests . Know what to look for and how to insure them , and you ’ll be well onward of the game .
Where works thrive , so do aphids . These pocket-sized sap - sucking insects are seemingly everywhere you look .
While there are numerous unlike metal money that may feed on houseplant , the most common one is the green peach aphid ( Myzus persicae ) .
If you notice chicken stippling on the leaves , wilting , or bantam bug inching along the stem and leafage , it ’s prison term to take action .
The simplest way to address the job is to spray the leave , stems , and trunk with a good time of urine to knock the bugs loose . You ’ll most likely need to do this once a hebdomad for a few workweek .
For more details andoptions for eradicate aphids , check out our guide .
Mealybugs(family Pseudococcidae ) , look like waxy short cotton balls cling out on the theme and farewell . They suck out the juices from your poor bonsai , do the leaves to turn white-livered .
If you see these little jerks on your plant , take swift action before they reproduce to the pointedness where you ’re deal with a right infestation .
For a small infestation , just dip a cotton mop in isopropyl alcohol and wipe it on each worm . This remove their protective finish , so they ’ll be susceptible to the element and finally die .
If this is too much oeuvre , insecticidal soap is an effective solvent .
Bonsai Insecticidal Soap
utilise a mathematical product like Bonide ’s Insecticidal Soap , which is available in 12- or 32 - apothecaries' ounce ready - to - use bottlesat Arbico Organics .
Spray the leaves ( make indisputable to get the undersides ! ) , outgrowth , and body once a hebdomad , until the mealybugs are extend .
Spider hint , particularly the cherry-red variety ( Tetranychus urticae ) , love dry , warm conditions – just like ponytail palms do .
These arachnid are itty - weeny , so you might not notice them . What you will see is icteric stippling and/or fine webbing .
you’re able to set on these the same way you would aphids . Spray the bugs off with a blast of water , and break out the insecticidal goop if necessary .
Learn to eradicate wanderer touch in our usher .
Disease
Ponytail palms do n’t contract diseases too awfully often , but it still pays to know what to watch out for and how to handle it .
Bacterial leafage streak is stimulate by the fungusXanthomonas vasicola , and it is aptly named . When it is present , the leaves of the plant will develop long stripe of dry , chocolate-brown lesions with yellowish halo .
Fortunately , it ’s pretty rare . unluckily , there is n’t an effective treatment available . you’re able to attempt pruning forth infected leaves , but you ’ll most probable just have to cast aside the flora and start over .
If your plant is going to come down with a disease , this is likely the one . It ’s induce by overwatering , which smothers the root , and causes the root and base to start to rot .
Often , once you notice the problem , it ’s too tardily . The trunk may be rotting from the inside already , and the beginning might be a bathetic pot .
If you ever touch the stock and it experience mushy , you need to play tight .
take away the works from its container and dress away any dead or mushy roots , then repot in unfermented grime . Now , reduce your watering by half .
You should always stray on the side of giving too little body of water rather than too much with this plant .
Ponytail Palms Make a Dramatic Statement
If you want a bonsai that can make a handsome statement in the menage , you ca n’t go wrong with ponytail palms .
The fact that they are so well-situated to care for and lend themselves so nicely to growing as bonsai is just an added bonus .
If you ca n’t get enough of theart of bonsai , we have a few other guides that you might desire to check out next , starting with these :
Photo by Clare Groom © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more inside information . Cartesian product photos via Arbico Organics , Bonsai Boy , and Home Depot . Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .
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Kristine Lofgren
