The way to Transplant the Babies From Ponytail Plants
Ponytail hands (Beaucarnea recurvata) appear like palm trees, and grow up to 30 feet tall in their own native Central America. The crown of foliage droops in the woody, bulbous, erect trunk. Ponytail palms grow outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 11, but they are often grown as houseplants. Baby plants, called offsets, sometimes grow around the base of the mother plant. Each of those offsets can grow into a new plant if you remove them in the ideal way and provide the suitable care.
Preparing the Pot
Ponytail hands root and grow best in well-draining, somewhat dry dirt. Use 6-inch-diameter pots with bottom drainage for planting new offsets. A well-draining potting soil, such as one formulated for cactus or desert plants, provides adequate drainage for fresh ponytail hands, or you can mix equal parts conventional potting soil with sand to make your personal rooting mixture. Use a powdered rooting hormone to guarantee the offsets form roots and set quickly.
Cutting Method
Cutting the offsets in the mother plant in spring is always the quickest way to propagate ponytail palms, but some offsets might fail to form roots and wo not survive. Wipe a sharp knife with a cloth soaked in isopropyl alcohol to disinfect it, then cut the offset in the mother plant just beneath the ground. Dust the cut surface of the offset with an even application of the rooting hormone powder. Pour the rooting hormone onto a plastic plate or dish and dip the offset in the powder. Set the offset in the ready pot, pushing it into the dirt slightly so the cut end is in the dirt and the offset stays erect. Water sparingly so the soil remains moist but does not become moist or sloping during the rooting period.
Layering Technique
Layering allows the offset to form roots before you remove it from the mother, which can give you a greater prospect of success. Do the layering in spring. Moisten a small few sphagnum moss and pack it loosely round the base of the offset. If possible, lift the offset slightly out of the ground, but leave it attached to the mother plant, and that means that you are able to put some moss beneath it. Dust the bottom and lower sides of the offset with the rooting hormone powder, using a clean, dry paintbrush, to encourage it to set roots in the moss. Water the moss to moisten it only when it has almost completely dried. You can cut the offset in the mother plant and transfer it to the ready pot after the offset starts forming roots that are visible.
Caring for Offsets
Few pests or diseases influence ponytail hands should you permit the soil to dry out between waterings. Overly moist dirt can cause the offset to decay during and after rooting. It can take four weeks or longer for root growth to begin on the offset. During this time period, provide the ponytail palm with bright, indirect light and monitor the moisture in the soil or moss daily. You are able to move the plant to immediate, all-day sun after it roots and starts putting on busy new growth. Transplant the offset outdoors into a sunlit, well-draining bed the following spring if you want to grow it as an outdoor plant.