While Ponytail Palms are naturally slow-growers, here are certain tips and tricks that you can implement to make them grow taller and larger!
One of the most eye-catching tropical plants to make a focal point in your living room is the ponytail palm, also known as the “Elephant Foot Tree.” While it grows to a height of 30 feet in the wild, contributing to its fascinating beauty, you might think you’re missing out on such a splendid display when growing the plant indoors. But the good news is ponytail palms do grow to an average manageable height of 4 to 6 feet indoors when handled and cared for properly. Coming to how you can make this slow-growing plant grow taller indoors, we have got some tricks up our sleeve!
Tricks to Grow Taller and Larger Ponytail Palms
1. Get a Tall Specimen
As you would probably know, ponytail palms are almost annoyingly slow growers! They grow an average of only 6 inches per year, which means it would take them not months but years before reaching a height that you would want.
If you get a smaller specimen, well, they would obviously take longer to add to their height. This is why you should get a taller specimen like ‘recurvata’ and ‘gracilis’ at the get-go. Getting a taller specimen and caring for it properly would ensure that you are not wasting your time and efforts on trying to make a smaller specimen grow taller in a jiffy!
2. Give them 5-6 Hours of Light Exposure
Your ponytail palm will really flourish in bright, indirect sunlight, and it is one of the main requirements for your plant to grow taller. It is thus essential that you locate your plant in a spot where it can bask in indirect sunlight for at least 6 hours a day. A south or west-facing window is the perfect spot to satisfy the light craving of a ponytail palm, encouraging its growth.
Ensure uniform growth by rotating your plant periodically, that is, every couple of weeks, unless you want to see your precious plant bending towards its light source!
3. Water Thoroughly but Less Frequently
One of the unique points about the appearance of the ponytail palm is its bulbous trunk, which occurs because the ponytail palm is actually not a true palm at all!
In fact, it is a succulent, which means their trunks can store a lot of water and go for months without needing any more. So, of course, that is one less worry for you. But did you know watering frequently will actually slow down the growth of your ponytail palm besides further causing issues like root rot?
Water thoroughly when you see that the first few winches of the topsoil have completely dried out, and follow this rule of thumb for the best ponytail palm growth.
4. Get a Smaller Pot
The trick to making ponytail palms grow best is to pot them in a pot that’s just one size bigger than the plant’s root ball. This enables the plant to grow taller instead of wider as it keeps the plant in a slightly root-bound state. It goes without saying that every time you repot your plant, you must use nutrient-rich, well-draining, aerated soil mix.
5. Don’t Go on a Feeding Frenzy
Being succulent, ponytail palms do not need heavy feeding, and overfeeding can adversely affect your plant. In fact, they don’t need much fertilization, and growing them in a nutritious mix is all they need! During the growing season, you can use a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to 1/4th its strength.
6. Keep it on a Plant Stand
If none of your efforts seem to be doing anything but adding only a couple of inches to your plant, here is your last resort (let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!). Just get a tall floor planter or a plant stand to make your ponytail palm look taller than it is! Sometimes, you just have to make the angles and the illusion work.
