Potted Ponytail palm gradually looking worse overtime

[agt]

I have had this palm in New England for years outside during the summer and inside during the winter and after having it outside when it was really wet. It seemed to have damaged it.  It looks to be getting better but really slowly. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to make it get better faster. In the next week or so, I am going to bring it to FL(10b) and was wondering if I should keep it outside or inside.

Edited November 14, 2019 by agt

[PlantDad]

43 minutes ago, agt said:

I have had this palm in New England for years outside during the summer and inside during the winter and after having it outside when it was really wet. It seemed to have damaged it.  It looks to be getting better but really slowly. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to make it get better faster. In the next week or so, I am going to bring it to FL(10b) and was wondering if I should keep it outside or inside.

if rain was what made it look bad then i would recommend that you repot it into a fresh mix and also check the roots to make sure there is no rot. the roots may be too wet. in southern florida you should be able to keep it outside but i would make sure that the soil it is in is very well draining due to the rain that florida gets.

[PlantDad]

also when you decide to water it next it probably would be best to add hydrogen peroxide to your water which will help strengthen the roots and also kill any fungal growth that has started.

[agt]

okay great thanks for the help

[PlantDad]

you are very welcome. keep me posted on how it is doing

[Meangreen94z]

I know they can take full exposure to Gulf Coast rain, so my guess as well is a poorly draining container.

[PalmatierMeg]

The plant in the photo is not a true palm - it is a succulent named Beaucarnea recurvata. The moniker "ponytail palm" is a confusing misnomer. It should be treated like a succulent, not a tropical. Keep it on the dry side in well draining soil. In FL it will prefer to be outdoors in full sun as long as temps stay above freezing.

[Merlyn]

I have several ponytails inside and outside in the NW Orlando area.  The outdoor ones are in nearly full sun and in a sandy soil mix, i.e. native sandy and no amendments.  They are okay in significant shade outdoors too, they just don't want to be in a wet, swampy area.  I have two indoors in large pots planted in whatever shovelfull of dirt I picked up out of the backyard.  I.e. mostly sand with some random organic material.  Indoors they get watered once a month if I remember.  Like Meg said, since they are closer in relation to succulent plants like dracaena, yucca, cactus, aloes and agave they prefer to be mostly dry but not bone dry.  Mine are in pots next to the back door, with no direct sunlight and 50% tint on the windows.  They grow slower there, but that's okay with me!

[agt]

Made it to FL. Have yet to change the pot but seems to be doing fine.

[PalmatierMeg]

It should love it in FL