Okay, so I’ve been growing this ponytail palm for a while now, and I gotta say, figuring out the right temperature for it was a bit of a learning curve. I mean, they’re supposed to be pretty easy-going plants, but you still want them to be happy, right?
I started by doing some digging online. Seems like the sweet spot for these guys is somewhere between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s like, normal room temperature, so I figured I was probably good. I mean, my house usually sits around 70-75 degrees, so I wasn’t too worried.
But then, summer hit. And my apartment, well, it gets toasty. We’re talking 85, sometimes even 90 degrees on a really hot day. I noticed my ponytail palm was still doing okay, as it had plenty of light, and I just made sure to water it a bit more often than usual. It’s like, when you’re sweating more, you drink more, right? Same idea for the plant.
Winter Worries
The real test came in winter. My place isn’t super well-insulated, and it can get chilly, especially at night. I read online that ponytail palms don’t like it when it gets below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That got me nervous, I’m gonna check temperature everyday during winter!
So, I got myself one of those little indoor thermometers, just to keep an eye on things. I placed it near the plant, so I could see what temperature it was actually experiencing. Turns out, even on the coldest nights, it only dropped to around 50 degrees near the window where my ponytail palm lives. Phew!
Here’s my watering schedule for the ponytail palm, just so you get an idea:
- Summer (80-90°F): Water thoroughly when the soil is completely dry, usually every 7-10 days.
- Spring/Fall (60-80°F): Water when the soil is mostly dry, about every 10-14 days.
- Winter (50-65°F): Water sparingly, only when the soil is bone dry, maybe every 2-3 weeks.
I made sure it was getting plenty of sunlight, even in winter. I did move it a little further from the window just to be safe, I didn’t want the leaves to get too cold. That’s all!
