Question
Darlene,  
I have a ponytail palm that is about 1' tall and relatively healthy.  It has been in the same pot for about 4 years and I'm wondering if and when I should transplant it and if so what type of soil.  It is sitting in a well lit room in indirect sunlight.  
I also have a Meyer Lemon tree that I would like to do the same thing to.  Any input would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Mike

Answer
Mike,

For starters your ponytail palm needs direct sun, not indirect sunlight. Most folks assume it is a palm, but in reality is much closer to the Yucca. Over the years it has acquired many commen names besides "ponytail", others are bottle palm, and elephants foot.

One reason it's important to use "botanical names", it helps identify exactly what plant you're talking about. So let's get correct. The botanical name for the "ponytail" is Beaucarnea recurvata and it's a member of the Lilaceae (lily family).

The Beaucarena is from the Mexican desert and is one of the slowest growing plants I've ever grown. Plants can reach ceiling height but it will take years! Being a desert plant it can take the low humidity indoors during the winter.

This also tells us about the soil conditions it will tolerate. A mix more on the sandy side will be better than a soil with heavy peat mix used in many tropicals. To acheive this mix potting soil 50/50 with builders sand that you can get at Lowes or Home Depot. When you transplant either plant do not move it to a pot with a diameter more than 2 inches larger than the pot you are taking them out of. Most plants in pots prefer to be somewhat rootbound. If you put them in too large a pot the roots rot too easily because they can't use up the water before you water them again and the roots are constantly wet and they begin to rot. Keeping them in a smaller pot will prevent that.  Do not repot them before April 1st when the days are longer and the roots are going into a growing period. On the Meyer Lemon use a mix of 3 parts potting soil and 1 part sand ( Florida soil is very sandy). Yes, it is time to repot and after this do not repot more often than every 3-4 years. Give both plants 6 weeks after repotting then begin fertilizing once a month with a water soluable fertilizer such as Miracle Grow. Good luck.

Darlene