Question
I just bought a pony tail plant. It looks clean and health so far.  I have it sitting in front of a window with Eastern exposure and receives full Sun until about 1 PM. When I looked under the plastic pot the plants came in, I see some roots coming through the holes.Does this mean It should be repotted?  If so, should I repot in the Spring or Fall?  I live in NYC.   Please answer. Thank you for your time.
Felicia

Answer
Hi Felicia, the container it is in is called a nursery container, and it is meant for temporary use only (until the plant is sold by the store); you need to get a container that is at least twice its size, line the bottom of the new container with about 2 inches of gravel or pebbles, (for drainage..) and then fill the container up about one third of the way with a quality potting mix. cut away the nursery container that the Palm is presently in, so that you have the root ball intact and then free up the roots (they will be compacted, I am sure..) by pulling them free all around the root ball, once this is done the root ball should be nice and loose with roots hanging free; take the Palm and place it on top of the soil in the new container, the key here is to have the top of the root ball about 2 inches below the rim of the new container. You may need to fill more soil then is in it to accomplish this, or possibly take some out, but just adjust it so it sits centered in the container and 2 inches below the rim. Now fill in all around the root ball to take up the space around it, until it is filled to within that 2 inches from the rim. Take it outside and water it real well, until water comes out the drainage holes, let it sit for about 5 minutes, you will see that the soil will have settled (filling in the air spaces..)now fill it back up to its original level. Thats it! your Palm will be happy now and will require very little water from this point on, because that big , bulbous bottom is a storage for water. Pony Tails are very easy to care for, as long as you water only when the soil is completely dry. Nick