table of contents
- The substrate
- The plant pot
- frequently asked Questions
Beaucarnea recurvata can be found as a popular houseplant in countless apartments due to its distinctive appearance. If you repot the elephant's foot, you should consider a few things with regard to soil and pot.
In a nutshell
- the elephant foot loves nutrient-poor, loose and well drained soils
- the pot should be around 2 centimeters larger than the plant on all sides
- A flat bowl is sufficient for the elephant's foot as a shallow root
The substrate
The elephant's foot grows very slowly and usually only needs to be repotted after around 3 to 5 years. Therefore, it draws only a few nutrients from the soil surrounding the roots. Overall, the substrate should ideally have the following properties:
- low in nutrients
- relaxed
- well permeable
For example, finished products that have these properties are well suited. Succulent soil or cactus soil are available in almost every hardware store or gardening shop. However, you can easily lend a hand yourself. Then mix two parts of potting soil with one part of sand. The addition of expanded clay leads to a further loosening and at the same time to an even better water balance with sufficient reserves, but without waterlogging.
The plant pot
If you repot the elephant's foot, you should also pay attention to the use of a suitable bowl. Since the plant is one of the shallow roots, a deep container is not required. Ideally, around 2 to 3 centimeters of substrate remain under the roots so that the roots do not encounter any hard resistance with the bottom of the pot. A shallow bowl also has a particularly large surface in relation to its volume. In this way, wet soil can dry off quickly, and waterlogging is avoided in the best possible way.
There should also be around 2 to 3 centimeters of space around the sides. If the vessel is too large, it will lead to excessive root growth. As a result, there is little energy left for the above-ground parts of the plant and your elephant's foot wither.
Tip: If possible, use a clay pot instead of plastic. The open-pored wall enables an even better exchange of moisture with the substrate. In this way, the planter also counteracts possible waterlogging.
frequently asked Questions
The right time to repot has come when either the trunk has reached a size with which it fills the entire pot. Alternatively, the time has come when the root ball between the pot and the trunk is pushed out of the ground. February and March are always given as the ideal time, whereby the season only plays a subordinate role when it is kept as a pure indoor plant.
Pure clay granulate is loose and well permeable and can therefore be used very well. However, there is a lack of any nutrients that are not supplied via the irrigation water. As a replacement, you should regularly supply your elephant's foot with a universal plant fertilizer that is added to the irrigation water.
Like any other plant, you should definitely water the elephant foot after potting. Because water stimulates root growth and helps to repair the small damage to the finest root hairs that inevitably occur when planting. However, you should only water moderately and if necessary again after a while, instead of starting immediately with large amounts. This is a better way of avoiding waterlogging and protecting the plant.