Wow! That’s quite an old tree! Congrats on keeping it happy for so long.
Lower leaves turning brown is not usually a cause for concern—especially if the plant is continually putting out new leaves—as that’s just part of the natural growth cycle of the plant: grow new leaves, drop old ones. But, if this is the first time you’re seeing it happen after having the plant for so long, there may be outside factors in play.
Have you changed your source of water in the past year or so? Desert plants can be especially sensitive to chemicals in tap water (such as fluoride), which can cause the tips of leaves to turn yellow and brown. Try watering with distilled or spring water for the next few months and see if that solves the issue.
Browning tips may also be caused by too much intense sunlight. But again, if the plant is still regularly putting out new growth, it seems like it’s happy where it is.
The pot size is likely not an issue, as ponytail palms don’t mind being constricted. Moving it to a larger pot will only encourage it to get even bigger (and more unmanageable)! The amount of water is also not likely a problem, as long as you are letting the soil dry out properly between waterings.
Wow! That’s quite an old tree! Congrats on keeping it happy for so long.
Lower leaves turning brown is not usually a cause for concern—especially if the plant is continually putting out new leaves—as that’s just part of the natural growth cycle of the plant: grow new leaves, drop old ones. But, if this is the first time you’re seeing it happen after having the plant for so long, there may be outside factors in play.
Have you changed your source of water in the past year or so? Desert plants can be especially sensitive to chemicals in tap water (such as fluoride), which can cause the tips of leaves to turn yellow and brown. Try watering with distilled or spring water for the next few months and see if that solves the issue.
Browning tips may also be caused by too much intense sunlight. But again, if the plant is still regularly putting out new growth, it seems like it’s happy where it is.
The pot size is likely not an issue, as ponytail palms don’t mind being constricted. Moving it to a larger pot will only encourage it to get even bigger (and more unmanageable)! The amount of water is also not likely a problem, as long as you are letting the soil dry out properly between waterings.