Question
My husband broke the top...would i be able to re-plant it? Right now I have the broken piece sitting in the water...help!

Answer
Helena,

You are fortunate, this is close to the best time of year to root a pony tail palm cutting but if I were doing it on purpose I would have waited till after the first day of spring. Water is not the place to root this. It is similar to rooting a cactus and it will quickly rot in water.
Obtain a pot with good drainage holes and fill it with a well-drained potting soil with extra perlite and some sand added or use cacti soil. The roots do not need much water and actually thrive with some air, so it is essential that the potting medium be porous for drainage.

Cut the base of the pony tail palm cutting with a knife and apply a bit of rooting hormone onto the end that was attached to the bulb. Follow the directions on the rooting hormone package while applying.

Plant the top with the rooting hormone end pointed down about 1/3 of its length into the soil. Tamp the potting soil down around the shoot to keep it standing straight. You made need to add a stake to hold it up securely.

Place the planted offshoot in a window with full sun. Water it with only enough water to moisten the soil lightly. Allow it to dry and then moisten it again. Keep this pattern until the offshoot begins to grow. Full sun is important. Good luck!

Darlene