Rob, sounds like a good plan which should kick start the growth and then it'll look nice once you place it back in the pot. They don't have deep roots so it won't take much work preparing the soil, if you can post some pictures, ima bout to do the same.

Greg

Greg,
Being in California, I assume you have 7-8 good months or more of good growing. In Ohio, I might have 5 months. My only concern is disturbing the plants so many times in a short period. Is the growth worth the stress on the plant?

Rob

You might want to keep them potted in a large terra cotta pot and bury the whole thing. you can unearth it and easily take in the plant without overly disturbing any roots.

-Ming

Ming took the words out of my mouth, Rob. Burying the pot is ideal for the roots and the overall health of the plant, IMO, but with short-rooted plants such as your Beaucarnea, I'd put it directly in the ground and dig it up in September - the growth you'll get should be fairly great.

Life's too short. I decided to put a Jade, a pony tail palm, and a desert rose all in the ground. If it works, they'll grow and I'll be happy. If not, lesson learned. I'll try to get a picture sometime this week. If the jade does well, I might put some of my bigger ones in the ground next year.

Thanks for all of the advice.

Rob

Jeff,
Any suggestions on watering these in the ground? We've had some rain, so I'm not worried now, but when the heat of July and August hits, they might need some extra water. How much and how often?

About once a week, Rob. Are they showing new growth yet?

No growth, but the Pony tail has a nice red color. I'll keep you updated over the summer.

Thanks for the help.
Rob