Have no idea on how to care for a yucca plant? If you have recently received a yucca plant as housewarming gift or have gotten one as a present to kickstart your gardening project then, you are truly blessed! Considered as one of the low maintenance ornamental plants, it delivers unique appeal to an indoor or outdoor garden with its sword-shaped leaves and creamy white flowers. While tending a yucca plant is relatively easy, there are certain conditions which needs to be addressed to ensure that you grow it healthy and appealing to the eyes.
Source : i.pinimg.com
Yucca Plant Problems
First, you need to understand that yucca plants can be prone to issues just like any garden plants. It can be infected with brown spots which starts as a yellowish spot with purple borders. Gray spotting on leaves or legions can also infect even an indoor yucca variety but the most hideous infection is the necrotic tips that cause the leaves to shrivel and look ghastly. White growth in fan-like pattern may sometimes be mistaken as aphids but they’re called sclerotia. This fungal infection usually covets the stem area just right above soil surface.
Aside from necrotic tips which can be fixed by adding lime to soil, these issues can be addressed with a fungicide. Simply spray Dr. Earth 8007 to the infected area or prune the infected leaves altogether. For stem rotting, however, adequate care must be taken into mind when planting them for the first time. Bacteria can be quite nasty to yucca stems so make sure to use potting soil when planting cuttings indoors.
Dr. Earth 8007 Ready to Use Disease Control Fungicide
Yucca Plant Pruning
Now, how to properly prune those sharp long leaves? It’s quite simple– remove them using sharp secateurs or garden shears for big varieties. If you don’t want the “skirting” leaves, begin cutting from the bottom using a pruning shear and make sure to cut it closest to the trunk area and just halfway to the plant. Flower stalks can be cut to around 3 to 4 centimeters after it blooms. Keep in mind to do this in early spring. While pruning leaves may not be required, you can make it more attractive and healthy, too.
CLFUN Cut Resistant Gloves
A word to the wise though– adequate protection must be worn when prunning those large sharp pointed leaves. Wear tough gloves like the CLFUN Cut Resistant Gloves to prevent injuries to the hands. Safety glasses like the one worn in carpentry may also be used to prevent pointed part from poking your eyeballs.
How to Multiply Yucca
You can also cut your potted yucca plant. Though it’s more deliberate, cutting is categorized under pruning in the yucca care department. If you’ve observed the roots to edge out of the pot, you can either get a bigger one or cut in into two and replant them in 2 same sized pots. When cutting you will need the help of a sharp hand saw like the FLORO 7” Folding Hand Saw. Simply uproot the plant, take out the bottom leaves and cut halfway. Replant and multiply.
FLORO 7” Folding Hand Saw
Another way to propage yucca plants is via seeds. You can take a good look at this Yucca Seeds variety for starters. To start, you will need to “scar” the seed by gently rubbing sandpaper to it. This is to stimulate the tough seed coating ready for water and nutrients to seep in when mixed into a potting mix. Place 1 to 2 seeds per area or per pot and keep it in a sunny place. Water it when seedlings start sprouting.
Outdoor Yucca Care
Yucca plants being placed in the garden need little to no care at all. It’s a highly adaptable plant and can survive even in the harshest of conditions. Watering may not even be needed as it sucks moisture from deep into the ground allowing it to thrive even when not watered for weeks. Of course, a little whisk every now and then will not hurt your yucca plant. Appying feed can also be done once a year, preferably around spring time. Do remember to remove infected leaves and wilted flowery blooms.
Yucca Plant Indoor Care
When grown indoors, however, you may need to check soil texture when tending. Water moderately around April to September when plant is growing. Do less during autumn and winter like say only once or twice a month. When watering, it is best to dry out the soil. Like outdoor variety, it is also essential to add a plant feed like the Miracle-Gro Pour and Feed Liquid Plant Food once a year particularly around late spring to summer.
Miracle-Gro Pour and Feed Liquid Plant Food
There really is not much to study when learning how to care for a yucca plant. This cool plant can thrive anywhere and with little care. However, tending to its imperfections and infections will not only add more appealing quality to your garden, you will also ensure that other plants will not be infected as well.
