BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?

Subject: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: CallyH
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 06:59 AM

I've just bought a house and the previous owners have moved onto a narrowboat and so have left pretty much all their furniture. This turns out to include a fairly large plant in the dining room. This is worrying me as I know NOTHING AT ALL about looking after plants. Anyway, walking past a shop in Ashby I saw a similar thing labled as a yukka plant, so I think that's what I've got.

So - any tips on looking after it? How often do I need to water it, do I need to feed it?

Will it enjoy my whistle playing or should I play in another room?

Rachel

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 07:43 AM

I think you'll find it might be a Yucca plant Rachel ;~) Care hints
Giok ¦¬]

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Bobert
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 07:56 AM

Them plants is un-killable... If it's alive today, it will most likely be alive in 10 years....

And thanks fir remindin' me... I gotta a couple I have to move...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: CallyH
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 08:15 AM

See - I can't even spell it - that's how bad I am with plants!!!

Unkillable? Is that a challenge?

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: CallyH
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 08:18 AM

Thanks for the care hints John ... so I can carry on forgetting to water it!

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,mack/misophist
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 09:34 AM

I always called those Joshua Trees. Except they tend to be 6' tall or better.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: artbrooks
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 09:43 AM

When you find out the guaranteed sure-fire way to kill it, let me know. I have a 6x6 one in my front yard that has so-far defied just about everything, including digging up, and spears anyone who gets within ten feet of it.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 09:57 AM

Have you tried Pot Shot Pete, the Sherrif of Yucca Pucca Gulch?
G ;~)

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 11:18 AM

Give it to me - I killed all my plants by watering them with Miracle Gro....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: lady penelope
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 11:58 AM

Yucca plants. Unless it's in an area where it gets lots of draughts and heat, water infrequently. Once a year sling some more compost around it. Occasionally dust the leaves. They don't tend to like lots of direct sunlight (through windows).

Other than that they are fairly indestructable. Even my Mother kept one alive for over ten years. It was only a visiting cousin that killed it off with a football (in the front room, I ask you.......).

TTFN Lady P.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: fat B****rd
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 02:00 PM

Ours (garden variety) flowered for the first time in 9 years this summer. Then again it did originate in Hanpshire (UK).

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 02:59 PM

The common advice on yucca in my area (Kansas) is that the only way you're likely to harm one you want to keep (outdoors in the ground) is by watering too much. If the roots and crown don't get a chance to dry out pretty well they may "rot" - which usually is due to fungus/mildew growth.

Naturally the previous owners of our place planted a couple of them immediately adjacent to a couple of river birch trees that require massive and constant amounts of water. We've tried very hard to keep the birch trees wet enough, with only moderate success; but thus far the yuccas haven't seemed to mind.

"Benign neglect" is the recommended management method, and one may omit the "benign" in most cases, for yucca planted in the ground with reasonably good drainage.

Potted yucca are a little more difficult, since the pot may hold too much water for too long when you water, and pots tend to dry out a little too much even for yucca if you ignore them for long periods. It's also difficult to find pots that accomodate the very long taproot, so they tend to quickly become "root bound." For those who for some reason feel the need to have potted yucca, the usual recommendation is "replace as needed."

John

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 15 Aug 05 - 05:07 AM

I guess I must accept full responsibility for the recent 'cat down time. It seems that every time I go "look something up" for a post it happens.

The plant shown at the link provided by Giok (3 Aug 05 - 07:43 AM) bears little visual resemblance to what's commonly called "yucca" in my area. The kind seen as ornamental plants here are more like:

Yucca Grandiflora (Yucca treculeana)

or:

Yucca Torreyi

Yucca Species at Helios shows some of the variations found in natural habitats. The example on the left, at "No 3: Schott's yucca" a little more than half way down the page is about what one is likely to see in gardens or in pots in the US. (The yellowing of the leaves in the picture likely indicates excessive recent moisture. Darker green is common in the ones used for ornamental purposes.)

It's rare here for the yucca commonly planted here - even in "garden plantings" - to reach mature enough growth to exhibit the "trunk" as shown at "4. Banana yucca" although they do happen.

An interesting(?) sidenote to yucca at Desert Ecology describes the yucca reproductive system. The "interesting" part is that yucca planted in gardens here occasionally "do produce viable seeds," which can happen only if eggs of the moth species capable of polinating them were carried in flowers or seed pods when they were transplanted – and were able to establish a "local population" – or where the moths were able to migrate from nearby plants where it happened. This is an (presumedly benign) example of "eco-contamination" that occurs fairly frequently when exotic plants (or critters) as imported as "pets." In a nursery, of course, pollination can be done manually (called "f*ing the flowers" by some who do it), but most transplanted yucca can be considered "sterile" and can only spread by fairly rare root offshoots.

The site that Giok linked refers to the plant shown as "difficult," and that probably refers to the requirement to treat succulent plants a bit differently than others in watering. Pots must be well drained to avoid soggy roots, but with an existing (living) plant you probably can assume an adequate situation there. "Liberal" watering when you do add some is the usual recommendation, but the excess must have a way to drain off. Watering usually should be less frequent than for your other kinds of plants. For most of these plants the surface of the soil, and perhaps to an inch or more deep, should be at least "too dry to stick together or to stick to your finger" before you water again.

For most such plants fertilizing is rarely necessary and may be harmful. Plants of this sort hold a lot of water internally, and if the water has "too much kick" they can't go pee to get rid of it. Fertilizer in amounts that would be beneficial to other kinds of plants may be toxic to succulents. Before you even consider adding a fertilizer you should consult with a knowlegeable local person who has experience with, or deals in, plants of this kind.

Browse a little on the web at "high desert scenery" and get yourself a mindset that appreciates the conditions natural to this kind of plant. They usually do best when left mostly alone.

Also consider:

If this plant doesn't survive, would you want to replace it with another of its kind?

Perhaps "gifting" it to someone who likes them, and getting a new specimen you like and are more comfortable with is really the best thing for you.(?) [especially if it's already potted for moving.]

But who can resist a challenge?

John

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Aug 05 - 05:41 AM

As a number of previous contributors have pointed out you should not overwater your Yucca plant.
I have a theory that many 'housekeepers'(male and female)tend to kill houseplants because they make watering them part of their regular (weekly?) routine. As a result these plants never dry out, become waterlogged and rot.
Remember that your Yucca is a desert plant and hence adapted for drought. You probably need to water it infrequently. On the other hand other types of plants - Venus Flytraps, for example - are bog plants and need to be kept wet. A good start, in evolving a strategy for caring for any plant, is to find out about its native habitat.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 15 Aug 05 - 06:38 AM

How do I not kill it ?
1. Don't set fire to it.
2. Don't smash it with a sledge hammer.
3. Don't saw it into bits.
4. Don't water it with bleach or concentrated sulphuric acid.
5. Don't make it into firewood.
6. Don't make it into a curry.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 15 Aug 05 - 07:35 AM

On my trip out to look for the morning newsrag I noted that I have at least one more of the ^%!$@# things than I'd thought. Apparently the bugs are working in my area. (See the "Desert Ecology" link.) We have a couple of "specimen grade" large ones buried somewhere in the overgrowth in the back yard, but occasionallly a new one pops up elsewhere.

The other thing to be noted - after watering - is that most plants of similar kind grow in the open, exposed to lots of direct sunlight. An indoor potted plant may suffer if you change your daily routine, especially if most of the light it gets is artificial. Cacti growers should perhaps leave some lights on while they're sleeping in if they take a night job(?) (and leave the drapes open).

John

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Aug 05 - 09:05 AM

Should you need it, yucca stems are supposed to be the best possible thing to use for starting fires with a firedrill or fireboard. Matches, however, are better still.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Essex Girl
Date: 15 Aug 05 - 09:27 AM

I acquired one about 10 years ago and it spread. Despite frequent attempts by my son to kill it it still thrives. I cut back a stem after it has flowered, which is the only reason I keep it at all, the flower is magnificent.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: CallyH
Date: 16 Aug 05 - 06:23 AM

Thanks for all the advice everyone

I am printing eric the red's out and sticking them to the plant pot ... just in case!

Rachel

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Oct 06 - 04:59 PM

kill

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Scoville
Date: 09 Oct 06 - 10:16 AM

The short yuccas were everywhere when we lived in Denver and seemed to grow in anything, even he most worthless 90%-sand soil. I've never seen one potted--they weren't really considered "pet" plants there. They were more likely to be something you planted to keep your neighbor's dogs from digging around in your "good" plants.

I don't know about the whistle playing, but, assuming it really is a yucca, I'd agree that you shouldn't overwater it. I don't know how big they get, either, but I imagine it might need to be repotted or planted in the ground at some point if it's the sort of thing that keeps growing.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: CallyH
Date: 09 Oct 06 - 11:14 AM

Thanks Scoville,

I don't own the plant any more - I moved house again and left it behind. But I kept it alive for about a year, which probably proves the point that they are pretty much indestructable.

I'm baffled as to why 'guest' resurrected this thread after over a year ...

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Oct 06 - 02:04 PM

Advice is useless unless the type of Yucca and the plant's needs are known.

There are many species of Yucca, and care depends on the type.
Some require warmth the year round and seasonally moderate water.
Others, those seen in desert gardens, need very little water, and in the natural habitat depend for water on capillary action in the soil (which may look dry but is never completely so because of this action). This soil moisture is replenished by monsoon rains (American southwest, AZ, NM, etc.).

The Spanish Bayonet (Y. aloifolia) of the West Indies and parts of the American southeast requires water freely from April to September and enough to prevent complete drying out during October-March.
Usually greenhouse grown outside of the southeastern U. S., but it grows to 15-25 feet.

The Spanish Dagger (Y. gloriosa) of parts of the southeastern States may grow to 6-9 feet. It is drought-tolerant and prefers full sun. Also used in northern Arizona but not ideally suited; needs some shade during the heat of the day, needs water once a week and soil must be well-drained (the reason people have trouble with potted specimens, which should be re-potted as the soil loses its freshness).

The blue yucca (Y. rigida) of the Chihuahuan Desert depends only on the natural rainfall but may need a little during very dry periods. It takes full, desert sun. Again, soil must be well-drained.

The soaptree yucca (Y. elata) is the state flower of New Mexico. Another Desert species, full sun, needs only natural rainfall in semi-arid climates. Prefers deep, well-drained soil.

The Joshua tree (Y. brevifolia), largest of the Yuccas, grows naturally only in the Mojave Desert, but some xeriscapers grow plants from seed.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,Jazz
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 05:36 PM

hmm

If the leaves start turning brown and shrivelling up... might that be because winter is about to drawn on us.. (well here in the UK anyway)...

Or down to the fact i opted not to water it for 3 weeks?

hmm.. any ideas?

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 05:59 PM

Let's face it, guest Jazz- You are just a plant-killer.
(I've killed a fair number myself by not knowing what the cultural requirements are for the plant, or finding that the requirements were beyond my means to provide.)

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: artbrooks
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 06:05 PM

If you wish to cherish your yucca, you must mulch it appropriately...they generally respond well to cinder blocks and asphalt.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: RangerSteve
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 02:23 PM

I have two on my property. I don't do anything to them and they survive beautifully. They put out a nice set of flowers every summer, and I've been told that the fruit is edible. I haven't tried it yet. If I were you, I'd plant it outside and forget about it. It'll take care of itself.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: MMario
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 02:32 PM

I don't know about the fruit - but the flowers are edible. and tasty.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Sorcha
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 02:46 PM

And the Indians made/make soap out of it. AKA, soapweed.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 04:50 PM

Sorcha, the species Y. elata is used to make soap, and has the common name, 'soapweed'. Considered hardy to 0 F, but will take short exposures at lower temperatures; not seen north of southern CO, UT, NV. Buds, flowers and stalks edible. A protected plant in AZ, NV and areas of NM
Yucca glauca, also called the plains soapweed, is found as far north as Alberta, but is not as 'soapy.' Considered invasive in some areas.
One for edible fruit is Yucca baccata, SW U. S. and northern Mexico; hardy to -20F. Eat raw or roasted. Aprotected plant.


RangerSteve doesn't identify his species or locale; as I have noted above there are many species with greatly varying requirements.

For Yucca cultivation in the southeast States: Clemson Univ. extension, http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1077.htm

For cultivation in Arizona, :http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/yucca_elata.html
Home of website and gardening in Arizona: http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/gardening.html

General data on species of Yucca in the United States, and many other plants : http://plants.usda.gov/index.html. You may search by either scientific or common name, but the latter are often applied to different plants in different areas. Dept Agriculture

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Sorcha
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 05:22 PM

And they catch trash. 'Bite' you when you try to clean it out.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: RangerSteve
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 07:17 PM

I don't know the species, but the locale is New Jersey.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: rich-joy
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 08:13 PM

In Oz, Yuccas seem to have been planted by early settlers and you can still see them growing tall and strong and lonely in the most unlikely places - the house has gone but the Yuccas live on!!


Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,James U.K
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 05:05 AM

My Yukkas leaves are starting to fall off and hang down.I'm scared!I don't want it to die!I pull them off when this happens n hope more will grow!ive just watered it again now and then i'm not gonna water if for a month and c what happens.Maybe I should start talking to it more.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 05:45 AM

Thinking of offices in the 70s and 80s I would reckon that Yuccas and Cheeseplants are IMPOSSIBLE to kill. Every office seemed to have them and they were always neglected.

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Bernard
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 12:07 PM

'I talk to the trees
That's why they put me away!'

(Spike Milligan)

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Bill D
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 12:14 PM

Google hits for 'yucca' 5,200,000
Google hits for 'yukka' 134,000, and many of those are for bands & businesses.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 12:45 PM

In my experience a good way to kill house plants is to water them regularly. Perhaps 'regularly' should be 'too frequently'. It seems to me that many people water plants as part of their house-keeping routine. For the house-proud that means weekly (or more frequently!) - this is too frequently because the compost gets waterlogged. As has been pointed out above, many species of Yucca are desert plants and don't appreciate being permanently waterlogged.
Many species of house plant should be allowed to more or less dry out and then given a good soak.

As a single bloke, I'm not very house-proud (understatement of the decade!) but I don't have many house plants, and those I do have get watered every couple of months and seem to thrive on it. Nevertheless, remember that plants are living things, often from fairly specific habitats. if you don't want to kill them, find out where they come from and what their needs are.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 03:54 PM

I read of a northeastern woman who picked up a desert plant in Texas. Whenever it rained in Texas, she watered it.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 05:29 PM

The lady with the Texan plant was probably thinking along the right lines!

A woman I used to work with used to say to me quite regularly:

"You know about plants, don't you? Well, I've got this house plant and I think it's dying"

me: "Well, I'm interested in botany but I'm not all that hot on horticulture. Anyway, what type of plant is it?"

woman: "It's green with big leaves."

me: "It could be anything - do you water it when you do your housework?"

woman: "Yes"

me: "How often do you do your housework?"

woman: "Once a week."

me: You're probably watering it too often. Let the compost dry out and then give it a soak."

She would then look at me as though I was mad and a couple of months later we would have exactly the same conversation all over again. There must have been an awful lot of soggy compost and dead plants in her dustbin!

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 05:46 PM

... picked up a desert plant in Texas... can be very dangerous. Tourists do it, but removing plants from "Federal Land" can lead to hefty fines, and removing particular kinds can be a real disaster. Of course one can also purchase most of the ones that are attractive from Texas retailers, but one should be aware that the wild ones ain't necessarily for the takin'.

Tourists pick up small bits of petrified wood in some of the national parks too, but that also can land one in jail.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 11:46 AM

I have a potted yukka plant. I water it around every 2 weeks. the soil never seems to dry out but the bottom few leaves are brown and dry. It doesn't get much light and it lives near a radiator- does it need more light and less radiator? more water? some sort of food?

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: SINSULL
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 02:58 PM

We had yucca in a garden in NYC. Never did much but water it and feed it once in a while. It bloomed every year.
But I can kill anything just by buying it usually.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 03:13 PM

Many different Yucca species. Care varies. See my previous posts for links to cultivation of some of them. Google can provide links to care, but one must know the species in order to find correct care. (And some called Yucca are not, they are look-alikes).

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: leeneia
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 11:09 AM

Sneak up on their narrowboat in the middle of the night and leave the yucca on the deck.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Bernard
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 11:49 AM

I'm a bit worried that my yukka is planning something... it used to be quite tiny, but now is over 7 feet tall, and making menacing gestures...

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Ebbie
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 07:26 PM

JohninKansas, when I tell someone that I picked up a can of paint, I'm not confessing or even insinuating that I stole it. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 05:12 AM

So Sins... how come you can kill a yukka plant (a plant that not even I, aspidistra killer extraordinaire, can entice into the shadows), but you couldn't kill Spaw?

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,Mikky
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 08:10 PM

Is it ok to nip the ends of the leaves off? I worry about the stabby kid hieght ones.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Peace
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 08:53 PM

Try it on two or three leaves and see what happens.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 09:37 PM

Why not give the plant away to someone who will care for it properly?

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,zozzykid
Date: 25 May 07 - 08:41 AM

I have a yukka plant in my living room and it is getting realy big and its to hevy to hold its leaves so we had to put a cane behind it and screw it to the wall how can i start new shoots please help

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 25 May 07 - 08:51 AM

Bernard, thats not a yucca, it's a triffid.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Alice
Date: 25 May 07 - 09:59 AM

If the spelling in the thread title is corrected to Yucca, people will be able to find the thread when searching
on the topic in the future.

Subject: RE: BS: Yukka plant - how to get new shoots
From: GUEST,zozzykid uk
Date: 26 May 07 - 03:21 PM

please can anyone tell me how to get new shoots on yukka tree indoor plant

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,Yucca city
Date: 07 Jun 07 - 11:37 PM

I need to know how to kill this plant. I have too many.

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 03:15 AM

Guest Yucca city, I refer you to my post of August 15th.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,Chris
Date: 14 Jun 08 - 09:38 PM

I've had a potted yukka 6' yukka about 2 monthes. Its doing OK but leaves have steadily been folding over and drooping. When i bought it they were all strait and upright. They are still green. Is this too little light? Thanks

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 14 Jun 08 - 10:31 PM

Potted yucca can be a bit more difficult to keep healthy than outdoor ones.

You could need more light, and it would be difficult to give a yucca too much; but drooping leaves can also be caused by excessive watering. It's a "desert" plant, and should get at least dry enough for the surface to "dry crumble" between the fingers before adding water. You also need to be sure that the pot has adequate drain holes in the bottom so the roots aren't kept continually wet, as the roots may rot if they're not allowed to get fairly well dried between waterings.

Yucca also tends to have a fairly prominent "tap root" that can need re-potting to progressively larger pots at frequent intervals to prevent the plant from getting "root bound" and stunting its health.

If you got it as a 6' plant it would be fair to assume that it came from a "store front" seller who should be able to give specific advice? Perhaps taking a snapshot in would get more accurate advice than our guesswork.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,Pam Gee
Date: 25 Jun 08 - 11:00 PM

I have just discovered the Yucca, I purchased about 2 months ago it is over 5' tall beautiful. I have notiv=ced recently that some of the leaves are turning yellow. My Yucca has morning sun for about 2 hours. and is inside. Can you please help
thank you Pam

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Sorcha
Date: 25 Jun 08 - 11:16 PM

Pam, that is quite normal for a yucca plant. It's fine. Out here in the West, the wild ones are in Crazy Blooming Mode.

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,Pam Gee
Date: 26 Jun 08 - 01:17 AM

Thank you for you answer, do i take off the yellow leaves that look like they are dying or leave them? I have taken 2 leaves off last week and there seems to be about another 4 on the turn
thanks again
Pam

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,Pam Gee
Date: 26 Jun 08 - 01:18 AM

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jun 08 - 01:03 PM

Have you fertilized it at all? Is it sitting in a draft (some houseplants don't do well with air conditioner vents blowing on them)? Is it too wet or too dry? Is it really a yucca, or is it actually a palm?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,pam gee
Date: 26 Jun 08 - 08:24 PM

my Yukka is on the side of a bay window not directy in fron of slightly open window. It is not dry is still moist and, yes it is a yucca! I am thinking it is not getting enough sun light its not in an airconditioned room maybe its too cold at this time of year, as where it is only 2 hours in the winter months as it is here in Australia at the moment, sommer it will get about 5 hours of sunlight. thank you for all your assistance
Pam

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jun 08 - 11:58 PM

Yucca can survive cold weather, but they don't like to be too wet.

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,Sonic
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 08:53 PM

I just need to know if anyone knows how to get rid of the yucca's that are planted outside. I have about 10 of them and I have heard everything from you cannot get rid of them to cut them as low as you can and pour tar on them. Anyone have any suggestions that have worked?

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 02 Jul 08 - 09:55 PM

Several questions about trimming the yellowed leaves.

Older links at the top of the thread seem mostly not working now, so a new one for talkin' purposes:

Tall Yucca

Assuming your plant looks something like the one above, it likely started out as more like Short Yucca.

The "trunk" in the taller picture is the result of trimming off the lower leaves as they yellow and die, much in the same fashion as for a palm tree. Some varieties don't "stalk up" in this manner, but the more common ones sold as ornamental plants usually do if they survive long enough. (The transition from "bushy" to "tree-like" can take several decades with some varieties, so I will decline to argue the behaviour of the various varieties.)

The flower stalk, as on this Bloomin' Yucca is a different matter. It can be trimmed back after the flowers fade, but usually (on the ones in my yard) will fall off without your assistance, so it's a matter of how neat you want to keep the #@$! things.

As a general rule, leaves that yellow or otherwise look unhealthy should be removed from most plants, as they may be infected with "something" or, if left to rot in place can be a breeding place for "something else" unpleasant that you don't have - - yet. Yucca isn't much different than the general run of plants in this respect, except that one that has started to produce a pretty(?) central basal stalk can be made a lot neater with regular removal of the old leaves as they fade.

As with most desert plants, overwatering is probably the most common cause of poor plant health although yucca are somewhat more tolerant than some cacti. Even very minimal amounts of fertilizer can kill many kinds of desert plants. Local advice from someone who can determine the specific variety should be sought before ever adding even "just a bit of fertilizer," unless you're inclined to serious experimenting and prepared to compensate for mistakes (which is, after all, one of the joys of exotic plants).

Getting rid of an outdoor yucca can be difficult. Total neglect doesn't work. Even prairie fires don't seem to have much effect. The suggestion would be to chop off as much of the plant as possible and immediately, while the cut surface is still wet with sap, paint the cut ends of the stump with an approved "brush killer." (One marked for poison ivy control probably would have appropriate ingredients, and is available almost everywhere in the US, although the "approved ingredients" may vary with the state.) This is the method reportedly used by several state "highway weed control departments" in the US, although I haven't seen specific results on effectiveness on yucca. (Some "weeds," notably red cedar, often require repeat treatments for two or more years with this method.)

John

Subject: RE: BS: Yucca plant - how do I not kill it?
From: GUEST,goringgal
Date: 14 Sep 08 - 03:48 AM

dig them up and give them to me, I love them