Proper care of yucca at home. How does an indoor palm tree reproduce? Eight basic rules for caring for homemade yucca
Yucca- a beautiful evergreen plant with a tree-like stem from the Agave family. The family includes just over fifty species of these palm-shaped plants, but the varieties popular among our gardeners include 5-6 decorative indoor varieties and several garden ones. Despite the fact that domestic yucca is very reminiscent of a miniature palm tree, nevertheless it is absolutely not related to palm trees (as well as dracaena marginata, which is very similar in appearance to yucca). Lovers of indoor plants value yucca for its graceful trunk, on the top of which beautiful long leaves of bluish or dark green color grow.
Depending on the type of “miniature tree,” the narrow leaves can be either drooping or erect, and the tree-like stem can have several growth points and branch beautifully. The shape of the trunk and the degree of branching can be adjusted by annual pruning of the shoots. Caring for unpretentious yucca at home does not cause difficulties even for novice gardeners, but it is important to strictly follow the few rules for growing this indoor plant, which we will discuss below. Photos of popular home species of yucca will help you choose the appropriate option for decorating a room or office space. Interior designers often choose yucca to create a composition along with such popular flowers as phalaenopsis orchid, house violets (Saintpaulia), gloxinia with bell flowers, decorative potted rose, European or Persian cyclamen.
Blooming yucca- quite a rare occurrence among similar indoor plants. Even if you organize the cultivation of this miniature tree at home according to all the rules, you will not be able to see yucca flowers very soon - usually flowering occurs no earlier than 5-7 years from the moment the plant is planted in summer period. Experienced flower growers stimulate the formation of flower buds by organizing a cold dormant period in winter (12-14°C), when the plant reaches the required age. Yucca flowers are collected in panicle inflorescences and look like small white bells.
With an unpretentious home care Elephant yucca (Yucca elephantipes) or aloe yucca (Yucca aloifolia) get along well in one container with some dryness-resistant indoor plants (for example, flowering Kalanchoe or homemade geranium pelargonium), which can be used to form interesting composition in phytodesign of residential premises.
- photo of species of yucca domestica -
In addition to the above-mentioned ivory and aloe-leaved domestic species of yucca, our country practices the cultivation of such varieties as Yucca whipplei with a crown of grayish-green leaves in the shape of a prickly ball, Yucca glauca with drooping long leaves on a short stem , as well as southern Yucca (Yucca australis) with densely spaced dark green leaves and a branched trunk. On open ground(in the garden or on personal plot) you can grow filamentous yucca (Yucca filamentosa) with dark green leaves that form a rosette with lateral shoots.
♦ WHAT IS IMPORTANT!
Location and lighting.
It is advisable to place the yucca pot in a sunny place, well lit during the day. The most favorable location for this house plant is window sills or floor stands near a window on the east or west side of the room. If the yucca is placed next to a south-facing window, then be sure to shade the glass in the summer and on sunny spring days so that the plant receives sunlight. diffuse light. IN autumn- winter period Yucca may lack natural light. Therefore, it is advisable to place fluorescent lamps next to the plant (at a distance of 50-60 cm) as additional lighting. If possible, place the pot with the plant on the balcony or near the house in the summer, slightly shading it from direct sunlight.
Temperature conditions.
The optimal temperature in autumn and winter is 10-14°C. Problems may begin as soon as heating season- at temperatures above 16°C (especially in low or insufficient lighting), the leaves become elongated, thinner, and turgor weakens. If possible, place the plant pot on glassed balcony or install an air conditioner near the plant, and ventilate the room more often. Comfortable temperature for homemade yucca in summer is 18-25°C.
Air humidity.
The best option is a moderate level of humidity in the room (40-50%). But dry air will not harm the plant if you regularly spray the yucca with settled, boiled and warm water from a spray bottle. In summer, you can wash the leaves of the plant several times in the shower so that water does not get into the substrate. In hot weather, you can place a pot with a plant on a tray with wet river sand or expanded clay, and place a wide container of water nearby to increase the humidity level.
Watering.
In summer, yucca is watered abundantly after the top layer of soil (4-5 cm) has completely dried. It is important not to allow water to stagnate at the level of the earthen clod - immediately pour all excess water out of the pan. In the autumn-winter period, water the plant very rarely (once every 10-15 days). Yucca tolerates drought quite calmly, but overwatering can cause rotting of the root system, as well as damage to the plant by diseases and pests. Some novice gardeners use a special moisture indicator to determine the degree of drying of the soil layers.
Earth mixture and fertilizing.
You can prepare the soil mixture for your yucca yourself. If the plant is young (up to 4 years), then mix turf soil, leaf soil, coarse sand and humus in a ratio of 2:2:2:1. Mixture for planting an adult plant: turf soil, leaf soil, river sand in a ratio of 3:2:2.
For feeding, you can use diluted mineral fertilizers or prepare them yourself (for example, horse infusion or cow dung with leaf humus). You can additionally spray leaf blades with diluted mineral fertilizers. bottom side. In spring and summer, fertilizing is applied once every few weeks. It is not recommended to fertilize the soil in winter and autumn.
Transfer.
Homemade yucca is replanted as needed (given that the plant grows very slowly) in the spring approximately once every two years, except in emergency cases if the roots begin to rot severely. It is advisable to use the transshipment method when transplanting into a ceramic pot in order to keep the earthen ball intact. Inspect carefully root system yucca and, if necessary, remove rotten roots.
Trimming.
Pruning can significantly improve appearance yucca, make it a “lush palm”, using the beginnings of new shoots to grow additional tops. It is desirable that the height of the plant be 60-70 cm and the diameter about 6 cm. The procedure is performed in March-April, watering abundantly a few days before. Use only sterile pruning tools and thoroughly disinfect the sharp knife with alcohol. We choose the place of the cut, retreating 7-8 cm from the lower leaves. We grab the leaves with our hands and sharply cut off the trunk in one movement. Then the cut area is sprinkled with crushed activated carbon. After a few weeks or earlier, apical buds (from 2 to 5 pieces) will appear in the upper part of the cut trunk. If the trunk thickness is less than 5 cm, then leave 2 buds and cut off the rest. And if the thickness is 6-8 cm, then we leave 4 buds, from which the tops with new leaves will grow.
Reproduction.
Yucca is propagated by seeds, stem sections and apical cuttings.
Cuttings. Usually done during pruning (to improve the decorative qualities of the plant). Using a sharp knife, cut off the top and sprinkle the cut area with crushed activated carbon. Within a few hours, the cut site will dry out and you can plant the cuttings in clean, damp sand. After 2-3 weeks, roots will appear and the sprout can be transplanted into the prepared substrate.
Sections of the trunk. In summer, cut (or saw off) several pieces (20-30 cm) from the trunk. Sprinkle the cut areas with crushed charcoal, and cover the cut areas on the parent plant with garden varnish. Pour a mixture of peat and clean river sand into a container, moisten it and plant parts of the trunk in the mixture (the cut point is in the substrate). Cover the container with film and support it temperature regime- 20-25°C. The substrate must be moistened regularly. After a month or more, roots will appear.
Seeds. Sow in a mixture of leaf soil, turf soil and sand in equal parts. Cover with a glass container. The earth mixture must be moistened regularly and ventilated daily. After about a month, sprouts will appear. A few months after the sprouts appear, we plant the seedlings in pots with prepared soil mixture.
♦ ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR BEGINNING FLOWERS:
Question: What should I do if the leaves curl and become too soft and lose their tone?
Answer: Typically this problem occurs due to the temperature being too low. In this case, you can place the pot of yucca away from the cold window.
Question: Why do the lower leaves of the yucca turn yellow and fall off?
Answer: This is normal during the growing season (spring-summer). In rare cases, the cause may be damage to the plant by pests (information about pests and diseases of yucca is below).
Question: Why on outside Brown spots have begun to appear on the leaves, but the leaves themselves are drying out?
Answer: This often happens in the summer, if the air is too dry, the room is not often ventilated and watering is rare.
Question: What should I do if light spots appear on the outside of the yucca leaves?
Answer: Most likely, the leaf plates received sunburn. You need to shade the window glass a little and move the pot a little further from the window (especially if the windows are south).
♦ COMMON DISEASES AND PESTS:
Yucca is a popular indoor plant. It is unpretentious and hardy, most often grown as a standard tree with a thick trunk ending in plumes of lanceolate leaves.
Portrait of a plant
Previously, this crop was classified as a palm tree; it is still sometimes called “false palm” or “palm lily.” IN modern classification The plant was included in the Agave family (Agavaceae). Yuccas are classified as a separate genus, in which there are approximately 40 species.
The natural habitats of yucca are deserts and semi-deserts of North and Central America. You can also see it in the countries of Southeast Asia and on some islands of the Caribbean. Plants grow profusely in open, sunny areas with sandy and rocky soils.
Externally, yuccas belonging to different species may bear little resemblance to each other. Most of the species are short-stemmed and stemless, for example: filamentous or garden yucca (Y. filamentosa), fold-leaved (Y. recurvifolia) or pendulous (Y. pendula) and plain (U. campestris). There are also tree-like yuccas that form central and lateral shoots: majestic yucca (Y. gloriosa), beak-shaped (Y. rostrata), strong (U. valida), short-leaved (brevifolia), tall (elata), giant (gigantea) or ivory ( elephantipesa).
Plant sizes also vary different types. Eat huge trees, growing in nature up to 12 m in height (the famous “Joshua tree”), some are relatively small, up to 2.5 m (yucca glorious), and some miniature plants, the height of which does not exceed 20 cm (Y. Standley).
At home, offices, winter gardens Most species can be grown. Most often this is Yucca majestic, elephantine, beaked, aloel-leaved, Schott (Y. schottii), Treculeana (Y. treculeana). The most popular in interior design are tree-like plants with a single trunk or branched ones.
Yucca leaves have a sword-shaped or lanceolate shape, they are rigid, sometimes with a thorn at the end. They can be erect or drooping, with a smooth or rough surface. Collected in rosettes that either grow directly from the ground or are located at the ends of the shoots. They are painted bright green or green with a bluish tint. The size of the leaves is proportional to the size of the plant itself: from 1 m to 20 cm, in some species the edges are wavy, with hairs or denticles along the edges.
Yucca blooms in open ground, but very rarely in pots. The bell-shaped flowers are collected in panicles located on a high peduncle. The color is usually white, but may have a pinkish or cream tint. The size of the flowers and the height of the peduncle depend on the size of the plant. The flower can reach 6-7 cm in size, the peduncle grows up to 2 m.
Caring for yucca at home
There is an opinion that yucca is an unpretentious plant. But, in practice, flower growers often have problems with it. What rules for caring for yucca at home should be followed to avoid them?
As already mentioned, the natural habitats of yucca are climatic zones with dry air and little precipitation, but big amount light and sun. This must be taken into account when growing homemade yucca.
Lighting
Yucca requires a lot of light and sun. The best place for it is windows facing south, southeast and southwest.
Good lighting is especially important for young plants to ensure their proper formation. Wherein young plants are more sensitive to sun exposure , so in the hottest time they need to be shaded or moved away from the window.
Lack of light has a detrimental effect on the plant. The shoots stretch out and bend unsightly. The leaves become thinner, turn pale, begin to turn yellow and fall off. The plant becomes weakened and pests, such as mealybugs or spider mites, may appear on it.
Yucca needs enough light in winter too, therefore, during this period it is advisable to organize additional artificial lighting, bringing daylight to 16 hours a day.
Temperature
During the growing season (from March to September), the comfortable temperature for yucca is 20-24 degrees. In hotter conditions, increased air humidity is necessary (spraying, placing on a tray with wet expanded clay). The higher the air temperature, the higher its humidity should be..
It must be remembered that yucca tolerates sudden changes in temperature and drafts painfully and sometimes dies from this.
Watering
Yucca, like all succulents, is capable of accumulating moisture in the trunk; in addition, it has a weak root system. Therefore, it is very sensitive to waterlogging, especially in cool conditions.
You can determine whether it is time for the next watering by simply feeling the soil with your finger. The soil should have time to dry between waterings before potting day..
IN summer time Water generously, but drain the water that has drained into the pan. In winter, watering is usually reduced, but its frequency and abundance depends on the temperature in the room; during cool winters - less often, during warm winters - more often.
It is important to maintain the correct watering regime, since excess moisture leads to rotting of the roots, which causes the plant to die.
Spraying
The soil
Yucca requires soil with slightly acidic to neutral acidity, pH 5-7. The soil must provide good moisture and air permeability so that the roots receive nutrition and are well ventilated.
The composition of the soil, prepared independently, includes leaf, turf soil, coarse river sand and humus in a ratio of 2:2:2:1. Humus in the soil is needed by young plants. For adults who have reached the desired size, its presence is optional.
To plant homemade yucca, you can use purchased soil for dracaenas, succulents and palm trees.
Transfer
Young yuccas are transplanted when the root system becomes cramped in the old pot. Young plants are usually replanted every 1-2 years. For adult large specimens, instead of replanting, the top layer of soil is replaced.
Yucca is difficult to transplant, so if there are no reasons forcing you to do it urgently (for example, after flooding you need to transplant the plant into fresh soil), it is better to plan this procedure for the earliest possible time. favorable time- March-April, i.e. time of the beginning of the growing season.
Transplantation is carried out using the transshipment method - with a lump of earth. This method is the least painful for the plant. Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the pot so that the roots are not in water after watering.
How to perform a transplant:
- buy a stable pot 2-3 cm in diameter larger than the previous one,
- pour drainage and a little soil at the bottom,
- with a lump of earth, move the plant into this container,
- fill the voids with soil and compact them.
Before planting, it is necessary to inspect the roots of the plant. If there are rotten, black, with unpleasant smell, they need to be trimmed, first freed from the old soil, sprinkled with crushed charcoal or activated charcoal, and then planted in fresh soil.
Top dressing
To maintain the decorative appearance of yucca during the period active growth, i.e. from April to September, regular feeding is required. For indoor yucca, mineral fertilizers for palm trees and cacti are suitable; they are applied during the specified period once a week.
In winter, yucca is not fertilized.
Yucca propagation
Possible for yucca different ways propagation: cuttings (apical and stem), suckers, seeds. Stemless species are propagated by dividing the rhizomes.
It is advisable to propagate domestic yucca by cuttings or suckers (daughter rosettes).
Propagation by cuttings
The best time for cuttings is March - April. Cuttings prepared at this time give roots faster and take root more easily.
For propagation, stem and apical cuttings (tops) are used.
Rules for cutting cuttings
- The optimal cutting length is 10-15 cm.
- The cut can be made at an angle or straight.
- It is important that the cut is smooth, without bark tears, cracks or delamination of wood. Cuttings that are cut carelessly tend to rot.
Treatment of cuttings before planting
- Dry the sections for 2 hours.
- Treat the sections that will be placed in the soil with a root formation stimulator (Kornevin, Zircon). Yucca takes root reluctantly (yield 50/50), and such treatment increases the likelihood of successful rooting and accelerates root formation by 1-1.5 weeks.
Rooting substrate
Loose sterile soil is used as a rooting substrate: a mixture of peat with sand, perlite, vermiculite, you can use ready-made soil for cacti or palm trees.
Apical cuttings
The top with leaves is cut off from the plant and processed as noted above.
The apical cuttings can be rooted in water, into which two whole tablets of activated carbon are placed for disinfection. Rooting vertically in the substrate is also possible.
Stem cuttings
The stem is cut into several parts, each of which should have viable dormant buds. Sections are made along leaf scars - places where leaves are attached. The material for cuttings needs to be strong, elastic and healthy.
If the cutting has no leaves, you need to mark where it is top and where it is bottom.
Stem cuttings do not root in water; they are rooted in the substrate in two ways: vertically or horizontally.
Vertical rooting
With vertical rooting, the cutting is placed vertically in the substrate, immersing its lower part in the substrate. Both stem and apical cuttings can be rooted vertically.
Horizontal rooting
Only stem cuttings are rooted horizontally; they are buried halfway, and the ends of the cuttings are not buried. With horizontal rooting, both shoots and roots are formed from dormant buds, so one cutting can produce several new plants, which, after successful rooting, are divided and planted in separate pots.
Rules for keeping cuttings
The substrate must be constantly kept moderately moist. If it is overdried, the cutting will wither and dry out; if it is too damp, it will rot.
For rooting, containers with cuttings are placed in a warm place, with a temperature of at least 20-24 degrees. It is good to organize bottom heating for rooting, for example, by placing it on a wooden plank or a thick towel over a radiator.
On top of the cuttings are covered with transparent bags, jars, trimmed plastic bottles, creating high humidity around them.
Cuttings are accepted on average after a month. 2 months after successful rooting, new shoots begin to appear on the stem cuttings, and the crown begins to grow on the apical ones.
When the cuttings are strong enough, they can be planted in pots. For 1-2 weeks after this, they should continue to be kept in the greenhouse, and later the greenhouses should be removed, but not immediately, but gradually accustoming the plants to fresh air.
Mother plant
The mother plant usually produces new shoots after cuttings.
However, sometimes problems can arise with it. The trunk, which does not have leaves, sometimes begins to dry out, and the plant dies after a while. You can try to “reanimate” the barrel by placing it under a bag or plastic bottle.
Reproduction by offspring (daughter rosettes)
Reproduction by offspring is also carried out in the spring (April - May). At this time, not only do the rosettes take root better, but also the cuts on the mother plant heal faster.
The daughter rosette is cut from the mother plant and the cut is treated with crushed coal.
The rosette is buried in loose and sterile soil (peat with sand, perlite, vermiculite, suitable soil for cacti). Further rooting of the offspring is carried out in the same way as rooting of the cuttings.
Yucca in winter
In winter, more precisely, from October to February, yucca enters a dormant period. To feel good, she needs to reduce the temperature, preferably to 8-10 degrees Celsius. At higher temperatures, yucca grows, the leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off.
It is also necessary to reduce watering to a minimum because... at lower temperatures the plant needs less water.
Yucca pruning
To get side shoots on yucca, you need to cut off the top of the plant. It is advisable to perform this procedure in the spring.
Trimming is done with a sharp knife, having previously been disinfected with alcohol. The sections are sprinkled with crushed charcoal or activated carbon.
The cut top can be rooted as described above.
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Over time, a large plant may develop thinner, as if overstretched, areas on its side shoots. Such shoots need to be cut back to the point where thinning begins. If possible, when pruning a shoot, leave a stump, from which 1 to 3 young shoots will appear. |
Indoor yucca is a beautiful and rather unpretentious plant for household use; it has taken up permanent residence in city apartments. If you like her, we will tell you about all the features of care and maintenance, and you can decide whether you need such a pet in your home.
Yucca belongs to the lily family and, despite its external similarity to the palm tree, has nothing to do with it. Its stem is tree-like, it is crowned with green or bluish leaves, as if collected in bunches. Depending on the type, its leaves can be smooth or covered with thorns along the edges.
The palm tree blooms with large, cup-shaped flowers; as a rule, the flowers do not come out one at a time, but are collected in large inflorescences. However, it is not a fact that you will get to see this spectacle - yucca blooms at home very rarely. The fruits look like a dry box and are of no aesthetic interest, although in some species they are edible.
Select the desired type
Although there are about 30 varieties of yucca, in urban apartments only two are usually grown - ivory and aloe vera.
- Yucca ivory got its name because of its trunk, which with its wide, massive base resembles the leg of the animal of the same name. The plant is very unpretentious to external conditions, does not require special knowledge and is ideal for living even in the most cramped conditions.
- Yucca aloe leaf is less common; caring for it requires theoretical training. An adult palm tree, growing, takes the shape of a ball and has wide, leathery leaves.
Yucca elephant 
Yucca aloefolia
Both of these types of indoor yucca will decorate your home. Which one to choose is up to you, but remember that regardless of your choice, both palm trees are unpretentious in care and will take up the minimum of your time.
There's a new tenant in your house
The first thing a flower’s life in your home begins with is proper acclimatization, because new conditions are stressful for the plant. Experts recommend transplanting it into a new pot immediately after purchase. larger diameter than the one in which it was sold, and completely change the soil. It is better if the new container has high walls so that you can provide a sufficient level of drainage - at least 5 cm.
Particular attention should be paid to the soil. You can make the soil for the plant yourself or purchase ready-made soil in the store; in this case, give preference to mixtures for palm trees and dracaenas. If you prefer purchased ones, choose soil with a neutral acidic environment.
It is not difficult to prepare the soil yourself. You need to take one part of humus, two parts of sand and the same amount of turf and leaf soil. It is better to use coarse sand to ensure even better drainage effect.
Before immersing yucca in a container intended for the plant, you need to line the bottom with gravel or expanded clay. The stem must be planted to a depth of no more than 3 centimeters; immersion to greater depths threatens the stem rotting and the death of the plant.
Features of the existence of a palm tree at home: lighting, watering, ambient temperature
Since yucca is a native of hot countries, an important question you will ask yourself is how to care for your indoor yucca palm.
Lighting, humidity
First you need to install it in an area of the apartment with sufficient lighting. It is especially important to have constant access to light for young plants. At the same time, you should protect the plant from direct sunlight.
With the onset of the warm season, it is advisable to place the palm tree on the balcony or on open terrace. Be sure to ensure that it is not exposed to sudden temperature changes and is not in a draft.
In winter, you can notice how the plant bends, turning its entire body towards the light source. To avoid deformation of the stem, it is recommended to additionally illuminate the yucca starting around September. By the way, experts attribute the fact that the plant blooms extremely rarely to the lack of light in the cramped conditions of city apartments.
The optimal choice of location for placing yucca is floor stand so that it is approximately level with the window sill. Be sure to ensure that it does not overheat due to the action of the central heating radiator. It is not recommended to place a pot with a plant on the floor due to insufficient lighting, and also close to window glass due to the possibility of hypothermia.
For normal life, it is necessary to ensure the humidity of the apartment microclimate at a level of at least 40%. If the air in your apartment is dry, it is recommended to additionally moisten it around the plant using a spray bottle; spray the plant a couple of times a day, especially in winter.
In its usual homeland, the palm tree exists in subtropical and temperate climates. The temperature in summer should not exceed 26 degrees, in winter – 20 degrees. The main thing is to try to avoid sudden changes in temperature, for example, opening windows at night to ventilate them, because this short term may lead to the death of the plant.
If you want to get a palm tree and are hesitant, know that the yucca palm tree requires minimal care at home; even a beginner in plant growing can handle it without any problems.
Watering
Irrigation features depend primarily on the time of year. The palm tree is quite resistant to arid climates, so the intensity of watering should be influenced by the size of the pot and the palm tree itself, as well as its age. For example, a small palm tree that you just brought home needs to be moistened every day, but little by little, and mature plant in a floor planter, it needs watering once every two to three weeks.
In the summer from May to September, with an average daily temperature of 22 degrees, you need to water the yucca approximately once a week; the colder it gets, the less often it needs watering. If the room temperature has stopped at 18 degrees, you only need to moisten the soil a little more often than once a month.
Pay attention to the condition of the top layer of soil in the pot. It must be dry before watering. With the help of a wooden stick stuck into the pot, you can assess the moisture content of the soil and below, in the interval between waterings it should dry out by half or even two-thirds of the total height.
It is important to know some features of watering and always pay attention to them.
- Do not allow water to stagnate in the tray of the pot, where it can drain during watering. Always empty the tray, otherwise the roots may begin to rot from excess moisture and the plant will die.
- If the top layer of soil remains wet for several days after watering, it means that it has become very hardened and water is not penetrating into the pot. You need to loosen the soil using a handy tool, for example, the wooden stick mentioned above.
- Pay attention to the condition of the soil during periods when the humidity level in the apartment changes. At this time, it dries much more slowly, maintaining the usual watering regime, you risk ruining the roots of the plant.
Top dressing
The palm tree does not need any special feeding. Fertilizers are applied between April and August; it is best to use a special liquid product for this, which is sold specifically for feeding palm trees and dracaenas. In winter, the plant does not need feeding.
Remember that you do not need to feed the plant immediately after purchase or after replanting, as you need to give it time to recover and not expose it to additional stress. If, when replanting, you used special balanced soil for palm trees, then for about a year the yucca does not need additional nutrition.
Video “How to care for your home yucca palm tree”
Yucca transplant
Yucca, like any other plant, requires replanting in addition to care. It is recommended to carry out this procedure no more than once every two years, each time replacing the pot with a larger one, and partial replacement soil. There are no special restrictions on the time of transplantation, but the spring months are considered the best.
When removing the plant from the pot, try not to injure the roots, otherwise after replanting the palm tree will hurt for a long time, and the adaptation process will drag on for a long time, if it survives it at all.
Before replanting the yucca, you need to place at least 5 centimeters of drainage at the bottom of the new pot. If it seems to you that the soil has not lost its nutritional properties, the palm tree should be replanted by transferring an earthen ball with roots to a new pot. The space between the lump and the walls of the pot is filled with new suitable soil. It is better if it is the same soil mixture that you used for the previous transplant, in this case the stress time will be reduced.
Trimming
The palm tree is pruned in order to rejuvenate the plant and give it beautiful shape. If the yucca is strongly stretched upward, pruning is also carried out.
The procedure is best carried out in the spring, when the plant stops growing. Before trimming your yucca indoor instrument need to be disinfected with alcohol.
The cut should be completed to the end, and not break off branches with leaves, so as not to touch the growth points. The cut areas must be treated with crushed coal to prevent the process of rotting. After the operation, the plant is returned to its usual habitat and watered according to existing climate conditions. The cut parts of the plant are not thrown away, but are used for propagation.
Video “Yucca propagation”
Diseases
The main indicator that something is wrong with the plant is the leaves. Any change in their color and shape should alert you. Yucca room sickness tolerates it quite easily, it is only important to know their symptoms so as not to cause damage.
- If you notice that the yucca leaves suddenly become covered with large brown spots, this is evidence that a fungus has settled on them, caused by waterlogging of the soil or air. Diseased leaves must be removed to prevent the fungus from spreading. After this, you immediately need to change the plant’s place of residence, moving it to a drier part of the apartment, and stop spraying the air around it.
- A more serious type of fungal infection is stem rotting. This is again due to waterlogging and lack of fresh air. After taking the measures described in the previous paragraph, a partially diseased plant can still be saved by cleaning the festering areas of the stem. If the rotting process cannot be stopped, the palm tree should be disposed of along with the pot so that the disease does not spread to other house plants.
As you already understand, yucca is not particularly capricious, it is extremely unpretentious and proper care practically not susceptible to diseases.
Pests
- A plant affected by false scale insects cannot be confused with anything. It looks as if it has withered without watering, the leaves wither and fall off, and without treatment the yucca may die. In stores specializing in house plants, you can easily find a product called Actellik, which will help get rid of this scourge.
- The symptoms of tick infestation are similar, as is the treatment; in addition, it is necessary to increase the level of air humidity, since ticks only grow in rooms with a dry climate.
- Aphids are difficult to control, so insecticides are used. Together with them, you can wipe the leaves of the plant with a solution with the addition of ordinary laundry soap.
Yucca and family environment
The plant requires moderate humidity and constant temperature, and this will benefit the other inhabitants of the apartment. You will never forget to maintain a healthy microclimate in the apartment, and if it ceases to be healthy, the palm tree will tell you about it with its appearance so that you can take action in time.
Now you know how home plant– Yucca is just a godsend. Keeping it at home is a pleasure, in addition to all the advantages described in the article, such as unpretentiousness, minimal required care, it also looks very beautiful and impressive and is part of the interior of the apartment.
Yucca, thanks to its exotic appearance, has firmly taken its “place in the sun” not only in gardens, but also in indoor floriculture.
For its long spear-shaped leaves it is called the “Spanish dagger”, “Adam’s needle”.
About 40 species of yucca are known.
IN room conditions most popular for growing:
Yucca aloefolia- a tree-like plant natural conditions reaching 4-6 m in height. The leaves are hard, sharp-serrated along the edges, up to 45 cm long, dark green in color with a bluish bloom;
yucca elephant- in nature, this is a branching tree up to 8-10 m high. It got its name for its thick trunk, reminiscent of an elephant’s leg. The leaves are light green in color and have spines at the ends, leathery to the touch. A peculiarity of this species is the direction of the leaves in the rosette: the lower ones are drooping, and the upper ones are directed upwards.
These species have a pronounced trunk, topped with a “cap” of long leaves. Because of this appearance they are often called false palms. Despite their subtropical origin, yuccas are unpretentious; they are quite easy to grow at home, subject to simple maintenance rules.
Yucca: care at home - soil, lighting, temperature and humidity
The soil
The soil for growing yucca must be loose and permeable, because... This plant does not tolerate stagnant moisture. It can be prepared from equal volumes turf soil, humus, coarse sand (fraction more than 3 mm) or perlite. It wouldn’t hurt to add pumice (slag), pebbles or crushed stone, and charcoal (1:1:1) to it. There are no strict requirements for soil acidity: yuccas grow well in the pH range of 5.6-7.5. If it is not possible to select components for the soil mixture, then you can buy ready-made soil for growing yucca, for example, from the Seliger-Agro series, Gardens of Babylon, Biud, Flower Paradise, Botanist's Dream, etc.
Lighting
For good development Yucca needs bright light, especially young plants. However, to avoid leaf burns, it must be shaded during the midday hours from direct sunlight. It would be optimal to place it on windows facing west or east direction. In winter, to achieve the required 16-hour daylight hours You can use additional lighting with fluorescent phytolamps. In summer, yucca can be taken out open air, providing it with diffused light and protecting it from precipitation.
Air temperature and humidity
During the warm season optimal temperature air for keeping yucca will be +20-25oC. If the plant is on the south side, it may overheat. In this case, it must be moved to the shade to cool, and then sprayed with water. In autumn-winter, yucca should be provided with +8-12°C. At higher temperatures and lack of lighting, its shoots become very elongated, the leaves become smaller, lighter and droop.
Some types of yucca require spraying with warm water, which is carried out before sunrise or after sunset. Otherwise, sunburn may occur on the leaves. To increase air humidity, the pot can be placed in a container with wet expanded clay, gravel, or moss.
Yucca: home care - propagation, transplantation
Reproduction
At home, yucca is propagated by seeds and vegetatively.
From seeds growing a “Spanish dagger” is much easier than getting these seeds: firstly, when indoors the false palm blooms very rarely, and secondly, it does not set fruit (except for Yucca aloelia) in the absence of its symbiont pollinator, the yucca moth. Yucca seeds have a fairly long germination period (from a month to a year), so to speed up this process they need to be scarified - rub each seed with emery cloth. Sow the seeds in a bowl with a mixture of turf soil and sand and place it in a greenhouse. You can keep the seeds in a moistened material (sponge, cotton pad, gauze, etc.) until they hatch. For seed germination, it is necessary to maintain an air temperature of +18-24 ° C and periodically ventilate. The emergence of seedlings from seeds sown immediately into the ground can take from a month to a year. After a pair of true leaves grow, the seedlings are planted in separate cups. Young plants must be replanted annually.
Simpler and quick way propagate yucca - rooting cuttings. It is good to combine this with planned pruning of an overgrown plant, which is done before the active growing season begins. The top of the yucca is cut off with a sharp, disinfected knife, leaving a few lower leaves on the trunk (new shoots will subsequently grow from their axils). The sections are dried and treated with charcoal powder. The cut off “apical” cutting is rooted in water, adding activated carbon to it to prevent the development of putrefactive processes, or in a soil mixture. On the remaining trunk - the “stump” - side shoots will begin to grow from dormant buds. They can be thinned out or left all to form a lush “cap” of leaves.
Rooting the apical cuttings of yucca in the ground
You can grow yucca from pieces of trunk. You can buy them in flower shops or cut them yourself from an existing plant. It is also common to sell such yucca cuttings as gifts at southern resorts - a living “magnet” to remember the holiday. When purchasing such planting material, you need to pay attention to its appearance: it should be elastic and juicy, without signs of drying out or wet rot, the upper and lower ends should be marked (the upper end is “sealed” with wax). Such cuttings are rooted in sand, vermiculite, or a mixture of peat and sand. The lower end is stuck into the prepared substrate and placed in a greenhouse. Rooting occurs at a temperature not lower than +20°C for 1-2 months.
If the purchased cutting does not have ends marked (it is not clear where is the top and where is the bottom), then in this case rooting carry out horizontally. The cuttings are placed on a moistened substrate, lightly pressed down and placed in a greenhouse or covered with glass. When sprouts with roots appear on the upper side of the cuttings, the stems are pulled out of the ground and divided into parts, each of which is planted in a separate pot.
Rooting yucca with pieces of the trunk: 3 – vertically (if the ends are marked), 4 – horizontally (if it is unclear where the upper and lower ends are)
Another way to propagate yucca is air layering. This method can be used if the plant dies from overwatering. To do this, a strip of bark in the form of a ring 5-15 mm wide is cut off on the trunk, at a distance of at least 60 cm from the crown. The wound should be wrapped with sphagnum moss and a film on top, leaving in the upper part small hole to further moisturize the moss. This binding is left on the yucca until roots appear and develop (3-4 weeks). Then the rooted top of the plant is cut off a couple of centimeters below the place where the bark was removed, and, after processing the cut, it is planted in a pot.
Rooting air layering
Transfer
Young plants need to be replanted annually, and adults every 2-4 years. It is better to do it in the spring. Healthy specimens are simply transferred (without destroying the earthen ball) into a new pot with a drainage layer of 3-4 cm. This method allows you to reduce trauma to the root system to a minimum and shorten the adaptation period. If the roots of the yucca begin to rot, then they must be freed from the old soil and the rotten parts must be cut out. After this, the plant is transplanted into a fresh substrate and not fed for a month. It is necessary to replant yucca purchased in a store (after 2 weeks of adaptation to a new place), because The soil in the transport pot is not suitable for long-term growing of plants.
New pot selected so that its diameter is 2-3 cm larger size old container.
Yucca: care at home - feeding and watering
Watering
The frequency of watering a false palm tree depends on factors such as the size of the plant, the size and material of the pot, soil properties, temperature and humidity. In the warm season, yucca is watered abundantly, and the soil in the pot should dry out at least 5 cm deep between waterings. It is important not to allow moisture to stagnate in the soil, otherwise the root system will rot and the plant will die. In winter the strait is reduced.
Feeding
Fertilizing begins in the spring at intervals of 2-3 weeks and continues throughout the entire active growing season. Taking into account the fact that at home yucca blooms very rarely, it is optimal for it to use fertilizers for ornamental leafy plants or special ones for palm trees (Absolut, Pokon, Garden of Miracles, Biopon, Zdraven turbo, Stimovit, Florovit). At foliar feeding the leaves from the underside are sprayed with a solution mineral fertilizers.
Why does yucca die?
Most often, yucca dies from improper care. Excessive soil moisture leads to rotting of the root system and trunk: the leaves droop, softened and softened leaves appear on the trunk. dark spots, the bark peels off or swells. In this case, if there are healthy areas left, you can try to save the plant (by rooting the crown or parts of the trunk).
Yucca may shed some of its leaves when transplanted or when conditions change. This is a completely normal plant reaction to stress. If massive leaf fall occurs, the cause may be hypothermia or drafts.
Yellowing and falling of leaves occurs for the following reasons:
Natural aging process;
Waterlogging of the soil;
Hypothermia.
With a lack of lighting, yucca leaves turn pale and droop.
Browning of the tips and edges of the leaves indicates low air humidity in the room or poor watering.
Frequent spraying low temperature and increased air humidity, excess watering and nitrogen lead to the development of fungal and bacterial diseases. Common ones are:
cercospora- characteristic development of brown spots on the leaves, which increase over time;
brown spot caused by the fungus Coniothyrium concentricum. The main symptom of this disease is small, colorless spots on old leaves. As the disease progresses, the spots turn yellow and then turn brown. In the center of them the black mycelium of the fungus develops;
marginal necrosis appears most often on old yucca leaves. The edges sheet plates become yellow-brown, subsequently these areas die off;
fusarium rot caused by fungi of the genus Fusarium. The leaves begin to rot at the base. The pathogen persists in the soil for a long time and is easily transmitted by contact;
bacterial rot the lower part of the plant is affected. The development of the disease is accompanied by a putrid fishy smell. It cannot be treated; the affected yucca will have to be thrown away;
white rot is provoked by Sclerotium fungi, which most often affect the lower leaves: they become colorless and watery; with high humidity, white mold. The disease manifests itself acutely at low air temperatures or during sudden changes and high humidity.
If a fungal disease is suspected, the plant must be treated with a fungicide solution (Topaz, Vitaros, Fundazol, Ridomil Gold, Previkur), and the affected parts must be removed. In some cases, treatment does not bring positive results and it is better to throw away the plant along with the soil.
In the southern regions, yucca, native to Central America, can grow in open ground, but in middle lane it lacks warmth, so it can only be found in interior design. Caring for yucca at home should be based on the habits and preferences of the plant, established in its homeland.
In nature, yucca is fully or partially leafy, large shrubs. If the plant's foliage from the lower tiers dries out and falls off, the yucca is very reminiscent of a palm tree with a bare, woody trunk and a bunch of hard leaves at the top. However, it is incorrect to consider this culture, which belongs to the agave family, to be a palm tree.
Yuccas have dense, protruding different sides or slightly drooping leaves, pointed lanceolate. The edges of the leaf blades are covered with long, stiff hairs. In nature, the length of such a leaf can reach up to a meter; in indoor varieties, the leaves are more modest and often do not grow more than 50 cm. But in indoor yucca, as in the photo, the leaves can be not only green, but variegated, decorated with bright yellow or white stripes.
With such a harsh appearance, characteristic of desert and semi-desert plants, yucca blooms amazingly beautifully, throwing out powerful vertical flower stalks strewn with a mass of buds. The flowers resemble white, yellowish or pinkish bells.
Getting into the house as a fairly small plant, in a few years yucca turns into a large bush or tree that requires special treatment and care.
How to care for yucca to preserve it compact shape, small, room-appropriate dimensions? What needs to be done to make the plant feel like it is in its homeland?
Features of caring for yucca at home
Varieties that are most often grown as indoor plants are those that are naturally accustomed to an arid climate and plenty of sun. Such specimens withstand temperature fluctuations, are not afraid of dry indoor air, and are unpretentious to the composition of the soil.
And yet, even such a hardy plant has weak sides. For yucca, the main danger is excessive, especially in combination with cold indoor air.
If you doubt whether you need to water your yucca, it is better for the gardener to postpone the procedure for a day or two. The plant will tolerate short-term thirst without any problems, but will immediately let you know about excess moisture.
The frequency of watering and the volume of irrigation moisture depends on:
- depending on the season;
- on the temperature and humidity of the air in the room or in the garden, where the plant is taken out for the summer months;
- on the size of the indoor yucca flower, as in the photo;
- on the volume of the pot and on the ability of the soil to evaporate water.
From spring to autumn, the soil is moistened frequently and abundantly as the substrate dries to a depth of 2–5 cm. Then watering becomes less frequent and sparing. The colder the room, the less water the plant consumes. Therefore, caring for yucca at home is constantly being adjusted. Irrigation moisture should not penetrate inside the leaf rosette. It is better not to pour water between trunks growing closely in the same pot. In both cases, there is a risk of rotting, which threatens the loss of the flower.
Watering is combined with, which is carried out from spring until autumn. It is especially important to support the plant during the flowering period.
Yucca is not afraid of dry air, but to keep the leaves clean and improve their breathing in hot weather, the crown can be wiped with a damp, well-wrung-out cloth. To avoid burns, after this procedure the yucca should not be exposed to the sun. It is more correct to “wash” the flower in the evening, since the crown will dry well overnight.
Yucca loves light and warmth, but does not tolerate cold winds and drafts. To make it easier to care for the flower at home, find a place for the yucca on a south window.
Large specimens are placed near the window. Plants also like this kind of partial shade. The main thing is that direct sunlight hits the crown for at least three hours a day, and the plant does not suffer from excessive dampness. In summer, the pot is taken out onto the balcony or veranda. If the year is warm and the owner of the flower is not afraid of its growth, then the yucca can be planted in the ground.
For indoor yucca taken out into the fresh air, as in the photo, a temperature of about 18–25 °C will be acceptable. But as night temperatures drop to 12–16 °C, it is better to return the pot to the house. Minimum permissible temperature for this crop is +8 °C.
How to replant yucca at home?
Transplantation for yucca, as for others indoor crops, this is serious stress. Therefore, it is worth carrying out this procedure in two cases:
- when the root system has grown so much that it has occupied the entire pot, leaving no room for soil;
- when the plant needs urgent help due to rotting roots or other mistakes made when caring for yucca at home.
In the first case, small plants are transferred to a pot of slightly larger diameter, in which drainage is previously poured. Empty spaces are filled with fresh substrate, simultaneously renewing the top layer of old soil.
But how to plant and care for indoor yucca, pictured in the photo, if the plant already takes up a lot of space and the owner does not want to allow further growth?
To limit growth, the pot is not changed. And before transplanting yucca at home, the root system of the plant is cut off by about a quarter with a clean, sharp knife. The cut areas are treated with ground charcoal. New drainage and soil are poured into the pot. And then the plant is planted. Be sure to add fresh substrate on top. Annual addition of new soil is also limited in situations where the plant is already too large to be replanted.
After transplanting, the yucca is not watered at all for two days, and then the soil begins to be moistened very carefully and moderately, waiting for the surface to dry.
Yucca grows well in ready-made commercial substrate, but you can make the soil yourself by mixing sand and leaf soil in equal proportions. To provide nutrition, half the volume of humus is added to them.
Reproduction of yucca at home
As it grows, the yucca trunk becomes bare, and it becomes like an indoor palm tree. The taller a tree becomes, the faster it loses its decorative effect. Maintaining and caring for it is becoming more and more problematic. How to return the plant to its acceptable size and former attractiveness?
It turns out that if you cut off the top of a yucca with a bunch of leaves and trunk fragments of at least 10 cm, you can rejuvenate the old plant and get a new one. At the same time, caring for the yucca “palm” in the photo at home is not at all difficult.
The operation is carried out in the spring, when the growth period begins. Water the plant well beforehand. And after a couple of days, the top of the yucca is cut off with a sharp knife. The remaining stump can be trimmed, leaving the desired height. When the wet cut dries a little, it is treated with garden varnish.
The pot is moved from the shade, where the plant will spend about two months. In this case, the yucca does not need to be watered. Without a crown, the plant cannot consume water, which only becomes a source of disease and rot.
In the warmth, the previously dormant buds will soon become noticeable on the yucca stem. When new rosettes of leaves develop from them, the plant is transferred to the light and the usual care of yucca at home begins.
The top is not thrown away because it is magnificent planting material for quick propagation of yucca at home. Lower leaves The top is carefully torn off, and then the cutting is dropped into damp sand, covered with a bag or film and placed in a warm place. It takes no more than a month for rooting, and then the top with its own roots is transferred to a pot where the yucca will grow further.
Transplanting yucca after purchase - video
