Yucca has become soft, what should I do? Yucca is dying, what to do? What to do if yucca leaves turn yellow

Yucca is an ornamental evergreen tree plant from the Agave family. The Yucca genus includes 40 species, many of which grow in the open air on the Black Sea coast (in the Caucasus, Sochi, Crimea and southern Ukraine). In indoor floriculture, Yucca aloelifolia, which resembles a palm tree, is usually used. This tree grows up to 4 meters in height, so it requires a lot of space.

But the microclimate of our apartments and offices is not always suitable for it; often the plant begins to ache and turn yellow. Let's try to find the reasons for this and eliminate them so that your home can again be decorated with green and healthy yucca. Yucca leaves turn yellow, most likely due to waterlogging. We urgently need to take action. To do this, remove the plant from the pot and carefully examine the roots. They cut out everything rotten to a healthy place and treat the sections with some fungicide or a pink (but quite bright) solution of potassium permanganate, sprinkle with wood ash. Replant the plant in new soil (a mixture for palm trees is suitable) with good drainage; it is advisable to add coarse sand to the soil. You can immediately water the plant with the root, and then water it 3-4 more times.

In the case when the roots have already rotted, all that remains is to try to use the top of the plant as a cutting (also treated with rootstock). If the plant is flooded, but you quickly notice it, it is not at all necessary to replant it immediately. You need to use a thin, sharp stick (or knitting needle) to pierce the soil to the bottom in several places.

Due to waterlogging and stagnant air, yucca can be affected by a dangerous fungal disease - stem rot. As a result, part of the crown or stem (or one of several stems) rots. You can identify the diseased parts of the plant by touch; they become soft (if air is felt in the stem, but in general it is hard, then the plant is not sick). If you do not immediately remove the damaged parts (to a healthy place, with fungicide treatment), then the entire yucca will die. Unfortunately, such pruning only helps if not the entire plant is affected.

For the same reason (waterlogging), yucca can develop leaf spot. This is a disease of fungal or bacterial origin, it is expressed in the appearance of grayish-brown spots on the leaves (“mosaic” yucca). Caring for a sick specimen involves removing spotted leaves, treating with a fungicide and reducing watering. Please note that it is not advisable to spray yucca to avoid diseases.

There is another reason why yucca may hurt. The leaves turn yellow, possibly due to too high temperatures in winter. The temperature for wintering yucca should be about +8...+10 degrees. If yucca is kept in a too warm room in winter, it begins to shed its leaves. In this case, only moving the plant to a place with a suitable temperature will help.

If the yucca leaves are curled and soft, brown at the edges, it means the room temperature is too low or the plant is frozen near a cold window. Dried brown ends of leaves or drying out of their edges are usually caused by excessive dry air. By the way, if you have an aquarium, then yucca will feel great around it.

Lack of light can also have a negative effect on the plant. Because of this, yucca often gets sick and the leaves turn yellow. This problem can be solved by providing the plant with additional lighting (preferably with a special lamp for plants) or by moving it to a brighter place, for example, to a south or east window.

But if dry, pale spots have formed on the leaves, then this happens, on the contrary, from excess sun. Yucca is also sensitive to direct sunlight. The leaves turn yellow simply from old age, because in nature they gradually die off, exposing the trunk. After transplanting or changing location and conditions, yucca may also lose leaves. This often happens after purchasing a plant, since “moving” is very stressful for it.

The plant reacts to the influence of unfavorable environmental factors by reducing its decorative effect. Yucca leaves turn yellow, change color, lose turgor, curl, and dry out. It is necessary to establish the cause as early as possible and take action, otherwise the death of the false palm tree is possible.

Why does yucca turn yellow and dry out?

The culture is unpretentious, adapts well, and acclimatizes when grown indoors. Caring for yucca at home is quite simple, but ignoring the basic rules of agricultural technology can lead to yellowing of the leaves. The plant is native to the tropical and subtropical zones, and when grown in an environment very different from its natural environment, it begins to wither and become sick.

Creating and maintaining an optimal microclimate in the room will help protect your indoor flower.

To determine the factor that changed the appearance of the bush, you should analyze its recent care and examine it for the presence of other symptoms.

The main reasons for yellowing of yucca leaves:

physiological norm;
lack of nutrition;
violation of the light regime;
infection;
pest settlement.

Natural causes

Yucca leaves turn yellow due to physiological norm. With age, leaf blades age, turgor decreases, and color changes. They cease to perform their natural function, so the indoor flower gets rid of ballast, as a result of which the old lower leaves dry out. Yucca is not able to shed them, so they remain hanging on the stem.

The drooping leaf plate can be carefully cut off or pulled down. With age, the plant trunk is formed from the remains of such leaves, making the crop look like a palm tree. In addition, this phenomenon determines the decorative nature of yucca. No other measures are required in this case.

False palm tree reacts painfully to transplantation. It takes time to acclimatize and adapt to changed conditions. Immediately after the procedure, it is necessary to protect the plant from adverse factors so that the condition does not worsen. Keep the bush in a room with a temperature of +22 °C, protect from drafts.

Nutrient deficiency

After analyzing the irrigation regime, lighting and environmental conditions, you should pay attention to the fertilizing performed. The yellowing of yucca may be due to them. The crop requires a sufficient supply of nutrients during the active growing season, otherwise it will not be able to grow and develop. Nutrition is also insufficient due to prolonged cultivation in the same soil without replanting, when the root system completely fills the flower pot and is not able to obtain nutrients.

First you need to establish what kind of nutrient yucca needs. If spring is approaching, replant into fresh soil substrate.

When accurately determining the plant's needs at a given time, the above-ground part should be sprayed with the appropriate chemical. Processing is carried out several times according to the instructions supplied with the product.

Signs of nutritional deficiency:

nitrogen - young leaves are small, pale yellow in color, the tips below on older specimens turn yellow;
iron – medium adult leaves are yellow;
magnesium, iron - dark veins along the leaf blades;
phosphorus – darkened edges and areas on yellow leaves.

Lack or excess lighting

The light regime is of great importance for yucca. The culture requires lighting for 10-12 hours a day. However, during the winter dormant period, this condition should not change. With a lack of light, the leaves of the plant begin to turn pale, stretch out, and become thinner. At the very beginning of the color change process, the development of the problem can be stopped and the affected leaf plates can be restored.

If you notice yellowing associated with a lack of lighting, it is recommended to install a fluorescent or phytolamp so that the plant receives the required amount of light in total per day. Yucca needs additional lighting from October to the end of February.

At the same time, excess sunlight also negatively affects the color of the leaves. The burns do not recover, and the leaf blade ceases to perform the natural function of photosynthesis. Later, the yucca leaves turn yellow and dry out. In a natural environment, the sun does not harm as much as when grown at home, since plants there are more resistant to the adverse effects of direct rays.

Improper watering

The culture requires moderate soil moisture. Yucca reacts to any deviations from the norm by losing its decorative qualities, and in severe cases it dies. If there is not enough water during the active growing season, the leaves will begin to wither, lose turgor, wrinkle, turn yellow, and gradually die. Also a clear sign is curling into a tube. The thick trunk accumulates a small supply of liquid, the dense skin of the leaf blades prevents evaporation, but these measures are not enough for a long period of drought.

Yucca should be watered after most of the soil substrate has dried out. For the procedure, you need to use settled water at room temperature. The root system can suffer no less from cold liquid, so this condition must be met. In winter, the procedure is carried out about 1 time per month. During the dormant period at low air temperatures, waterlogging of the soil mixture will lead to rotting. In this case, the indoor flower freezes, the leaves curl and darken at the edges.

Excess moisture is dangerous at any time of the year. Root rot is not immediately noticeable. One of the first symptoms is the appearance of dark spots at the base of the leaves.

In advanced cases, it will not be possible to save the yucca. At the initial stages, it is enough to treat the roots with a fungicide, replant them in a new substrate and establish an irrigation regime.

Diseases and pests

Often the cause of yellowness is the settlement of insects - spider mites, scale insects, aphids. Sucking pests suck out the juices from the plant; as a result of their vital activity, the leaves curl, become deformed, change color, become stained, and dry out. The provoking factor is improper care, decreased immunity of the indoor flower, and dry air in the room.

The fight against insects must be started immediately in order to save this and neighboring bushes. The danger of pests also lies in the fact that they are a common cause of infection of yucca with infectious diseases. Severely damaged leaves must be removed; if soil varieties are suspected, the plant must be transplanted into a new substrate, removing the affected roots. Wash off insects from leaf blades with soapy water. Next, treat the bush with a solution of an insecticide approved for indoor use.

Overmoistening of the root system and hypothermia of yucca lead to the development of fungal infections. Rot is not always noticeable; it is often detected only in the final stages, when the flower can no longer be saved. Infection can be suspected if the leaves begin to curl, turn yellow, and become covered with dark spots for no apparent reason. Treatment is carried out by treating with fungicides.

#gallery-2 ( margin: auto; ) #gallery-2 .gallery-item ( float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; ) #gallery-2 img ( border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; ) #gallery-2 .gallery-caption ( margin-left: 0; ) /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

How to revive yucca

Reviving an indoor flower can be difficult, but in the initial stages the simplest measures are sufficient.

What to do in order to save the yucca:

Try to determine the exact cause of the yellowing.
Create a favorable microclimate corresponding to the growing season.
If the leaves droop due to a clear lack of moisture, add a small amount of warm water and repeat the operation after a couple of hours.
If necessary or when it is not clear what caused the problem, transplant the bush into a new substrate.
Carefully inspect the root system and remove rotten roots. If pests or rot are found, wash with an appropriate preparation. Treatment with Epin or Zircon will help restore roots in a shorter time.
Feed only in case of obvious lack of nutrition, but after transplantation, postpone the procedure for a couple of months.
Fungal infections are treated with fungicides; insecticides help get rid of pests.

Prevention measures

Creating a favorable microclimate and proper care will protect the yucca from yellowing and other signs of ill health. It is necessary to ensure suitable humidity, temperature and light conditions, and avoid excessive watering. An indoor flower can be placed on any windowsill, but should be slightly shaded when exposed to direct sunlight.

When it gets warmer, it is advisable to take the plant out into the fresh air, gradually increasing the time spent on the street or balcony. In this case, it should be protected from precipitation.

It is important to periodically inspect the leaf blades for signs of pest infestation. In summer, wipe the leaves with a damp soft cloth. Transplantation is carried out once a year in the spring. Feed once a month with complex formulations.

Growing yucca at home rarely brings any inconvenience, since the crop is unpretentious, requires minimal care, and is decorative all year round. When exposed to unfavorable factors, the tips of the leaves dry out, the leaf blade turns yellow, becomes stained, and curls. To protect the bush, it is necessary to establish the cause in time and take action.

How to increase a plant's resistance to stress? What to do if problems could not be avoided? How to recognize approaching trouble? Let's talk about everything in order.

The evergreen indoor yucca is endemic to Central America, a region with a hot and dry climate. This could not but affect the formation of the annual cycle of its life activity, one of the stages of which is a period of pronounced dormancy.

When the plant goes into “sleep,” which occurs around the end of October and lasts until February–March, it sharply reduces its consumption of moisture and nutrients and stops growing.

Accordingly, the watering and fertilizing regime needs to be adjusted. What if you don't do this? With a high degree of probability, diseases will not be long in coming, and yucca will already need not only preventive measures, but also their treatment. The health of yucca is determined by a combination of factors such as light, humidity, and temperature.

What should they be like during the rest period?
There should be a lot of light. If in summer yucca is recommended to receive diffused sunlight and keep it at some distance from the window, then by winter the pots can be moved closer to the light source, for example, as in the photo below.
The optimal winter temperature is 10–14° C. It is undesirable for it to fall below 8° C or rise above 25° C.
Watering is reduced to 1-2 times a month.

Feeding is suspended until spring.

It happens that it is not possible to lower the temperature to optimal parameters. In this case, the earthen ball will dry out faster, and you can water the plant a little more often.

But the greatest harm to yucca comes from a combination of low temperature (for example, the pot is on a cold windowsill) and excessive watering. Mold and pathogenic bacteria will 100% settle in wet, cold soil. And further. Yucca is very afraid of drafts.

By the way, if the “palm tree” is transplanted during this period, it will probably get sick. Dormant roots will not be able to absorb the increased volume of soil and moisture, and this is a direct path to fungal infections.

Common Yucca Diseases

Most diseases of yucca are associated with improper maintenance - waterlogging of the soil, depletion of the soil mixture, and, consequently, weakening of the plant's immunity. But it happens that the infection enters from the outside, for example, with the substrate or other indoor flowers. What problems most often arise with palm trees?

Fungal infections affecting the crown

Several groups of fungi manifest themselves by infecting yucca leaves. All sorts of spots, yellowing, and sores appear on them. If you don’t catch it in time, the spots increase, merge, and eventually the leaves dry out and the plant itself droops. We’ll tell you how to revive it at home using the example of several diseases.

A favorable environment for this fungus is high humidity. It occurs due to constant overflows, as well as when the grower gets carried away with spraying plants. Round spots of light brown color with a dark border appear on the leaves, which gradually grow, affecting new areas.

Having noticed the disease, first of all remove the affected leaves as much as possible.

Then treat with a systemic fungicide, first a “light” one (Fundazol, Topaz). The number of sprayings is 2–3 times with an interval of 10 days.

And, of course, it is necessary to eliminate the factors that led to the yucca disease - dry the earthen ball, reduce watering, stop spraying the crown.

Brown spot

The causes of the lesion are similar to the previous disease, but are caused by a fungus of a different group. It primarily affects the lower (old) leaves. First, discolored areas appear, then they turn yellow, and after 3–4 months they become brown. At this time, you can notice fungal spores located in the center of the spots.

Control measures are the same as for cercospora. If the disease has progressed, you can use a stronger fungicide, for example, Ridomil Gold.

Leaf marginal necrosis

This fungal infection is diagnosed by gray-brown spots affecting the edges of the leaf blade. Sometimes the spot can be “wet” and have a pronounced concentric shape.

If the speck is small, the sheet can not be removed, but only the diseased area can be cut out, capturing part of the healthy tissue. To disinfect the wound, treat the edges with crushed activated carbon.

After the “operation”, spray the yucca with a fungicide solution.

Fusarium rot

This is a dangerous fungal infection that leads to leaf rot. They are usually affected at the base and rot completely.

To combat fusarium fungus, systemic fungicides are used, such as Fundazol, Previkur, Profit. If the damage is severe, it is better to throw away the plant along with the pot.

To ensure effective control of diseases and pests, the crown, trunk and, of course, the soil are sprayed. Sometimes it is recommended to remove the top layer of substrate contaminated with fungal spores or insect larvae. In case of fungal diseases, to be on the safe side, the plant is not only sprayed, but also watered several times with a weak solution of fungicide.

Stem rot

If the loss of leaves is a temporary problem, new ones will grow after treatment, then everything is not so simple with the trunk. This is the main artery through which food flows; if it dies, the yucca will also die.

The trunk affected by rot becomes soft, brown ulcers appear on it, from which a watery substance oozes.

Only surgical intervention can save the plant. We definitely cut out the softened part of the trunk to healthy tissue. Further actions depend on what is left of the palm tree.

If this is the top, the cut is dried, treated with a growth stimulator (according to the instructions) and tried to root. This can be done in water or in a light substrate of peat and perlite.

Living root with part of the trunk? Wonderful! Treat the cut with activated or crushed charcoal and place in a bright, warm place. Apply Carbendazim fungicide solution to kill fungus in the soil. If everything is in order, the yucca will expel the shoots from the axillary buds.

Problems with roots

Often on forums you can “hear” the cry of the soul: “Yucca is dying, what to do?” Moreover, outwardly everything looks normal - no obvious diseases, no pests, but the plant is withering away. In such situations, the problem is most likely in the roots.

Root rot is a nightmare for succulents, which includes yucca. You can see it only when replanting the plant. Therefore, if you see that the plant is withering for no apparent reason, try to carefully remove it from the pot and inspect the roots. If they are dark and soft, it is root rot. Whether it will be possible to revive the yucca depends on the extent of the damage.

If the roots have rotted completely, all that remains is to throw away the flower.
Less than a third of diseased roots? Cut off anything suspicious and transplant the yucca into a new container with fresh substrate. After planting, pour a fungicide solution and send the “sick” one to a warm and bright place.
If more than half of the roots are damaged, but not all, you can try to save the plant. They need to be washed under the tap, and then all soft and darkened pieces should be cut off. Next, we plant, water with a fungicide solution, and place in the light. We are waiting for the result.

The reanimated plant should not be watered until you are sure that it has taken root and has begun to grow.

Yucca doesn't bloom

Some gardeners are concerned about the question of why yucca does not bloom; they even tend to attribute the problem to illness or improper maintenance. This is not entirely true.

The fact is that yucca almost never blooms in captivity. This is due to the fact that the conditions of its maintenance are far from the natural environment, the dormant period is relative, which means that the flower buds do not have time to ripen. And in natural conditions only adult “palm trees” bloom. Therefore, if the yucca is more than 10 years old and you provide it with peace in winter, there is a chance, although small, that it will throw out inflorescences with beautiful white bells.

You need to know the enemy by sight

In addition to diseases, some insects are enemies of yucca. Pests rarely attack a plant with strong immunity, but diseased, depleted specimens often become their target. Let's consider who can live with your pet.

Mealybug

Most often it affects a palm tree in the off-season, when the plant experiences stress from changes in temperature. Externally, mealybugs look like small cotton balls; if you crush the fluffy ball, bloody discharge appears. Its harm is enormous, since it sucks juice from leaves and branches and multiplies very quickly.

If you notice a mealybug infestation, thoroughly wipe the yucca leaves with a sponge dipped in warm, soapy water, removing all visible traces of the pest.

After this, treat the plant with an insecticide (Aktara, Calypso, Fitoverm, etc.). The procedure must be repeated 3-4 times with an interval of 7-10 days.

Shchitovka

Another dangerous enemy of yucca is the scale insect. A tiny insect, similar to a small turtle, is generally mistaken by some for a growth on the leaves, since it is motionless. Having firmly attached itself to a leaf blade or cuttings, the scale insect sucks out the juices of the plant. The first sign of a dangerous neighborhood is a sticky, shiny discharge.

Not only the scale insect itself harms the flower, but also the sticky substance. It clogs the pores of living tissue, creating favorable conditions for fungal infections. The “shell” of the scale insect is so dense that it is difficult to kill it even with chemicals. First, you need to remove adult individuals mechanically - with a swab moistened with a concentrated soap solution or vodka, clean the leaves and stems of brown “growths”.

Remove the top layer of soil.

After this, treat the plant with an insecticide. As with mealybugs, repeat the procedure at least 3 times.

Spider mite

Spider mites can settle on weakened plants. First, light “grains” appear on the back of the sheet, and then a thin web appears.

In addition to diseases and pests, there may be other reasons why yucca leaves turn yellow -.

To increase the plant’s resistance to stress, do not neglect feeding in the summer - a balanced diet will help build strong immunity. In winter, give the yucca a rest and gain strength for the new season. Proper care is the best disease prevention.

A video about caring for yucca will help you avoid many problems.

Yucca belongs to the Agave family, although this plant is very similar to a palm tree. This family includes over 45 species, but no more than 7 species are cultivated as indoor decorative plants, and several more can be found in gardens and parks. Yucca is popular among gardeners due to its graceful trunk, the top of which is decorated with a mop of beautiful long leaves of emerald color.

These evergreen plants are native to North American countries. In its homeland, yucca is cultivated not only as ornamental plants. serves as a source of fiber from which clothing, bags, ropes and baskets are made. And from the roots of the culture, local residents have adapted to extract natural red dyes, and parts of the plant are often used by traditional healers. Yucca leaves contain starch, so they are often used in cooking.

Tree-like trunks of yucca, with one or several growth points, can be crowned with drooping or erect narrow long leaves. With the help of proper pruning, the trunks can be given fancy shapes and the desired branching. Yucca can bloom and bear fruit only in natural conditions, where they are pollinated by special butterflies. Flowering of decorative varieties can be expected extremely rarely and only from hybrids.

If favorable conditions are created and tireless care is provided, domestic yucca can bloom only after 6-7 years. This event happens in the summer. But experienced gardeners have learned to stimulate the formation of flower buds in adult plants by creating cool conditions in winter. The temperature at this time should not exceed 14 degrees. Yucca flowers resemble small white bells and are collected in panicle inflorescences.

Ornamental plant species do not grow fast, but some specimens can reach four meters in height.

All decorative types of yucca have common characteristic features that distinguish them from other plants:

the crop grows like a shrub or tree with a powerful trunk
emerald leaves of a dense and hard texture, usually monochromatic, but sometimes diluted with white veins
leaves, up to a meter long, are collected in rosettes
panicle inflorescences are formed in the middle of leaf rosettes

After flowering, fruits are formed on the plant - these are berries, which over time turn into seed pods. In indoor floriculture, you can most often find two types of yucca:

Elephant palm, often called false palm. It is a shrubby plant with long, pointed leaves. Elephant yucca gets its name from its trunk, which thickens significantly with age and resembles an elephant's leg. This species is native to arid regions with few pests, so the plant is characterized as unpretentious.
Aloe leaf - with leathery, hard leaves reminiscent of aloe leaves. This is where its name came from. To grow this species, you need to make some effort. The crown of an adult plant is spherical and crowned by a thick cylindrical trunk.

All types of yucca have a positive attitude towards fresh air, so in the warm season it is preferable to place the plants outside. A place should be chosen with abundant but diffused sunlight.

Lighting. Yucca needs plenty of light, but direct sunlight has a detrimental effect on plants. Miniature false palm trees should be placed in western or eastern rooms near the windows. If necessary, the length of daylight is increased through artificial lighting.
Temperature conditions. In the summer, the temperature of the plants should not exceed 25 degrees. If the yucca overheats, then it is placed in a cool place and sprayed, and after a while it is returned to its place. In winter, yucca is comfortable at a temperature of 11-13 degrees.
Irrigation. Ornamental palm trees should be watered taking into account the size of the plant itself and the pot, as well as the temperature and humidity of the air. In summer, abundant watering is needed. The soil should not dry out more than 2 cm. On average, watering is carried out once a week with settled water at room temperature. In autumn-winter, watering is reduced.
Spraying. Spraying is carried out to prevent spider mites, but excessive waterlogging can lead to a deterioration in the decorative appearance of the plant. Therefore, this procedure should be carried out carefully and in small quantities.
Priming. For yucca, a ready-made soil mixture for dracaena and palm trees is suitable, which contains microelements necessary for the normal development of plants. You can also prepare the soil at home by mixing two parts of turf, leaf soil and sand and one part of humus. This composition is optimal for young plants, and for adult specimens a mixture of turf and leaf soil, to which sand is mixed in a ratio of 3:2:1, is suitable.
Feeding. You need to feed yucca once a month during intensive growth. Suitable as fertilizers. Solutions are used to spray the insides of leaves.
Crown formation. In order for the yucca trunk to begin to branch, it should be trimmed. The procedure is applicable for young and healthy plants, no higher than 35 cm. In the second half of spring, two-thirds of the yucca trunk is cut off. But you need to make sure that leaves or buds remain on the main stem. Sections should be disinfected to prevent infection. Over time, new shoots will grow from the remaining trunk, and a new plant will grow from the cut top.

The main problem when growing homemade yucca is the loss of decorativeness. The leaves of the plant may turn yellow and dry out, but this is not always a consequence of the disease. If only the lower leaves dry out and die, then this is a natural development process. And when there is intense leaf fall, you should find the cause of the problem and eliminate it.

A miniature palm tree may lose leaves due to improper care or pest damage:

The leaves of the crop turn yellow and dry out due to excess light, low air humidity or improper watering.
Due to excessive lighting, dry spots form on the leaf blades, so the plant should be protected from active sun.
When overwatered, the leaves become covered with brown spots.
If the edges and tips of the leaves dry out, then the air in the room is not humid enough, there are drafts, or the palm tree does not have enough watering.
When overcooled, the leaves of the flower begin to curl and their edges darken.
Lack of lighting leads to yellowing of the leaves, and the shoots of the flower become elongated.
Formidable enemies of the false palm are scale insects, spider mites, aphids and thrips.

The first step is to replant the affected specimen and completely replace the soil mixture. The roots are cleared of soil and damaged areas are removed. After this, disinfection is carried out with a manganese solution. After drying the roots, you can plant them in new soil. Feeding the false palm should be postponed for a while.

How and how to treat the plant:

If the plant has suffered from fungal diseases, then the damaged areas must be removed and treated. During treatment, you should not water the plant. These measures are effective if the disease is at an early stage. In case of extensive infection, the flower is thrown away and its pot is carefully treated.
When spider mites attack, palm leaves are sprayed and washed with tobacco, onion or garlic infusion. Procedures should be carried out systematically until the pests are completely destroyed. If such measures do not give the expected result, then you need to resort to the help of fungicidal drugs. Severely damaged parts of plants need to be removed, and if there are a large number of pests, the crop will need to be replanted.
When attacked by scale insects, use a strong soap solution. Each leaf must be thoroughly wiped with a cotton pad soaked in the solution to remove insects. Afterwards, spraying is carried out with an alcohol tobacco solution or insecticidal preparations are used.

With proper care, yucca can delight its owners for many years. Captivating with its unpretentiousness and decorativeness, the mini palm tree is gaining increasing popularity in indoor floriculture. In addition to its decorative qualities, the plant also has a number of useful properties, one of which is indoor air purification.

More information can be found in the video:

Many indoor plants growing on the windowsills of our apartments came to us from the tropics. And in order for them to look healthy and beautiful, owners must provide them with proper care. Thus, the beautiful yucca came to us from the arid regions of Mexico. It is believed that such a culture is quite unpretentious, but sometimes owners are faced with the fact that it begins to wither. And today we will clarify why yucca leaves turn yellow and dry, and we will also tell you what to do in such a situation.

Yucca is similar in appearance to a palm tree and has attractive evergreen leaves. This tree grows quite slowly, but it can reach four meters in height. Accordingly, when acquiring one, you need to think about the future and choose a suitable place for it in your home.

Many owners are faced with the problem of yellowing yucca leaves. This phenomenon is considered quite an alarming signal, because in the absence of timely intervention, drying out of the foliage can even cause the death of an adult crop. Usually the problem begins as usual: the leaves begin to dry out a little at the edges, but over time they turn completely yellow and crumble.

Natural causes

Beginning gardeners should not be afraid if only the lower leaves of the yucca turn yellow, dry out and fall off. After all, this plant periodically sheds them, and its upper part remains the same green. This feature is natural and does not require any manipulation.

Light

As practice shows, most often the yellowing and drying out of yucca leaves is caused by insufficiently correct lighting. Moreover, such a nuisance can be caused by a lack of light or excessive exposure to direct rays of the sun. In the first case, the yucca simply will not have enough lighting to fully carry out the processes of photosynthesis, and in the second, burns will appear on the leaves, as a result of which they will turn yellow and fall off.

Yucca needs to organize fairly strong, but diffused lighting. For optimal growth and development, she needs at least sixteen hours of daylight. Accordingly, in the cold season, such a flower will have to be provided with an additional light source in the form of fluorescent lamps.

Watering

Sometimes yucca leaves darken, turn yellow and fall off if the plant is not watered correctly. Such a crop requires watering only after the soil in the pot has dried out by five to seven centimeters. In hot weather, to moisten five liters of soil, you need to use about a liter of soft water heated to room temperature. In other seasons, watering is usually more rare and less abundant, but you need to focus on the same signs - the level of soil drying.

If you overwater your yucca, its roots will rot and the plant will die. If you suspect overwatering, carefully remove the plant from the pot and inspect its root system. If there are signs of rotting, remove the damaged parts with a sharp knife, treat with a fungicide, and then replant the plant in fresh soil mixture and a new container. Carry out the next watering only after a week.

Temperature

Sudden temperature changes are considered a possible cause of yellowing of yucca leaves. This plant loves stability. In the warm season it must be kept at a temperature of about twenty to twenty-five degrees, and in the cold - about twelve degrees. It is important to protect the plant from drafts and temperature fluctuations - it should drop and rise smoothly.

Nutrients

Yucca may turn yellow and lose its leaves if it lacks nutrients. Such a plant needs periodic feeding using solutions of complex mineral compounds. They should be used to spray the underside of the leaves. Many gardeners say that yucca responds well to the use of the Belarusian fertilizer “Peat Oxidate”. Use the selected product at intervals of two to three weeks during the active growth stage - in spring and summer.

Closeness

Sometimes yucca begins to wither if its root system does not have enough space for full development. Such a plant must be replanted at intervals of two to four years into soil made up of equal parts of humus, turf soil, compost, as well as sand or perlite. It is important that the acidity of such a soil mixture is within the range of 5.6 - 7.4 pH. When planted in alkaline soil, the plant loses its ability to absorb many nutrients. Of course, it is important to organize the yucca and drainage layer.

Diseases and pests

In general, yucca rarely suffers from various ailments or pest damage. However, such a plant can get sick if it grows in insufficiently favorable conditions. Therefore, when faced with yellowing leaves, re-read the rules for caring for yucca and carefully examine it. When affected by caterpillars, scale insects, spider mites, thrips or aphids, it is important not only to eliminate care errors, but also to treat the flower with insecticides, following the instructions.

Thus, with proper care, yucca leaves should not turn yellow, dry out or crumble. Provide her with favorable conditions for growth, and she will always delight you with her beauty.