Forming yucca is a procedure that every second gardener has to deal with. If a purchased plant is in most cases cultivated by experienced specialists, then one grown from a cutting must be cultivated independently.
What aspects need to be paid attention to so that the process is successful for the grower and with the least loss for the yucca?
Curvature of the trunk is a reason to shorten the plant and increase its decorative effect
Reasons for pruning
Yucca is a false palm. In most cases, if the crown is made up of a single rosette of sword-shaped leaves formed by the top of the trunk, the plant does not look very presentable. Indeed, a thin, elongated (up to 2.5 m) stem with a patch of leaves near the ceiling is a depressing sight.
The florist begins to look for ways to increase the diameter of the crown and its density. The decorative and aesthetic appearance of a false palm tree can only be achieved by pruning. This effective measure forces the yucca to branch, turning the palm tree into an exotic bush.
Sometimes in practice a different situation arises - the plant unexpectedly produces a lateral sprout. Moreover, for some reason the bud wakes up at the base of the trunk. The large difference in height between the crowns also does not look very attractive. There is only one way out - partially cut off the stem.
Trim time
The best time to deal with the yucca crown is in last month winter after the end of the dormant period. From November to February, the plant was in a cool room (about 10 degrees Celsius), gained strength and was ready to increase its vegetative mass. If the yucca has not had a full rest in winter, the adaptation period and the release of shoots may be delayed.
On a note! Flower growers have noticed that the false palm tree should not be disturbed in April. The plant often dies due to problems with the healing of cuts.
Algorithm of actions
Preparation
In order for trunk pruning and its healing to end successfully, you must:
- prepare tools: sharp hacksaw, pruning shears;
- buy a product for processing cuts: garden pitch, paraffin;
- stock up on anti-stress medications for plants;
- find container, soil and drainage for rooting the top.
Important! The yucca is watered 2-3 days before the procedure so that the palm tree has time to reserve water for 2-3 weeks in advance. After pruning, watering is not carried out.
How to properly prune an adult yucca
Choosing the cutting height is a serious matter. Remaining in flower pot the stump will not grow or thicken any more. In other words, if the trunk of a palm tree has reached a diameter of 3 cm, then it will remain so thin forever after pruning. The question arises: is it necessary to rush things and form the yucca right now? Maybe it’s better to postpone the procedure until the indicator reaches the number “5”?
It is important not to forget that pruning is necessary for further branching of the palm tree. 2-3 buds usually wake up closer to the top of the trunk, forming young rosettes of leaves. Further branches will grow and thicken. The central stump should be strong enough to support 2-3 dense crowns.
Step-by-step instructions on how to trim correctly decorative palm tree at home:
- the height of the stump is left from 20 to ½ m;
- the preferred trunk diameter is 5 or more centimeters;
- Use pruning shears or a sharp knife to cut off the woody top, holding free hand crown;
- the cut is processed activated carbon, cinnamon, any garden putty;
- Yucca is placed in a warm place without direct sunlight.
On a note! When shortening the trunk, do not allow it to break off. The plant perceives this damage painfully.
A visual example of pruning:
Why use garden putty?
Novice gardeners are interested in whether it is possible not to treat the cut site with garden pitch or paraffin if yucca is grown as indoor plant? The answer is unequivocal - it’s impossible.
Wounds should be covered immediately after the procedure for two reasons:
- to reduce the loss of moisture from the trunk and prevent weakening of the plant;
- for reliable sealing of cuts from the penetration of fungal spores or bacteria.
Yucca's immunity is weakened. Any disease can lead to the death of a false palm tree.
There is an opinion that putty, like a plastic film, limits the access of air to the plant tissue and can provoke the spread of infection. This statement is erroneous and unfounded, as confirmed by experts and experienced gardeners.
Popular putties for cutting cuts:
- melted wax;
- softened garden pitch;
- slurry;
- garden putties “Blagosad”, “RanNet”;
- bio-balms for plants.
Any of the following will reduce the risk of disease indoor yucca due to stress.
How to stimulate the appearance of rosettes
Giving a rich shape to trimmed yucca is a troublesome task. For some reason, nurseries have no problem achieving perfect result– awakening 2-5 symmetrical buds and turning them into healthy rosettes.
At home, the opposite result is often obtained. About 3 buds swell and turn green, but soon 2 die and dry out, leaving the grower with only one (the strongest) rosette. As a result, the tree-like trunk of the palm tree is crowned by a lush crown, located not in the center, but on the side of the plant.
Is it possible to somehow prevent the one-sidedness of yucca? There are chances to improve the situation. Experienced gardeners recommend spraying the top of the palm trunk with epin after pruning according to the instructions or lubricate it once scales, under which the kidneys sleep, with cytokinin paste. Both drugs stimulate the formation of shoots.
Important! Cytokinin paste is used only for branching of an adult plant. Rooting young (not lignified) yucca using the drug is unacceptable. The false palm will die.
Caring for buds and shoots
Green layering will appear on the pruned plant no earlier than after 3 weeks. 2 months is also within the normal range.
At this time, it is important to determine the location of the shoots and their number. On a trunk with a diameter of up to 5-6 cm, it is advisable to leave only 2 rosettes. If the yucca stem is wider, the number is increased to 4-5.
- moderate watering – once every 3-4 weeks;
- ensuring good lighting;
- mineral or organic fertilizing during the period of active growth - once a month.
Important! After pruning, the yucca is not fertilized or watered. Pause – 2-4 weeks.
Finally, if the false palm has several stems that need to be shortened, cut them off one at a time. The yucca may not recover from removing all the tops at once.
Another video about an unusual method of pruning and rooting yucca:
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 the central and side shoots: majestic yucca (Y. gloriosa), beaked (Y. rostrata), strong (U. valida), short-leaved (brevifolia), tall (elata), giant (gigantea) or ivory (elephantipesa).
Plant sizes also vary different types. There are huge trees that grow in nature up to 12 m in height (the famous “Joshua tree”), there are relatively small ones, up to 2.5 m (yucca glorious), and there are miniature plants whose height 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.
IN open ground Yucca blooms, 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 a lot of 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 mite.
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 the summer, 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, therefore, 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 most 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 of 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 period 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. |
Yucca is a plant belonging to the Agave family. Native to Central and North America. This is a false palm. The tree-like stem may emerge to the surface. Most often, the upper part is represented by a basal rosette of leaves.
The sword-shaped leaves grow 25-100 cm in length, can be hard or semi-hard, erect or drooping, the edges can be smooth or jagged. The leaves of some types of yucca are very hard; their fiber is extracted to make ropes and wickerwork.
Bloom
At home, yucca blooms extremely rarely. Numerous (about 300) bell-shaped flowers appear on a long peduncle. They are colored white, yellowish, creamy green.
Is yucca poisonous to cats?
Yucca is not dangerous for cats: they are not interested in the leaves, and if they scratch the trunk, then, contrary to popular belief, they will not be poisoned by the “poisonous” juice. The palm tree itself is more likely to suffer, not your pets.
How to care for yucca at home
Lighting
It is important to provide good lighting. Daylight hours should be about 16 hours. It grows best near a south window; windows facing east and west are suitable. In autumn and winter, resort to artificial lighting.
Watering and air humidity
Excessive leads to rotting of the root system. Water when the soil dries to a depth of 5-7 cm. For 5 l. add about 1 liter of soil. water.
Most yucca species prefer dry air to humid air. Only some will require misting and periodic placement on a tray of humidifiers.
How often should you water your yucca in winter? As the temperature drops, reduce the amount of watering by about 2 times, only trying to keep the soil slightly moist.
Air temperature
During the warm season, maintain the air temperature at 20-25 °C. Flower bud formation occurs in cool conditions, so if you are trying to get flowers to bloom, keep them cool over the winter. With the onset of autumn, lower the air temperature to +10-12 °C.
Priming
The composition of the soil can be anything, the main condition is air and moisture permeability. An important requirement is good drainage; for this, a layer of expanded clay or pebbles must be placed on the bottom of the pot.
Feeding
During the period April-August, every 3 weeks, apply complex mineral fertilizers along with watering or apply foliar fertilizers over the leaves, spraying from the bottom of the leaves. Immediately after transplantation, as well as a diseased plant, should not be fed.
Trimming yucca at home
Remember, pruning is best done in early spring, before the start of active vegetation after a dormant period.
When yucca is already too tall, it can be planted at the top like a regular cutting (we’ll talk about this below). The trunk is cut at a height of at least half a meter, and so that the succulent does not suffer from severe loss of moisture at the cut site, a candle is held, tilted, over the cut so that paraffin flows there. You can also treat the cut with garden varnish. Do not prune plants with thin trunks, less than 5 cm, otherwise they will not grow thicker.
Trimmed yucca sprouts new shoots at the cut site, which in turn, after a while, turn into long trunks. They are dealt with in a similar way: as soon as the length of the daughter apical trunks becomes too long, the tops are cut off.
The yucca is also trimmed if the trunk softens.- this is a sign of its decay. Then the apical part is urgently cut off and rooted in a light substrate, creating greenhouse conditions.
Is it possible to prune yucca in winter and autumn? In emergency cases, when the plant is sick, in order to save the apical part, pruning is carried out immediately at any time of the year. If the pruning is planned, it is better to be patient and wait until March.
Transplanting yucca after purchase and during the growing season
The first time after purchase, but the plant must first adapt to indoor conditions for about 2 weeks. Carry out a planned replanting in the spring every 2-4 years.
Soil with a slightly alkaline reaction is preferred. A mixture of turf soil, compost, humus, perlite and sand is suitable.
Transplanting yucca on video:
The container needs to be stable and deep enough. Remove the plant from the pot and inspect the roots for rot. If it is detected, trim the roots, treat with a fungicide, and completely replace the soil. If the roots are in order, roll over with a clod of earth. Add soil and tamp lightly. Be sure to place a drainage layer at the bottom.
Growing Yucca from Seeds
Most often used seed propagation Yucca
- Seeds must be scarified: carefully break the dense shell of the seed with a needle or rub with sandpaper.
- Fill the box with a mixture of leaf, turf soil and sand in equal proportions. Plant the seeds to a depth of 2-3 cm.
- The distance between the seeds is 3-5 cm, but it is better to plant them immediately separately in cassette or peat cups.
- Cover the crops with glass or film. Sprout at an air temperature of 25-30 °C and bright, diffused lighting.
- Ventilate the shelter daily to remove condensation.
- In the first 10 days, maintain constant soil moisture, then moisten moderately.
- Shoots will appear in about a month.
- When 2 true leaves appear, plant them in separate containers with light nutrient soil.
- After 2 weeks, feed (1 g of nitrophoska per 1 liter of water).
- When 4-5 leaves appear, transplant into a pot and care for it as if it were an adult plant.
Propagation of yucca by cuttings
When the yucca becomes too tall, you should cut off the top of the trunk, divide the trunk itself into parts, depending on the number of shoots.
- Treat the cut areas with a fungicide and air dry until a dry crust forms.
- Root in a mixture of turf soil and sand, creating greenhouse conditions, do not water immediately, the plant will have enough moisture available in the damp soil.
- When the roots appear, plant them in a permanent pot and care for them as if they were an adult plant.
- The remaining stump of the mother plant will also produce young shoots and continue to grow. Leave three to five shoots on it, remove the rest.
Reproduction by dividing the bush and lateral shoots
Propagation by lateral shoots (daughter shoots) is best done in the spring. Divide the overgrown bush very carefully into separate parts with part of the rhizome and plant it, creating conditions of high humidity during rooting.
Why do yucca leaves turn yellow and dry? Reasons
Security proper care protects against diseases and pests.
- Yellowing, drying and falling of the lower leaves is a natural process. But if dryness extends to the upper leaves, most likely the air is too dry or the air temperature is too high.
- The tips of the leaves dry out from lack of moisture.
- The appearance of yellow elliptical spots that turn brown over time indicates brown spotting. Remove damaged areas and treat with fungicide (spray and water with phytosporin solution). Repeat the procedure 2-3 times every 10 days.
If the root system or stem rots, it is necessary to carry out an emergency transplant, removing the rotten roots and treating with a fungicide.
Pests
Thrips, aphids, scale insects, spider mites are possible pests of the plant, due to which the yucca leaves also turn yellow and dry. Wash them off first soap solution, and then treat with an insecticide.
Indoor types of yucca
Yucca aloifolia
The shape of the crown is spherical, the leaves are hard, dark green in color, the trunk is gradually exposed.
Yucca elephantipes or giant Yucca elephantipes
The base of the trunk looks like an elephant's leg. The hard leaves are about 115 cm long and 6-8 cm wide.
Yucca glauca
Dense leaf rosettes consist of green-blue leaves.
Yucca filamentosa
The leaf blades reach a length of 30-90 cm; threads hang along the edges, which fall off over time.
In indoor culture, yucca reproduces very easily. This unpretentious plant can be propagated in several ways. Having an adult plant, it will not be difficult to quickly obtain many young specimens.
Time to propagate yucca
Yucca cuttings and propagation by shoots are carried out in the spring in April-May. At this time of year, rooting occurs especially quickly. It is also convenient to divide the rhizome in the spring when replanting the plant.
It is important to sow yucca seeds immediately after collecting them. They must be very fresh. They cannot be stored, as their germination capacity is lost.
Reproduction methods
In apartment conditions, yucca can be grown by seeds or vegetatively. There are the following methods of vegetative propagation of this plant:
- Apical cuttings;
- Propagation by stem pieces;
- Rhizome division;
- Reproduction by layering.
Sowing seeds
IN room conditions Getting yucca to bloom is not easy. Therefore, the seeds of this plant can only be bought or collected from yucca growing in open ground. Only fresh seeds will germinate, which must be soaked in warm water for a day before sowing. They are wrapped in a piece of cloth and covered with a 1 cm layer of water.
Sow yucca seeds in a container (pots) with soil. A mixture of turf and leaf soil with peat is suitable as a substrate for sowing. The components of the earth mixture are taken in equal parts. The seeds are pressed into the soil and sprinkled with a small amount.
For successful germination, the soil must be kept moist by spraying water. The entire container is covered with glass to create stable high humidity.
During seed germination, the container must be ventilated daily. and wipe condensation from the inner surface of the glass. The temperature should not be lower than 20°C. In such conditions, seedlings appear after 1 month. As they grow, young plants are pricked and then planted in separate pots.
Apical cuttings
Sometimes it makes sense to cut off the top of the yucca so that the remaining plant can branch out and form a lush crown. Cut apical stalk must be air dried for several hours. It is then rooted in sand or water.
When rooting in sand, the lower edge of the yucca cutting should be buried shallowly in the sand.. It is advisable to place it under film or glass jar and keep the sand moist.
It should take 1.5 or 2 months for young leaves to begin to appear - a sign that the roots have already grown and the cutting can be planted in a separate pot.
It is somewhat easier to root the top of the yucca in water. It is advisable to take boiled water so that the cuttings do not rot. After about a month, roots appear, after which the cuttings are planted in the ground.
Propagation by stem segments
Old yucca specimens gradually lose their lower leaves and their trunks become bare. Often such ugly and elongated plants are cut into cuttings in order to grow new ones from them. The stump of an old plant should not be thrown away. New shoots are gradually formed on it.
Sections of a yucca trunk with several buds are dried and rooted in sand or water.. From one fragment you can get one large plant or several small ones.
To grow one specimen, the cuttings are buried in sand or placed in water with the lower end. Gradually, roots will form from below, and a crown will begin to grow from the upper buds.
You can place the cutting horizontally in the sand and bury it halfway. With such rooting, a young plant with roots will develop from each of its buds.
After this, all that remains is to cut the cuttings so that each piece has roots and leaves, and plant them in separate pots. Stem cuttings in which it is impossible to determine the top and bottom are rooted in the same way.
Reproduction by layering
You can get a young plant from lateral cuttings of yucca. To do this, cut a cutting more than 10 cm long, dry it in air as an apical cutting, and then root it in sand or water. It is important to maintain the temperature at least 20°C so that the cuttings take root after 1.5 months.
Rhizome division
Only a very grown adult plant that has 2 or more trunks can be divided. To do this, the plant is removed from the pot and the rhizome is cut so that each trunk has a part of the rhizome with roots.
All yucca sections must be thoroughly rubbed with activated carbon so that rotting does not begin after planting in the ground.
After drying for 2 hours, the trunks with roots are planted in separate pots.
Which method is the most effective?
In apartment conditions, yucca is rarely propagated by seeds. This method is quite labor-intensive and time-consuming. It takes at least 2 years for a seed to grow into a flower of sufficient size.
Vegetative propagation in an apartment is more preferable. It allows you to get yucca decorative look already in a few months.
When the top is rooted or the rhizome is divided, a large young plant grows very quickly. And when propagated by stem fragments, several small young specimens can be obtained from one segment.
Rarely branches on its own. It usually grows upward and reaches large sizes, having one trunk and a rosette of leaves at its top.
But if, with a small height of a false palm tree, it looks natural, then a very elongated plant without side shoots loses its decorative effect. Therefore, in order for the yucca to look like a beautiful bush, it must be pruned.Pruning encourages the plant to branch.. Usually, after pruning, it produces 2-3 shoots, on which lush rosettes of leaves grow.
Yucca is pruned immediately after the end of the dormant period in late February or early March. The procedure is carried out until intensive plant growth begins.
Typically, active vegetation begins in April; during this period, any pruning of the plant will lead to its death. If the palm tree is pruned before the growing season begins, its cuts have time to dry out and it begins to actively grow new shoots.
After the yucca trunk, the remaining stump will not grow in length, and its thickness will remain the same as it was before pruning. Only new shoots will grow in length and thicken after pruning.
It is advisable to trim the yucca at a distance of at least 50 cm from the ground. Also, you should not prune a plant whose trunk thickness is less than 5 cm, so that the trunk does not remain thin forever.
The cut trunk of a plant intensively loses moisture. In order for pruning to cause as little harm as possible to the yucca, the cut of the trunk must be filled with liquid paraffin. This will prevent the plant from losing moisture.
Trimming technology
2 days before pruning, the yucca needs to be watered generously. This is a mandatory procedure that will reduce the stress of pruning to a minimum.
Yucca is trimmed with a sharp knife or pruning shears.. All instruments must be disinfected by wiping with pure alcohol: this will prevent possible rotting of the barrel.
You need to cut the trunk in one motion. You can’t cut it halfway and then break it. This can lead to negative consequences, one of which will be the death of the plant.
After trimming, the cut area is dried for 2 hours and then covered with paraffin.
After pruning, the yucca is placed in partial shade.. For two months it is watered no more than once a week. During this time, new shoots begin to grow around the cut of the trunk. There can be from 2 to 5. Depending on the thickness of the trunk, 2-3 shoots are left on a thin trunk or 4-5 on a thick one (more than 5 cm).
Yucca with several trunks
A once-pruned yucca can also stretch out and lose its beauty after a few years. If it has 2-4 shoots growing from the main trunk, they can be cut off so that each of them produces several more young shoots.
Do not trim all yucca trunks at the same time.. This will be very stressful for the plant, from which it will be difficult for it to recover. Therefore, it is recommended to trim one trunk of this palm tree every year. This way she will be able to grow shoots unevenly, resulting in a very beautiful, natural-looking plant.
The technology for pruning each branched yucca trunk is the same as the initial pruning of this plant. Each section must be filled with liquid paraffin.
Yucca for cuttings
Sometimes urgent pruning of a plant whose trunk begins to rot is required. If softening of the branched yucca shoots is observed, they must be cut off all at once.
The trunk rots first, so only the tops of the plant can be saved. Typically, such pruning is carried out in winter, when yucca is most susceptible to rotting.
It is best to cut yucca cuttings as long as possible.. Usually all healthy and not rotten parts of the plant are cut off. Cuttings 25-30 cm long are cut from them. Their sections must be rubbed with activated carbon and dried for at least 2 hours. Cuttings can then be taken to produce young specimens.
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