Yucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Yucca: growing and caring for home and gardenThe yucca flower is often found in modern offices and apartments. He has endurance and is not whimsical to growing conditions. About the cultivation of yucca and caring for the plant at home and in the garden, you can find out comprehensive information in the proposed material. Presented are the types of home yucca flower that will green the apartment and at the same time will feel great as a container culture in the garden in the summer. It is worth making sure that the growing conditions for yucca meet the botanical requirements of this crop. If you follow this rule, then growing yucca at home will become a simple and fun process. When propagating this crop, there may be slight difficulties when trying to breed by seed. Cuttings root perfectly in sand and special soil. How to cut a plant and prepare cuttings for planting is described further on the page.

What a yucca looks like and how it blooms: photo and description of the plant

Family: Agave.

Homeland – North and Central America, India. The houseplant yucca with its appearance strongly resembles a miniature palm tree. Description of the yucca plant: a tree-like plant with a thickened trunk. The leaves are hard, xiphoid, gray-gray, green or variegated, similar to the leaves of cordilina or dracaena, up to 50-100 cm long, collected in a bunch on the branches of the trunk or at the top. There are also stemless species. The crown consists of several or one rosette of leaves.If you don’t know what a yucca looks like, take a look at the photo below:

Yucca: growing and caring for home and gardenYucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Depending on the species, the height of the plant is up to 1 m. In natural habitat conditions, it reaches a height of up to 1, 8 m. The flowers are predominantly white, bell-shaped, up to 8 cm long, collected in a panicle inflorescence. In nature, there are other variants of the color of this representative of the flora – creamy greenish or yellowish tones. The plant is characterized by numerous flowers, one yucca can have about 300 pieces of flowers. Indoors, Yucca rarely blooms. Notice how the yucca blooms in these photos:

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Fetus – a dry box or juicy fruit, in addition, in some varieties, it is even edible. It is unpretentious in culture, reproduces easily. The plant blooms in summer.

Types and varieties of indoor yucca: photos, names and descriptions of domestic plants

About 40 species of this attractive evergreen plant of the Agave family are known. The most famous and popular in culture are the following varieties of this plant:

Yucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Aloe leaf yucca ‘Marginata’ (Y. aloifolia ‘Marginata’) – unbranched trunk, leaves with denticles along the edge.

The homeland of this species is the arid regions of North and Central America, Jamaica, Bermuda. Marginata grows rather slowly, over time it takes the form of a spherical compact bush. Its height does not exceed 8 m. With the arrival of summer, the plant has an inflorescence up to 45 cm long, on which there are many bell-shaped flowers. In length, they reach up to 3 cm, the color is creamy white with a light purple tint. Pay attention to this yucca variety, on the photo below:

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Yucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Yucca Whippla (Yuccawhipplei)… This variety grows in the Northwest regions of Mexico, Arizona, California.

Belongs to the number of slow-growing, compact representatives of this genus of plants. It is characterized by a shortened stem, tough fibrous leaves collected in rosettes over 1 m in diameter. The color of the leaves is grayish-green, in length they reach up to 90 cm, they are distinguished by jagged edges with a prickly thorn at the end. In summer, a peduncle up to 2 m long grows, on which there are many bell-shaped flowers up to 3 cm long. Yuccawhipplei flowers have a delicate pleasant aroma, have a creamy white color with a light purple hue. The variety blooms only once, after which it completely dies off. At the same time, many new processes are formed at the base of the plant.

Yucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Short-leaved yucca (Y. brevifolia). A well-known variety under other names is Yuccaarborescens and Giant Yucca.

It looks like a large tree, the height of which reaches 4-9 m.The trunk is repeatedly branching, in diameter – up to 50 cm.The leaves are densely located on the trunk, hard and short – 15-30 cm in length and up to 1 cm in width in the middle brownish at the edges and pale green at the base. The peduncle of this variety is short, the color of the flowers is pale yellow.

Yucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Yucca beak (Yuccarostrata). This representative of plants of the Agave family has the appearance of a tree, which reaches a height of up to 3 m.

The trunk of an exotic tree is thick with a branched crown. On it there are many leathery thin and elongated leaves. They are quite narrow – at the widest point, the width of the leaves is no more than 1 cm. On a long peduncle there is a panicle inflorescence with white flowers.

Yucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Yucca radiant (Yuccaradiosa). A tree that in natural habitat reaches a height of 5-7 m.

It is characterized by the presence of numerous leaves densely located on the trunk. The length of the leaves reaches 45-60 cm, while the width is very narrow – up to 1 cm. The leaves taper towards the base, have a sharp apex, the edges are white, dense, narrow, covered with many thin “threads”. The peduncle reaches a height of up to 2 m, at the top of which there is a branched inflorescence with numerous flowers.

Yucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Yucca filamentous (Y. filamentosa)… This variety is native to the eastern part of North America.

It is an almost stemless plant that grows in width due to root suckers. The root system is well developed, it penetrates deep into the soil. Yucca radiant (Yuccaradiosa) is one of the most frost-resistant varieties, withstands temperatures down to -20 degrees. The leaves are gray-green in color, grow up to 70 cm in length, up to 4 cm in width, have a pointed top with slightly drooping edges, on which there are numerous twisted white threads. Peduncle in Yuccaradiosa up to 2 m in height. The plant blooms with drooping yellowish-white flowers up to 8 cm in length. The fruit looks like a round box up to 5 cm in diameter.

Yucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Yucca gigantea (Yuccaelephantipes) – the base of the trunk is tuberous-thickened.

The homeland of this variety is Central America. The name of the species comes from two roots “elephas” – elephant and “pes” – leg. This name was given to the plant for a reason, the fact is that in old age the trunk really looks like a huge elephant leg. The species grows and develops slowly, usually turning into a large lush bush or tree up to 8-10 m in height. The stem is tree-like, multi-branched, at the top of it rosettes are formed with hard and fibrous leaves of light green color 50-100 cm long.Yuccaelephantipes bloom in summer, during this period a meter-long peduncle forms on the plant, on which there are many hemispherical flowers up to 5 cm long. You can get acquainted with this type of yucca plant in this photo:

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Yucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Yucca gray (Yuccaglauca). This yucca variety grows in the western regions of America.

It is an evergreen plant with a strongly shortened stem, Yuccaglauca reaches a height of up to 2 m.The leaves of the variety are leathery, fibrous, collected in dense rosettes about 90 cm wide.The leaves are bluish-green in color, their length is about 60 cm, at the edges are white or gray with peeling fibers. With the arrival of summer, the plant forms a paniculate inflorescence up to 1 m in length, on which there are many small creamy white flowers with a brownish or greenish light shade.

This photo shows all types of yucca and their names:

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Yucca: growing and caring for home and gardenYucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Yucca: growing and caring for home and garden

In culture, the most common variety is considered “Variegata”characterized by leaves with a yellowish border.

Yucca: growing and caring for home and garden

Indoor yucca species include Yuccaelephantipes (elephant)… Housewives often plant it in the same container with houseplants that are resistant to dry soil.

These are representatives of flora such as the decorative Kalanchoe or indoor geranium. It can be planted in the same container with a Bonsai tree or homemade fuchsia.

When drawing up floristic compositions, homemade yucca species will look great against the background of Benjamin’s ficus, anthurium, spathiphyllum, dollar or money tree.

Yucca palm care when growing at home

A bright, sunny room is required. The choice of a pot for growing and caring for a yucca palm tree at home must be taken seriously, the growth, development and appearance of the flower will depend on it. Experienced growers recommend placing the plant pot in a sunny, well-lit place throughout the day. The most optimal place for growing yucca in the house is window sills or special floor stands on the east or west side of the house.

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If it is not possible to place the yucca in the east or west of the room, you can put it in the southern part of the room, but then in the summer period the windows must be shaded to protect the flower from direct sunlight. Only diffused sunlight should fall on the plant, otherwise sunburn will form.

In summer, it is advisable to take it out into the garden, on the balcony or terrace. During the winter, Yucca may lack natural light. To compensate for the lack of light, fluorescent lamps should be placed next to the plants at a distance of about 50-60 cm.

In winter, it can be kept in cool rooms, the optimum air temperature in the autumn-winter period is 10-14 ° C. Sometimes, with the onset of the heating period, problems may arise with the plant. Often, flower growers notice that the leaves of the yucca are stretched out, become very thin, and the turgor weakens. To avoid such problems, if possible, use an air conditioner to lower the room temperature or open windows. It is desirable that the temperature regime does not exceed 18-22 ° C, only in this way the plant will develop well and have a healthy appearance.

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For good growing conditions of yucca, high humidity is not required, the best option is moderate humidity – 40-50%. If the air humidity is lower, the plant will feel comfortable in such growing conditions, but it is necessary to regularly spray the leaves with boiled and well-settled water.

How to care for room yucca: how to water and feed the plant

When caring for room yucca at home, it is important for the plant to ensure proper watering. This indoor flower should be watered abundantly in the summer, but after the top layer of soil is 4-5 cm, it will completely dry out. It is important to prevent stagnation of water at the level of the earthen coma; all excess liquid should be poured out of the pan every time after watering.

How to water a yucca at home during the summer? In the summer, the yucca can be watered periodically from the shower, but it is important during such a procedure to prevent water from getting on the substrate. To do this, you can wrap the pot with polyethylene.

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When growing yucca at home in the autumn-winter period, the frequency of watering should be reduced to once every 10-14 days. The plant tolerates drought much better, but overflow can cause rotting of the root system. Too high soil moisture also often causes the development of many diseases and plant damage by pests.

Among the recommendations on how to care for yucca at home, experts in the field of floriculture play a special role in the good development and growth of this species. You can feed the flower with universal mineral fertilizers, which are sold in flower shops, or you can prepare them yourself. As a fertilizer for garden yucca, you can use a mixture of horse or cow manure along with leaf humus.

In the spring-summer period, it is necessary to feed the plants once every few weeks. In winter and autumn, top dressing is not recommended.

How to properly transplant a yucca at home

Follow these recommendations on how to transplant a yucca at home, if this is your first time doing it.

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A drainage layer, which consists of gravel or rubble, should be placed at the bottom of each pot. For planting young plants, prepare the soil from the following mixture:

  • sod land;
  • leafy land;
  • coarse sand;

All these components are taken in a ratio of 2: 2: 2. Prepared containers are filled with this soil mixture. Immediately after planting, young yuccas are well watered so that they take root faster.

How to care for yucca in the garden: planting and care in the open field

Yucca flower care in the open field should begin with choosing a place for planting the plant. A sunny, dry place would be an excellent choice; do not plant this garden flower in areas where moisture stagnation forms.

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It is important to pay attention so that nearby shrubs and trees do not shade the yucca, because with a lack of sunlight, it stretches, its leaves turn pale and thinner. Novice flower growers often do not know how to properly transplant a yucca so that it takes root well. When planting several plants in the same area, the distance between them along the top of the ground should be 50 × 50 cm. When transplanting adult plants, the distance between them should be at least 70-100 cm from all sides. You should not plant and care for yucca in the open field during a period when there is a possibility of morning frost, otherwise they will die. They can be transplanted only during the warm season.

Winter garden yucca care

For many gardeners, especially beginners, the question of caring for garden yucca in winter is relevant. With the arrival of cold weather, garden plants should be protected from frost. This can be done in the following ways:

  1. At the end of autumn, with the arrival of the first frost, the garden bush is covered with a wooden box. From above it is covered with insulating materials, for example, old roofing material or non-woven fabric. A layer of soil is poured over these materials.
  2. The lower leaves of the plant are bent to the ground, and the upper leaves are collected in a bunch and tied tightly together. In this state, an adult specimen is covered with fallen leaves, and boards are carefully laid on top, which are covered with plastic wrap.

If you adhere to such rules and recommendations on how to care for yucca in the garden in winter, the plant will easily endure even severe frosts.

How to trim yucca at home (with video)

With a procedure such as pruning, you can significantly improve the appearance of the plant. If you still do not know how to prune a yucca at home, it will be useful for you to familiarize yourself with the features of pruning.

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It is advisable to prune plants that are 60-70 cm high and about 6 cm in diameter. Pruning should be done in early spring, in March-April. A few weeks before such leaving, the yucca must be watered abundantly.

For trimming, you can use exclusively sterile tools; a sharp knife, treated with alcohol on all sides, will do. When the tools are ready, proceed with the pruning, following this scheme:

  1. Choose a cut location 7-8 cm from the bottom of the leaves.
  2. Grab them with your hand, and in one sharp motion, make an even cut.
  3. Carefully treat the cut site with powdered activated carbon.

A few weeks after this procedure, new buds are formed in the upper part of the cut plant – usually from 2 to 5. With a trunk thickness less than 5 cm in diameter, it is recommended to leave only two buds, and cut off the rest. If the thickness of the trunk is about 6-8 cm, you can leave 4 buds, and cut off the fifth, new tops with leaves will soon grow out of them.

How to propagate yucca at home with cuttings and stem segments

There are several ways to propagate yucca at home. This type of ornamental plants propagates by cuttings and offspring that form at the base of the trunk or at its top.

Cutting

Having a yucca indoor flower in their home, during home care, many growers propagate it by cuttings. This propagation method is usually carried out during the pruning period of the plant in order to enhance its aesthetic properties.

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Having chosen this method of reproduction, cut off the top with a sharp knife, and sprinkle the cut site with crushed activated carbon. Such actions, in addition to increasing the number of yuccas in the garden or in the house, contribute to the formation of more lush bushes.

A few hours after the cutting with activated carbon, it can be planted in clean and well-moistened sand. After 2-3 weeks, the roots will appear on the cutting, after which it can be transplanted into the prepared substrate.

Reproduction by segments of the trunk

In the summer, it is necessary to cut off or saw off several pieces of 20-30 cm on the side of the trunk. Cutting points on the mother plant and sections should be treated with ash or activated carbon.

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Small containers are filled with a mixture of peat and river sand, it is moistened and the segments are planted, deepening into the soil with the cut. The container is covered with plastic wrap or glass on top, creating a greenhouse effect. The air temperature inside the container should not fall below 20-25 ° C. In order for the segments to take root faster, the soil must be aired daily by lifting the film or glass. The substrate must be watered regularly, and after a month roots will appear on the segments. After the formation of the root system, they can be planted in a permanent place.

How yucca palm reproduces at home by seeds

How does yucca propagate at home by seeds? Yucca seeds are sown in a soil mixture prepared from leafy soil, turf and sand, taken in equal parts. From above, the container with seeds is covered with glass, which is raised daily for a while to ventilate the substrate.

After about a month, with this care, the first shoots will appear. After the sprouts appear from under the soil, the glass is removed, and after a month the plants dive into the pots with the prepared soil mixture.

Yucca pests and methods of dealing with them

During the cultivation and care of yucca, many growers are faced with the defeat of the plant by some diseases and pests. The main problem that disrupts the normal development of a garden flower is parasites.

There are such main parasites that yucca owners face:

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False shield. This parasite feeds on the sap of the plant, therefore, with the mass reproduction of parasites, the yucca may die. You can make sure that the plant is hit by a false shield by the formation of tubercles and waxy drops on the leaves. The affected areas of the leaves are discolored. Treatment with alcohol, water-oil emulsions, by replacing the top layer of soil in a pot will help get rid of the parasite.

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Spider mite. When the plant is affected by this parasite, small white grains can be found on the lower leaves of the yucca, and soon the cobweb itself. If the treatment is not carried out in time, the leaves will soon lose their previous color and become covered with yellow spots. Spider mites appear only on plants that are already weakened by other diseases. If a parasite is found, the leaves should be rinsed with cold water to get rid of the pest.

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Mealybug. This is another common pest found on garden yuccas. Leaves affected by the parasite become covered with a sticky bloom. Mealybug has a waxy coating, like a false shield, so the methods of dealing with these pests are the same.

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Anna Evans

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