Frequently Asked Questions about Yucca's


Welcome to the first issue of the FAQ page. I do get a lot of various questions about Yuccas, and if you don't find the answer you are looking for just ask, but before you ask try to do a search on my site you may have missed the info you were looking for!

What can I do with my Yucca, it has grow too tall for my conservatory?
Which fertilizer is best for Yuccas?
What do I do when my Yucca has bloomed?
How do I make Yucca soap?
Should I remove the old dead leaves?
How do I get rid of Yuccas?
How do I reduce the size of my stem less Yucca?
Why do my Yucca not bloom every year?
How do I transplant a Yucca?
When is it the best time to transplant a Yucca?
My transplanted Yucca is looking very sad, the leaves are dying?



What can I do with my Yucca, it has grow too tall for my conservatory?

You can cut the plant down to about 3o cm above the soil, and cut the rest in small pieces of around 25 cm of length, putting grafting wax on only the top cut, then let the stems dry for a week or so, then plant the cuttings in a large pot with some sandy compost. place the pot in a warm place, the soil may not be soaked or the cuttings will die. The "original" plant will eventually start new rosettes from the stem.

Which fertilizer is best for Yuccas?

I use a low nitrogen fertilizer of all my Yucca plants, I apply it every 2-3 weeks from May 15th to August 15th. It's very important to use a fertilizer with micro nutrients, while those are very important for plant growth. For more info about my fertilizer look at this page.

What do I do when my Yucca has bloomed?

When a stem less Yucca has bloomed the flowering rosette dies! If you don't want to use the seeds (US only, while there are no pollinators in other parts of the world!). I would cut of the flower stem just above the leaves, and in the following spring I will cut of the now dying rosette just above the surface.


As the rosette which have been blooming dies, there will emerge new rosettes, from rhizomes below the surface, as shown on the picture above. The dying rosette is protecting the new rosettes, so it is not good to remove it until the following spring. when you can cut the rosette of with a sharp knife in an angled cut

How do I make Yucca soap?

I do unfortunately not tried to make Yucca soap! But I have received a recipe from one of the readers of www.bennyskaktus.dk

Should I remove the old dead leaves?

It's a matter of temperament, if you want the leaves on the stem or not, some species look "wrong" with old leaves others look "wrong" with out leaves.

How do I get rid of Yuccas?

Yes, I do actually get a lot of such questions, believe it or not!?!?!?!?!

If you wish to get rid of the Yuccas you must expect to work hard, as they have many roots which go very deep into the ground. There are two thing you can try to remove the Yuccas for good:

1.
Sift the soil with a sieve, but you have to dig down to about 50 cm to be sure you get all the rhizomes, if you leave one small rhizome in the soil it will become a new plant!

2.
Repeated treatment with Roundup.

I wish you good luck in the "battle"

How do I reduce the size of my stem less Yucca?

You start by digging a hole from a short distance of the plant (some species has long rhizomes to all sides!) and then slowly dig closer with your fingers or a trowel (small plant shovel). When you have removed a lot of soil from the rhizomes you can cut of the rhizomes (with or with out leaves/rosettes) so that your plant gets the size you want, but not all the big ones, as you need some to get big enough to bloom. This process will have to be repeated every two years or so, in order to keep the plant in the wanted size.

Why do my Yucca not bloom every year?

There are nothing wrong with your Yucca if it doesn't bloom every year, as you can not expect that your Yucca will bloom every year. But in time your plant will have so many rosettes, that you may be so lucky to have one or more rosettes that will bloom the same year!

How do I transplant a Yucca?
The method is actually quite like if you are going to reduce the size of a yucca plant. You start by digging a hole around the plant, it's important that you start from a short distance of the plant as some species has long rhizomes to all sides!,  and then slowly dig closer with your fingers or a trowel (small plant shovel). When you have removed a lot of soil around and beneath the rhizomes you should be able to lift it up. I have not tried transplanting a big plant yet, but I use the above method for propagating, It's really no difference, I think.

When is it the best time to transplant a Yucca?
I would do it in late spring, so the plant can have a long growing season to establish in the new place.

My transplanted Yucca is looking very sad, the leaves are dying?
It is normal for transplanted Yuccas to loose 1/3 to 2/3 of the leaves, they usually recover again during the first growing season.


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