Yucca is quite popular both indoor and garden plants in our climate zone.
Although this palm tree originates from the hot tropics, it withstands frosts quite well, without needing significant insulation for the winter period.
Therefore, garden yucca is actively used to create unique landscape designs in their personal plots.
Preparing for the Yucca Planting
It is better to plant yucca garden in open ground in spring or summer, when the minimum night temperature exceeds the mark of 7 degrees, so that the plant has time to form the root system by winter.
This flower is quite unpretentious to the composition of the soil, but reaches the best decorativeness, growing in soil with an acidity of less than 7.5 pH and a large amount of sand and humus. The ideal soil composition for planting yucca is considered to be: turf land, humus, sand and compost in equal parts.
For planting a yucca garden, give preference on the site to a better well-lit place located on a hill. This is necessary to avoid overmoistening of the root system, since this part of the plant is the most vulnerable. Remember that planting a yucca in a too shaded area can lead to her death.
Yucca Garden - Planting
Before planting in open ground, the plant must be hardened, for this, take it out in a pot in the open air for two weeks, gradually increasing the time it stays on the street daily.
Gardening Yucca when planting in indoor or outdoor soil needs to create a drainage layer. Fine pebbles, coarse sand, pumice, crushed brick, wood chips, coarse perlite and coarse peat are well suited for this purpose. When planting a yucca in a flowerpot, you can use a special drainage that absorbs moisture, which is sold in flower shops.
Landing Stages:
• At the selected location, dig a hole so that its size is approximately twice as large as the diameter of the root coma of the plant.
• Place a drainage layer at the bottom of the pit.
• Gently drop the plant into the pit and sprinkle it with earth without deepening its neck (the base of the trunk should be at ground level), and then slightly compact the soil around.
• Immediately after planting, pour plenty of water on the yucca, and then mulch it with grass for less evaporation of moisture.
Propagation by seeds of garden yucca
When propagating by Yucca seeds, garden planting in open ground should be done only after 2 years. Seeds are best planted in a container at the end of winter at room temperature from 18 to 25 degrees.
Yucca Garden - Care
Yucca is an unpretentious plant, which is actually afraid only of the overmoistening of the root system. Therefore, the flower should be watered in moderation, focusing on the appearance of the yucca and the complete drying of the topsoil. If its leaves dropped down, and the leaf strings sagged, then the plant does not have enough moisture, and it needs watering. When the leaves fade, they can be sprayed with water in the morning or evening, when the sun is least active.
This plant periodically needs to be fed, especially during the period of active growth in the spring. For this purpose, any mineral fertilizer, compost or liquid humus are well suited. For foliar feeding, the lower leaves of the palm should be abundantly sprayed.
For the speedy flowering of yucca, the usual garden care can be replaced by shock therapy. To do this, it is necessary to keep the plant in a dark room with a temperature of no higher than +5 degrees for 10-14 days, and then place it in a bright, sunny place. In order for the yucca to bloom faster, do not allow the cutting of yellowed leaves!
Indoor garden yucca in the care is quite unpretentious. In summer, the plant is best taken out onto the balcony, as it loves sunlight and open air. Watering should be moderate and timely.
Yucca Garden: Transplant
Garden yucca in open ground can grow in one place for about 20 years, while a houseplant needs to be transplanted once every 2 years.
Transplant Rules:
• it is better to transplant yucca in the spring or in the summer;
• before planting, soak the roots in water for one hour, and after planting, water abundantly;
• special attention should be paid to a powerful root system, trying not to injure it when the plant falls out of the pot;
• after a transplant, the plant should not be fed for two weeks;
• the pot should be 3 cm larger than the diameter of the root coma;
• after transplanting, the yucca must be placed away from drafts.
Winterization of yucca
Despite the fact that yucca is a frost-resistant plant, it is better to insulate it for the winter, especially in the first years after planting in open ground. To do this, follow these steps:
1. In the fall, dry yucca leaves gather in a bunch, tied over the entire length.
2. Around the trunk, cover the plant with dry leaves, and lay boards on top or sprinkle with earth. This is necessary so that the leaves are not blown away by the wind.
3. Cover the crown of the yucca with cone-shaped polyethylene and carefully tie it with twine or any other rope.
4. Yellowed old leaves in spring can be removed.
Reproduction of yucca garden
Propagation of yucca in our climatic zone occurs by the method of cuttings or by dividing the bush. For propagation by stem cuttings, the following steps must be performed:
• Use a sharp knife to cut off the side outlet of the yucca with the stem;
• Remove the lower leaves, so that all the forces of the plant are directed towards creating the root system;
• Fresh cut should be dried and sprinkled with charcoal;
• Plant the resulting cuttings in a closed bright greenhouse, buried 3-4 cm into the ground. Do not allow the soil to dry out.
Pests and diseases of yucca garden
The main prevention in supporting immunity to plant diseases is the right place to grow and proper care for the yucca garden. But despite this, in rare cases, the flower can still be exposed to pests.
Yucca's main enemy is scale shield, after exposure to which the plant becomes covered with brown plaques. To combat this pest, palm leaves are wiped daily with a damp cloth or cotton wool, and once a week they are treated with vodka. For destruction slugsthat may appear on a yucca, which grows on a personal plot, use insecticidal drugs.
Colorless spots that appear on old leaves and turn brown over time are a disease called spotting. The fungal environment affects the plant due to excess moisture. To combat this scourge, the plant should be treated with a fugnicide and moderate watering.
Rot Yucca can also be caused by waterlogging and excessive plant shading. When it is affected, the entire crown of the plant suffers, the leaves of which are gradually affected by rot. In this case, you need to act immediately, otherwise yucca will die. First, remove all damaged areas of the plant, and then treat it with a fungicidal preparation, if necessary, repeat these steps.
Cercosporosis - oval or other brown spots, which are able to increase in size over time. The cause of the disease is also an excess of moisture. Control measures: elimination of the affected leaves, treatment with a fungicide and a decrease in humidity in the room.
White rot - A serious disease of yucca garden. Infection of the plant occurs through the soil and is associated with an overabundance of nitrogenous fertilizers in it, waterlogging or lack of light. First, palm leaves become colorless, and then watery. The lower leaves of the crown are especially affected, and the disease is acute when the temperature drops to +15 degrees.
If this fungus is damaged, all affected plant tissues must be removed with the capture of healthy areas and wiped with an antiseptic. Then should be treated with Fundazole or Rovral. If these measures were not effective, you must completely remove the yucca from the soil, dry it a bit and check the integrity of the root system, and then transplant it into a new soil with a low nitrogen content.
Regional necrosis - A disease characterized by the appearance of a gray-brown tint on the edges of old leaves. The occurrence of necrosis most often provokes increased humidity. To combat this disease, the affected areas of the leaves are removed and the plant is treated with Ridomil.
