In nature, yucca acts as a large shrub, native to South America and Mexico. Hobbyists often purchase them for their home to decorate the interior. Yucca, which must be cared for at home according to its requirements, is an unpretentious plant.
There are more than 50 varieties in nature.
The most common among indoor cultivation are:
- Yucca elephant. This species is native to South America. The name of the species comes from its peculiar trunk in the shape of an elephant’s leg. During flowering, the plant develops a paniculate inflorescence with many white flowers. They can reach up to 7 cm in length.
- Yucca filamentosa. A plant that does not have a main stem can grow through root shoots and suckers. The leaves of this species are pointed at the ends, reaching more than 50 cm in length. During the growing season it produces a panicle with large inflorescences up to 10 cm. They are white in color with a yellow tint.
- Yucca Elefantis. In natural conditions it can reach more than 7 meters in height. IN room conditions grows slowly, can reach a height of up to 2 meters. It has a thick trunk, at the top there are green leaves, lowered to the bottom.
Important! All varieties indoor palm tree have distinctive features in appearance and color. But they require the same care at home.
Yucca - nuances of growing
Yucca belongs to the Agave family. More often it is called a palm tree and can be found as a decoration for offices and large houses.
When cultivating it at home, there are certain nuances and requirements:
- Creation favorable conditions, close to the normal environment.
- Timely replanting, soil preparation.
- Fertilizing, pest control.
- Reproduction.
To achieve beautiful view in the form of a palm tree, it is necessary to trim the trunk. After time, shoots form on it. Over time, they will get stronger, and you will get several trunks.
Important! The yucca palm requires free space, as it has big sizes. It is an unpretentious evergreen plant. With sufficient and proper care will please the owner for a long time.
Home care
Like many indoor plants, yucca should be cared for in full.
It consists of the following actions:
- optimal temperature and lighting;
- moderate humidity and excessive watering;
- composition of fertile soil, drainage;
- feeding with fertilizers;
- transplantation and methods of reproduction;
- timely control of diseases and pests.
To get healthy indoor plant and to achieve flowering, it is necessary to create conditions similar to natural ones.
Optimal conditions of detention
Indoor yucca loves bright lighting. Due to a deficiency, the leaves of the palm tree may become stretched and the color becomes dull. It is better to place a pot with a plant near a window on the south side so that most of the light falls on it. To do this, avoid direct sunlight to avoid burns on the leaves.
The optimal temperature in the hot season is 20-25 degrees. Every day you can take the plant out into the fresh air for ventilation, avoiding strong winds and drafts. You should not allow the temperature to drop below 8 degrees, this can be detrimental to the flower. IN winter time For palm trees, it is better to organize additional lighting. The temperature during winter dormancy should not exceed 10-15 degrees.
Substrate requirements
An important point for planting or replanting an indoor palm tree is the choice of substrate. You can buy a substrate ready-made in the store, intended for the agave family.
You can prepare it yourself by mixing equal parts:
- turf land;
- leaf soil;
- humus;
- sand;
- peat.
Before the planting procedure, it is necessary to organize good drainage. It is allowed to lay a layer of expanded clay or coarse crushed stone on the bottom of the pot. Organization of drainage is necessary conditions for full flower growth.
Irrigation system
Watering and irrigation directly depend on environmental conditions. At high temperatures and low humidity, water indoor tree necessary every 2-3 days. Spraying should be carried out daily, especially in the summer. The signal for watering will be upper layer land. If it is dry, you need to water the plant with settled water. room temperature.
In autumn and winter, watering should be reduced to once a week. When there is an excess of moisture, the palm leaves appear curled and spots form on them. When watering, it is important that the water does not fall on the rosette of leaves, and also stagnate in the pot to prevent rotting of the roots.
Feeding and fertilizer
Feeding should begin in early spring. Special ones are suitable for this mineral fertilizers. They are added along with water during irrigation. It is necessary to carry out the procedure every 10 days in spring and summer. With the onset of autumn, fertilizing should be reduced to once a month. In winter, indoor yucca does not need fertilizer; it begins its winter dormancy period.
Important! Fertilizers cannot be applied to indoor flower, the first two weeks after transplantation. It is necessary to wait until the plant gets stronger and begins its intensive growth.
How to care for leaves, clean dust
An unpretentious indoor flower that can survive arid climates. To maintain humidity, it is important to spray daily in the summer. In autumn, irrigation is carried out every other day. For the procedure, it is better to use clean, settled water at room temperature. Regularly wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to remove dirt and dust.
In the evening, you can have a shower. To do this, place the pots on a tray and water them with a hose. It is recommended to treat the leaves once a week soap solution, then rinse with clean water.
Reproduction and transplantation of Yucca flowers
Yucca is replanted as the root system of the pot fills. Either due to root rotting or other diseases.
The transplant consists of the following steps:
- Choose a pot that is 2 cm larger than the previous one.
- Prepare fertile substrate and organize drainage.
- The plant is carefully removed from the pot using the transfer method.
- Remove all rotten and damaged roots and old soil.
- Place the flower in the prepared container.
- Add soil on top, compacting it a little.
- Lightly moisten the soil, then water after 2 weeks.
The procedure is necessary every 2-3 years. It is better to do it in spring period. It is not allowed to replant Yucca during winter dormancy.
Like many plants, palm trees can reproduce in several ways:
- seeds;
- trunk sections;
- shoots;
- apical stem.
It is better to start the seed method in February. To do this, the seeds are sown in boxes prepared with soil, with a layer of soil no more than 5 mm sprinkled on top. The boxes are placed in a warm and well-lit place, covered with film or glass on top. Moisten with a spray bottle so as not to wash out the seed material. Open the film daily for ventilation. After a month, you can observe the emergence of seedlings; the film must be removed.
In the spring, the top of the plant with leaves is cut off, and the cut site is treated with garden varnish. After a certain time, new ones appear on the trunk side shoots. Place the top in a glass of water for 2 days. Afterwards they are placed in wet sand, covering the top with film. After rooting, the top of the plant is planted in a separate pot prepared with soil.
To propagate a flower, the trunk is cut into several parts, and the cut is treated with varnish. Parts of the trunk are planted in a prepared moist substrate of sand and peat, covered with film on top, forming a mini greenhouse. After a month, remove the film. It is allowed to lay parts of the trunk horizontally, pressing them slightly to the soil. After a certain time, buds will begin to appear on them. This method is best done in the summer, when the Yucca flower grows intensively.
Diseases, pests and methods of combating them
Houseplants can be susceptible to various diseases.
Yucca can often be susceptible to fungal diseases if not properly cared for:
- Leaf spotting. Fungal disease forms in the form of brown spots on the leaves. If it occurs, it is necessary to reduce watering, irrigation, and reduce air humidity. All affected parts are removed from the plant.
- Rotting of the stem or roots. When identifying the first signs of the disease, it is important to remove all affected parts of the plant from the main bush. Organize moderate watering and reduce indoor humidity.
In addition to diseases, pests may appear on the flower. The most common and famous are: false shield and spider mite. Spider mites appear on the undersides of leaves. After which the leaves become dull in color and die. IN preventive measures it is necessary to treat the leaves with a soap solution and spray the plant with insecticides. The false scale insect affects not only the leaves, but also the stems. If pest control measures are not taken, the flower may die.
Possible problems during cultivation
In case of improper and poor care behind a houseplant, various problems may arise.
The most basic mistakes when growing yucca indoors are:
- Due to waterlogging of the soil, dark spots appear on the leaves, and the trunk also becomes soft. It is necessary to reduce watering and reduce indoor humidity.
- White dry spots on the leaves appear in a dry and strongly lit room. It is necessary to change the location of the pot in partial shade.
- Foliage curls and brown spots appear due to lack of temperature and poor light during winter dormancy. It is necessary to provide the plant with additional lighting and increase the temperature.
- Fungal diseases appear due to excess moisture. You should stop watering and apply fertilizers in a timely manner.
- Root rot occurs when moisture accumulates in the tray. If detected, you need to replant the flower, removing all affected parts of the root system.
Yucca is unpretentious plant, if you devote a minimum of time to it, it will perfectly decorate the interior.
We present home care for yucca with photos and precise recommendations. We tell you how to properly care for a palm tree: soil, watering, propagation, replanting, pruning and other nuances and other features of growing.
Yucca flower: lighting, humidity, temperature and soil
All species grown indoors include Yucca ivory and aloelia. The first one is much more popular and can be found more often in homes, offices or shopping centers.
At home, they do not bloom in 99.9% of cases (little light), and garden species have incredibly beautiful inflorescences with a delicate aroma that will not leave every flower lover indifferent.
In terms of care, there are no significant differences between the species. Some gardeners believe that aloe yucca is more capricious than elephant yucca and requires less frequent watering. Read more about them in separate material at the end of the article.
HUMIDITY. For good flower development relative humidity air should be at least 40%. At lower levels, mist the air around the plant in the morning and afternoon. It is especially important to spray in winter, since the air is often dried out by heating devices.
Approximately every 15-20 days, wash the palm under warm shower in the bathroom to wash off the dust. In other cases, the flower does not need to spray the leaves.
- IMPORTANT! If, when watering, water flows into the pan, then it must be poured out, as excess moisture contributes to rotting of the roots, and stagnation of water is very dangerous for the flower. An excess of moisture is more destructive than a lack.
- If the soil has not dried out 3-4 days after watering, loosen it. Loosening will speed up the drying of the soil and destroy salt deposits. A sign of overwatering is fungus gnats (small black flies).
- Be especially careful about watering your palm tree during cold snaps in the spring (the heating has already been turned off) and in the fall (the heating has not been turned on yet). At such moments, the soil takes longer to dry out, and if watered prematurely, the plants may rot their roots.
How to properly transplant yucca at home?
May your flower always be healthy and beautiful, and may caring for it be easy and enjoyable!
Exotic plants have attracted gardeners throughout time. One of the brightest representatives of the class evergreens is yucca. This plant, which belongs to the agave family, is native to the humid subtropics. North America. This requires the owner to create similar conditions: the climate must be dry and hot. However, not everyone has the necessary knowledge about the rules for caring for this plant at home, reproduction characteristics, etc.
Appearance
This plant may have single or branched trunk. Yucca also differs from other plants in that the leaves cover not only the branches, but also the trunk. They are slightly elongated and form a pointed shape at the end. Throughout its life, yucca blooms very rarely. Its flowers are quite large and have white shade. For many, they are associated with bells due to original form. Many gardeners choose this plant not to enjoy their flowering, but to enjoy the unusual appearance. After all, yucca strongly resembles a miniature palm tree.
If you are going to grow yucca in pots, it is recommended to place them on a window located on the south side. In this case, it is undesirable for the flower to be exposed to direct sunlight. In the absence of a bright place, yucca can be placed in partial shade, where she will also feel good. However, you should not count on the formation of a lush green crown.
With the onset of summer, it is recommended to take the flower out onto the balcony or it can be transported to the dacha, where it should find a place on the street. Here the yucca will receive maximum amount Sveta. Caring for the plant is not difficult, but first it will not hurt to get acquainted with the peculiarities of planting this plant.
I would like to repeat once again that yucca is a light-loving plant. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a fairly high temperature in the room where it is grown. This flower reacts with active growth if the temperature in summer is within + 20+25 degrees Celsius. With the onset of winter, it is recommended to move the plant to a dark place where the temperature should be maintained within +10-12 degrees. It is important to ensure that there are no sudden changes in temperature at this time of year, even though the plant will be dormant at this time. If the air temperature in the room drops below critical levels, the plant will not be ready for this and will die.
Watering and spraying
Watering is one of the important activities that determines how strong and healthy the plants will be. Yucca is not very demanding of moisture, so frequent watering can harm it. Care must be taken to ensure that the surface of the soil the water did not stagnate for a long time. She also doesn't feel any better if left without moisture. long time. In winter, it is watered much less frequently. Typically, watering once a week is sufficient to meet water needs.
Spraying of plants, which must be done extremely carefully, is useful in the summer. When moistening the leaves, care must be taken to ensure that they are protected from sunlight. Otherwise, it will cause burns. It is also important to avoid water getting into the rosettes of leaves and between the trunks of nearby plants during the operation. In winter, leaves are sprayed more often than in summer, since at this time the level of air humidity in the room decreases. This measure is effective if the procedure is carried out in winter at least once a day.
When growing any plants at home, caring for them involves fertilizing. And yucca is no exception. It is best to plan fertilization during the warm season, when plants enter the active growth. Fertilizers will not be beneficial if they are applied to the soil too often. Usually it is enough to carry out this operation once every two to three weeks. You can improve the quality of the soil by adding manure, humus or peat to it. The best effect can be achieved if, in the process of caring for plants, you use special fertilizers for agave plants.
Planting
There are several ways in which you can propagate yucca at home.
- Pieces of trunk 15 cm long;
- Cut and rooted tops;
- Daughter sockets.
As a substrate where the planting material will take root, you can use sand or mixture based on sand and peat. When the material is ready, the plant must be planted in a pot, having first filled it with soil substrate, which must contain pieces of charcoal. You also need to provide drainage in the container, which can be used as pieces of crushed stone or broken shards. The latter are best suited due to their lighter weight. Also, many gardeners grow yucca from seeds.
Propagation of yucca by apical cuttings
When the gardener has his first adult yucca bush, it can be used for propagation at home. It must be borne in mind that it must be a flower at least 30 cm high. One of possible methods propagation of the yucca palm - using cuttings, taken from the top.
- To harvest, the branch must be cut with a sharp knife or blade. Don't over-prepare a large number of planting material- the plant will feel worse if it has few green leaves left;
- After harvesting the cuttings, the cut points must be greased with crushed coal. After waiting a little, you can subsequently see how new branches will begin to grow from the healed wound. As a result, such manipulation makes it possible to obtain a spectacular branched yucca;
- After harvesting the cuttings, you need to give them time to dry. This usually takes about two hours. Then they need to be placed in wet sand. Until the time comes to transplant the plants to permanent place, they must be kept moist. To do this, the top can be placed in a glass of water, after adding activated carbon to it. Even before rooting, individual leaves may die. This moment needs to be monitored and removed. When the root system has developed sufficiently well, you can transplant the plant into a pot.
Reproduction by a piece of trunk
The operational method of propagating yuca is using trunk pieces. This method is more suitable for those gardeners who have repeatedly propagated this flower. First, you need to very carefully cut off part of the trunk and place it in wet sand. This must be done in such a way that the planting material is positioned horizontally. By keeping the sand moist, you will soon see roots and buds begin to form on the cuttings. As a result, this method will allow you to get several new yucca seedlings.
Reproduction at home by offspring
The offspring that this flower can often produce can also act as good planting material. First you need find a suitable container which is filled with wet sand. Then you need to carefully separate the shoot and place it in the soil substrate, fixing it vertically. After some time, a small tree will grow from it, which subsequently needs to be looked after very carefully. Therefore, you will have to prepare a pot filled with rich garden soil for replanting.
Plant pruning
The benefit of pruning is that it allows you to form a lush and branched crown of the plant. To do this, you will have to remove part of the top of the bush - about 10 cm. The cut area must be treated with crushed coal or garden pitch. Such an operation can only be carried out on those palm trees that have been able to take root well and have reached a height of 60 cm.
In order for a flower to grow well after transplantation, it needs not only proper care, but also a high-quality soil mixture. To do this, you will need garden soil, to which you need to add sand in an amount of 1/3 of the volume of the prepared mixture. To the bottom of the pot stack broken shards, and a piece of permeable geotextile is placed on top. After this, the container is filled with earth, but only up to half the volume. Having completed the basic preparations, they proceed directly to transplanting the palm tree.
Plant diseases
Yuca is no different from other garden crops, so it needs to be provided with appropriate care. Deterioration in the condition of the palm may occur as a result of damage fungal or bacterial infections. This can be determined by the appearance on the leaves dark spots. Subsequently, if left untreated, this can lead to tissue softening and rotting. In some cases, this process may also affect part of the trunk.
In this condition, care will involve removing the affected areas with a sharp knife. The same must be done for damaged leaves. Parts of the yucca bush not affected by the disease should be treated with a systemic fungicide. During this period, it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering. The same diseases can also affect plants grown indoors. In this case, you need to care for them according to a similar scheme.
Yucca is resistant to many insect pests. However, the greatest danger to her is spider mite, which she can become infected with in hot weather. To combat it, it is recommended to use a weak solution of tobacco tincture, which should be sprayed on the trunk and leaves.
Conclusion
Although yucca rarely pleases with its flowering, many gardeners are interested in it for its unusual decorative appearance. Therefore, many who have had the opportunity to enjoy the sight of this plant often set the goal of planting it on their site. This is quite easy to do if you follow the agricultural techniques for growing yucca.
Home care is no less important. Special attention need to be given preparing the soil mixture, since before the yucca is transplanted to a new place, it must be created optimal conditions for her growth. Also, success in this matter largely depends on correctly selected planting material. It is best to use cuttings, which in most cases root well and grow into a strong, healthy plant.
Yucca is a popular indoor plant. It is unpretentious and hardy, most often grown as standard tree with a thick trunk ending in plumes of lanceolate leaves.
Portrait of a plant
Previously, this crop was classified as palm trees, and now it is 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 short-stemmed and stemless species, 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 central and lateral shoots: majestic yucca (Y. gloriosa), beak-shaped (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 plenty 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 sunlight than adults, 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 is weakened and pests may appear on it, for example, mealybug or spider mite.
Yucca needs enough light in winter too, therefore, during this period it is advisable to organize additional artificial lighting for the plant, increasing the daylight hours 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 it is necessary high humidity air (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.
Observe correct mode Watering is important because 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, so 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 earliest possible time. 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, having first been freed from old land, sprinkle the cuttings with crushed charcoal or activated carbon and then plant them 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, 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.
Stem plants are used for propagation, and apical cuttings(top of the head).
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 soil for cacti or palms.
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 on stem cuttings New shoots begin to appear, and on the apical shoots the crown begins to grow.
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.
WITH mother plant cut off the daughter rosette and treat the cut 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.
|
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. |
Evergreen yucca has up to forty plant species. Each of them has its own differences in the shape of the leaves (smooth, jagged, with spikes, with threads, in the shape of a sword), their color (gray, green, brownish) and the shape of the buds (bell, bowl).
Unfortunately, indoor yucca rarely blooms at home, but many achieve this.
Optimal conditions for keeping yucca in the house
Yucca is a southern plant, the optimal conditions for it are good lighting, warm and moderate humidity.
Location and lighting
If you have a heated balcony, the yucca will feel good, where it is provided with the maximum amount of light. On the window sill in the room, the plant should not fall under direct Sun rays, it is better if they are located at an angle.
In winter, the flower will require additional artificial lighting. If there is a lack of light, the plant develops poorly, the leaves turn pale, and the trunk may become deformed.
Temperature
For an indoor yucca flower during the growth period, the desired temperature is about +25 degrees. During the dormant period in winter, the temperature can be gradually reduced to +10 degrees. A uniform, without changes, decrease in temperature stimulates the formation of flower buds.
One of the flowering conditions –This is compliance with the temperature regime. Yucca, like any southern plant, easily tolerates high temperatures, but reacts poorly to sudden changes from heat to cold and vice versa.
Comprehensive care for yucca at home
No less important care criteria than temperature regime, are air humidity, soil and lighting.
Watering and air humidity
Yucca easily tolerates drought and does not require frequent watering. In the spring-autumn period, the plant is watered as the top layer of soil dries. In winter, watering yucca is reduced: no more than once every two weeks. Stagnation of water in the soil can cause rotting of the roots and provoke plant diseases.
Many varieties of yucca prefer dry air; they do not need to be sprayed; you can wipe the leaves to remove dust.
Yucca, which loves moisture and regular spraying, should not be placed in direct sunlight after moistening. Wet leaves can cause severe burns.
All types of plants love water procedures in the form of a shower; after such irrigation, before putting the yucca in place, dry the leaves.
Important! Remember that yuccas do not tolerate drafts, and after watering or water procedures a draft is dangerous for a plant.
Feeding and fertilizing yucca
During the growth period, yucca needs feeding. It is advisable to feed the foliar method with mineral liquid formulations, diluting with twice as much water as indicated in the instructions for the drug. Spray the underside of the leaves with the preparation - the plant responds well to it.
In the spring-summer period, fertilizing is applied once every three weeks. In autumn and during the winter dormant period, the plant is not fertilized. You can also use organic fertilizer for yucca at home, for example, an infusion of cow manure with leaf humus.
Yucca pruning
If your plant begins to grow while losing decorative look, trim the branch, leaving two or three buds. Treat the cut area with crushed activated carbon. After three to four weeks, the buds under the cut will awaken and send out young leaves.
Do not throw away the cut branch; it can be used as a cutting. Trimming yucca at home will rejuvenate the plant and give it a well-groomed appearance.
Did you know? The Indians of both Americas ate yucca flowers. They were used to cook soups, bake meat and vegetables, and prepare drinks. Yucca fruits are similar in appearance and taste to bananas, which is why they are called “Spanish bayonet”.
Replanting and soil composition
Yucca grows, and along with it, its root system grows. For normal growth and development, the plant is replanted. There are several nuances on how to plant yucca correctly. Transplantation is carried out in the spring so that the plant has time to get used to its new location.
Young intensively growing plants require replanting every year, adult specimens - once every four years. The starting point for replanting will be the yucca root system that has grown throughout the entire space of the pot.
Properly repot the plant by moving it from the pot to minimize root damage and stress to the yucca. Suitable for transplantation universal primer with the addition of perlite. The yucca pot should be larger than the previous one and have drainage so that water does not stagnate at the bottom of the pot.
Attention! The basic rule of replanting: within a month after the procedure, the plant does not need to be fed, pruned or cuttings. During this period, he needs rest to adapt.
Yucca propagation at home
There are several ways to propagate yucca.
For sowing seeds prepare light soil for yucca - this is a mixture of turf and leaf soil with sand. The seeds are sown in a box with moistened soil and covered with glass. Crops are regularly ventilated and soil moisture is checked. When the seeds sprout (in a month), they are transplanted into separate pots.
When propagated by shoots The daughter side shoot is carefully separated from the adult plant. For rooting, it is placed in a container of water or wet sand. When roots appear on the shoot, you can transplant it into a pot with prepared soil.
Cuttings obtained by cutting the trunk of a plant into individual shoots up to 10 cm long. The top is planted in a mixture of turf soil and sand, creating a greenhouse effect. The remaining shoots are deepened into the soil horizontally, lightly sprinkled. When new shoots appear at the cutting sites, the cuttings are taken out of the soil, the shoots are separated and transplanted into pots. 
