care of yucca plant - Ask Extension
This plant flowered last year (but haven't yet seen anything this year). I had read that I should cut off the flower stalk, which I did last Fall but...
Knowledgebase
care of yucca plant #278829
Asked September 17, 2015, 11:11 AM EDT
This plant flowered last year (but haven't yet seen anything this year). I had read that I should cut off the flower stalk, which I did last Fall but then two groups of leaves came up this year and have a lot of dead leaves at the bottom. Do you have some suggestions on how to care for this plant? Should I remove the brown leaves? Thank you for any info.
Chesterfield County Virginia
Expert Response
Yucca is a fairly easy plant to grow if you have the right variety for our area. Yours appears to be growing in a planter. The first order of business is to be sure that the drainage holes in the bottom of the planter are open and excess water can drain out. Very wet soil and poor drainage can kill these plants quickly.
Yes, you can remove the bottom leaves that have turned brown. These will eventually fall off on their own but look rather untidy before then. Be sure you don't nick the trunk while removing them.
Yuccas will form a trunk if they continue to thrive and will become "top heavy" in the planter. If yours has been left outside over winter, you may want to plant it in the ground instead of leaving it in the pot. Be sure it's in a location that gets full sun and has good drainage. A low area is not a good site for it. The plant in the picture appears to be in shade. If you can move it to a sunnier area it should make a difference in whether it blooms or not.
They are not heavy feeders so unless your soil is very poor, no added fertilizer should be necessary. A soil test will tell you if you need to add anything.
Good luck with your impressive plant! If you have additional questions on this subject, please use the reply feature within this email. And thanks for using Ask an Expert!
Yes, you can remove the bottom leaves that have turned brown. These will eventually fall off on their own but look rather untidy before then. Be sure you don't nick the trunk while removing them.
Yuccas will form a trunk if they continue to thrive and will become "top heavy" in the planter. If yours has been left outside over winter, you may want to plant it in the ground instead of leaving it in the pot. Be sure it's in a location that gets full sun and has good drainage. A low area is not a good site for it. The plant in the picture appears to be in shade. If you can move it to a sunnier area it should make a difference in whether it blooms or not.
They are not heavy feeders so unless your soil is very poor, no added fertilizer should be necessary. A soil test will tell you if you need to add anything.
Good luck with your impressive plant! If you have additional questions on this subject, please use the reply feature within this email. And thanks for using Ask an Expert!
