useful information

The yucca palm is a popular and undemanding ornamental plant. From a botanical point of view, the yucca does not belong to the palm family, but to the asparagus family. Since not all species are hardy, we cultivate it as a predominantly container plant. It is suitable for the balcony or terrace, but can also be grown as a houseplant. The decorative plant has long leaves that are very sharp at the edges and tips. As a robust and resilient plant, it is very suitable for beginners.

wintering

Not all types of yucca are hardy. The temperature tolerance of non-hardy varieties is between 10 and 27 degrees Celsius. The outdoor season ends for these plants when temperatures hit ten degrees Celsius. These varieties do not tolerate lower temperatures. Winter quarters should be light and cool. Normally heated rooms are too warm for the plant during the dormant period from November to March.

  • bright and cool winter quarters
  • Temperature around 10 degrees Celsius, no higher than 12 degrees
  • air regularly, but avoid draughts
  • pour little
  • do not fertilize
  • check for pests at regular intervals (spider mites and scale insects)

If the yucca comes back outside after hibernation, it first has to get used to the sun. Place the plant in a sheltered spot for two weeks. After that, she can move to her summer location.

If the yucca palm is cultivated as a houseplant, it does not have to move in winter. In order for the plant to keep its usual resting phase, indoor yuccas should not be fertilized during this time either. Also, these plants do not tolerate drafts in winter.

Hibernation outdoors

Some types of yucca, such as the Yucca filamentosa, are frost and winter hardy. Depending on the variety, these plants can withstand temperatures down to minus 20 degrees. For hardy yuccas, it is not the temperatures that are the problem, but the wetness, since the yucca palm does not tolerate waterlogging at all.

Hibernate hardy potted plants outdoors:

  • protect against winter wetness
  • Give potted plants a sheltered spot
  • Cover the bucket with foil or fleece, do not wrap it completely
  • Provide root balls with leaves, brushwood or straw

It is best to place the palm lily under a canopy so that it is protected from the rain. Elevate the plant to prevent the cold from penetrating the bucket from the ground up. Logs of wood or styrofoam are very suitable for this. Alternatively, there are also "rubber feet" in specialist shops that can be attached to the planter. A house wall behind the plant provides additional warmth.

  • If the hardy yucca is planted in the garden, it also needs protection.
  • protect against winter wetness
  • Provide root balls with leaves, brushwood or straw
  • Create drainage around the planting hole (when planting out)
  • shelter from the rain with a tent or shed

If the yucca palm gets a tent roof, it must be transparent. Also make sure that there is enough space between the tent roof and the plant for air circulation.

If the palm lily is damaged, you do not have to dispose of the plant immediately. Cut off the damaged parts of the plant. As a rule, it drives out again after a few weeks.

Diseases

The yucca palm is a very robust plant. It is hardly attacked by pests. Pest infestation occurs most frequently during the dormant phase in the winter quarters. Spider mites and scale insects like to nest during this time if the winter quarters are too warm.

Yellow leaves

If the yucca gets yellow leaves, in most cases there is a care error. The plant has received too much or too little water. A change in watering will help the plant recover. If the substrate is permanently too wet, repot the plant. If the lower leaves of the yucca are yellowed, it is not getting enough light. In this case, the yucca must move to a brighter location.

Brown leaf tips

Brown leaf tips indicate insufficient humidity. Spray the plant regularly with lime-free water if possible.

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