Sealing the interfaces on the yucca palm primarily serves to protect against pathogens. What to look out for when choosing the material and some other tips for trimming are explained below.

In a nutshell

  • Sealing is recommended, especially for large cuts and many wounds
  • Penetration of pathogens is avoided
  • Prefer home remedies to commercially available wound closure agents
  • Use of tree and candle wax increases risk of cracking and new wound injuries
  • alternatively use clay, cow dung, charcoal or emulsion paint

sense of sealing

The reasons for cutting off the plant, also known as palm lily (Yucca filamentosa), are varied. After the cut, it is advisable to seal the wounds on the trunk of the yucca palm. This is mainly due to the following reasons:

  • Avoiding the entry of pathogens
  • Prevention of surface cracking due to drought
  • Reducing the leakage of plant sap
  • improved regeneration of the wound site

Materials and use of tree and candle wax

A wide variety of wound closure agents are commercially available. In practice, the use of candle and tree wax is particularly well known. In addition to being much cheaper to procure, the materials are already available in many households.

candle wax

A tea light is suitable for using candle wax. Light the candle and gently drip the resulting liquid candle wax onto the wound. Be careful not to apply too thick a layer. This offers the risk of peeling off and thus the loss of the protective function.

tree wax

In comparison, tree wax consists of natural resins. This can be processed into a viscous paste. It is best to spread the wax thinly over the wound with a spatula. Due to the similarity to the natural wound tissue of the plant, this is often better accepted by the plants than candle wax.

Notice: The use of wax also has disadvantages when sealing the yucca palm. Wax can accelerate the drying of the wound site. This promotes the formation of cracks and the renewed development of sores.

alternative home remedies

In addition to the two options mentioned above, many other materials for sealing wounds on a yucca palm have also proven themselves in practice. These prevent the wounds from drying out and cracking.

Clay

Clay is one of the oldest known binders and was used in the past, particularly in construction. The mixture of sand, silt and clay is a tried and tested remedy for treating wounds. Pour the mixture with water to create a spreadable paste. You can easily spread this on the wound surface. To prevent hardening and drying out, you should then cover the layer of clay with foil or adhesive tape.

When sealing the yucca palm with clay, you should consider the following guidelines:

  • Remove the film and clay after ten days at the latest
  • Allow wound site to breathe for at least an hour
  • Replace the clay layer and adhesive tape afterwards

Notice: The duct tape should she by no means anstaplen or annailnto avoid further injuries.

cow dung

The use of cow dung is mainly known for fertilizer purposes. Due to the high nutrient density and variety, the manure is one of the natural complete fertilizers. Applying a mixture of cow manure, clay, lime and water provides the following benefits:

  • high breathability
  • strong protection against dehydration and cold
  • high light reflection
  • additional support for wound healing thanks to the nutrients it contains

It is not necessary to remove the manure layer that has been applied. Since the materials used are completely biodegradable, the layer will dissolve by itself over time.

In the production you use one part cow dung, which you mix with two parts clay and one part each of lime and water.

charcoal

Charcoal is primarily known for its water-absorbing effect. It is therefore particularly suitable for weeping and infectious cuts. Grind the charcoal into a powder and apply it to the spots with your finger.

The breathable substance stimulates the formation of new cells. This also accelerates wound healing overall.

Notice: Despite the water-absorbing properties of the charcoal powder, it should not come into contact with large amounts of water. Especially bwhen watering you should splash water vavoidin.

emulsion paint

The use of emulsion paint to seal the yucca palm has proven particularly useful for large-scale cuts. Apply the finished emulsion to the affected areas using a brush. The emulsion paint offers the following advantages:

  • high breathability
  • prevents the wounds from drying out
  • effective protective barrier against bacteria and fungal spores

Notes on pruning

The palm lily is assigned to the extraordinarily pruning-tolerant plants. It can therefore also cope with radical pruning of the leaf crown and the trunk without any problems.

The ideal time to cut back the yucca palm is spring or early summer. As a houseplant, however, it can basically be trimmed all year round. Depending on the thickness of the branches and leaves, different tools can be used to cut off the yucca:

  • household scissors
  • secateurs
  • knife
  • hand saw

Brief cutting instructions

  • cut off dried leaves
  • remove protruding leaves
  • Trim lengthwise protruding leaves to a reasonable length
  • Depending on the size, saw the trunk into several parts, minimum size of the individual sections: 20 centimetres
  • Mark the tops with a pencil or felt-tip pen
  • Sealing of the top of the trunk
  • put the lower end of the trunk area back into the ground

frequently asked Questions

Can all wounds be treated with the aforementioned wound closure agents?

In principle, all wounds can be sealed. In practice, however, it is only advisable to close those wounds that are also visible on the surface and are exposed to the weather. In particular, wounds on the undersides of trunks are used to propagate plants. Closing these places would inhibit root growth.

Can several wound closure agents be combined?

A combination of different alternatives is strongly discouraged. In addition to limiting the effectiveness of the individual measure, not all materials are compatible with each other. The result can be unwanted chemical processes that also affect the yucca. It is therefore advisable to treat the individual wound site with only one of the aforementioned options at the same time.

What other measures support renewed growth after pruning?

In order to facilitate the regeneration of the yucca after the stressful pruning, it should be placed in a sunny and warm place. In addition, the use of an organic plant fertilizer is recommended, which provides the necessary nutrient supply.

Category:

Garden plants