Yuca palm care made easy
With its long, pointed leaves and slightly thicker trunk, it looks a lot like a palm tree. The classic yucca palm convinces with its simple appearance and fits into every living room.
We'll show you what proper yucca palm care looks like. So nothing stands in your way and you can start your Urban Jungle indoors and outdoors
The history of the yucca palm
Among plant lovers, the yucca palm is also called palm lily. Like most indoor plants, it does not describe just one plant, but an entire plant genus (Yucca), which belongs to the asparagus family (Asparagaceae).
From a botanical point of view, the name palm is incorrect, since this is not a palm tree.
Approx. 30 different species belong to the yucca palm, which has its original home in Central and South America. There it can reach a height of up to five meters. The plant is characterized by a woody stem, palm-like leaves, and lily-like white flowers that give it its name.
Yuca palm care: It's that easy!
So that the popular houseplant also feels comfortable with you, we want to show you what you have to consider when caring for the yucca palms.
The right yucca palm location
The yucca is very tolerant of site conditions. You can place them in a sunny, light location, but also in a partially shaded location. Of course, it thrives better in the sunny spot, but you don't mind the darker locations either.
Unless it gets far too little sunlight, then its leaves may dry up. In return, too much direct sunlight also harms the Yucca P
Tip: As you can see, the right location is very important for caring for the yucca palm and makes things a lot easier later on.
You can also place some Yucca palm species on the balcony or terrace in summer. If this is the case, then you should bring them indoors for the winter. The plants do not tolerate frost. Make sure they're in a light and cool place.
Yucca palm soil: it should be rich in nutrients
The yucca plant is also very easy to care for when it comes to the choice of potting soil. In any case, it should be very nutritious and loose so that it offers good permeability. Basically, you can't go wrong with commercially available green plant soil. If you loosen them up with a bit of sand or expanded clay, that's ideal for the yucca palm.
Don't buy special palm soil as this is not a palm tree.
Important: Make sure that your plant does not have excess water in the pot. Because the yucca palm does not tolerate too much moisture and waterlogging at all.
Yucca palm watering: Less is more!
A common mistake in caring for yucca palms is watering them too often. The plant requires very little water for optimal growth. You should always remove excess irrigation water to avoid waterlogging. The plant tolerates calcareous water without any problems.
Tip: If the soil feels dry at a depth of two centimeters, then you can water the yucca plant so that it is slightly damp, but not soaking wet.
If your yucca palm is outside, then you usually don't have to water it. Unless it is a very dry and hot summer. When wintering indoors, you should water the plant every one to three weeks.
Fertilize yucca palm properly
If you have your yucca plant in the garden, the yucca does not need any additional nutrients. The situation is different with potted plants. In the growth phase (April to October), we advise you to supply your plant with a green plant fertilizer every two weeks.
The important nutrients such as lime, magnesium and potassium are added to the liquid fertilizer mixed with the plant's irrigation water. In winter you should give your easy-care houseplant a rest period. As you can see, caring for the yucca palm is not a big challenge.
Cut the yucca palm
The yucca palm is one of the houseplants that basically do not need to be cut back. Of course you can cut the plant if it gets too big for you. Simply cut off the yucca stem or stems and seal with wax. This keeps them safe from bacteria and pathogens.
If you discover brown leaves, or the leaves are yellow or dried up, you can easily cut them off. In the best case, this even accelerates growth, since the nutrients are better passed on in the plant.
Repotting yucca palms: regularity promotes growth
Yuca palm care also includes regular repotting of the plant. The best time for this is spring, as with most (house) plants. If the yucca plant can enjoy normal and healthy growth, then you should transplant it to a new pot with fresh substrate every two to three years.
The flower pot should always be high enough so that the plant has enough stability and does not tip over. Tips for repotting are, for example:
- roots growing out
- The amount of soil in the pot has decreased significantly
- the yucca palm is too big and therefore very unstable in its pot
Tip: Use gloves when repotting the plant, as the leaves of the yucca palm are very sharp.
Propagate yucca palm: Offshoots
Older yucca plants form numerous offshoots at the base of their trunk. You can use these to propagate your plant. If you carefully remove the offshoots from the mother plant in spring and plant them in a new flower pot together with special potting soil, then with a lot of love and luck a large new yucca palm will develop from it.
Important: Make sure that the offshoot should be planted at least four inches deep in the fresh soil. That way he can develop his roots better.
Is the yucca palm poisonous?
For cats the yucca palm is considered poisonous. You should therefore keep them out of your pet's reach or even do without them altogether. Toxic substances in the leaves can cause symptoms of poisoning in cats.
Tips for problems with the yucca palm
If your yucca plant develops yellow leaves, this is often a sign of a watering error. The location of the plant should not be too humid. It doesn't matter if there is high humidity or if the substrate is too damp. Both damage the plant and can lead to discoloration of the leaves.
The leaves can also turn brown if you water the plant too often or if it suffers from a lack of water. In any case, discoloration of the lush green leaves is an indication of a care error that you should notice.
Have a look in our shop and discover our world of indoor plants.
.
Leave a comment