Indoor yucca palm: home care, rules for growing and breeding. What is a yucca flower

Yucca, yucca (Yucca) is an evergreen tree-like plant of the Agave family. Many unknowingly call the flower a palm tree, but it does not apply to palm trees, like dracaena. In order for the plant to please with its beauty, you need to know how the yucca flower grows, how to care for the decorative "denim tree" at home

Description of yucca, types and popular varieties

There are two groups of houseplant yucca, including about 30 species: tree-like (with a trunk) and stemless (rosette). The leaves are xiphoid in shape, reach a length of 25-60 cm, a width of 1-7 cm, are collected in a bundle, forming rosettes. Depending on the variety sheet plates can be green, bluish, hard or semi-hard, have jagged or smooth edges (see photo).

In nature, yuca blooms, forming many bell-shaped or cup-shaped flowers (more than 300 pieces), collected in paniculate inflorescences 0.5-2 m long. They have a white or greenish-cream, yellowish tint, after flowering they form dry fruits-boxes or juicy fruits .

Note. The popular name for the flower is "denim tree". This is due to the fact that hard fiber is extracted from the leaves of some varieties, which is used for sewing jeans.

Depending on the variety, the plant may have a single stem or form branches. There are about 30 varieties, but the most popular among flower growers and gardeners are seven types of yucca.

Aloe leaf(Yucca aloifolia). Slow growing spherical shrub. The tree-like stem branches with age, forming rosettes of hard dark green leaf blades with a spike at the end at the ends.
Whipple(Yucca whipplei). Slow-growing species of spherical shape with a shortened stem and leaf plates collected in rosettes. The color of the leaves is grayish-green, at the ends there is a prickly thorn, and along the edges there are teeth.
Short-leaved, or tree-like, giant(Yucca brevifolia ) . The thick stem is strongly branched at the end, the leaves are short, hard, triangularly widened, brownish at the ends. The flowers are pale yellow.
Radiant, or high(Yucca radiosa) . Has densely spaced narrow leaves about 1 cm wide, 40-55 cm long. The color of the leaf plates is green, with a white border and large quantity thin threads.
Filamentous(Yucca filamentosa). Almost no stem. Differs in frost resistance. The bluish-green, white-mottled or yellowish leaves are distinguished by a pointed tip, the presence of curling thin threads.
elephant(Yucca elephantipes). AT adulthood the upright trunk becomes like a thick elephant's leg. The ends of the branches end in rosettes of elongated-lanceolate leaves of light green color.
glorious(Yucca gloriosa) . The tree has spherical shape, sockets are assembled from rigid sheet plates of curved shape. Colour decorative foliage- bluish-green, leaves are smooth, leathery.

Features of growing indoor flower

Indoor yucca can grow at home, that's enough unpretentious flower. The only important requirement is to provide good lighting.

Soil Requirements

The soil can be purchased from ready-made in any specialized store or cook it yourself. The optimal substrate for the flower will be a mixture of peat, large river sand and compost in equal proportions. It is also recommended to add some sod, perlite and humus to keep the pH in the range of 5.5-7. It is advisable to pour fine gravel or expanded clay at the bottom of the tank to ensure drainage.

Note. To understand whether the soil is suitable for growing, it must be poured into a pot and spilled well. If the water is quickly absorbed and flows through the drainage holes, everything is fine with the composition.

Pot selection rules

A container for growing yuca must meet a number of simple requirements.

The pot must be selected stable, opaque, medium in size, 4-5 cm wider and deeper than the previous one.
It is better if it is not plastic, but clay or ceramic.
Drainage holes should be present at the bottom to remove excess fluid from the soil.

Landing technology

Immediately after purchase, the yucca must be removed from the plastic container and planted in a suitable pot with a nutrient substrate. The procedure consists of three steps.

A layer of expanded clay or gravel is poured into the selected container, then a little soil.
Remove the plant from the purchased container, inspect the roots.
An earthen clod is placed in a pot, topped up with soil on the sides and top, tamped with fingers.

Yuka care at home

Yucca plant at home does not require special care, therefore suitable even for beginner growers. However, a number of rules still have to be observed in order for the plant to grow healthy, keep decorative look.

Temperature and lighting

For room yucca, lighting plays an important role, so it is better to put the pot on the southern windows. However, you will have to make sure that bright sunlight does not fall on the leaves, otherwise dark spots from burns will appear. The flower can also be placed in partial shade, but this will not have the best effect on the decorative color.

It should not be forgotten that yucca is considered not only a light-loving, but also a heat-loving plant. The temperature in the room in the summer should be around 20-25 degrees Celsius. In winter, the indicator is reduced to 10-12 degrees Celsius, the pot is moved to a dark place. Compliance with the dormant period will allow you to achieve flowering in room conditions.

Watering

Indoor yuca is not too demanding for watering, excessive soil moisture can even harm it. Therefore, water should not be allowed to stagnate on the soil surface; it is also necessary to take care of good drainage. However, it is not worth overdrying the soil. Usually in the summer the flower is watered once a week, in the winter - much less often, as it dries.

AT summer period it is useful to spray the plant from a spray bottle, protecting the leaves from direct sunlight before that. Do not pour water into leaf sockets, so as not to provoke decay. During heating season spraying should be done at least once a day.

Air humidification and ventilation

Some varieties of the flower are sensitive to dry air, require daily spraying with boiled settled water. For others, it is enough to be at some distance from the batteries in winter, placing them on a pallet with wet moss, expanded clay. It is advisable to avoid drafts and sudden changes in temperature.

Note. From spring to early autumn, it is recommended to wipe the leaf plates from dust with a well-wrung cloth or napkin. It is impossible to wash the plant in the shower, as well as to take it out in the rain in the summer. It is better to carry out the procedure in the evening.

fertilizers

Indoor yucca flower is responsive to top dressing. Fertilize in spring and summer (April to August) every three weeks. You can use both purchased mineral preparations and natural organic matter - mullein infusion, manure, humus. The best effect is given by foliar top dressing.

Pruning and care after flowering

The yucca flower rarely blooms in apartments; care at this time consists in regular watering, spraying, and top dressing. Faded inflorescences are then carefully cut with scissors so as not to disturb the decorative appearance of the plant. At other times, caring pruning of foliage is carried out to maintain the splendor of the crown.

Remove dried or yellowed leaf plates with scissors.
Cut off the top by 8-10 cm.
Handle the cut garden pitch or crushed coal.

Formative pruning is carried out only if the height of the plant has reached 50-60 cm.

Transfer

Transplantation is carried out as the flower grows or when problems with the root system are detected. At the same time, they replace the soil with a new one, select a larger pot. Do it in spring or early summer. Perform the following steps.

mixed garden soil with sand and humus.
At the bottom of the container, expanded clay is poured 3-4 cm high.
Pour the soil up to half the pot.
They take out the flower, without disturbing the earthen ball, transfer it to a new vessel.
Press down with the palms of a lump, fall asleep with soil on the sides and top. They tamp.
Abundantly watered. Do not fertilize for 2-3 weeks.

Note. In an adult plant, transplantation is carried out at least once every three years, annually replacing upper layer soil on a new one. If rotten roots are noticed, they are cut off, the cuts are smeared with crushed coal, dried.

Yucca flower reproduction

There are three ways to propagate yucca:

top cutting;
a piece of the trunk;
offspring.

However, it is possible to take material from the mother plant if it has reached a height of at least 30 cm. The stalk from the top or part of the trunk is cut off with a blade, sprinkled with crushed coal, and dried for a couple of hours. Then they are stuck in wet sand, do not allow drying. When roots appear, transplant into a pot. Instead of sand, you can use water by rooting part of the plant in a jar. When propagated by offspring, they are cut off, rooted in wet sand in an upright position.

Problems of growing a plant with improper care

In order to prevent rotting, wilting or death of the plant, it is necessary to moderately water the yucca in winter, monitor the temperature in the room. When the stem rots, parts of the roots must immediately take action to save the flower.

Yellow spots on the leaves or dropping them - the cause is drafts, hypothermia or natural death;
dried ends of leaves Brown- overdrying of the soil or dry air;
twisting of leaves low temperature in the room;
light spots on the foliage - sunburn;
stem rot and leaf spotting - a fungal infection.

Pests and diseases

Yucca is damaged by pests such as spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs and whiteflies. In general, abundant watering is considered the cause of infection. To eliminate the problem, yuca is treated with insecticides, following the instructions on the package.

Of the diseases, the flower is more often affected by bacterial and fungal infections, causing the appearance dark spots on foliage. Then the black areas soften, rot if the plant is not treated. To save the leaf plates and parts of the stem are cut with a sharp knife, processed systemic fungicide. Reduce the number of waterings for a while, observe others important conditions care.

Yucca flowers- flowers of an evergreen shrub, a representative of the Asparagus family. The shrub is a branched tree-like stem with sharp green leaves (see photo). The Indians called the yucca the "tree of life." blooming plant beautiful flowers white or cream shade that resemble bells. Yucca flowers are very fragrant, their aroma resembles a fragrance. expensive soap. Yucca blooms only at night, and bears fruit only in the wild. The fact is that this plant pollinates special kind butterflies, which is not found in temperate climate. The fruit of the tree is a fleshy berry. Most yucca species are native to the United States and Mexico. Yucca is known as the most beautiful desert plant.

Yucca is also known as the "tree of happiness". It is believed that the plant brings prosperity and good luck to the house. The decorative appearance (yucca is very similar to a palm tree) and the benefits of the plant allow it to be grown for various purposes. Some astrologers, on the contrary, do not recommend keeping yucca in the house, since its energy can cause conflicts among households, they position the yucca exclusively as a tub plant for the office. A tub of yucca at the entrance will protect office space from evil forces.

Cultivation and care

Yucca is grown as a garden and houseplant. Yucca is a heat-loving plant native to the tropics. The tree cannot grow without sufficient sunlight and regular watering. When watering, it is important to pay attention to the leaves of the plant: if they curl, then this means that the tree urgently needs watering, and if the leaves are straightened, it can not be watered. Do not flood the flower, as this is fraught with rotting of the rhizome. In low light, the yucca sheds its leaves; a well-lit room is considered the best place for the plant.

Yucca can be grown from seeds with a lot of patience. It is better to sow seeds at the end of winter, seedlings can be grown on average in 2 (!) Years. Most often they buy an already grown plant. Yucca can be grown in an apartment, and then transferred to the garden for the summer. The plant does well in well-drained soil. Also, yucca can be planted in open ground for year-round cultivation. For the winter, the plant should be tied in a bundle and wrapped up; in this form, the yucca will safely overwinter in the garden.

Beneficial features

Useful properties of yucca flowers are used to prevent many diseases. Scientists have found enzymes, chlorophyll, and other biologically active substances in the plant. Thanks to its rich composition, yucca cleanses the body, increases blood pressure, which is important for hypotension. The plant has a positive effect on metabolic processes, eliminates polyps in the intestines. Yucca is known as a plant that is good for joints: it eliminates the pain of arthritis and gout.

highest concentration useful substances observed in the roots and leaves of the plant. Americans long time yucca was used to make shampoos, fragrant soaps, paper and strong ropes were made from the leaves. Yucca is rich in steroidal saponins, which are necessary for the manufacture of hormonal drugs, one of which is cortisone. The antifungal properties of the shrub are also known. Chlorophyll, which the leaves contain, fights toxins and protects the body. Chlorophyll is necessary for hematopoiesis, since its molecule is similar to the molecule of human hemoglobin (this substance was even at one time called the "green blood of plants"). Chlorophyll has antitumor activity inhibits the growth of malignant tumors. Scientists who have studied chlorophyll have come to the conclusion that hemoglobin, which is the main respiratory pigment in the blood, is molecularly similar to chlorophyll. The only difference is that magnesium is at the center of these processes in plants, and iron in humans. Scientists have come to the conclusion that chlorophyll affects the blood in the same way as hemoglobin.

Green yucca leaves are rich in mucus that coats the stomach and has a mild laxative effect. The presence of mucus makes yucca irreplaceable with peptic ulcer, gastritis, gastrointestinal diseases. Anthraquinones also have a laxative effect, besides they are known for their astringent properties, they relieve inflammation.

The enzymes that yucca contains are similar to the enzymes that are secreted in the human body. They have a beneficial effect on digestive system are involved in metabolism.

An important place among the useful substances is occupied by antioxidants, they prevent the processes of premature aging, protect cells from oxidative processes. Antioxidants have anti-cancer activity, they neutralize free radicals. Modern man is in a state of chronic stress, if we add to this another factor such as smoking, it becomes clear that the need for antioxidants increases. In order to stay healthy, a person must consume foods containing antioxidants.

Yucca flowers are rich minerals such as zinc, selenium. Zinc activates immune responses, normalizes blood sugar levels, which is important in diabetes. This mineral helps the absorption of vitamin E. Zinc is one of the most important trace elements, necessary for bone tissue, satisfactory skin and teeth. Selenium protects nucleic acids that are essential for the circulatory system. Nucleic acids are the basis of all living organisms, as they are involved in the transfer of genetic information.

Yucca root contains vitamins A, C. Vitamin A is also called the “beauty vitamin”, it is involved in the production of sex hormones, the synthesis of the main visual pigment in the retina. Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin, hair, nails. Vitamin C is important for maintaining immune system. The root of this plant has long been used to relieve inflammation. It is rich in potassium, vitamin K, calcium, copper, magnesium and zinc. Extracts from the yucca root help the absorption of nutrients, normalize metabolic processes. Saponins are very important in diseases such as arthrosis and gout, their action is similar to that of steroids, but saponins do not have side effects.

Use in cooking

In cooking, yucca flowers were used by the Indians, they added the petals to soups and vegetable dishes. At home, the plant is grown as an industrial crop. Sugar is obtained from yucca juice. Flowers have a pleasant taste, they are dense and crispy. If we compare yucca with well-known food products, then in taste it is closest to green beans and artichoke leaves. The flowers of the plant go well with eggs, they are often put in omelettes. Crushed flowers can be added to tomato soups.

The benefits of yucca flowers and treatment

The benefits of yucca are associated with the presence in its flowers of many substances necessary for the body. At skin diseases prepare a decoction for lotions according to the following recipe. About 50 grams of leaves are brought to a boil in 3 liters of water, the resulting broth is used for lotions. This remedy is effective for psoriasis and eczema. An ointment based on yucca for psoriasis and eczema is also prepared: 100 grams of unsalted fat and 10 grams of leaves are mixed in a water bath and filtered through cheesecloth. The resulting ointment is applied to areas where there are problems.

At gastric diseases , the presence of inflammatory processes prepare a decoction of 10 grams of yucca leaves per 500 ml of water. A third of the decoction is taken 3 times a day.

Sick diabetes can purchase medications based on yucca or prepare decoctions from the flowers and leaves of the plant.

Harm of yucca flowers and contraindications

Yucca can harm the body with individual intolerance.

Introducing best advice on planting and caring for garden yucca in the open field. We tell the features of growing in outdoor conditions: choosing a place, top dressing, transplanting, reproduction, pruning and flowering. As well as caring for a flower in the fall and how to prepare for winter.

In open ground, the following types of yucca are most often grown: filamentous (filamentose), gray and glorious. The first species successfully winters in the conditions of the Moscow region and middle lane Russia, and the other two are grown mainly in the Crimea and the Caucasus.

Plants due to their exotic appearance look festive anywhere in the garden or group of plants.

The flower can also be grown as a pot culture at room conditions (elephant and aloe). They are often seen in shopping malls and offices.

SELECTING A PLACE

The plant is unpretentious in care, the most important thing is to plant it correctly and for the whole summer it will require a minimum of attention. The flower grows well and feels good in the open sunny place, but in some cases it tolerates penumbra well.

It is better to choose a place for planting garden yucca on slight slope sunny, but with partial shade in the midday heat, and well ventilated, but without drafts.

Do not plant in a lowland or in places with dense shade, such conditions will negatively affect appearance plants. With a lack of light, his leaves turn yellow and fall off.

LANDING

Yucca is planted in the spring, before the start of active growth and when night temperatures are consistently above +10 degrees or from mid-August to early September. The soil should contain sand, leafy and soddy soil, as well as humus (to add nutrients).

A flower can grow in almost any land, the main thing is to root system had access to air. If you want to plant a plant where there is dense black soil or clay, then in soil mix add sand, and at the bottom of the pit arrange gravel drainage.

The flower grows well and feels in one place often for 15-20 years.

How to plant a garden yucca?

The size of the dug hole should be approximately twice the diameter of the root system, the bush is planted exactly in the center. After filling the roots with soil, gently tamp it down so that there are no air cushions, and pour a small amount of settled water over it.

Planting yucca in open ground after purchase

Experts advise not to plant immediately, but to harden it first. Take the plant outside and increase the length of stay: the first 3-4 days by 1-2 hours in the afternoon, the next 4-5 days by 3-4 hours, and then 4-5 days by 5-6 hours. Then the bush can be planted in the country.

Yucca: cultivation and care in the open field - watering and fertilizing

With top dressing and watering - the main thing is to avoid an overabundance. With excessive watering, the roots begin to rot, and with insufficient watering, the leaves curl, and the threads droop and hang (in filamentous yucca-filamentose). With proper watering, the flower has straightened leaves with twisted threads.

The first two years of life it is fertilized with complex mineral fertilizer for succulents in May (before the start of active vegetation) and after the end of flowering. In the 3rd year, when the root system is well developed, it will be possible to feed with organic fertilizers.

It is better to feed adult flowers in the middle of spring (in April) - liquid organic fertilizer. In early June, a handful of superphosphate is poured around the trunk, after watering or rain, fertilizers go to the roots and stimulate the formation of flower arrows and buds.

How to transplant garden yucca?

A transplant is done mainly to divide and plant an overgrown bush (also see reproduction by dividing a bush). Since the plant can grow well for 15-20 years with good care without changing location. Up to 3 years of age, it can be transplanted to a better place with minimal risk.

Subtleties of transplant

Roots can grow up to 60-70 cm in length. Therefore, they dig deep and carefully around the bush, so as not to harm them.
Choose a landing site according to our recommendations.
After transplanting, it is better to feed street yucca in 14-16 days with complex fertilizer.
It usually blooms in a year.

When is the best time to transplant yucca?

A flower transplant should be done in spring or late summer (from August to early September).

Reproduction of yucca garden

The plant is propagated by seeds or vegetatively. AT vivo pollination of flowers occurs with the help of butterflies from the Pronuba family, but in our climatic conditions they do not inhabit.

By the way, the process of growing yucca from seeds is very time-consuming and time-consuming: they are harvested in August, sown in February, and only two years later, in April-May, it will be possible to plant seedlings in open ground.

DIVISION OF THE BUSH (ROOT SCUPS)

simple and effective method, which is convenient to propagate street yucca during transplantation.

An overgrown flower must be dug up from mid-April to early May or from mid-August to early September, to separate the shoots with roots and shoots.
Young plants are planted in permanent place and watered. They need more careful care: protect from the bright rays of the sun, carefully water and feed after rooting.

As a rule, offspring are planted every 3-4 years.

STEM CUTTINGS

The best time for breeding is spring. Strong, but medium-sized apical shoots (the top of the stem) are used as cuttings. The larger the cut cutting, the worse it takes root.

A healthy shoot (a small crown of the stem) is cut at an acute angle, sprinkled with crushed wood or activated carbon cut location. Remove excess leaves (leave 4-5 on a large sample) and dry for 15-20 minutes in the shade.
Then the stalk is planted in a moist soil substrate at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other and at a depth of 5-7 cm, and covered with glass / film on top.
Rooting occurs best in light, nutritious and sandy soil with room temperature. Keep the potting mix moist. After rooting the cuttings, plant them in the ground.
Young flowers are left to winter in a greenhouse, but they are additionally insulated from above with leaves.

STEM PART (ROOT CUTTINGS)

In order to propagate the yucca street part of the trunk, it must have dormant buds.

Prepare the soil mix. Cut off the part of the flower stem with dormant buds (at least 10 cm long), lay horizontally on moist soil and lightly press into it.
Spray part of the trunk a little daily.
After about 10-20 days, dormant buds will wake up, and young shoots will grow in their place.
Then the trunk of the palm tree is removed and cut into separate parts with shoots. The cut points are sprinkled with charcoal powder and dried in the shade for 15-20 minutes.
Each part with an escape is planted in the ground.

How to prune a yucca?

Pruning is an excellent means of rejuvenating an old plant and making strong seedlings for the garden or home. It is also used to save frostbitten or rotted flowers.

A favorable time for pruning is spring, when they have already been freed from winter shelter. Since there is only one point of growth, when the stem is pruned, its further growth accordingly stops. After that, dormant buds will wake up on the stem and after a while new rosettes with leaves will appear.

Water the yucca two days before pruning. Cut the trunk with a clean knife with a sharp blade so that there is no peeling of the bark at the cut point, 7-9 cm below the level of leaf growth.
After drying (10-15 minutes) - the places of cuts are sprinkled with fungicide and finely ground charcoal. The top of the mother plant remaining in the soil is covered with garden pitch to provide good protection against disease and rot. The flower must be moved to a less lit place or shaded.
After a couple of weeks, young sprouts will begin to appear on it. At the strong and healthy flower leave 3-5 shoots. Yucca garden small size will be able to withstand the growth of a maximum of two tops.

The cropped top can be rooted in the same way as cuttings in a greenhouse or greenhouse with a sandy substrate. After rooting, it can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Yucca filamentous "Bright edge"

Flowering and why does yucca not bloom?

adult yucca blossoms beautiful flowers white color with a creamy yellow or golden hue, they resemble bells in shape. A fairly large number of them are located on one leg, due to which the plant has excellent decorative properties.

A multi-flowered panicle, from 0.5 m to 2.5 m long, emerges from the center of the leaf rosette. Usually it stands upright, but can sink under the weight of flowers. A plant grown in the garden with plenty of heat and sunlight will delight you with its abundant flowering.

What year does yucca bloom?

The plant usually blooms in the 2-3rd year (sometimes in the 1st). The flowering period lasts a very long time - up to three weeks and falls on June-July.

Why doesn't it bloom?

Yucca most often cannot bloom for a reason cold winter if its aerial part was damaged by frost.
It is not uncommon for it to bloom in the 4-5th year after planting.
Often the bush does not bloom due to lack of light when planted in partial shade.

Yucca filamentous (filamentosis)

Care in autumn and winter

Yucca garden is considered to be quite frost-resistant, it really tolerates snow that falls in autumn or spring, without visible losses, but only if it melts in 2-3 days. In general, it is able to withstand temperatures down to -15 degrees.

And constant cold and winter without snow are deadly for the plant. Therefore, it is necessary to insulate it before the onset of winter frosts, especially specimens up to 2-3 years old. Frosts are more dangerous for the point of growth (the core of the rosette), as the roots are more resistant and better protected.

How to cover the garden yucca for the winter?

In late October - early November, in dry weather, press the leaves to the crown around the trunk (“bundle / tail”) and carefully tighten with twine / ribbon along the entire length. Get a kind of column. So we will protect the crown of the plant from freezing, and the leaves from mechanical damage.
Next wrap the flower thick cloth, burlap or agrofibre and put on top wooden box without bottom.
Pour dry leaves, spruce branches or sawdust from above and from all sides of the box. If there is no box, then lay branches or boards that will press the leaves to the ground and prevent the wind from blowing them away.
Next, cover the structure with the plant with a film and securely fix it. This shelter will allow you to save the yucca in the winter as it does not let in moisture from the outside and has an air cushion inside.
Young specimens are more sensitive to excess moisture in winter period. So, in early spring it is better to remove excess snow. In the spring, when stable heat sets in, the structure is dismantled. As young leaves begin to grow, last year's old yellowed ones are cut with secateurs.

By the way, even in the conditions of the Moscow region and central Russia, street yucca successfully winters in such a shelter. In the south of Russia, you can do without a serious shelter, it is enough to complete the first three points.

When to open yucca after winter?

In the spring (mid-late March), remove winter shelter with yucca and rake dry leaves. Then cover with burlap and remove it after the onset of stable heat (early April).

Approximate terms for the Moscow region are indicated.

Potential Growing Problems

High humidity and damp soil contribute to the development of diseases. See - Of these, the palm is most often affected by stem rot due to excessive watering and improperly prepared soil.

Brown leaf tips appear due to cold drafts or dry air.
Brown spots can be caused by a fungal disease due to high humidity soil. The reason lies in excessive watering, wrong composition soil mixture (insufficient drainage, low air permeability) or unsuitable acidity of the substrate.
Light dry spots occur with an excess of bright sun.

Read more in a separate article. And for photos of all types (glorious, gray-gray, filamentous and others), see the material on varieties.

ADDITIONS TO THE ARTICLE:

We wish that a beautiful and healthy yucca grows and blooms in your garden!

Such wonderful plant, like yucca, can easily grow at home. And it does not require special care. The only fundamental point is good lighting, because the birthplace of yucca is desert and semi-desert areas.

Yucca palm at home should grow in close proximity to the south window. Although if the western or eastern window is well lit, you can grow a palm tree next to them.

Interestingly, yucca does not bloom at home. But in nature, it is covered with large white bell-shaped flowers. Buds are laid only in the cold, so if you place a yucca for the winter on an insulated loggia, then you will have a chance to see it bloom.

Yucca grows extremely slowly, so it is better for impatient people to choose mature plant. However, this type of palm has been very popular lately, so you have to pay a decent amount for a plant.

The yucca plant requires daylight hours that will last at least 16 hours. From this follows a logical conclusion that in the cold season it will be necessary to create artificial lighting. In all other respects, the plant can be forgotten from time to time, and it will not at all wither from lack of attention.

Features of caring for a houseplant yucca and photos

If the yucca gets enough light, then the next thing to take care of is watering. The soil, which has dried up by 5-7 cm, is a clear sign that the plant needs to be watered. For every 5 liters of soil, there should be 1-1.25 liters of purified or at least settled water. If the soil dries out less, then the volume of water should be less. If the leaves turn dark at the ends, then this indicates that watering is too plentiful. Excess water can lead to root rot.

In summer, the temperature comfortable for the plant will be 20-25 degrees Celsius, and in winter not lower than 10 degrees. Yucca is not whimsical to air humidity, but dry air will be preferable. However, there are very rare varieties of yucca that love moisture and which need spraying at any time of the year, and even a tray with wet gravel is needed in winter.

In the period from April to August, the plant must be fertilized with complex mineral fertilizers. A weak solution is sprayed on the underside of the leaves. An excellent option would be the Belarusian fertilizer - Peat Oxidate. If the yucca is unhealthy or it has recently been transplanted, then spraying is by no means worth it.

Yucca is planted in a large and deep pot

If you are wondering “how to transplant a yucca”, then it is worth transplanting it in the spring about once every 2-4 years. However, the plant must be transplanted immediately if the pot has become small or rot has appeared on the roots, and it must be urgently removed. If the yucca is just bought, then it also needs to be transplanted, after allowing it to get used to the new conditions.

For planting yucca, it is better to use soil, which will include compost, turf, sand, perlite, humus. It is necessary to mix the components so that the pH of the soil mixture is in the range of 5.5-7.5.

Alkaline soil will not allow the roots to absorb many elements. In order to determine if the soil is suitable for growing yucca, you can simply water it quite liberally. If the water is quickly absorbed by the soil and flows out through the drainage hole, then everything is in order with the composition of the soil.

For transplanting, you need a stable and fairly deep pot. A layer of expanded clay or gravel is poured at the bottom. Then a small amount of soil is poured. If the plant is completely healthy, then you can simply transfer it from the old container along with a clod of earth. If there is rot on the roots, then you will have to remove it first, and sprinkle the slices with crushed coal. After the plant is in a new container, soil should be added and tamped.

Yucca winter care

If in winter the yucca is in a very warm room, and at the same time the daylight hours are short, the plant may start to hurt. Its leaves may become pale and thin, they begin to gradually droop and fall off. If the plant is severely weakened, it becomes extremely vulnerable to insects and diseases and may die. Therefore, the fundamental points winter care for yucca - this is an increase in daylight hours and a decrease in temperature. If the temperature in the room cannot be lowered to a comfortable one, then the yucca can be placed on a balcony or loggia, which are well insulated, but not heated.

Features of reproduction of indoor yucca flower

Yucca can be propagated by seeds, cuttings, and part of the trunk

If selected seed propagation method, then immediately before landing it is necessary to carry out scarification. The meaning of this procedure is to damage the hard shell in order to facilitate germination. The seed is filed with sandpaper, and then planted in the lightest soil mixture, which can be made up of sand and turf or leafy soil. The components are taken in equal amounts. Planting depth - 2-3 seed diameters.

After planting is carried out, the seeds are covered with a film or glass, and then placed in a place with sufficiently bright diffused light and a temperature in the range of 25-30 degrees.

In the first 10 days, the earth should be extremely well moistened. The film or glass is removed every day and wiped dry from condensate. The seeds are ventilated. In a month, as a rule, shoots appear.

Sprouts that have already released at least a couple of leaves are transplanted into disposable cups with the same soil. After a week, it is worth carrying out the first top dressing, which should be repeated after 2 weeks. For top dressing, a solution of nitrophoska is made (1 g per liter of water). When a sprout has 4-5 leaves, it is already considered suitable for normal care.

Reproduction by cuttings

The ideal time for cuttings is spring.

Yucca can be propagated by cuttings. This will give faster growth rates. If you use, for example, propagation by seeds, you will have to wait a very long time until the yucca becomes a tree.

The ideal time for cuttings is spring. However, it is quite acceptable to extend the breeding period of the plant until August.

Cuttings before planting should be dried for 12 hours in a cool shade. Then the cuttings with just a couple of leaves are placed in perlite to a depth of 3-4 cm and fixed in a stable vertical position. Perlite must be constantly moist, and then rooting will occur in 3-4 weeks. In this case, the light should be bright and diffused, and the temperature should be kept at 25-30 degrees. For the rooting of the cuttings, air humidity is important. You can make it higher by regular spraying.

Reproduction by parts of the trunk

The question "how to cut a yucca" usually arises when it becomes prohibitive for one room. From one plant it is quite possible to make 2-3 smaller ones.

For reproduction, it is necessary to carefully cut off the top, and sprinkle the slices with crushed coal. Then the resulting fragments are rooted in boiled water and, after the roots appear, they are planted in the prepared soil. The trunk is cut depending on the number of shoots and planted. The cuts need to be processed.

The cut of the stump on the mother yucca is well processed, and care continues as usual, only watering is somewhat reduced. After a short amount of time, an abundant growth of fresh greenery should appear on the stump.

Diseases and pests

If your yucca starts to turn yellow, don't worry, it's a natural process. But if the yellowness gives brown this may indicate a disease

As a result of too abundant watering on a yucca, insects such as aphids, thrips, scale insects, caterpillars, spider mites. If the plant is affected, then it is necessary, without delay, to remove the cause of weakened immunity, and treat the yucca with insecticides, carefully following the instructions.

Yucca, which receives normal care, gets sick very, very rarely. However, in case of improper care, it can be affected by brown or gray spotting, root or trunk rot, and bacterial burn.

Sometimes the yucca turns yellow, and newcomers to breeding indoor plants usually very worried about this. The plant may turn yellow because it is a natural process of growth and development, during which the lower leaves are shed. In this situation, any anxiety will be groundless.

However, it happens that the yellow spots become elliptical in shape, and eventually turn brown. These are signs of a disease such as brown spotting.

When the yucca dries, novice growers also begin to worry. This again may be a natural process of getting rid of the lower leaves. But if dryness is visible on the upper ones, then insufficient lighting or heat may be the cause. If the tips of the leaves are dry, then it will be necessary to increase the humidity of the air.

If the leaves fall, and they are not lower, then the root of this must be sought in the wrong watering.

Almost never can a yucca bloom indoors, just as wild animals cannot breed in captivity. In order to fully enjoy the flowering of yucca, it is important to create conditions for it that are as close to natural as possible.

You can learn even more by watching a video on this plant, this video tells what kind of plant it is, where it comes from and how to care for it at home, we wish you a pleasant viewing.

This plant only looks like a palm tree, but has nothing to do with it. Those who have just started floriculture may even mistake yucca for dracaena or cordilina. Obvious differences between them are visible only after a close acquaintance.

This plant firmly holds the leading position among indoor flowers. There is nothing surprising in this - this beautiful palm-shaped plant is very unpretentious in its care, which makes it possible for novice flower growers to successfully do what they love, and for those who already have it, do not waste a lot of time on it. Yucca is hardy and calmly tolerates the lack of care, it would be watering. She also does not need frequent transplants.

But this too unpretentious plant requires some attention, especially if you want to show it off to other amateurs. You need to figure out how to care for yucca before you buy it and follow the recommendations. Stores offer, as a rule, glorious yucca, and exactly how to care for it will be discussed below.

An adult plant can reach a height of 2 m, and even higher, so the window sill is only suitable for "kids" yucca. But even for them, the window sill should be wide enough so that their leaves do not touch the window panes. Yucca, placed on the windowsill, can easily get burned - cold in winter and sunny in summer. That is why it is recommended to put a pot of yucca on the floor near the window. But there should be enough lighting, so it’s better not to put a yucca in the shade. It is best if the sun shines through this window for most of the day. Yucca is especially sensitive to sunshine in winter.

In warm weather, the best for yucca will be "living" in the fresh air. Try to provide for such an opportunity for the plant. Yucca loves Fresh air, but does not like drafts. Remember this and do not ruin your plant.

Temperature regime for yucca
This plant does not like high temperatures, but you should not freeze it either. The most optimal is to maintain a temperature range from 16 degrees to 18 degrees. winter time and keep the yucca at room temperature the rest of the year. But it’s better not to overheat it, so when it’s hot, yucca should be provided with more comfortable conditions existence. In the case when the plant is in a room without heating, it cannot be kept there at temperatures below eight degrees Celsius.

When the yucca spends time outdoors, the rains provide it with enough moisture if there is no drought in the summer. At home, the plant requires abundant watering, but the top layer of earth in a pot must first dry out a little. At the same time, there should not be any water in the pan, because excess moisture can lead to root rot. In winter, watering becomes rare, and the earth in the pot should be half dry before the next.

Humidity for yucca does not really matter. However, when the pot is near the radiator, the leaves of the plant dry up, and it should be sprayed daily. Outside of the heating season, yucca is sprayed and washed as needed.

Requires yucca and top dressing. The period of its active growth begins in April and lasts until August, when additional “food” is needed. It can be a common fertilizer used for ornamental plants. The frequency is once every two or three weeks.

Plant transplant
A young yucca does not cause problems with transplantation, and its “place of residence” should be changed every two years. But the yucca grows well, and in the future it will be problematic to transplant it into a new "home". When the yucca reaches a solid size, it is not necessary to replant it, you can simply change the top layer of earth in a pot. This must be done annually.

The earth must be nutritious and loose enough so that moisture and air are available for the root system. Ready-made earthen mixtures are sold in stores, but it is preferable to make it yourself. Take two parts of sod, sand and leafy soil and one part of humus and mix thoroughly. And do not forget that the plant needs drainage.

The big yucca is not very stable and is often planted in a pot large sizes than required. Sometimes this leads to acidification of the soil. To prevent this from happening, a fifth of the soil should consist of a ripper - expanded clay chips, vermiculite or perlite.

Yucca breeding
For propagation, seeds, pieces of the trunk or apical cuttings are used, which is the most common method. This is similar to the propagation of dracaena, but it requires soil mixture, and for yucca - sand, vermiculite or perlite. Cuttings can also be placed in water. The breeding procedure is carried out from spring to early summer. The rest of the time for reproduction is unfavorable, and the mother plant can also get sick.

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