The yucca palm is a very grateful plant. Nevertheless, you can't avoid a little care and possibly an occasional cut.

With their prickly shape, palm lilies can grow very expansively and tolerate pruning well

Yucca palms (Yucca) are considered to be particularly easy-care indoor plants that only need to be watered or cut a little. The agave plant (Agavoideae) is native to the dry regions of North and Central America, where sometimes harsh conditions prevail. We show you how to optimally care for the yucca and when it should be cut.

The right location for the yucca palm tree

Yucca palms are usually kept as decorative houseplants in this country, with the giant palm lily (Yucca elephantipes) being particularly popular for this purpose. Conveniently, various yucca species also thrive outside in Germany despite the harsh winters, including, for example, the candle palm lily (Yucca gloriosa) or the thready palm lily (Yucca filamentosa ). The following applies to the location of all yucca species: The plant needs enough light because it originates in a sunny area. Yucca palms for the house are ideally placed by the window, outdoors a wind-protected and warm place such as on the south side of the house is suitable for the heat-resistant plants. You should also choose the substrate with care, as the agave plant does not tolerate waterlogging and too much moisture at all. Therefore, choose a permeable and nutrient-rich substrate. In an emergency, it can be loosened up with some sand.

The yucca feels most comfortable in a bright spot by the window

Care for Yucca Palms Properly

The care measures for yucca palms are limited both indoors and outdoors. We present everything you need to know.

Water Yucca Palm Tree

Yuccas are typical desert plants that are adapted to little water. Too frequent watering can therefore harm them more than too much dryness. The prickly plants react particularly to waterlogging in the root area with root rot and leaf fall. The top rule is therefore: Better less thanwatering too much.

Fertilize Yucca Palm

You should also be careful when fertilizing. With yucca palms in the garden, the annual incorporation of compost into the soil is completely sufficient, but with pot culture in the apartment, one or two fertilizers help. For example, our Plantura organic indoor and green plant fertilizer is a suitable fertilizer, as an alternative you can use diluted nettle manure.

You can find out here what you can do if you experience symptoms such as yellow leaves on yucca palms.

Repot Yucca Palm Tree

Repotting the yucca palm is a sensible way to provide the plant with fresh, nutrient-rich soil while making more room for the roots. Change the pot about every two years in spring when the roots are already protruding from the bottom. Even if the roots have grown so much over time, it is always a good idea to change the substrate with permeable and nutrient-rich soil. Your yucca will thank you.

About every 2 years your yucca looks forward to fresh substrate

When caring for the yucca palm, pay attention to the following points:

  • Water little; do not create waterlogging
  • Fertilize only moderately
  • Repot every two years; new substrate is important

Cutting off the yucca palm: When & how?

Although yuccas will rid themselves of superfluous leaves from time to time, in some cases pruning can be useful.

Yucca palm when to cut?

Yucca palms do not necessarily have to be pruned, but this can be an advantage for thinning out the leaves. Even if your copy in the living room has reached a certain size and is slowly becoming too sprawling for you, grabbing a pair of scissors (or a saw) will help. Yucca pruning is typically done in spring to early summer to give the plant enough time to recover before winter.

When pruning, you can immediately gain new cuttings and offshoots

Procedure for pruning the yucca tree

To properly prune the yucca palm, you need sterile pruning tools to avoid infection. Depending on your needs, you can either remove individual leaves or cut off part of the trunk directly. Yucca palms also tolerate heavy pruning very well and sprout again quickly. Removing one of the sharp leaves is always a good ideawearing gloves. Cut off wilted, yellow and overhanging leaves directly at the base. With a radical cut, you should cut the trunk cleanly with a saw and then seal it with tree wax. The cut off plant parts (even leafless parts of the trunk) can be grown as cuttings to new plants.

You can read more about the propagation of the yucca palm in our special article.

Category:

Houseplants