Spineless Yucca (Yucca gigantea) Indoor Care and Common Problems with Solutions
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Spineless Yucca (Yucca gigantea) is an easy to grow plant which grows best in very bright light, average warmth and humidity and moderately moist, well-drained, fertile soil coupled with monthly feeding during the growing season.
Yucca gigantea is an ideal False Palm for a hallway or large space in which a woody trunk bears a crown of long, leathery, strap-like, spineless leaves and white bell-shaped flowers may appear on mature plants.
The other common names of Spineless Yucca (Yucca gigantea) are Soft-tip Yucca, Blue-stem Yucca, Giant Yucca, Yucca Cane and Itabo.
Blue-stem Yucca requires a deep, well-drained container and a well-lit spot with some sunshine inorder to thrive.
Giant Yucca can grow in a variety of soils and is drought-tolerant. In its native habitat, it grows in a hot semi-arid climate. It is reknown for being one of the hard to kill indoor plants.
Botanical name: Yucca gigantea
Family: Asparagaceae
Common names: Spineless Yucca, Soft-tip Yucca, Blue-stem Yucca, Giant Yucca, Yucca Cane, Itabo
Origin
Yucca gigantea is native to Mexico and Central America. In its natural habitat it can grow to a height of 30-40 ft.
Size
Spineless Yucca (Yucca gigantea) can grow to a height of 8-10 ft when grown indoors. On account of its size, it is one of the favored indoor trees.
Toxicity
Yucca gigantea is toxic to both humans and pets. If ingested, it can cause vomiting in cats and dogs and dermatitis and liver disease in horses. Keep the Blue-stem Yucca from the reach of children and pets.
Where to Buy
If you are looking to add Spineless Yucca to your plant collection, check them out on Etsy.
Buy Spineless Yucca online from Etsy
Yucca gigantea Care Indoors
Spineless Yucca requires very bright light, average warmth of 16-280C, moderate humidity and moderately moist, well-drained, fertile succulents mix coupled with monthly feeding during the growing season. Keep reading for more on these growing conditions and how to achieve them.
Light Requirements
Spineless Yucca grows best in bright light with 6-8 hours of morning or late afternoon sunshine. It can also grow under direct sunshine.
You may also grow the plant under grow lights where the natural light is inadequate. Check out these full spectrum grow lights on Amazon.
Regularly rotate the pot to ensure that the plant receives light on all sides for uniform growth.
Watering
How often do you water Spineless Yucca? Water Spineless Yucca liberally during the growing season while allowing the top 2-3 in. of soil to dry out between waterings to keep the soil moderately moist.
Significantly, reduce watering during the cold season to keep the soil slightly moist but do not let the soil dry out completely.
Confirm that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy as it can lead to root-rot disease which can result in the loss of the plant. Read more on how to water houseplants correctly.
Temperature and Humidity
Average warmth within the range of 16-280C is ideal for Spineless Yucca. A room temperature that is comfortable for you is ideal for this plant.
Keep the Soft-tip Yucca away from drafts to avoid sudden changes in temperatures as they can cause leaf drop and reduced growth.
Spineless Yucca has no need for extra humidity. Average room humidity of 50-55% is ideal for this plant. Regularly clean the leaves by damp-wiping with a soft cloth. Learn more on how to clean houseplants.
Fertilizer
Feed Spineless Yucca with a balanced, liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks during the growing period to promote a lush growth.
Do not feed the Soft-tip Yucca during the cold season as growth is minimal and feeding at this time may lead to fertilizer burn.
Potting Soil
The best soil for Spineless Yucca should be rich in organic matter, loose and free-draining to avoid getting soggy soil. The soil should be loose enough to allow water to drain out fast enough.
Cactus and succulents mix is ideal as it drains easily. Buy cactus and succulents soil from Amazon.
Repotting
Repot Spineless Yucca during the growing season only when the plant has become pot-bound as it grows best when root-bound.
Use a deep pot for the extensive root systems of the Soft-tip Yucca. The pot should be heavy to prevent it from toppling over as the plant can become top-heavy.
Make sure that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy as it can lead to root-rot. Check out these succulents pots available on Amazon.
Refresh the soil for the large Giant Yucca plants by removing the top 2-4 in. of soil and replacing it with fresh soil.
Pruning
Pruning Spineless Yucca involves removal of dead and dry leaves to maintain the plant neat and discourage pest and disease infestations.
To promote branching and control size, cutback the stem with a clean, sharp pair of pruning scissors at the desired level. New shoots will grow just below the cut to form a crown of leaves on the trunk.
The flowers can be removed at any time if desired. Cut away the flower stalk while leaving 3-4 in. of stalk attached to the trunk to avoid wounding the trunk which may result in fungal infections. Learn more on how to prune houseplants.
Propagation
Spineless Yucca (Yucca gigantea) propagation can be done at the beginning growing season from stem cuttings, offsets or seeds.
Read more on Spineless Yucca Propagation - 4 Easy Propagation Methods.
Yucca gigantea Growing Problems and Remedies
Spineless Yucca (Yucca gigantea) has few problems. Most problems are caused by improper care. The problems include plant death, leaf spots and diseases. Read on for more on these problems, their remedies and solutions.
Plant dying
Plant death in Spineless Yucca is an indication of root-rot disease which is brought about by soggy soil.
Take the Blue-stem Yucca out of its pot and treat it appropriately. Learn how to treat root-rot in houseplants.
Thereafter, ensure that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy and reduce watering in the cold season.
Brown, moist leaf spots
Brown, moist leaf spots in Spineless Yucca are an indication of leaf spot disease which is promoted by overdamp conditions coupled with poor air circulation.
The disease may affect the appearance of the leaves but it does not affect the health of the Giant Yucca plant. Isolate the affected plant and treat it for the leaf spot disease.
Pests
Spineless Yucca is highly resistant to pests but weak plants can be attacked by scale insects, mealybugs, moth borers and weevils. Isolate the affected plant to prevent spread to other plants and treat with appropriate products like Neem oil or Insecticidal soap. Ensure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do Yuccas need full sun?
Yes. Yuccas grow best in very bright light with 6-8 hours of morning or late afternoon sunshine. They also grow under direct sunshine but they need to be gradually acclimated to growing in full sun.
2. How to make Yucca grow faster?
To make Yucca grow faster, give it the right growing conditions.
- Indoors, grow Yucca in very bright light with 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. Outdoors, it can grow under direct sun but it needs to be acclimated first.
- Maintain an average warmth between 16-280C and keep it away from cold drafts.
- Keep a moderate room humidity of 50-55%, it has no need for extra humidity.
- Give it well-drained, rich, succulents soil. Keep the soil moderately moist in the growing season and barely moist in the cold season.
- Feed it monthly with a balanced, liquid fertilizer during the growing season but do not feed in the cold season.
- Regularly remove dead and dry leaves to maintain the plant neat and also discourage pest and disease infestations.
- Repot Yucca during the growing season when it is pot-bound. Use a terracoat pot one size larger than the current one. Ensure that the pot has a drainage hole to avoid soggy soil as it can result in root-rot.
- Regularly inspect the plant for pests and diseases and carry out timely control measures.
3. Do Yucca plants multiply?
Yes. Yucca plants do produce pups or offsets at the base of mature plants. Seperate these offsets from the mother plant and plant them in individual pots to multiply your plants.
4. How do you promote new growth on Yucca?
To promote new growth on Yucca, cutback the stem at the desired level and new growth will sprout at a point just below the cut.
5. Should I remove dead Yucca leaves?
Yes. Remove dead Yucca leaves to maintain the plant neat as well as minimize pest and disease infestations. Pests and diseases hide and multiply on dead foliage, therefore, it is advisable to get rid of yellow leaves as soon as the appear.
6. How to prune Spineless Yucca?
Pruning Yucca is easy and is best done at the beginning of the growing season. To control size and rejuvenate growth, cutback the stem at the desired height to encourage growth of new shoots just below the cut.
7. Do Yucca plants need a lot of water?
No. In the growing season, Yucca plants need to be watered only when the top 2-3 inches of top soil have dried out to keep the soil moderately moist. In the cold season, very little water is needed to keep the soil barely moist.
8. Why are the leaves of my Yucca turning yellow?
The leaves of your Yucca may turning yellow due to overwatering, underwatering, root-rot, pests infestaions, inadequate light, improper feeding, poor soil quality among reasons.
9. What is the best fertilizer for Yucca plants?
The best fertilizer for Yucca Plants is a balanced, water soluble fertilizer applied every 4 weeks during the growing season only.
10. How do you propagate Spineless Yucca?
Spineless Yucca is propagated at the beginning of the growing season from seeds, offsets (pups) or stem cuttings. The easiest and fastest method of Yucca propagation is from offsets (pups).
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