The yucca - the word "palm" is actually wrong, since this plant is not a type of palm tree - or palm lily is a very strong and fast-growing plant. With good care and sufficient light, the popular houseplant can grow up to five meters high even in pot culture - so it's no wonder that it has to be repotted from time to time. This article tells you how best to do this.

If the pot is too small, the yucca palm will grow poorly

When and how often the yucca palm should be repotted

Basically, the yucca should be repotted about every two to three years, although it does not always need a new pot. Very large specimens can also be cut back and then put back in their old pot with fresh substrate - provided, of course, that the size is still sufficient. Always choose the pot so that it is not only wide but also high - the yucca needs a planter that offers stability, otherwise it threatens to tip over quickly from a certain height. Otherwise, choose spring for this measure, when the yucca wakes up from its hibernation and begins to sprout again.

How do you know that the yucca should be repotted?

It is high time to repot the yucca if one or more of the following criteria apply:

  • The roots are already growing out of the pot (e.g. out of the planting holes).
  • The existing substrate has already shrunk alarmingly or has been displaced by the roots.
  • If the substrate is already so solid that irrigation water cannot seep through immediately.
  • The yucca is already very unstable and can no longer stand on its own.
  • The pot for the plant looks much too small from the outside.
  • The plant (usually from below) gets yellow leaves.

Yucca palm feels particularly well in a loose substrate

Yucca palms are desert plants and do not tolerate excessive moisture or waterlogging. The roots are quite sensitive: they should not be pruned or otherwise damaged during repotting. The plant also does not like it when the sensitive roots are merely kinked. You can usually recognize root damage when the plant suddenly drops its leaves after repotting. However, drooping leaves can also be the result of excess moisture, so provide a loose, well-drained substrate and good drainage. For example, a mixture of standard soil / potting soil, some sand and perlite (€37.51) or expanded clay has proven itself. (€19.73)

How to repot your yucca palm - a step-by-step guide

And this is how you repot your yucca:

  • Get the plant out of the old plant pot.
  • If it is very tight, run a sharp knife along the edge of the pot
  • and then knock on the pot. This loosens the soil.
  • Remove the old substrate and check the roots.
  • Only rotten and badly damaged roots should be removed.
  • The yucca usually does not like a basic root cut.
  • Now place the plant in a new pot with fresh substrate.
  • Tap around the pot to distribute the soil evenly
  • and no air holes remain.
  • Press the substrate well
  • and water the yucca.
  • Place the plant in as bright and sheltered a place as possible.
  • The yucca feels most comfortable directly in front of a south-facing window or outdoors.

tips

Be sure to wear gloves when repotting, the leaves of the plant are very sharp.

Category:

Trees