The Yucca elephantipes, also known colloquially as the yucca palm, is at home in many living rooms. The very easy-care plant can even grow up to five meters high in a tub culture if the conditions are right - it's no wonder that some indoor gardeners occasionally have to reach for a knife.

If the trunk of the yucca palm is cut off, it will sprout again on the sides

There are many reasons for a pruning

If the giant palm lily is well cared for and placed in a bright and warm location, it grows surprisingly quickly and can reach the ceiling within a few years. It should be understandable that the proud owner cannot avoid pruning in such a case. However, there are a few more reasons that make a cut seem sensible:

  • The yucca in question grows unevenly and "crookedly" and must therefore be straightened by pruning.
  • The yucca has few leaves and a fairly thin trunk, which is why pruning should encourage a stronger development.
  • The yucca is sick: Mottled leaves or even a soft or hollow trunk force you to drastically cut back.
  • A yucca shoot has broken off or snapped off.
  • A second trunk is to be created from the cut-off crown.
  • The yucca should be propagated using stem and shoot cuttings.

If the yucca is sick or growing rather sparsely, this is often an indication of inadequate culture conditions, for example a location that is too dark, watering too often or insufficient fertilization. In this case, the yucca should not only be cut off, but the cause of the sickly appearance should also be found out.

Pruning Yucca elephantipes - a guide

The pruning of the yucca is basically quite simple, but with larger specimens it involves a certain amount of effort. Not only should you use a fine saw to cut through the trunk, it is best to cut the trunk into several individual parts. Crowns are separated as a whole.

  • First cut off the crown. A short piece of the shoot should remain at the end of the crown.
  • Now shorten the trunk to the desired height.
  • If possible, cut the wood into several pieces that are at least 10 centimeters long.
  • Mark on the wood where "up" and where is "down".
  • Seal the cutting point on the mother plant with tree wax.(12.96€)
  • This piece should also be at least 10 centimeters long.
  • The new shoots (often at least two, but not always) emerge just below the cut.
  • You can plant the stem pieces and the crown(s) as cuttings in soil and reroot them.

However, you have to be patient, because it can take a few months for a new shoot to appear.

tips

The best time for such a measure is spring, as the growth hormones then allow the plant to sprout again more quickly.

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Trees