how to cut back red yucca plants

Reach into the center of the red yucca plant with long-handled loppers, and cut the flower spike off at the base when the flower has faded. Although called Red Yucca, Hesperaloe parviflora is more closely related to the Agaves than the Yuccas, and its showy blooms, carried on long, arching stalks, are generally rosy-pink or salmon.A native of the Chihuahuan desert of northern Mexico, the plant is heat and drought tolerant and recommended for USDA hardiness zones 5 to 11. In What Type of Soil Should You Plant a Yucca? Think twice about cutting the top off a yucca plant, as it can create a rather ugly plant for a few years. If your indoor yucca does eventually outgrow its space, it can be cut back in early spring. TIP:Thurber advises, "Yucca plants grow in two forms, tree-like or in a rosette. You can give giving the yucca plants fertilizer 2-3 times a year for best results, though it is not required. Cut off the lower leaves with a blade if you want to remove its "skirt. " Yahoo Life Videos. unlocking this expert answer. This is not to be rushed. Using a saw or a sharp pair of loppers, cut the trunk in half. Prune the yucca's flowering stem once it dries out and becomes brown and brittle. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Clump division is the preferred method because although the plant is easy to grow from seeds, it often takes several years to flower. Get the proven playbook to heal a broken heart. If you have children or pets, pick a location away from their play area. Yucca Soil. References. My yucca has root rot. You can use sand as an alternative to help maintain soil drainage. The Yucca shrub thrives in Mexico, Guatemala, Baja California, Southwestern United States, and Alberta. You can also push the shoots straight in the ground and they will usually take and start growing from there. Yucca is a perennial shrub characterized by its robust, sword-shaped leaves. Here’s how to trim a red hot poker plant when you are deadheading. Yucca leaves are sharp. You may prune before the plant blooms, though yucca trees are most commonly pruned after they bloom. Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania. Touch the soil on top to determine when it needs to be watered. If you want to harvest the seed, wait until the pods dry completely on the plant, then cut off the entire stalk and break the pods open to collect the seeds. Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) is a grass-like ornamental often grown as an accent plant in the home landscape. To prune a yucca plant, all you’ll need is a knife or some pruning shears. Dry, old leaves Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania. One way of propagating yuccas is to cut the rhizomes with baby plants from the main root. You can cut these leaves away as desired. However, regrowth is never guaranteed. Over time, most species of yucca will grow into room-devouring monsters, but this takes long enough that they provide years of durabl… This article has been viewed 72,900 times. The red yucca plant is drought tolerant and is suitable for planting in borders, containers, and Mediterranean gardens. Make the pruning cut at the base of the stem. I have done this successfully. If red yucca does not have enough room to spread to its full height and width, consider transplanting it to a spot where it will have ample room to grow. The bottom leaves are called the yucca’s “skirt.” Start at the bottom of the plant, and begin cutting off leaves using a knife, blade, pruning shears, or scissors. Remove any dried flower spikes at their base in winter. So, now that the misleading common name is fully exposed, perhaps there should be a move to more correctly call this plant the “Rose-Coral Yucca Imposter”. During the winter, cut back on the moisture for your yucca soil in between each watering. Yuccas are very modern plant to use both indoors and outside. Yuccas may be easily confused with century plants (Agave spp. Stop removing leaves about halfway up the tree or when you like the way the yucca looks. Never shear the ends of red yucca's leaves. How to Prune a Yucca Plant. The halfway mark can be a rough estimate rather than an exact measurement. Most Watched . Step 1: Remove the yucca from the soil Remove the yucca from its container if it gets too tall. It is about 15 years old. Firstly, Red Yucca is not a real Yucca! While pruning is not required for yucca plants, it helps the plant stay in great health all year. Moderate grower to 3 to 4 feet tall and wide; flower stalks to 4 to 6 feet. Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow, https://www.plantdelights.com/blogs/articles/yucca-plants-tips-for-growing, http://howto.yellow.co.nz/home-garden/garden-and-outdoors/yucca-care/, https://plantcaretoday.com/yucca-plant.html, https://dengarden.com/gardening/How-to-Take-Care-of-a-Yucca-Plant, https://www.gardenershq.com/Yucca-plant.php, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Allowing it to dry out in between watering is okay in the wintertime. Seed grown. Prune the red yucca's flower heads once they brown and die. The Yucca plant, when kept as a houseplant, needs to be watered moderately during its growth period in spring and summer and sparingly during its resting period in fall and winter. The yellow yucca plant is closely related to the red yucca plant. Above all, Yucca is a bush highly cultivated in the Americas. How to Prune a Yucca Plant. You can tell your plant has outgrown its pot when the root is not far from the outer edge of your pot. Make sure the plant is straight and centered in its new pot. I have new shoots coming along the yucca trunk. Purchase a container at a home and garden store. After your yucca blooms, cut the flower stalk about 4 inches from the end. Pruning yucca plants is a quick and simple process. Sanitize your pruning tools with rubbing alcohol before and after you use them, as well as when you switch between plants. All you need to do is to prune off dead flower stalks in the fall. This article was co-authored by Maggie Moran. I shoveled about 15 out. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 72,900 times. Why are the leaves on my yucca plant turning brown? Consider using cacti and palm soil blends, though they are not required. Pruning the trees helps promote and control their growth. Yucca plants will shrivel and wrinkle if they do not get enough water. Leave as little stump as possible. The only way a yucca plant can survive a winter is if it is a mild one. ), which die after flowering. Dried flower stalks can be removed. They may naturally fall off, but this will help maintain the plant's health. Her work has appered in the "Houston Press" and several other publications. Support wikiHow by Keep the yucca plant away from sidewalks and high traffic areas so they don't cut anyone. Removing the leaves will bring the plant back to health. Step 2 Cut damaged and dead stems off the yucca plant, removing only the stems displaying noticeable signs of age and/or weakness. Yucca flowers are edible. They are now in the community dump. The old foliage sinks to the ground around the plant as it fades. Yucca flaccida 'Golden Sword' As long as it is well … Water the plants once every 10 days. If you leave the pup in place, it will eventually root and form a new adult yucca plant in the bed. You only need to prune the plant once a year, and only if it bloomed that year. Wear long-sleeved clothing and gloves to protect yourself. Although the plant typically spreads on its own through self-seeding, it is grown from seeds or propagated by clump division. Can I just cut them off and not damage the main trunk? How To Propagate Red Yucca. With just the occasional prune, Yuccas are very easy to look after and strike new plants from. Red yucca prefers full sun, but can take part shade. Well, once the flowers have faded, just prune back the flowering stalks. Unlike most plants, where pruning means the cutting of branches and blooms, the yucca is a cane plant, and thus pruning means cutting the trunk. Prune the yucca plant in the late summer when it has finished blooming and the flowers are dead. You can also find shrub […] This way, you avoid any cross contamination. Based in Houston, Texas, Meg Butler is a professional farmer, house flipper and landscaper. For tips on how to replant a trimmed yucca plant, read on! % of people told us that this article helped them. Did you know you can read expert answers for this article? The older plant is sort of on the border line of properties. And, like most drought-hardy plants, red yucca will need virtually no pruning during its lifetime. You can also transplant the plant into a larger pot if you don't want to cut it. After back filling and lightly compacting the 50/50 mix of existing soil and compost give the Texas Red Yucca a good deep watering. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/87\/Prune-Yucca-Plants-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Prune-Yucca-Plants-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/87\/Prune-Yucca-Plants-Step-1.jpg\/aid9800239-v4-728px-Prune-Yucca-Plants-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"