Actually, the term yucca “palm” is a misnomer, because despite the palm-like tuft of leaves, the palm lily is not a type of palm tree. Instead, the popular houseplant belongs to the agave family. Yuccas are very fast-growing and can grow quite tall - so it's no wonder that sometimes a piece can break off. Fortunately, the plant and the broken piece can usually be saved.
What to do if the yucca palm is broken?
If your yucca palm is broken, treat the breakage with cinnamon powder or tree wax to prevent infection. You can root the broken piece as a cutting in a mixture of sand and potting soil and place it in a bright, warm place.
Treat injured yucca
No matter whether it is just a small shoot or a larger piece of the trunk, breaking it off is not a broken leg. Yuccas are very robust and simply continue to grow at the break point or suddenly develop shoots in other places. The broken piece doesn't need to go in the trash either; you can simply plant it in the ground like a cutting and get a new plant. However, the break should definitely be treated, otherwise it can serve as an entry point for fungi and other pathogens. Minor injuries - which occur if, for example, only a small side shoot has broken off - do not require treatment. However, you can sprinkle the area with a little cinnamon powder as it has a disinfectant effect. Larger breaks, however, should be straightened with a sharp knife and then sealed with tree wax.
Root broken shoots like cuttings
The tree wax ensures that the break does not dry out and die at this point. Large open wounds are also a problem because they are extremely attractive to fungi and bacteria. The broken shoot or broken piece of trunk is also straightened at the break point. You can then root it like a conventionally cut cutting. The easiest way to root is directly in soil, but rooting in water often results in the fragment rotting.
This is how the fragment is rooted:
- Straighten the break with a sharp and disinfected knife.
- If necessary, wilted and injured leaves are also removed.
- Now plant the broken piece in a pot with soil.
- A mixture of sand (play sand) and potted plant soil is best.
- Place the plant pot in a bright and warm place, for example directly in front of a window.
- Keep the substrate slightly moist, but be careful:
- Too much water quickly leads to rot in Yuccas.
- Leafy cuttings can also be sprayed using a spray bottle
- and kept sufficiently moist.
After a few months the first new shoots will appear.
Tip
If the cutting becomes soft in one place or otherwise appears unhe althy, you can cut off the affected area and replant the section for rooting.
