Basically, the yucca “palm” – which is not actually a palm tree – is a fairly easy-care and uncomplicated plant. However, there are some care mistakes that result in the plant reacting by breaking off either the trunk or the shoots that are still green. In most cases, the plant can be saved, for example by cutting off the he althy parts and rooting them as cuttings.
What can you do if your yucca palm is broken?
If the yucca palm is broken, possible causes can be too much or too little water, insufficient light or a lack of nutrients. The plant can be saved by cutting off any broken parts and rooting them as cuttings in potting soil.
Too much or too little water
If the shoots or even the trunk become soft, bend and even look rotten, then you have most likely watered too much. Yuccas do not tolerate high humidity and react when wet with rot, which always moves from bottom to top. Simply cutting off the above-ground, rotten shoots won't do much good. Instead, you will have to pot up the plants, although the roots will probably be unsalvageable at this stage. Cut off the still he althy parts of the plant and root them in a pot with potting soil or peat-free potting soil. If, on the other hand, the shoots are simply broken off without any sign of rot, then you haven't watered them enough.
Too little light – weak growth
Too little light leads to weak growth in the yucca and, as a result, to the trunk not being able to support the heavy leaf crown and therefore breaking off. Always place the yucca in front of a window, but not in direct sunlight. If the window sill is too narrow for a larger plant, you should place it on a small table or something similar in front of it. In summer, the yucca also feels very comfortable on the balcony.
Lack of nutrients
If the yucca is not fertilized enough or is repotted in fresh substrate too rarely or not at all, then the lack of nutrients also leads to soft, weak shoots and thus to the plant breaking off. Fertilize the yucca regularly with a liquid green plant fertilizer (€8.00 on Amazon) and repot it into fresh substrate about every two to three years.
Tip
Parts of the yucca plant that have been broken off or broken off due to an accident can be easily rooted by placing the pieces in a pot with potting soil or a mixture of peat-free potting soil and a little sand and keeping them slightly moist at all times.
