If the yucca suddenly gets yellow leaves that look like they have dried up and die, the leaves suddenly droop or even the trunk becomes soft, then the plant is most likely dying. There are various reasons for this, although excess water is the most common. How you have to proceed to save the beautiful plant - with step-by-step instructions.
How can I save a dying yucca palm?
To save a diseased yucca palm, you should inspect the roots, remove rotten parts, cut he althy cuttings and plant them in fresh substrate. With proper care, the plant can sprout again.
Reasons for Yucca Dying
The death of the yucca is almost always due to care errors - in most cases due to too frequent watering. Contrary to popular belief, the yucca (or palm lily) is not a palm tree that grows in humid, tropical areas. Instead, the yucca belongs to the agave family and is more at home in the dry and semi-arid regions of the southern United States and Central America. There the plant has adapted perfectly to the existing living conditions: it is a succulent plant that evaporates very little water, especially in very hot weather. That's why you shouldn't water the yucca excessively, even in summer - an interval of once or twice a week is clearly too much. In addition to excess water, there are other reasons for die-off:
- As a result of recent repotting, roots were damaged.
- The drainage is not sufficient, which is why the roots are wet and therefore rot.
- The yucca is permanently too dark and/or exposed to drafts.
- The yucca is affected by fungal or bacterial pathogens.
- The yucca is suffering from a severe pest infestation.
- The yucca was not fertilized sufficiently/excessively.
- The yucca was overwintered incorrectly.
Not every yucca is hardy
Keep in mind that the typical indoor yuccas in particular are anything but hardy. These types of Yucca must not be exposed to temperatures below 10 °C - otherwise there is a risk of frost damage and the plant will die. You can only keep designated garden yuccas outside without hesitation.
Saving Yucca – Here’s how to proceed
Whatever the reason, you should act to save your yucca as quickly as possible by doing the following:
- First pot up the yucca and inspect the roots.
- Do these smell foul, are brown and muddy?
- Then all you have to do is cut off the he althy parts of the plant with a sharp knife
- and to root as crest or stem cuttings.
- Plant cuttings straight into soil and do not put a plastic bag or similar over them!
- If the roots are still somewhat in order, cut away anything muddy
- and remove the diseased plant parts above ground.
- Plant the rest in fresh substrate.
- Larger wounds on the trunk should always be straightened and treated with a wound closure agent.
With a little luck and good care, the yucca will sprout again.
Tip
Even if the yucca is simply broken off (which can happen especially with very large specimens), the fragment and the mother plant can still be saved in the manner described.
