An unusual plant resembling a palm tree is the pride of many gardeners. However, far from all people decide to plant such a culture, believing that it is too capricious. In fact, this is not so at all. In our article we want to talk about what a yucca is and how to care for it.
Homeland of Culture
What is a yucca? This is an evergreen plant, a plant that has taken root well throughout Russia. The birthplace of yucca is America and India. The plant belongs to asparagus. Outwardly resembles a Mediterranean agave.
Home forms of representatives of this family have a highly developed stem. But the Yucca, growing in open ground, has no stem. Outlets are firmly pressed to the ground. Peduncles of the culture are in the form of panicles. The flowers are in the form of bells, down. Peduncles grow from the center of the outlet, reaching a height of 1.5-3 meters.
What is a yucca? This is an exotic plant that has long taken root in our areas. In the homeland of culture, it is grown on huge plantations. The stems of the culture are used to produce the famous tequila.
The exotic appearance of the plant, at first glance, suggests the comfortable growth of yucca in the tropics and subtropics of America. However, natural places are not at all the most comfortable for culture. Yucca is adapted for long periods of drought. As well as to sharp temperature drops. This endurance allowed the culture to spread from the southern regions to the middle zone of the continents.
In Russia, the plant first appeared more than a hundred years ago. What is yucca, in those days, no one knew. Exotic plants could boast of only parks and gardens at famous palaces. Now the culture is so widespread that it can be found in almost every household plot.
Culture flowers
Yucca flowers bloom on a tall tree-like stem with sharp leaves. The Indians have long called culture the tree of life. The flowers of the plant are cream or white. Their aroma is very pleasant and intense. It is worth noting that the plant blooms only at night.
And you can get its fruits only in conditions of wild growth. This is due to the fact that only a certain species of butterflies, which are not found in a temperate climate, pollinates the culture. Yucca fruits resemble a large fleshy berry.
Plant energy
Yucca is known as the tree of happiness. It is believed that culture brings luck and prosperity to the house. The decorativeness of the plant allows it to be widely used for decorating plots and apartments. But astrologers do not advise growing culture in a room, believing that it brings strife to the house. They believe that yucca can only be considered as a plant for the office. A pot of culture near the entrance to the office will help protect it from the penetration of evil forces.
Types of Yucca
In nature, there are more than 40 varieties of yucca. Among them there are real giants, reaching a height of 7-8 meters. Others, on the other hand, are more modest in size.
Varieties differ in their place of growth, size of flowers, leaves and other details:
- Yucca Gray. Grows on the west coast of America. In height, it reaches two meters. The foliage of the plant is painted green with a blue tint. A flowering panicle grows to a meter.
- Yucca is aloe. It is found in nature even in Bermuda. This species grows very slowly, although old plants reach a height of eight meters. Young culture hardly branches. She spends all her strength on the formation of the main trunk. Over time, the plant appears crowns located on the side trunks. Outwardly, the leaves of the culture resemble aloe, for which it got its name. The height of the inflorescence reaches 0.5 meters.
- Yucca filamentous filamentoza. Shrub culture, the leaves of which reach a length of 70 cm and a width of 3-10 cm. At their edges are threads, which is why the plant got its name. Peduncles of filamentous yucca reach a height of 2.5 meters. Culture, like its other species, is unpretentious and frost-resistant, due to which it can withstand temperatures up to –20 degrees.
- The elephant yucca got its name due to the similarity of the tree-like stem with the foot of elephants. A distinctive feature of the plant is a strong branching. The leaves of the culture reach a meter in length, forming a crown at the top. Externally, the plant is very similar to a tree. The plant blooms in the summer. Despite the impressive size of the culture, the yucca panicle reaches only one meter in length.
- Yucca is glorious. The birthplace of the plant is America. In nature, culture reaches two meters. Usually it has a single stem.
- Tree-like or short-leaved yucca. It is sometimes called giant. The birthplace of culture is Arizona and the southern regions of California. Under natural conditions it grows up to 9 meters, and the trunk diameter reaches 50 cm. At the crown of the plant, the plant usually branches, which gives it similarities with real trees. The tree form can only be grown in open ground, as it requires a lot of space.
- Yucca Shidiger. The culture has a large outlet and long leaf plates. The plant blooms with white bells. This type of culture is used for the preparation of medicines in veterinary medicine and pharmacology. The substances contained in the plant have a beneficial effect on the immune system and the gastrointestinal tract.
Features of outdoor cultivation
Despite the unpretentiousness of the culture, it is worth knowing some features of its cultivation. In the open field, glorious, bluish and filamentous varieties are usually grown. The latter tolerates frosts well in central Russia. The other two species are often planted in warmer regions: in the Caucasus and Crimea. Due to its exotic appearance, the plant looks good in any area.
When planting yucca in open ground, you need to choose the right place. Then in the future the plant will not require a lot of attention. The culture feels great in sunny areas, but in some cases can grow in partial shade. The plant can be planted on the slopes. But in the lowlands and in the shade it should not be placed, otherwise it will affect the appearance. Due to lack of lighting, yucca leaves turn yellow and become ugly.
Landing
Yucca is planted in open ground in the spring, even before the start of active growth, when the air temperature does not drop below +10 degrees. You can also land from mid-August to mid-September. Yucca is undemanding to the ground. It is good if the soil contains turf and leafy soil, sand and humus. But at the same time, the culture takes root in any soil.
If you plan to plant yucca on a site with clay or chernozem, then add sand to the soil. And at the bottom of the pit you should definitely pour gravel for drainage. A flower can grow in one place for up to 15-20 years.
A plant feels good if its roots receive enough oxygen and the water does not stagnate near the roots. For this reason, it is very important to organize a drainage layer.
Dense leaves of the plant can injure hands, so gloves are best.
Gardeners recommendations
Experienced flower growers recommend not immediately planting the plant, but pre-tricking it, and then taking it out into the open air, gradually increasing the intervals of being outdoors. In the future, the bush can be planted in the country.
To do this, you need to dig a hole in the plot, the diameter of which should be twice the size of the root system. The plant is placed in the middle and covered with soil, rammed it so that there are no voids. Top bush watered with a small amount of water.
Watering and feeding
Water the yucca carefully. Culture does not tolerate overflow. Excess moisture leads to rotting of the roots of the plant. But negatively affects the lack of water. Yucca leaves begin to curl. With proper watering, the foliage of the plant should be straightened.
In the first few years, yucca can be fed with mineral fertilizers for succulents. You can make them in May and after flowering. After three years, the root system will be well developed, so it will be possible to add organic matter. Adult bushes must be fed with liquid fertilizers (organic). At the beginning of summer, a small handful of superphosphate is scattered around the trunk. After rain or watering, fertilizer enters the root system, further stimulating flowering.
How to plant a yucca?
Bushes are transplanted mainly in order to get new plants, since the culture can grow in one place for up to 15 years with good care. If necessary, the yucca can be transplanted up to three years of age with minimal risk.
The plant has a large root system, which grows up to 70 centimeters in length. Therefore, when transplanting, you need to dig deep so as not to severely injure the roots. 15 days after planting, the plant can be fed with complex mineral fertilizer. A blooming yucca in a new place can be admired no earlier than a year later.
The plant is transplanted in early spring or late August.
Breeding
Yucca is propagated vegetatively and by seed. Under natural conditions, butterflies pollinate plants, as a result of which fruits appear. But in the conditions of our climate, such insects do not live.
It is worth noting that it is very difficult to grow a culture from seeds. The process is quite long and laborious. It is much easier and faster to get new plants by dividing the bush. An efficient and easy way is very convenient. When transplanting an existing plant, it is necessary to separate the shoots and plant them in a new place. Young bushes need closer attention. They need to be watered more often and fertilizers periodically. Usually plants are planted no more than once every three to four years.
You can also propagate yucca cuttings. The best time for this is spring. To obtain cuttings, apical shoots are used. It is worth remembering that for rooting it is necessary to use small shoots. The larger their size, the worse they take root.
The shoots are cut with a sharp knife, after which the sections are treated with activated charcoal and slightly dried. Next, the cuttings are planted in moist soil at a distance of 3-4 centimeters from each other. Top cover them with a film. Cuttings root faster in sandy soil. The soil must be constantly kept moist. After rooting, young plants can be planted in open ground.
Wintering small bushes are left in the greenhouse, covering them with a heater on top.
Winter preparation
Yucca Garden is a hardy crop. It tolerates snow and cold. The plant can tolerate a short-term decrease in temperature to -15 degrees. But prolonged frosts are detrimental to the bushes. Young plants are especially susceptible to freezing. Therefore, it is recommended that they be properly prepared before the onset of cold weather.
How to shelter a yucca for the winter? At the end of October, the leaves of the plant must be pressed to the trunk and tied with a rope along the entire length. This will protect the crown from freezing. The flower must be wrapped on top with a dense fabric or agrofibre. Next, the bush is covered with dry leaves or grass. You can also use spruce branches or sawdust. From above, the shelter must be fixed so that it is not damaged by the wind.
Spring care
With the advent of spring, before the onset of steady heat, snow needs to be removed, since young plants are sensitive to an excess of winter moisture. Shelter can be dismantled only after the positive temperature is established.
Diseases and Pests
Culture is not too susceptible to disease. Yucca can be damaged by insects such as mealybug, whitefly, scutellum and spider mites. Such pests are helped by drugs such as Actellik and Fitoverm.
In conditions of high humidity and low temperatures, bushes can be affected by fungal ailments. In this case, brown spots appear on the foliage. Sometimes gardeners are faced with the fact that yucca dries. There are several reasons for the foliage to dry out. Most often this is due to excessive waterlogging and rotting of the roots. Sometimes the root is so damaged that you have to cut off the top of the plant for rooting.
Light, dry spots may also appear in strong light or drafts.