Yucca plant in trouble

Green fingers · Hazel Tree Joined: 29 Apr 2009 Posts: 22 Location: Cork

I have a large yucca plant indoors. I have noticed that the ends of the leaves are turning brown ( the tips) and drying out. It is now looking great and definitely in trouble. Has anyone had the same problem? Rolling Eyes

James Kilkelly, was GPI. · Posted: Fri May 01, 2009 11:35 pm Post subject:

Leaf tips browing is usually caused by dry air, a combination of modern airtight homes, radiators and drying seasonal air).
You can raise humidity by misting the plant regularly or have the pot sitting in a pebble tray with dampened pebbles.
Green fingers, if you want to post up a pic of the full leaf/plant, then I may spot something we missed.

medieval knievel · Sessile Oak Tree Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 293

i lost a yucca to a disease which is relatively common in them - check the trunk; if the bark feels spongy underneath, you may be in trouble.

Green fingers · Hazel Tree Joined: 29 Apr 2009 Posts: 22 Location: Cork

Thanks for the advice. The trunk is fine, no sponginess there.
Dry air may be the cause, will try to combat that. Thanks

davidnugent · Hawthorn Tree Joined: 27 Mar 2009 Posts: 61

Yuccas dont like to much water,if your growing point is still green,and only the bottom set of leaves are browning,its perfectly natural,but dont over water,yuccas grow from the top out,in time the older leaves turn brown.Gpi is right if just the tips are browning

hawthorn · Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 3:19 pm Post subject:

Green fingers, has it any side shoots? i bought a yucca 4 years ago and it started to die on me so i removed one of its side shoots before that died and potted it up. It now lives happily outside, and has survived two winters and gets loads of water. Im sure if i brought it back into the house it would die..!!

davidnugent · Hawthorn Tree Joined: 27 Mar 2009 Posts: 61

its a yucca elephantipes,looks great well done.I have seen a few growing in gardens around here,it always interests me to see them,on the hardytropicals form in the uk,they are finding them very hard to grow outside,there only success has been down the south coast of england,just goes to show you how mild we are here,it would grow much better in the ground,and gain hight fast,just make sure its in well drained soil.it originaly comes from southern mexico and central america.so again well done,you have one growing outside in ireland.

hawthorn · Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 3:52 pm Post subject:

HI Davidnugent, I have it shaded from the sun, and i am not sure if it will survive in full sun, because when you buy a yucca plant it says keep away from direct sun light. i would love to place it in the ground.

davidnugent · Hawthorn Tree Joined: 27 Mar 2009 Posts: 61

If it looks that good growing in the shade,leave it in the shade,the sun does burn it,but only if its been indoors all winter,i got one last year and planted it in full sun,some of the leaves got burnt,but now its all greened up and growing well,proberly best not to risk it..yours looks great,