Question
Hi there, My yucca plant is 3 trunks (short, medium and tall) each with 3 stems coming from them. The medium trunk's stems have stopped growing, went soggy and look pretty much dead. The short and tall trunks are really healthy looking. Should i remove the medium trunk or can this be saved? To be honest when i cut a stem back on the medium trunk because it had practically fell off it smelled a bit too. Can you advise me what to do??

thanks a million
Lee

Answer
Hi Lee,

You probably have a Yucca Cane which is very easy to care for.  If you have a "soggy" stem and a foul-smelling base, then you probably have some root rot disease. It is fairly easy to treat.  First, remove all soft, rotting tissue and allow the plant to dry out totally.  (These particular plants have the amazing capacity to go months without water.)  

If you are concerned about the spread of any pathogen, sterilize your pruning shears or other tools with a 50% bleach solution.  After the bleach treatment, allow the tools to air dry.

As for any possible cuttings, you may be able to re-root the tops of stems that have been removed.  Be especially careful not to use any of the soft tissue for propagation.  The stem tissue should look creamy white with no dark, water-soaked coloration.  Once the top has been cut, allow it to air dry in a shaded area for about 2 days.  Then place it in moist potting medium in a medium-sized clay pot and cover with a clear plastic bag.  Rooting is easy, and you should see new roots in about 4 weeks.  You may need to provide the plant support until the roots develop.