Question

Yucca cane   QUESTION: Hi. I've had this yucca cane for about a year now. for the 1st few months it grew well, but in summer we had to leave it with a friend who for i don't know what reason didn't water it and kept it in the kitchen!! so stem was completely dry, and the other had few yellow leave that i removed as close as i can from the stem. we bought some fortified soil " i can provide U with the name" and added it. but still since we brought it back it didn't grow like before and for sometime now it has this small growth that seems to be stuck there!
i place it near a window, but now "here in North Dakota" it is very cold so we have the radiator on which just below the window i have the yucca setting by. i moved it now away but still i don't wanna move it any where more away from the window. should i take it out of the soil, re mix the soil and re pot it again??
The Pot size is 12 inches. two stems, one has two mature growths and the other has that stuck in place growth, and it has something like a root maybe!!. the pot has this pouch at its end where u can see the water that drains from the pot. I'll attach an image if it can be of any help.

ANSWER: Hi Lara,

It is surprising that your Yucca is still alive after spending several months apparently without water or light, two vital ingredients for plant survival. As a result, many of the roots were severely damaged so that compromises its ability to recover.

Soil of any kind is not a substitute for water or light. In fact, adding soil only hinders the recovery because it keeps the soil from drying out properly. If you added the soil to the top surface, remove it. If you moved the Yucca to a larger pot, then undo the repotting by removing whatever soil you added and put the plant back into its original pot. A pot that is too large or a plant with too much soil is at high risk for root rot and once that happens, your plant is history.

If the plant is still in its original pot, then do not repot it.

Yuccas are sun lovers, so you have to keep yours as close to a sunny window as possible. Don't worry about the heater. As long as the heater does not touch the plant or pot directly, it will not be a problem.

Allow the top 3 inches of soil to dry out before adding enough water so that a bit trickles into the saucer.

Improper light and water is what caused your Yucca to deteriorate and those are the only things that will help it recover. Do not mess with the roots or add fertilizer or do anything else.

The 'stuck' growth probably will not recover. If it dries up completely, cut it off. If the bark on that cane separates or becomes loose and papery, then that cane is dead and should be removed.

Be patient because recovery will take a long time and is not guaranteed.

I have written articles on Yucca care and repotting that I will email to any request I receive at my email address below.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: well, it's winter here now so we don't get sun now, or we get the least of sun now, so what should i do about this? and about the re-potting, we only moved it from the black plastic bag it was in to this pot, is that a problem?? and the extra soil should be removed, i got that.. Thank you

Answer
Hi Lara,

I understand that the hours of daylight are much more limited at this time of year. I was simply suggesting that you keep the plant right in front of and close to your sunniest window. Just do the best you can with the light you have.

Certainly your plant is better off in a pot than a plastic pot.

~Will