Question
hey thanx for the advice!would you pleasea tell me exactly what you'd do if you where in my shoes?
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
hello,
i recently bought a yucca cane plant from tops about 4 months ago  now
this cane plant has been doing pretty well i mean it hadn't made much
growth but it still looked healthy. as time went on allot of the leaves
started to turn brown and die. so earlier today i repoted it and found
that the soil was infested with tiny white bugs i tried to do sum
research on the computer to try to identify the bug and find a solution but
i had no luck.so i moved it into a bigger pot,i layed rocks in the
bottom of the pot filled it with soil and added some sta-green horticulture
vermiculite idk if putting in the rocks was a bad idea or not cause i
heard that they need good drainage so idk what to do. there was still
some soil on the roots when i repotted it so I'm not sure if the bugs are
still on the plants roots or not.lastly i dug a little in the soil
after i repotted it to see if i could find any more bugs and it looked like
a dead grub or something idk but it was dark and then i moved some more
soil and i saw something slither in the soil so i really would
appreciate any help you could give me because this is the first time I've
encountered an infested plant
-----Answer-----
Hi there,

There are any number of different critters that could have taken up residence in the potting soil. Clearly, sterile potting soil was not used and that tells me that it was grown by a nursery that is more concerned with cutting corners than with quality.

That said, the critters have nothing to do with the leaves turning brown. The brown leaves were probably cause by inadequate light or improper watering, but not the bugs.

Unfortunately, you took matters into your own hands before seeking help. Repotting, especially the way that you did it has only aggravated the problem.

Plant roots do not like to be disturbed as it stresses them. In addition, plants prefer small pots that keep their roots quite potbound. Larger pots with excess soil almost always lead to root rot, which may have been the problem in the first place. Good drainage means that the soil is porous because porous material such as perlite is mixed into the soil. Adding rocks to the bottom of the pot is an old idea that has been thoroughly discredited.

I don't mean to sound critical of you. It just upsets me that there is so much wrong-headed information posted on the Internet that ends up misleading folks like you.

At this point your Yucca may be so traumatized, that I don't know if there is a remedy. You can try undoing the repotting, getting rid of the rocks, and moving your Yucca into the SMALLEST pot that the roots and a small amount of soil will fit into. Then, move it to your sunniest location and water it only when the top third of the soil dries out.

If your Yucca is to recover, it will be a long process and will require considerable patience on your part.

If the plant survives and you still have critters in the soil, then submerge the pot up to its rim in plain water for 30 minutes. The critters will then rise to the surface in search of air.

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

Visit my website at  www.HorticulturalHelp.com

If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.

If this information has been helpful, please take the time to give me a rating and nomination.

  
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]  

Answer
"You can try undoing the repotting, getting rid of the rocks, and moving your Yucca into the SMALLEST pot that the roots and a small amount of soil will fit into. Then, move it to your sunniest location and water it only when the top third of the soil dries out."

That's what I would do, but understand that it is a risky maneuver and even riskier for someone who is not experienced with plants. But frankly, you do not have any other serious options.

Will Creed