Question
QUESTION: Hi,

I am new to houseplants. I recently purchased two song of India plants, one bamboo palm and a yucca cane. I transplanted all three and after a few weeks of adjusting I have a few questions. The song of India has some browning developing on the tips. I can't be sure this was not already present at purchase but I have now noticed it. It's not terrible but definitely more noticeable. I water when about 1/4 to 1/2 dry (about once a week) and include liquid organic fertilizer in the water each time (1 tbs per gallon). The bamboo palm also has some leaf reeds starting to yellow. The watering and feeding schedule is the same as above. Just want to know if it is transplant shock or should I be concerned? Change my routine? The yucca cane has 3 canes. The smallest one had some spikes that promptly rotted off immediately after transplanting. The others look OK. I water and feed as above. Will I eventually get new growth on the smallest cane? Should I remove it or leave it alone? Thanks for any suggestions.

ANSWER: Hi Silvie, without seeing them it is difficult, but from what you told me, you could be giving them too much fertilizer, they don't need to be fed but once a month and the watering may be too much too, especially if you have a rich mix for a medium; even though it may seem dry to touch, there could be an accumulation at the rootball that is beginning to stress the roots. Brown tips usually indicate root problems, check your drainage holes and see if they are showing moisture, this is a sure sign; cut that cane that rotted back to fresh tissue, and it will regenerate growth from there, providing there isn't serious root damage, for that rotting is also a sign of root problems. Again Silvie, understand that I am going on what you have told me, and without seeing the container the medium the plant itself, it is difficult.:)Nick

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QUESTION: Thank you Nick. This is very helpful. What can I use to cut back the rotted cane and how do I know I have reached fresh tissue? I will cut back on fertilizer and watering to see if that helps. Thanks again!

Answer
....cut back well below the rot, the color of the cane should be the same as the other healty ones, if you cut and it seems still soft, cut back further, until you reach green; Yuccas are very resilient plants and it is really difficult to hurt them by cutting, in fact, some people cut them back when they become lanky, and place the top section in the ground to start a new plant, then the bottom part regenerates also. :)Nick