How to prune a yucca at home

Now it is very fashionable to decorate the interiors of houses with green spaces. Preference is given to plants that do not shed their foliage and constantly delight with their beauty. One of these colors is yucca. This is a southern flower that looks like a palm tree according to its external data. On average, the height of this exotic plant can reach two meters. Yucca fits perfectly into any interior, especially if the house has enough space to accommodate it. Tropical greenery attracts guests' attention and has a calming effect on the hosts. The main requirement for the appearance is the need to periodically correct the shape of the plant, shortening or removing the processes protruding from the sides.

What is pruning for?

Pruning the yucca at home allows you to give it a shape that matches the style of the house. Initially, a young plant is planted in a regular flower pot, but as it develops, it begins to feel a lack of space, as a result, the trunk is stretched in length and the amount of greenery is reduced.

Evergreen Yucca

There is a need to stimulate the branching process. To do this, the top is cut off, and after a while the crown becomes much more magnificent and more beautiful.

If the plant is sick, you can save it by treating it with protective compounds. In addition, the cuttings obtained are used to grow new flowers.

Pruning helps to correct the shape of the yucca in which the trunk is bent. Indeed, under the weight of the branches, it may simply break, or the pot will not be able to stand, but will fall to the side.

The street flower is often attacked by pests or fungal spores. For rescue, treatment with chemicals is carried out. In this case, the cut branches are burned to avoid spreading over the site.

Trim time and tool preparation

Experts advise pruning after the trunk of the yucca has reached at least half a meter and is about five centimeters in diameter. This is important because after shortening, the trunk stops growing. A dense stump will not only look more interesting, but it will also hold branches and lush foliage on them without any problems.

In time, pruning of yucca should be planned for the end of winter or the first decade of March. The period is good because the plant is still dormant. When the internal movement of juices begins, the rapid growth of young shoots is ensured. If the process falls in April or other months of spring, then the flower does not experience stress and all the strength goes to the growing season.

Winter is a time of deep rest. At the same time, no complicated procedures are carried out. In order for the yucca to gain strength for rapid growth in spring, it is placed in a cool place and the amount of watering is reduced. A couple of days before pruning the yucca, watering is carried out, which will help to transfer stress.

Yucca pruning

For work, special inventory and other necessary tools are being prepared, including:

• garden knife or small pruner;
• alcohol for processing sections;
• garden pitch or paraffin;
• drugs that increase the immunity of the plant during periods of stress (Epin, Agricola and others);
• activated carbon tablets;
• a pot with soil and a drainage layer to root the cut shoot.

General rules for pruning Yucca

Correct pruning of yucca at home should be carried out according to the rules developed by specialists. This will preserve the health of the color and ensure that the branches are lush.

After preliminary watering and disinfection of the instruments, cuttings are made. Step-by-step instruction:

• Mark the place for the cut. It should be 11-15 cm higher than the lower deciduous layer.
• For convenience, the leaves are collected in the left hand. The cut is made in one precise motion so that it is perfectly straight and not damaged.
• All sections are processed with molten paraffin or garden varnish.
• If a plant has a problem of softening (decay) of the trunk in winter, then most likely it will not be possible to completely save it. The only way out is to get healthy seedlings to grow a new flower. These are usually the tops of a palm tree. Each stalk should be about 25 centimeters long.
• If there are no special tools at hand, the slices are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon and allowed to dry for a couple of hours.

Development of new shoots

After the end of the procedure, the yucca is placed on a windowsill, where there is no direct sunlight. Watering is carried out once a week for the next two months. For this, the cut will give a lateral shoot and possibly more than one. This is the perfect way to prune your yucca at home while still providing material for growing new plants.

Pruning to rejuvenate the plant

If the yucca after several years of development is too elongated, or its trunk has been damaged, it becomes necessary to restore it. One way to rejuvenate a yucca is to remove all foliage from the plant completely. Proper care of the flower will allow it to restore its lost beauty within a few years. In a month, new leaves will appear on the branches.

Sanitary pruning

The appearance of a large number of dry branches and yellow leaves requires the gardener to carry out special procedures, the purpose of which is to heal the plant. For this, all damaged branches are completely cut off. The work requires care so as not to damage the trunk of the plant.

With strong thickening, the lower layer of leaves is cut off. The flowering of yucca is accompanied by the release of a powerful peduncle, which, towering above the foliage, reveals many small inflorescences. They can be white, green or beige. When the process is complete, it must be carefully cut.

Crown formation and general appearance

To get a beautiful flower, the spreading crown of which is able to decorate any home, use the healthiest of the cut tops for rooting. This increases the likelihood of getting a plant with a lush crown and a strong stem that can hold them.

A street flower grown in a large container does not need to be pruned for a long time. But when the trunk becomes thick enough, it is tied to a support.

Creation of unusual shapes

Yucca is formed as young shoots grow back. This is essentially an annual process. If desired, give the plant any shape that is suitable for the interior of an apartment or house.

You can create a non-standard barrel bend before it completely stiffens.If it is necessary to stretch it strongly in length, the container is placed in a dark place and the palm tree will begin to grow rapidly, seeking to receive more light. This will give the barrel an interesting position.

Post-pruning activities

After pruning, the plant needs to be provided with comfortable conditions and rest. At this time, direct sunlight is contraindicated for him. The first watering is carried out only after a week, with warm, settled water. Young shoots of the bush can be expected in four days. With a trunk diameter of more than five centimeters, almost all branches are cut off from it, leaving two or three shoots on different sides.

After the pruning procedure, the yucca needs care, which allows you to quickly move away from the shock and start growing:

• watering once a month;
• location in a well-lit area.

Interior decoration

For the first feeding, it is better to choose June. At this time, young shoots are actively developing. Complex fertilizer is applied once a month until the end of summer. Stop feeding when autumn comes and preparations for a dormant period begin.

The lush blooming yucca will decorate any home. But sometimes it becomes necessary to rejuvenate the plant or get shoots for new cultivation. Early spring is more suitable for this.