Cutting off the yucca palm - this is how you shorten the palm lily

Yucca palm: which parts of the plant can you cut off?

Yucca is very vigorous

As small as your yucca may be at the time of purchase, given the right growing conditions, it will grow very quickly. If the yucca feels comfortable due to the right location and good care, it will also reach heights of between - depending on the species - one to five meters in the pot. So it's no wonder that many a specimen hit the ceiling after just a few years. Yuccas not only grow in height, but also in width and quickly take up a lot of space for other residents, whether they are plants, animals or people. Even if the leaves grow very closely, a cut is necessary - otherwise the plant itself does not get enough light and the risk of pest infestation increases.

Shorten palm lily - All important information at a glance

Here you will find all the important information about pruning the yucca palm in a practical overview.

Yucca are very easy to cut.
Even radical shortening is usually well tolerated.
The plants usually sprout again from the sections.
Put the cut off parts of the plant in potting soil, then they will take root better.
With strong growth, shortening the trunk and cutting the leaves is essential.
Use sharp tools: a sharp knife for leaves and flowers, a fine saw for the trunk.
If you don't have a saw, you can use a long knife with a fluted blade.
It is only important that all tools are sharp and have been disinfected (e.g. with alcohol or over a flame).
Wounds on the trunk should be sealed with tree wax (€ 5.99 on Amazon *).
This prevents it from drying out.

If possible, prune the yucca in spring

So that your yucca can cope well with the pruning, you should only prune it in spring or until early summer. Then the plant has enough time to regenerate and sprout again during the warm and sunny months. Place the trimmed yucca in a light, warm and sheltered place, preferably on the balcony or terrace. Such a place supports the plant in its renewed growth. From late summer until the next spring, no more pruning should be carried out unless it is unavoidable due to a fungicidal or bacterial infection or similar.

tribe

Very large yuccas with a thick stem can easily be cut in height by simply cutting through the stem. As this becomes woody, you should use a fine saw or a sharp knife with a fluted blade (e.g. a bread knife). Be sure to seal the cut surface, otherwise the plant will dry out from there. You can use tree wax for this purpose, as is available in every garden center for a few euros.

Use logs for propagation

You can also use the cut pieces of trunk for propagation, they often take root again without problems and quickly sprout again. This is how the reproduction of the palm lily works best:

Cut about 20 to a maximum of 30 centimeters long sections from the trunk.
Make a good note of where up and down is.
To avoid confusion, you can mark the upper end with a pen or something similar.
Seal the top with tree wax.
Put the bottom end in a pot with a mixture of potting soil and sand.
Put a cut off PET bottle or glass over it.
Place the stem cutting in a light and warm place.
Always keep the substrate slightly moist.

The first new shoots will appear after about two to three months.

Cut off leaves

It is perfectly normal for older leaves to dry up and die from time to time. As a rule, the plant gets rid of these leaves itself. But you can also pluck them off. It is much more important to cut off or shorten leaves that are too narrow or protruding or that protrude. If the crown of leaves becomes too dense, the plant no longer receives enough light and develops so-called stinging shoots. You can use a sharp knife or scissors to cut the leaves. But be careful: the leaves are often quite sharp-edged, so that you can injure yourself. Therefore it is better to wear gloves. Incidentally, the leaf scoops or leaf cuttings can also be used for propagation.

Tips

The roots of the yucca should only be pruned when they are rotten. If possible, do not prune back healthy roots, but rather place the plant in a larger pot. The palm lily is often very sensitive to a root cut.