Hello, I'm a complete greenhorn in gardening. I got a yucca home two months back. Everything was going well, until tonight when I spotted two sick leaves. They had this gooey brown tips and I cut them off immediately but then I noticed these white tiny cottony things at the base of the leaves - right where the leaves meet the stem. When I did some search online, it seems like it might be either mealy bugs or 'southern blight.' I'm not sure. It's there on all the stems. What can I do? Please help! -Extremely worried parent.
sounds like mealy bugs - a fairly common issue for yucca. get some q-tips and rubbing alcohol. dip the swab and then touch to the white fluff - should kill the bugs instantly. then wipe away the dead bugs. get a fresh swab, dip and then rub up/down both sides of all the leaves. mainly concentrate on the area where the leaves meet the base, though. make sure to get the crevises really well, too. the purpose with this is to get any eggs or juveniles that may be around. repeat the treatment in about 10 days and then again in another 10 days if needed. if there are any other plants located near where the yucca is, check them for infestation as well. treat if needed. if nothing else seems to be having an issue, i'd still move the yucca so it's away from other plants - until you're sure it's clear of the bugs, that is. then you can put it back where it belongs.
My yucca looks much healthier now and has been restored to it's original position, however, I have another problem. My friend gifted me a hibotan last month. An hour ago, I accidently dropped it while trying to slide the window open. The top part which looks like a flower and I'm told is gymnocalcymium, has broken off from the stem partially. :( How should I care for it? I don't want this to die on me, please!
