Multiple problems? with Yucca Cane - Help -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I bought a beautifucl yucca cane tree at Home Depot on Aug29 - there was no identificaton nor care instructions on the plant so I just watered it when felt it was needed, but never soaked it or let it sit in water. Now, some leaves are drooping, have white splotches/spots and brownish and dry looking tips (and on some leaves almost looks like dried "split" right down the centre of the leaf. Once I identified my plant I was careful not to over-water. The soil does not feel dry to me but....maybe I am underwatering? From my Internet research it seems the symptoms can be similar. However, I have not come across a situation where the plant displays all the problems mine does. Also, I notice that there are little bugs in my house - similar to fruit flies and they seem to be concentrated around my yucca cane. In fact, I think maybe they came with the tree. The lighting in my house is pretty good overall but my yucca is not in direct, bright sunlight. So, I have no idea what could be the problem and how I can save this plant. If anyone has any ideas please tell me!
Hi Cinner, I am so sorry your having trouble with your Yucca (((hugs))). I've never had one so I am no good for help...but I have found most plants from the Home Depot to be sick and full of bugs. I bought a Coconut palm there and it was just all rotten when I unpotted it. The HD in Brampton was just terriable for this..:( Good luck! Mrs.Greenthumbs
Thanks anyway - I just love this plant and want it to survive. I have since found that RONA is a much better place to buy plants - healthy, identified with care instructions (a rarity at Home Depot) and knowledgable staff. I suppose I could drop in and ask them what could be wrong with my plant....
can you post some pics of it??? it really helps to id the problems if we can see what the plant looks like. sounds like you've got bug infestation - both gnats and possibly mealy bugs. tips can brown if you use water straight from the tap. always allow water to sit at least overnight so excess chlorine can dissipate and so that it will be room temp (too cold can shock the roots). always water thoroughly and allow the soil to dry out a bit before watering again. yucca is a succulent, so, likes a bit of dry before getting another drink. did you repot it after you bought it? if so, what kind of soil did you use and what kind of container and does it have drainage holes?
I won't be able to post pics until next week - my sister has a camera and the tech skills to help with that - lol. I don't use tap water for my plants - I have sulpher and very high salt content so I use spring water - from those big blue 18litre bottles. Possibly once it was very cold but since I bought some more plants i keep a bottle in the cupboard at room temp so that shouldn't be the problem. I did not re-pot. Interested in the gnat thing - I have heard of them but never saw one. How do I get rid of them? Thanks so much for your help. I really love this plant.
fungus gnats usually result from the soil being kept too moist - are you sure they're coming from the soil of this plant or are they just 'hanging around' it?? to get rid of them, you can allow the soil to dry out for a bit - that's usually enough to break the life cycle. they don't live too long to begin with and need moist soil for the eggs to do their thing, so, if you can keep the soil dry for a few weeks, that should be enough. you can also remove the topmost layer of the soil to help things along (still let it dry out after you remove the top layer). something i didn't clarify earlier...what size container is the plant in?? if it's the same as the one i bought at home depot this spring, you should be watering it every 3 weeks or so. the one mine is in is about 8 inches in diameter and it's about 12 deep. i didn't repot it when i got it because the soil is actually just about correct for what yucca needs - lol, they actually bought from a nursery that does things correctly! (unusual for home depot!) another reason i didn't repot it is because the roots haven't started coming out the bottom drain holes - probably will need to be redone next spring though... do take a look at the white stuff - if it's fluffy like cotton, that would be mealy bugs. you can treat with q-tips dipped in rubbing alcohol. just touch them to the bugs and they'll die instantly. then repeat treatment and rub both sides of the leaves and concentrate on getting into the crevises where the leaves meet the trunk - the eggs and juveniles aren't visible to the eye. then, repeat treatment in about 10 days and again in another 10 days if needed. also check other plants that are in close proximity - mealy bugs travel and are a problem for many houseplants (especially succulents). the same with the gnats - any soil that is kept too moist will be a good breeding site, so, other plants close by need to be looked at as well. one way to catch adults is to set out a glass or bowl with some sugar water in it. fruit juice works well, too. and so does water with cut up fruit (peaches, pears - anything really juicy). leave it out for a day or two and then dump and repeat for another day or two and all the adults should be dealt with. doing that in conjunction with letting soil dry out well should have you clear of the gnats in no time. oh, one other thing - any fruit that you have in the house should be kept in the fridge (rather than left in a bowl on the counter) during this process. please post pics when you can - i'd still like to see what the plant looks like.
Hi Joclyn: No, the white splotches don't fit the description of mealy bugs you provided - more like water-spots, like on glass ware if not dried quickly. As for the pot, I would guess that it is between 8 and 10 inches - no roots coming through. I will try letting it dry out a bit and see what happens. Hopefully that'll take care of the gnats. Will post a photo next weekend when I have access to a camera - I am really hoping that it will not have gotten worse by then. Right now, it does not look all that awful so I hope I am addressing the issues early enough. Thanks for all your advice. It really helps. By the way, I will be posting some photos of another plant I bought at home depot which I have yet to identify and thus have no idea how to properly care for...
My Yucca Cane continues to trouble me - Now now the cane is becoming wobbly - I know this is not a good sign! I checked for wobbles before and it was much sturdier a week or two ago. I was unable to post any photos (technical difficulties...). The plant does not actually look that bad though - a few droopy leaves that almost seem to break or split near the base, very few yellow or brown leaves and some seeminlgy new growth (interior leaves on both canes, especially the shorter which is not wobbly). Would you suggest re=potting? I read somewhere on-line that I should cut back the roots as they are more than likely rotting. I would prefer not to have to attempt this because I am very, very inexperienced when it comes to plants. I would appreciate any advice you can give me. By the way, the little gnats seem to have disappeared.
if one of the canes has started to become wobbly, then repotting may be needed. at the least, using the same container and just removing the old soil and replacing with new. wobbling can occur if there isn't enough soil in the container to hold the roots well and it can happen if there is a problem with the roots (as in they are rotting and there isn't enough to support the weight of the plant). it's not hard at all. and you'll need to learn how to do it at some point...so, now's as good a time as any! :) it's much easier to unpot something that's on the large size outside. so, if you have a fairly warm day tomorrow, take the plant outside and unpot it. it should come out of the container fairly easily. to assist, take a hand trowel and work it down between the soil and the edge of the container - work it all the way around (same as you would do to loosen a cake from the pan). then, just ease the container over on it's side - maybe put down something to support the trunks and keep the leaves from actaully hitting the ground - and then gently pull the pot away from the plant. if the soil is fairly loose, you could just try lifting the trunks straight up/out. whichever works :) if the roots are very firmly packed together and hold the shape of the container you're best bet would to be to go up a size for repotting - 1 or 2 inches larger in diameter. if the roots weren't fully occupying the container they came in, you can use it to repot. once you have them out of the soil, hold trunk firmly and gently shake so that the soil is removed from the roots. you can also use a hose to wash away the soil - if you have one available. take a look at the roots and if any are brown/black and/or mushy, they'll need to be cut away with a sharp knife. if you find bad roots, i'd also check the base of the trunk for rot - visually, it may look darker than areas above. if you gently squeeze the trunk, if it gives or feels soft or mushy, then you have rot happening. sounds worse than it is!! even if the rot goes all the way through the trunk, you can easily cut off the bad stuff and re-root the trunk! so, even if rot is there, the plant is very salvagable! if you do find the base of the trunk is bad, go up a bit and feel for firm/hard wood and make your cut there (above where the rot is). allow the cut end to dry out/callous over over night or for a couple days and then just plant it in the container with the other one. you will probably need to bury a couple inches and may need something to support it while it roots (a stick or two pushed into the soil and some twine to hold them in place against the trunk until it has roots). allow it to sit at least a week before watering and then water as you normally would. these root fairly quickly. if you need to do this inside, best way to do it with an easy clean-up is to place newspaper down on the floor or if you have an old tarp or an old sheet that would be even better. then, you can have a decent sized area to make a mess and then just fold up whatever you laid down to catch the dirt and then just take it outside to get rid of it all.
