Dear Sibe

I have four mature yucca plants in my garden - they are about five foot tall with soft wood trunks and they flower once a year. One has four heads so it is quite top-heavy and is beginning to split. Can I cut off some heads and replant them? If so, how should I go about this?

Thanks.

Our gardening expert replies:

Hi!

It is not likely that you will be able to root the heads of your yucca plant. Yuccas are most often propagated by carefully removing suckers coming from the base, which will already have their own roots. The higher up the plant you go and the closer towards the flowers, the less likely does the plant shoot have the ability to form adventitious roots if separated from the mother plant.

Yuccas can also be propagated by root cuttings. If your plant does split irreparably and looks like dying, then when you have given up hope of it surviving, carefully dig out the root system and you will see small swollen buds on some of the roots. Cut these off with a sharp knife and plant in a 3" pot in a warm place. Shoots will usually appear in a few weeks. Once rooted you can pot on and eventually plant them out.

If you are particularly attached to your yucca, it could well be worth taking some action to try to prolong its life. Firstly, you could make some wooden props to support the side branches and prevent them splitting away. If these are conspicuous you could plant an ivy or other climbing plant to disguise them. Cut a notch out of the end to support the branch. If your plant is top heavy it may not be possible to support it adequately so you may be better cutting your losses and removing one or two of the heads and hopefully increasing the chance that the rest of the plant will survive. Cut a small distance away from the main trunk, with as vertical a cut as you can manage, so that rain water will not lie on the cut surface.

Also, as with many plants, splits that have already occurred can sometimes be repaired if the pieces can be pushed back together again and then tied quite tightly with string or twist ties. Be careful not to cut into the stem. If held together firmly enough and if the plant is growing actively at the time, there is often a high probability that the two sides will 'knit together'. After a while the supporting ties can be removed and the plant will continue as if nothing has happened.

Good Luck!

Sibe