The huge flowers take your breath away when they rise above the mighty leaves in summer. Over and over with graceful bells in noble creamy white, the ornamental value of a garden yucca filamentosa can hardly be trumped during the flowering period. Thanks to its majestic habit, the evergreen foliage and the robust winter hardiness, the palm lily is a decorative highlight in the garden at any time of the year. The following lines will tell you how much care the agave plant requires for this masterpiece and how the stemless plant is to be pruned.
Location
With the choice of the location you define the actual scope of care of a palm lily. At the same time, an adequate location serves as a springboard for splendid growth, which results in an early flower that otherwise only appears at an advanced age.
- Full sunny, warm location
- No risk of cold drafts or violent winds
- Ideally in the protection of a wall, a high fence or a pergola
Stuck heat in summer is just as little a problem for the garden yucca as blazing sunshine. On the contrary, the exotic agave really comes to life under tropical weather conditions.
Soil quality and substrate
The monumental Yucca Filamentosa serves as the dominant accent plant in rock gardens, steppe heaths, rock systems and gravel beds up to prominently situated beds. It fulfills this task all the more effectively, the better the soil is tailored to its requirements. The following attributes are important:
- Sandy-loamy garden soil, poor and well-drained
- Humorous, dry and well drained
- Neutral to slightly calcareous
In the bucket comes first and foremost
Consider good potted plant soil, which is optimized by adding sand, perlite, lava granulate or expanded clay. Conventional potting soil, on the other hand, tends to densify quickly, which would cause the roots to rot within a short time.Tip: Prudent hobby gardeners place palm lilies in the tub on special feet so that excess irrigation water can run off better and additional ventilation takes place from below.
Watering and fertilizing
A supporting water supply is only required in the phase during which a young garden yucca filamentosa is growing. Once the roots have gained a foothold, it is satisfied with the natural rainfall. If, however, there is a summer drought, the palm lily is thoroughly watered when the substrate surface is dry. In the bucket, however, the water requirement turns out to be higher, given the limited volume:
- Water garden yucca in the planter regularly after a thumb test
- Give a slow release fertilizer in the spring at the start
- Alternatively, work in compost, horn shavings or granulated cattle manure every 4 weeks from March to July
- Do not apply any more fertilizer from August so that the palm lily can mature before winter
A palm lily in the bucket is supplied with a liquid preparation or fertilizer stick once a year. In the year of planting or After repotting, there is no need for an additional supply of nutrients, as the substrates are usually sufficiently pre-fertilized.
Tip: Repeated watering with pond water eliminates the need to give fertilizers due to the natural nutrient content.
Cut
You are one of the typical characteristics of a garden yucca filamentosa
stemless habitus. It is therefore clear at first glance that a cutback according to the classic understanding is not necessary. For optical reasons, we recommend removing dried leaves. Cut this off with a sharp knife. Since a residue remains on the plant here that could rot, you can optionally tear off the sword blade with one jerk. Wear sturdy work gloves when doing this work so as not to injure yourself on the sharp edges of the blade.If the imposing flower wilts in July or August, it is cleaned out. However, do not rush to do this maintenance work. With a little luck, decorative capsule fruits will appear, which also contain seeds for propagation.
Overwinter
An established palm lily can easily withstand frosty temperatures down to -30 degrees Celsius. Winter protection in the open air is only beneficial in the year of planting.
- Tie the leaves together before the first frost
- Put a burlap sack or a garden fleece over it
- Cover the root area with fir fronds, straw or brushwood
- If it is freezing cold, water a garden yucca a little on a frost-free day
Every year, potted plants move to frost-free winter quarters. Due to the exposed position of the root ball in the planter, there is a high risk that it will freeze through. If there is not enough space, the pot should at least be placed on an insulating material, such as wood or styrofoam. In addition, a cover made of bubble wrap keeps icy winter storms at bay. A thick layer of foliage protects the substrate.
Tip: Do not allow palm lilies to dry out completely in their winter quarters. To protect against spider mites or other pests, spray from time to time with water.
Repot
If the roots peek out of the bottom opening of the bucket or push themselves through the substrate, you can no longer avoid repotting. A suitable time for this maintenance measure is early spring, shortly before the new budding. It succeeds in these steps:
- Put on sturdy work clothes, gloves and protective goggles
- In the new bucket, create a 5-10 cm high drainage made of gravel, chippings or potsherds
- Fill in the recommended substrate halfway
- Pot the palm lily and place in the center of the new pot
- Fill the cavities with earth and press down repeatedly with your fist
Only fill in the potting soil so high that a watering edge remains. Then water
the repotted palm lily extensively. Incidentally, the transplanting procedure offers an excellent opportunity to take a close look at the root ball. Cut out rotten and severely twisted root strands with a sharp, disinfected knife.Multiply
If you would like more specimens of a garden yucca filamentosa, you can choose from various methods of propagation:
Kindel
A palm lily itself provides for its reproduction in two ways: on the one hand, it forms berries with seeds and, on the other hand, it allows daughter plants to flourish at the base. These Kindel are fully developed young plants with exactly the attributes of their mother plant. This is how they are used for offspring:
- In autumn choose Kindel with a height of at least 20 centimeters
- Separate from the mother plant with a sharp knife or a courageous groundbreaking ceremony
- Plant in a large pot with a nutrient-poor, sandy substrate
- Water from time to time in a bright location at 5-10 degrees Celsius
By next spring, the daughter plants will have developed their own root system and will be planted out.
sowing
The seeds for propagation come from the autumn berries, which of course only rarely grow in the local area. Alternatively, the specialist trade has a corresponding offer ready.
- In February or March, soak the seeds in lukewarm chamomile tea for 12 hours
- Fill the growing pots with seed soil or peat sand and moisten with a fine shower head
- Press 1-2 seeds at a time into the substrate
- A cover made of glass or foil accelerates germination
At temperatures of at least 20 degrees Celsius in the partially shaded location, keep the substrate only slightly moist without causing waterlogging. When germination begins, the cover has done its job. The young palm lilies are ripe enough from a height of 20 cm to be planted outdoors or in the tub.
Conclusion
The majestic size of a garden yucca filamentosa is more of a challenge than maintaining it. This is limited to the careful choice of a sunny, warm and sheltered location with poor, permeable soil. Regular watering is only necessary during the growth phase or in summer drought. Fertilize limited to a start fertilization in spring or a portion of compost every now and then. Since the palm lily grows without a trunk in the garden, cutting is limited to removing withered leaves and withered flowers.