Yucca Stump. From outdoor tree

16 years ago

I cut the top off a yucca tree that was grown in the ground outdoors for 2 years. Per instructions from the web, I let the stump sit around for 1 week to 'callous'. I also waxed the top end at the time of the cutting. I put this into a container with potting mix and sand mixed in. I covered the entire thing with a plastic bag and put it in a moderately lit area, with moist sand.

It's been two weeks, and I found that this is the breeding ground for the fungus gnats I've been seeing.

[IMG]http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k281/undaC/yuccastump.jpg[/IMG]

I took it outside for now. Is there something else to do. Has anyone had success doing this, both growing yucca this way or getting rid of the gnats?

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Comments (14)

epipren
Original Author
16 years ago
Actually, I brought the stump back indoors because it's getting cold out.
Let me try the picture again. Hopefully it's embedded:
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k281/undaC/yuccastump.jpg
epipren
Original Author
16 years ago
{{gwi:80693}}
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stokesjl
16 years ago
i've rooted yucca elephantipes in this manner, but i didnt' cover it with a plastic bag. actually i never paid much attention to it. Just gave it a little water every now and then and it eventually took off.
epipren
Original Author
16 years ago
5 weeks now, still nothing from my Yucca stump!

Am I being impatient? I'm considering chopping up the stump to try to grow multiple little plants.
mr_subjunctive
16 years ago
You're being impatient. Probably. It needs a lot of light, soil that dries out pretty thoroughly between waterings (you are letting it dry out some, right?), and time. Something should be happening soonish, though it's possible that the cooler temperatures you mention might have slowed the process down. I wouldn't give up on it until you hit some combination of mid-May (or later), mushy canes, and unpleasant smells.

As for the fungus gnats, they will go away on their own if the soil is dry enough for long enough. They're not especially dangerous to the plant, or to any of your other plants.
epipren
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks subjunctive. It's been outside for 3 weeks now after being indoors for 2 weeks. The weather is warm here now in zone 10. I've sprayed everything for the fungus gnats. That along with fly paper has controlled things for the most part.

I am letting the soil dry between waterings. The cane is nice and firm. I'll just sit and wait.
epipren
Original Author
15 years ago
It's been around 3 months and I haven't seen any sign of life from my yucca stump. It still looks exactly like the picture above, reposted here.
{{gwi:80693}}

No signs of rot either. Looks and feels like a healthy stump, it's just not doing anything.

The original in-ground trunk from where it came has re-sprouted all over the place.

Any chance the wax capping has retarded the growth? As an aside, a bug spray I used to get rid of fungus gnats stopped growth of all my actively growing plants for at least 2 weeks. Just stopped the growth dead in its tracks. They have since recovered.
mr_subjunctive
15 years ago
It's probably fine. I doubt the wax has done anything to slow it down. So long as it's not rotted out, which you said it hadn't, it's probably just being slow to come around.
epipren
Original Author
15 years ago
Yaay!!!

After 4 full months (yes 16 weeks) almost to the day, I went out to look at the yucca stump, until now an eyesore, and found the first sprout!!

If you plan on doing this, be verrrrrrry patient. Expect 1/3 of a year!!

I don't know, but suspect it would have been faster to get new plants if I had chopped up pieces each with an eye and layed them sideways on dirt.
mr_subjunctive
15 years ago
It might have been, but probably it wouldn't have been very much faster. Congratulations.

'Course, now you get to wait for the sprouts to develop into something that's not an eyesore. Have fun with that. :^)
johnh_or
15 years ago
It probably spent all this time growing roots. Nice to know it finally took off. Congrats!
skimfla_gmail_com
13 years ago
epipren, you say "I don't know, but suspect it would have been faster to get new plants if I had chopped up pieces each with an eye and layed them sideways on dirt."

What is meant by this?
harris_jamal
13 years ago
Well the next if you really want to speed things up. Take a bucket of water place a small fish tank heater and a thermometer adjust fish tank heater until the water stays at 85 to 90 degrees then add a small/large fish tank aerator. The heat will speed up the rooting process and the aerator will ensure that there is enough oxygen dissolved into the water.

Don't forget to change the water every 3 days.

PS The aerator (fish tank air pump attached via tubing to air stone) is essential because warm water holds less dissolved oxygen than cool water.
ropamfrazier_gmail_com
12 years ago
How is you Yucca doing these days? In trying to uproot mine, I accidentally snapped the top off. So, I just put it in the ground. I also added some Osmocote Outdoor & Indoor Smart-Release Plant Food. According to my local nursery, it will be just fine since it is a drought tolerant plant. Though, she did recommend to wait til the fall or spring before transplanting anymore.