soil may feel damp because it is old and worn out. It might be time to change. See how things look after it is in the spot with the more light.

But I think you might want to change out your soil.

Soil is less than a year old

It may be fine, and just need more light as you say. It's normal for this type of plant to lose its' oldest (bottom) leaves as it ages. As long as it's growing new ones as quickly or more than old ones are being discarded, it's considered to be doing well. Your plant looks pretty good to me, but the above-soil part is only part of the story.

Are you able to slide the root ball out of the pot without the soil falling apart? If not, it's probably still OK if only a year. Check for firmness of the trunk where it emerges from the soil, by squeezing gently with pads of fingertips. Should feel like hard wood.

If the roots can slide out of the pot in a solid ball, it's time to start considering a repot. Would be hard to specifically give an opinion without being able to see it. If it slides out and you able to take a pic of the root ball, adding that would help folks give you the most relevant suggestions.

yucca???

or corn plant.. Dracaena fragrans ... compare at link

DEFINITELY>> NO CLAY POT ... in WI.. in winter .. i found them to be near impossible to use indoors for most plants ... though i suspect cacti might work in them.. but thats another story ....

and it might not be happy in front of the heat register.. even if cold air return ...

look at the trunk ... just below the leaves... see where last years old leaves were removed??? ... if you were to remove a couple of the bottom most leaves.. the plants appearance would improve 95% ... i would snip that about an inch out.. and the stub will eventually fall off.. rather than trying.. and failing.. to rip it off ...

also.. did you perhaps.. just bring it indoors from outside for summer... if so.. its suffer some kind of shock from such ... such as severely reduced light ...

i doubt.. at one year.. its a media issue ...

and.. seeing no tray ... does the pot drain????

regardless... look to the center of the tops.. that is were the future is.. if that part is happy.. and thriving... it ought to recover ... though out of focus.. it looks like its putting out a fresh new leaf... severely unhappy plants usually wont do that ... which adds up.. to dont love it to death ....

i think it just needs some old leaves removed ...

i bet there are all kinds of post on such.. in the houseplant forum..

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

i hit a ... MOST RECENT POSTS link ...

and refer the post to the forum it was actually in.. lol

sorry about that... i was previously in the name that plant forum ... and that was why i suggested a different name .. etc ...

i blame it on the headcold ...

good luck

ken

Does the pot have a hole at the bottom to drain away excess water? If not, that may cause a lot of issues in the future.
Your plant looks healthy to me, a few bottom leaves falling off every now and then is normal.

Soil is a slight mix of regular potting medium, lots of perilite, cactus mix, and some orchid mix, so yeah, pretty loose soil all around. There is holes drilled into bottom, but I've never watered it so much that it drains. I rarely water it at all! So I think I'm ok, I trimmed off some of the lower leaves.

The loose soil sounds good.

Although so many plants that die in a pot are victims of overwatering, what you describe (and seeing the pic of a pot with holes above carpet with no drain saucer) gives rise to concern about this plant possibly suffering from being given too little water. And concern about your carpet. As long as water doesn't sit in a drip saucer, your plant (and carpet) might benefit from having one.

If you add your normal amount of water and it doesn't drip out, you can be reasonably assured it's penetrating well, soil's not hydrophobic. But if it does drip out, carpet bummer. If your soil does get dry enough to become hydrophobic, adding any water, even just a few drops, it might not soak in at all, and could run across the top, down the sides, and directly onto the carpet.

If water never runs out of the holes in the bottom of the pot, a toxic level of tap water chemicals and fertilizer salts can build up in soil. Going out in the rain (in the shade where it can't be sunburned) occasionally, or even using tap water in a shower, can help prevent that, as well as repotting every year or two.

Sorry, I didn't read all the responses so I apologize if this was said.
In their natural habitat, as Yucca's mature, lower leaves brown and die.

Google photos of mature Yuccas grown outdoors. Toni

Thanks for all the feedback, glad to know this is normal.