Please help my yucca cane!

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by zbg20, Feb 9, 2010.

  1. zbg20

    zbg20 Member

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    Location:
    Cambridge, UK
    Dear all,

    I have a wonderful yucca cane and it makes me so sad that it is doing so badly at the moment.

    We've had this plant for about 7 years - it grew from perhaps 1-2feet tall to now about 6 feet. Last summer it flowered for the first time - tons of white flowers that were extremely fragrant and had a very sticky nectar. It had always been extremely healthy and happy, growing lots, but now it looks like it will surely die... : ( I have read all the threads here and elsewhere about yucca canes, but my plant's problem seems more serious and severe.

    All the leaves are gradually turning yellow - the discolouration starts down the middle of each leaf (they become a lighter green), then they yellow, and finally turn brown and brittle. I have tried a range of things - I am letting the soil really dry out. I've cut away some of the yellow leaves. I have moved it back to its old spot (where it was until November) in case the problem was that its newer spot was too cold for it. I have pleaded with it.... but nothing seems to be making it better.

    Any help would be so much appreciated!!

    Here are some photos - one of my plant looking glorious in the background and two sad photos of it now. : (
     

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  2. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

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    The cane of your plant is known as the stem. Can you tell us how wet or dry this plant is normally kept? Can you tell us about the potting soil? Is it excessively dry?

    When a plant drops its leaves the condition is known as being deciduous. This plant is from central Africa and normally lives in the drier portion of a rain forest. Rain forest plants become deciduous when they are too dry since the stem is trying to preserve all the water and not feeding it to the leaves. Self-preservation during the dry season is a natural behavior in the rain forest.

    Anything you can tell us about its daily care may be valuable.
     
  3. zbg20

    zbg20 Member

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    Thank you so much for the information! It is really appreciated (especially as you can tell I know very little about this!)

    Steve - it is possible that the plant is not getting enough water. The soil is now powdery an dry to the touch on top though it still feels a little moist if I put my fingers in to it. Unfortunately the plant started to get unwell I was leaving it to dry since I stupidly thought it was a yucca cane plant - and that wouldn't have helped this poor dracenea at all....

    It is strange though as the plant has been extremely healthy for the past 7 years and I can't think what we've been doing differently to make it so sad... Perhaps the only difference is that we moved a year and a half ago from a very very damp house to a very dry one - and we also have an open fireplace in which we've been having lots of fires near where the plant is. Do you think that the air is perhaps too dry for it??? There is a radiator next to the plant too - although it only comes on for a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours at night - could that be making things worse??

    The plant seems to be getting worse very rapidly - every evening when I get home it seems perceptibly yellower and browner... : ( It will be a very happy miracle if I can save with with your help!!!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 28, 2010
  4. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

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    This plant normally grows in drier soil. During the rainy season the soil will be quite wet but it is also very porous so it drains quickly, at least in nature. Sometimes houseplants object to having their environment changed. If you've moved it recently, move it back. If you changed the water habit go back to what you are using. If you haven't fertilized recently then, give it some. My only suggestion about fertilizer is to feed the plant dilute fertilizer, not full strength.

    You might also try Epsom salts. Epsom salts contains magnesium and almost all rain forest species need that mineral. The recommended dose is 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon of water. We maintain an artificial rain forest and all of our plants are given Epsom salts once a month. Just don't overdo it.

    Your plant is very hardy and is considered very difficult to kill. My normal recommendation is to research how it grows in nature and do your best to duplicate those conditions. Do your best to find scientific sources, not just the plant websites. If you can find information from a botanist take his/her advice since home growers often just pass on what they've been told. Our "golden rule" is to do the same thing that Mother Nature does. I promise it works.

    Try digging as far down in the pot as possible and see if the roots are really wet. If not give them a really good soaking. If everything is soggy wet take a handful of the soil from near the bottom and smell it. If it smells bad you've got bacteria growing down there and you'll need to re-pot the entire specimen.

    If the soil smells badly then visit my website at the link below, look for the article in the lower right corner about growing Anthurium, scroll down to the heading on mixing potting soil and you'll find where I explain how to duplicate porous rain forest soil. I also explained how and why that bacteria forms.

    Let us know what you find. By the way, this is just my advice since I do not grow this species.
     

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