The Yucca, often called the Spineless Yucca or Adam’s Needle, is a pretty fast grower. Since they’re so low-maintenance, it’s easy to look away for a second and realize your plant has practically hit the ceiling! But don’t worry—if yours has gotten a bit too tall for its britches, you can easily trim it down to size.
Pruning Tolerance
Yuccas are incredibly tough and handle pruning like champs. That said, you shouldn’t just hack away at them randomly. Unless it’s an absolute plant emergency, it’s best to go in with a solid game plan.
Why Prune?
Since indoor Yuccas don’t technically *need* a haircut to stay healthy, we usually only bring out the shears for a few specific reasons:
- The plant has grown too large or tall for the room.
- The Yucca is growing crooked or leaning.
Now, if the trunk feels soft or mushy, you’ve got an emergency on your hands. To save the plant from rot, you’ll need to cut off any healthy sections and start them as new cuttings in fresh soil. Unfortunately, that soft, rotting trunk is a goner and should be tossed in the trash.
When to Prune?
The absolute best time to give your Yucca a trim is in the spring, right before it hits its main growing season. This gives the old plant a boost to sprout new growth and gives your new cuttings the best head start possible.
How to Prune
When your Yucca is too tall
If your Yucca is hitting the ceiling, you can simply cut the trunk. Once you’ve finished sawing or clipping, you’ll be left with two parts:
- The top section with the green leafy crown.
- The bottom section, which is just the rooted trunk.
Before you make the cut, think about what you want your “new” plants to look like:
- Do you want the leafy top to become a tall plant with a long trunk?
- Would you prefer the top section to be a small, compact Yucca?
- Do you want to chop the leafless trunk into several smaller pieces to grow three or four new plants?
Where you decide to cut depends entirely on your vision for the plant. Don’t worry about hurting it—the Yucca is super resilient and will handle a cut at any height.
When your Yucca is growing crooked
If a Yucca doesn’t get enough light, it’ll start stretching and leaning toward the nearest window. Over time, this makes the plant look a bit wonky, but more importantly, it can make the whole thing unstable and prone to tipping over. This is a great time for a “reset” prune.
To get it growing straight again, cut the trunk at a point where the top section can be replanted as a straight piece. As for the remaining stump in the pot, you can:
- Trim it down further.
- Just cut it back enough so that the new growth comes in straight.
After the Cut
Once you’re done, you’ll have at least two potential plants, though only the original bottom half is currently in a pot. If you’re planning on planting all the sections, make sure you know which end is “up”!
It’s easy to tell with the leafy tops, but if you have bare trunk segments, it’s a good idea to mark the top and bottom so you don’t plant them upside down. Here’s your post-op checklist:
- Fill pots with fresh potting soil or a seed-starting mix.
- Stick your cuttings into the soil.
- Press the soil down firmly around the base.
- Give them a light watering.
- Seal the cut surface on the top of the trunk with some grafting wax to prevent drying out or infection.
To help them root, place your new Yuccas in a warm, bright spot. Avoid direct sunlight for the first few weeks while they’re vulnerable. Once you see strong new growth, you can gradually move them into the sun. They also love spending the summer in a sheltered spot on the balcony or patio!
The Right Tools
Before you start, take a look at the thickness of the trunk. For a thick, woody stem, you’re going to need a hand saw. For thinner, younger stems, a sharp pair of garden loppers or shears will do the trick.
Whatever you use, make sure it is:
- Clean and disinfected.
- Very sharp.
A clean, sharp cut heals much faster than a jagged one. If you notice your blade is struggling or crushing the stem, stop and sharpen your tools before you continue!
