Yucca

my yucca got to this stage last year then flower spike just withered.

I have cut all dead stuff off, fed and mulcehed not too close AND got loads of vetch from round the trunk - is it going to make it?

any tips please - it would be nice to see it get to flower.

 

Only thing I can think of is that the crown got too wet? or a little beastie nibbled at the tasty fresh spire. I can only think that neglect is part of a successful flowering as lots of my non-gardening friends seem to have success?

 

Oh BM thats got me now as just given it lots of TLC

 

I'd say there's something strange going on there Waco.
Its got three flower spikes but it doesn't seem to have grown three rossetes first, not to any real size anyway.

 

Yes pete there are 3 rosettes, I did pull quite a lot of dead stuff off. It was covered in varigated ivey and this horrid vetch stuff, so hope this has not finished it off.

 

Oh I see.
Do you know what one it is, is it gloriosa, the leaves look a bit narrow for that though.
Mine get those black spots, a real pain in the a---. Especially if you sit on them. :D :D

 

hi waco would you be intrested in a flask of ghost orchid? very rare orchid for 50 plants �£150

 

Waco..I had two flower spikes and cut the smallest one out a couple of weeks ago...

And it's grown four feet in that time!

 

show-off! Looks like that's the treatment, Waco! Or try Orchidman's suggestion??

 

Paladin that is lovely, mine is just a bog standard white one. so do you think I should cut a couple out?

There was onl one spike last year, but it never got going - shame really.

Oh yes and whoeve called it ba**ard plant is right! I had to wear my sunglasses to protecy myself.

 

dendy - not sure I underatand orchid mans suggestion???

 

Waco, It looks like the growing tip died two or three years ago, and it has grown some more.

What do you do with the flower stem afterwards? Mine flowered last year, the stem comes out right in the centre and there doesn't seem to be any new growth since.

Pete, I took a picture of your spots to Spain. There was a language problem, I think they thought I was complaining, so the enquiry didn't get very far.

 

Nik I just gave up on it last year and left it alone in disgust! I can't bear to cut the spikes of this years growth, so I am going to risk it and leave all three on.

Not sure what the spanish thread it, but if it is any help my sister was married to a spaniard, so I am sure I could get a translation if it would be of help.

 

Yes Nik, I've got an idea its climate related, so I dont think the Spanish might have seen it before. Thanks for trying though.

Just like to say, Yuccas grow in a similar way to most of the Agave family, the rossettes of leaves grow for a couple of years or maybe many years before a flower spike is formed. The flower spike forms on the growing point, so once the rossette flowers it eventually dies, but is replaced either by a side shoot on the main stem or an underground bud depending on type.
Thats why a single stemmed plant may take a while to flower and then seem to take years to flower again, once a clump of rossettes of differing ages is formed they usually flower every year.
Sorry got carried away there. :D

 

Spot on Pete - I have had a yucca in my garden for a few years now - nary a sign of a flower - until this year, and unless I miss my guess, I got a flower spike at long last.