There are those who take advantage of an interior patio or a bright room to have a container garden in which they have planted cacti, succulents and other types of plants typical of arid or semi-arid regions. But what would happen to the cassava if it remained outside all year round? It is a type of vegetable that loves the sun, so much so that it only takes a few days in the shade for its leaves to lose their strength and “cling”.
Even so, it is not uncommon to find it in the decoration of houses, although it is not recommended, since in these conditions the light they receive is usually not sufficient. Therefore, to make it really pretty, we are going to tell you what is the care of yucca as an outdoor plant.
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Put it in full sun
Image – Wikimedia/Susan Barnum
I know, sometimes I repeat myself a lot. But for a yucca it is important to grow in a sunny place. In its place of origin, the seed takes advantage of the rains to germinate, and the royal star to grow straight, developing its characteristic leathery leaves with pointed ends. For this reason, indoors it is common that it does not look like it was outdoors, because its foliage seems to fall, hang down, as if it has lost its strength.
But be careful with this, because if we have one that has never been exposed to direct light, it will burn as soon as I give it some. To avoid this, you have to be patient, and expose it little by little, taking advantage of the hours when the degree of insolation is lowest (i.e. early in the morning or late in the summer). afternoon). The rest of the day we will have it in the shade until a few weeks have passed.
Also, I recommend starting to do it in spring or autumn, since the sun is not so intense; So, when summer arrives, he will surely have acclimatized enough and, even if he suffers some burns, he will be very light.
Pot or soil, which is better?
Well, in nature there is not a single plant that grows in a pot, for the simple fact that it is a human invention. But, yes, there are many that live very well in containers: like carnivores, grasses and many others. But this is not the case with yuccas which can exceed 3 or 4 meters in height, such as the Yucca elephantipes vague yucca aloifolia.
These develop a fairly thick pseudostem, which in some cases can exceed 50 centimeters in thickness, so if we want it to grow a lot and become a magnificent specimen, it is better to plant it in the ground as soon as possible. Thus, in addition, we will notice that it grows a little faster.
But, Is it possible to still have it in a jar? It’s not ideal, but yes, it’s possible. Today it is possible to find huge pots for sale, up to 1 meter in diameter; even if you are a handyman and have the space, you can even do a construction site. In these containers it won’t grow as much as if it were in the ground, but it will still make a very pretty plant.
What kind of soil does yucca need?
From his own experience, yucca is an undemanding plant. It even grows in poor, eroded soils that stay dry for weeks. The soil in my garden is clayey, and as it rains so little and the sunshine is very high in summer, the soil compacts so much that making a simple planting hole is quite difficult if it is not moistened beforehand. My yucca has been growing there since I bought it and had no problems.
Now well, if you are going to have it in a pot, I advise you to plant it in a pot with a specific substrate for succulents (on sale here), or with a mixture of peat and perlite in equal parts. In this way, it will be able to take root well, which will influence its growth and health.
Does the outdoor yucca need to be watered?
Image – Flickr/Adam Jones
Cassava is a plant that resists very well to drought. This is so because in their places of origin there is little rain. For this reason, it is worth considering whether or not you should water it when you have it outside. And the truth is that the answer to this question will depend on whether we have it in a pot or whether we have it on the ground in the garden.
If we have it in a pot, then we’ll have to water it. The amount of land it has is limited, so if it goes a long time without rain, it is important to water it once a week in summer. The rest of the year we will space out the waterings, because the soil stays moist longer.
If we have it in the garden, I advise you to water it the first year so that it takes root better. We will do this from time to time, once a week or fortnightly.
Fertilizing cassava: yes or no?
As it grows on poor soils, fertilization is not really essential for it to be beautiful. But if we have it in a pot, it is strongly recommended to pour it with a fertilizer for green plants (on sale here) or for succulents (on sale here), following the instructions.
Should it be protected from frost?
The yucca tolerates the cold very well, as well as frosts and snowfalls as long as they are punctual. However, they grow best in warm climates, such as dry tropical and subtropical climates and the Mediterranean. But hey, just so you keep in mind, here we leave you a list of yucca species and their hardiness:
- yucca aloifolia -18ºC
- yucca baccata -20ºC
- Yucca elephantipes -12ºC
- glorious yucca -18ºC
- yucca rostrata -23ºC
For this reason, no you don’t have to protect her.
Image – Flickr/Megan Hansen
The yucca is a plant that can be outdoors. We hope that by following these tips you can have it beautiful.