Hardy Tropicals UK

Simba wrote:

Adam D wrote:Still a bummer to lose what was once a really good looking plant..

It was a real beauty, and seeing yours, catapaulted Linearifolia straight to the top of my 'must have' list...

What if you kept one in a buried pot so that you could lift if during the worst winters..??

That's a good idea Simba, but I would rather have a plant in the ground than in a pot because they grow so much better.

My view may change if we get a run of normal winters

I had one do exactly the same, had it for 5 years, grew a few leaves the first couple, then stopped then the growing point came away. When I checked it before binning it, there were no roots whatsoever !! It hadn't grown roots and then lost them, there weren't even any signs of dead roots. Personally it was probaby a gonner when I bought it.

Checked it today and i think it's a gonner.

Hmmm.... it does seem to be that when the roots perish, the plant will perish at a later date. I had a small trunked Rostrata that faded over an 18 month period. When I dug it up it had no roots at all and the base looked like charcoal

my first rostrata went this way,when the crown was finally reduced to nothing,i sawed it up for the green bags.rot had spread right up through the middle.

I pulled it out of it's pot and the roots were non existant. It's on the winter killed plant heap now.

Sorry to hear about peoples losses! So glad I didn't fork out for one of these.

Rostrata are not in the premier league when it comes to Yucca hardiness IMO.

Even my gloriosa has damage! 3 winters in the minus teens hasn't done it much good!

Bought a nice Yucca Rostrata a month ago from the eBay guy in Hungary. It has a 3 and a half foot trunk, and is approximately 4 and a half foot tall. I removed the Yucca from the packaging it was sent in and have put it in a large pot, and left it in the garage. Apart from some rain water a couple of weeks ago, I haven't watered. Is this likely to be ok? The leaf tips are browned at the end, but apart from that it seems ok. Any advice would be very gratefully received.

I too bought one from this supplier similar to yours, planted it in the ground last spring and within a month it flowered
which was a pain as the plant was using all its energy into flowering rather than producing a good root system.
The other issue of course is that moisture can penetrate throught the flowering stem and into the head. In their own natural environment Winter freezes are accompanied by dry conditions unlike ours.
Mine is looking a little worse for wear having been out in the open all Winter whereas the Yuccas under cover look in mint condition The secret of success is getting a good root system in place
This yucca Linearifolia I planted at virtually right angle as an experiment has rooted well and has been producing fresh growth during the Winter. Here's the rostrata looking a bit washed out . sorry pic is on its side

Hi Andy, what planting medium do you use? Moving house in a couple of weeks time, hence why the Y. rostrata is in a pot in the garage. Can't wait to get it in thd ground, along with a few other bits i've picked up recently. Will post a pic tomorrow after work if I get a chance.

I use a sandy soil that will dry out quickly. All my yuccas seem happy in this medium. It is not the natural soil of my garden though. I don't use any aggregate in the soil either only as a top dressing.

Is that sharp sand Andy? Do you add grit or any other medium to it? Regards