Yucca Plant Pod Info
Yuccas produce a lovely white to cream flower stalk, decorated with dangling blooms. These panicles will last for several weeks, then the petals will drop off and the ovary will start to develop. Soon seed pods will form. You can allow these to mature on the plant until dry and then harvest them. Alternately, you can cut off the seed pods on yucca to avoid the plant self-seeding. Cutting the stalk will not affect future blooms. Yucca seed pods will range up the entire flower stalk. They are about one inch (2.5 cm.) long and have a hard, dry husk. Inside are many black, flat seeds, which are the source for baby yuccas. Once the seed pods on yucca are dry, they are ready to collect. Crack open the pods and gather the seeds. They can be stored in sand in the refrigerator until you are ready to plant. They will be viable for up to 5 years. Yucca seed pod propagation outdoors should be started in spring, but you can start them indoors at any time. Planting yucca seeds indoors is probably the best way to propagate the plant and control the growing environment. The first step is to soak the seeds for 24 hours. Yucca seed pods have a hard carapace which will need to soften so the seed can germinate more readily.
Yucca Seed Pod Propagation
Temperatures should be between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (15-21 C) for germination. They need well-drained soil with plenty of grit added. Use flats for planting yucca seeds indoors. Germination may be variable, but if you plant plenty of the seeds, some will sprout. Germination usually takes 3 to 4 weeks. Keep the young plants moderately moist and transplant them within 8 weeks to slightly larger individual pots. Allow the surface of the soil to dry in between watering. Yuccas started from seeds grow slowly and unpredictably. They will not be ready to flower for 4 to 5 years.
Other Methods of Propagation
Yucca can also be started from rhizomes or offsets. Dig up rhizomes in winter and cut them into 3-inch (7.5 cm.) sections. Pot them up in sterile potting soil indoors. In 3 to 4 weeks, they will produce roots. Offsets or pups grow at the base of the parent plant and are genetic clones to the original. They are a fast way to multiply your yucca collection. Cut them away from the parent, just under the soil. Allow them to root in a pot before transplanting them out into the garden.
