Yucca brevifolia

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:41 pm

Yucca brevifolia (Joshua tree) seeds have started to germinate. Here's the first one with about 3/8" of preliminary root.

Cheers, Barrie.

Okanagan desert-palms · Post by **Okanagan desert-palms** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:02 am

Barrie nice to see. Watch out for scale with these. Seems these bugs flock to Joshua trees. It should be intersting to see how they do on the Island.

John

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:13 am

Scale huh! Interesting. I wonder why brevifolia and not any of the other species? Thanks for the tip!
I'll bet these will be fine as long as drainage is good, a situation that I fortunately have.

Cheers, Barrie.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:16 pm

Barrie, Cold will not be a factor for you! I had a Joshua tree (just failed this past winter... too wet and cold for too long!) through -32C without batting an eye! It is certainly one tough species! FYI mine lasted over 5 years in the ground but it was SLOW!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:01 pm

Congrats Barrie. Hope you're starting a few more.
Think you'll have some customers for those...unless they're already spoken for, please put my name on one.

Scale? Oh oh. I'd better have a closer look.
My seedling yucca rostrata have the odd aphid (I think), and if ants are nearby, they will apparently "farm" the aphids for their honeydew.

But not a mark, or bug, on the six Yucca Sapphire Skies that I got from N.Carolina...probably a result of the chemical treatment necessary to get the phytosanitary clearance.

Barb

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:00 pm

Paul. -32 celcius without batting an eye ... wow! All the reference I've come in contact with states these are hardy into the zone 7 range. You'd think if they where hardier than zone 7 as you suggest, these would be native to a much further range than they are?

Barb. I was given 3 seeds by a gardening buddy who had been in the region and picked some up at a gift shop there. So if all three germinate, I'll have 3. You're welcome to one if anymore get started.
I've never had any insects of any kind on any of the Yucca I grow. I'd be surprized to see scale insect on brevifolia if it survives.

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:53 pm

Barrie, if you still have 3 next year, will be happy to BUY one from you.
(it was you who taught me about "thinning of the herd", so I know what's at stake).

Looks like the brevifolia is bullet-proof.
Barb

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:30 pm

OK Barb ... we'll see how this one plays out

(not really interested in "selling" these, trade perhaps)

Cheers, Barrie.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:20 am

Not necessarily native further north... But certainly higher up! For the most part desert plants can take MUCH colder temps then you owuld otherwise guess. For example Yucca elata has taken -32C in my location with 0 damage. Maybe I ust had a good seed source?
As for brevifolia, in it's native range it would certainly see massive variations in temperature, with temperatures down to beow -20C (and probably colder) every so often. I did have 3 seedlings that I planted out and this was the sole survivor after the episode down to -32C. With Yucca's some are just tougher then others!
Another good example of this is my experiment with Yucca baccata (native much higher up then brevifolia) I started the winter with 5 seedlings, by January it was 3 and at the end of the winter it was 2! Now I have 1 plant remaining from the original 5. And baccata is known to be sensitive to moisture when it is cold, so the sole survivor is in a very dry location...
Here is the brevifolia in 2005 (3 year in the ground). Picture was taken in March!
<img src="http://inlinethumb26.webshots.com/15193 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="Yuccabrevfoliawinter05">
Notice the dead Opuntia spp. in the background as well as the toasted Agave americana!

PS> Zone 7? What a joke! Seems that no one has a clue how much cold southwest type plants can take. The key is keeping them dry...

Okanagan desert-palms · Post by **Okanagan desert-palms** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:41 am

Barrie in reference to Y. brevifolia maybe I should have stated more clearly about scale and Yucca species. I`ve had problems with all of my yuccas and scale. Barb I can bring you a couple of Joshua trees when I come up there with your other plants you wanted. Paul I was going to wait another couple of years before planting my Joshuas as they are only 2 1/2 year olds. After seeing yours planted that are about the same size I will try some next spring.

John

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:41 am

Paul, that brevifolia sure looks robust.
Too bad the Opuntia and Agave are toast.

Re yuccas in the ground overwinter, even in a very dry spot, would we have better luck with, say, 3 or 4 year old plants (versus youngsters)?
Maybe we should overwinter young ones in an unheated garage/shed.
Root structure would be larger, and cold tolerance would be enhanced with just a year or two extra care?

I won't risk having my 6 Y.rostrata in the ground this winter.
Will plant them in a hot/dry area in spring, and then overwinter them there next year.

Barb

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:38 am

Barb,
The brevifolia started its slow decline from the time that picture was taken until this past winter... I'm at a loss to explain why the older it got the less healthy it was...
Yes, I'd say it's always better to let your plants grow before planting them out! If, like me, you are pressed for space then Yuccas are very good at surviving winter at a young age (if kept perfectly dry)! And yes, if I had 6 Yucca rostrata 'Sapphire skies' I'd probably overwinter them indoors!
Some of the more new Yuccas I'm trying this year are:
Yucca baccata (larger specemen)
Y. nana
Y. arkansana
Y. recurvfolia
Y sp ? (torreyi, schidigera? Schootii?)
Y. recurvfolia x filata (filamentosa x elata)
I'm sure there are a few others that I'm missing...
I've also planted out some Agave seedlings (and small plants) that I wil moisture protect:
Agave neomexicana (3 sources)
A. parryi (3-4 sources and 2 diff. varieties)
A. harvardiana (never survive for me!)
A. utahensis
A. gracipies
A. touyema ssp. bella

I'll let you know how they fare (i.e. when they all fail!!)

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:56 am

Paul, wow that's quite the variety you have.

BTW what fertilizer do you use for your yuccas?

I fertilized EVERYTHING yesterday...palms, cycads, yuccas, all the ornamentals after a heavy watering (from the hose, and the sky). I had planned to make my own fertilizer this year, never got around to it.

So ended up using Miracle Gro 24-8-12 with micronutrients, followed by a small amount of epsom salts in water.
Plain ole- ornamentals got 20-20-20.
Hope I didn't screw up the Y.rostrata with the 24-8-12.
What do you think?
Barb

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:43 am

Barb,
I generally use Miracle grow on the Yuccas a few times in the spring... I stop applying fertilizer to the plants that are going to overwinter in the middle of July.
I can;t see fertilizing your Yuccas causing many, if any, problems. I've never heard of anyone overfertilizing a Yucca, though I imagine it could happen!
I'll have to get a pic of my rostrata (that's one I forgot to list) to see if it has grown since it was planted in May!

What sort of ingredients would you use to make your own fertilizer? My special blend is Miracle grow mixed with 20-20-20 basic plant food! And sometimes I'll add a bit of Epsom salts if I think it's necessary... Are you talking bout adding Urea etc. to your mix?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:09 pm

Paul, yes, a pic of your Y.rostrata would be great!

99% of my plants are going back indoors over winter, so I'm not too concerned I'm fertilizing so late this year.
Just didn't get around to it earlier.

Your fertilizer selection is reassuring...that's basically what I've got too.

Last winter, the nursery had a 50% off fertilizer sale...I ended up buying a box of everything

treble superphosphate 0-45-0, sustane natural organic 3-4-2, potassium suphate 0-0-50, and magnesium 10%, sulphur 13%.

Haven't got a clue what to use, on what, in what mixes/quantities.
So I'll stay with the safer, already-formulated stuff.

Barb

Laaz · Post by **Laaz** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 3:59 am

Barrie how are the Yucca seeds I sent you doing ? Did they ever germinate ?

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:20 am

Not one Todd ... not a single one, which surprized me since these have been relatively easy for me to start.

Cheers, Barrie.

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Yucca brevifolia

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