Dividing Yucca
I have an Adam’s Needle Yucca which has two flower stalks. I would like to divide it but have no idea how or when to do this. What do you advise? Mary B
Click the image to enlarge it
Answer:
Yucca divide well but you have to dig deep. Sometimes the root junction is pretty close to the surface so you can try to separate the offshoot by digging around it to find where it connects to the main root. When you find the junction use a folding pruning saw to cut it off. The parent plant likely won't even notice the separation.
I would wait until early spring (March) and use the folding saw to cut off ALL the foliage (don't worry, it will grow back.)
If you'd want to dig up the entire plant, use a narrow spade to dig around it, going at least a foot deep. The root system will resemble a horseradish that you can divide so each new plant has some root. The parent is immortal: the roots are very deep and tough, and it is almost impossible to dig it all up by hand.
If you only want to remove some extra flower stems, just cut them off when you see them (usually around May).
While I’ve never dug up a whole yucca myself, I would imagine its root system can be as big as your arm!
In this image, the quarter is at the root junction and you can cut off the two offshoots. It’s easier to see if you dig the whole thing up, but you can feel around in the soil - they aren’t that hard to find with your fingers.
The roots can get much thicker than this , Source: Arkansas Native Plant Society