How to Remove a Yucca Plant Stump?

Yuccas are members of the family of the same name and are commonly used as landscape specimens. While they are valuable plants in natural settings, often you may wish to remove a yucca because it is diseased, unattractive or has spread, and taken over a larger-than-desired section of the landscape. Yuccas have an extensive root system that sends up new sprouts readily, forming colonies of whorls, and making removal particularly difficult. These stumps can also cause pest growth and base decay. To ensure you remove your yucca plant Stump in the most efficient way without facing any difficulty, we have listed below the precautions and methods you must follow.

• These plants have an extremely long tap root and if the entire root is not removed, it will grow back. You have to dig down around three feet to reach the base of the thick root. Do your best to remove the entire root. Do not leave anything behind. If it does grow back, as the new plant pokes through the soil surface, cut it back to below the soil level.

• Remove as much of the yucca plant and root as possible. For larger plants, it is practical to first cut off the above-ground portion of the plant to allow easier access to the root system. Use a sharp spade, pointed shovel or Pulaski to sever sections of root and pull them out.

• The quicker you remove the leaves, the less energy gets to the roots, which will cause the roots to die from lack of nourishment. Ensure that you do not allow the existing yucca to stay above ground over the winter. It has evergreen leaves that will continue to photosynthesise and feed the roots. Dig it out to below ground level and ensure that it does not continue to grow in the cold weather.

• Backfill the space that the yucca was removed from with clean fill or soil. Do not leave large holes in the landscape, particularly if they will pose a tripping hazard.

• Properly applied chemical sprays will kill yucca roots. That’s why, when using chemical sprays, minimise the required amount of herbicide and increase its effectiveness by first removing as much of the yucca root system as possible. Spray the young yucca whorls as they appear with a suitable herbicide.

• Use an herbicide that contains glyphosate or triclopyr. Each little whorl only requires a small amount of herbicide applied in its centre for effective treatment. Do not apply herbicide when the weather is damp, or the yucca is wet.

• An alternative way to help kill the plant is to soak the area with water. Allow the soil in which the yuccas are growing to become water-logged. Yucca plants usually thrive in very dry, sandy soil. Being surrounded with a water-logged soil will encourage the root to rot and help kill the plant from the root up.

• Dispose of the yucca plant parts in a way that will not allow resprouting.

• Check the site of yucca removal and the surrounding area regularly for the appearance of new sprouts. Manually remove new sprouts as they appear to avoid the need for chemical treatment, if desired.

While the points above refer to the stump removal, it is important to know how to remove the plant on its own as well.

Digging the Plant

• First, cut down the trunk to ground level, then use a spade to remove the root system. Start at the perimeter and try to leave the root ball as intact as possible. Dig down about 4 – 5 feet.

• After the root ball has been removed, dig around the hole with a trowel or hoe and remove any pieces of root that have been left behind. Fill in the hole with new soil. It is likely new shoots will eventually appear. These should be dug up as they appear and eventually you will be yucca-free.

Suffocating the Plant

• Begin by cutting the trunk down to ground level. Place a layer of thick cardboard or 5 – 6 layers of newspaper over the entire area around the plant where roots grow. On top of this, place a thick layer of compost.

• Alternatively, the area can be covered with a sheet of thick plastic which is weighed down to keep it in place. Leave the coverings in place for about a year.

Using Herbicides

• As mentioned earlier, cut the trunk down to as close to ground level as possible. Then apply liquid tree stump remover. The herbicide will be carried to the roots and eventually kill them. Observe the recommended safety precautions when using herbicides.

To ensure the process is successful, you must continue to monitor the area for new yucca sprouts. Dousing the new growth with herbicide destroys a new sprout’s tender exterior to the root that lies beneath the surface. If new growth is left unattended, you may find yourself repeating the digging phase, which is the most physically demanding tasks. So, stay vigilant with weekly or monthly maintenance of the area to avoid any new yucca sprouts becoming overgrown.

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