Yucca plant advice

[rckymtnthuglife]

So I started mixing my own soil up and about the only thing that bugs me compared to when it was heavily supplemented with Roots Potting Soil is the whole aversion to water the soil has.

I haven't been able to source any Yucca Powder locally. Yesterday I ran into a bunch of Yucca plants while panning for gold. I live in Montana. I harvested some of the "leaves" and also carefully dug a smaller one up and planted it in a container.

Question is: What do I do with the stuff?Do I want the roots or the foliage? How do I prepare it? Approximately how much per gallon of water? etc etc. Hell, I dont even know if its the right kind of Yucca plant.

If ya got a tumble; tumble like a tumbleweed.

Rocky

 

[Bennyweed1]

So I started mixing my own soil up and about the only thing that bugs me compared to when it was heavily supplemented with Roots Potting Soil is the whole aversion to water the soil has.

I haven't been able to source any Yucca Powder locally. Yesterday I ran into a bunch of Yucca plants while panning for gold. I live in Montana. I harvested some of the "leaves" and also carefully dug a smaller one up and planted it in a container.

Question is: What do I do with the stuff?Do I want the roots or the foliage? How do I prepare it? Approximately how much per gallon of water? etc etc. Hell, I dont even know if its the right kind of Yucca plant.

If ya got a tumble; tumble like a tumbleweed.

Rocky

I dont know anything about your yucca situation but did you find any gold? I have always wanted to try that.

 

[h.h.]

I prefer the heartwood. Throw it in the worm bin or use it to make tea. I prefer down and dead and highly decomposed.
If green, the sap should be sudsy. Some varieties are better than others. While I have preferences, I don't turn any down.
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=4818608#post4818608

 

[guest2012y]

Yucca is your emulsifier (and is also a surfactant) for mixing water in foliar sprays that contain oils or components that don't mix with water very well. You can use it as a 'wetting' agent as well..

 

[h.h.]

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

Hey thanks guys. I understand what yucca does. Can someone describe the process of using yucca as a wetting agent. I understand that I can put it in my teas. How much? What parts of the plant? That is what I'm really trying to get at.

HH- I saw that pic the other day and it was what got me thinking of yucca in the first place.

Benny- We found a few small flakes and need to process about 10 buckets of gravel. Doesn't appear to be as good as our last spot, but at least we didn't run into any heavily armed mine owners either. It is fun though, gearing up for morel season soon.

Peace Rocky

 

[exploziv]

great thread. I'm interested too.

 

[h.h.]

The picture is of Mojave yucca. Maybe the best. Joshua tree is a little better, but I hesitate to use it due to problems in sourcing without impact.
In my mind, the more the better. I don't think I've ever used too much, my whole soil is based mainly on it. It kind of hits an early peak of effectiveness where a little bit may be half as effective as 10 times as much. I use a lot because I can source a lot with minimal impact. It makes an excellent medium in itself.
Biologically, it inhibits certain bacteria and fungus. I don't feel that is a bad thing as it seems to harbor it's own set of microlife. Teas appear to stay fresher while still being active. I haven't proven this out, nor is there much research.
The problem I have found was getting it through a sprayer. You can use less and put it in at the end of the brew, which would probably help. I just drench the plants without spraying.
It leaves a coating that the plants seem to appreciate, especially in the heat. They also seem to appreciate it when it's rinsed off a day or so later.
The longer you can let it compost, the better.. It gets that dark brown black coating as all the minerals trapped in the large vascular system decompose.

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

So it can be added in to my ewc and it would be beneficial. Sweet.

As far as a tea goes should I just chop off a couple of the spiky "leaves" into small pieces and add to my tea or would the root work better?

I also have no idea what species of Yucca I've got.

Looking like some trial and error is in my future.

Rocky

 

[h.h.]

I found little use for the leaves. The cortex is cork like and makes a nice mulch. The center of the plant and the center of the root is what I found most useful.
It makes it somewhat hard to harvest. Down and dead is best. Half buried trunks are my favorite. The inside composts while the cortex withstands the elements. It has it's own little microworld going on in the middle oblivious to all around it. Moisture is wicked in to support it all and it's just a happy place. A bacterial oasis in the desert.

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

Bummer my access to this stuff is fairly limited. The spot we were gold panning is the only place I can remember seeing it grow. Seemed like there was alot of it. I'd probably be better of just allowing it to live in my backyard. Or do some research and make sure I'm not harvesting a threatened species or something.

Why is it that everything I do walks the tightrope of the law?

 

[h.h.]

FTL
Somehow I don't think it's the law that's stopping you.
Search for developed properties in the area. Farmers clearing fields.
The stuff is well worth searching out. On the other hand, there's a lot of successful grows without it.
I don't know if it's really protected anywhere. It contributes heavily to the support of microlife in harsh environments. It's their summer home. To take it out of the picture would be devastating.
It can be harvested, just do it responsibly. You want the dead stuff to start with. Fresh is good for saponins, but you're missing out on the most of the benefits. There's just as much "soap" in the decayed stuff anyway plus all that wonderful humus.

 

[mad librettist]

the best wetting agent out there is adding clay to your mix

around 5% is what you need if adding straight up clay (powder not wet). You can also just substitute calcined clay/DE for your perlite to get the same fix while keeping air porosity a bit higher.

using a wetting agent like yucca is not going to fix the problem.

 

[h.h.]

While yucca isn't a fix, it can make a good soil better.
It can also increase the efficiency of fertilizers.

 

[exploziv]

what's the best way to get from fresh yucca to a usable product to make my soil/plants happier?

can I add it to the worms bin? or should I do normal composting?
or no composting and add it as a mulch, just shreded core?

 

[mad librettist]

While yucca isn't a fix, it can make a good soil better.
It can also increase the efficiency of fertilizers.

indeed, but the OP's problem is hydrophobic medium.

the cure is clay in the mix. 5% is a good target.

 

[h.h.]

It helps to let it dry in the sun a bit before adding it to the worm bin. Leave it whole in about 2' lengths.The center will retain moisture. I think you actually get a little fermentation going on. Starches turning to sugars...It gets ripe and the microlife party down. Bonds are broken and extractions are easier to make. When I can pull it apart by hand, the better pieces go to teas, and the worms get the rest. Eventually they get it all. They don't really eat it but love it for bedding in. As it gets softer in the bin I continue to pull it apart by hand. Maybe 2-3 months in the sun, then another 2-3 to break down in the bin.

 

[h.h.]

indeed, but the OP's problem is hydrophobic medium.

the cure is clay in the mix. 5% is a good target.

Oh yeah, I forgot... Besides that, I want to talk yucca.
Wonder how cactus would work?

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

So 5% clay in my soil mix should do the trick? Sweet. Makes sense to me it sure does like to hold water, lots of trace minerals in there too.

As much as I dislike perlite I'm concerned about using DE because of my worms. All of my old soil is going to be turned into vermicompost.

Calcined clay???? Not sure what that is...sounds like it might have some Ca in it. Is this something that can be sourced locally???

Bentonite on the other hand could certainly be sourced. Or am I way off base???

Hydrophobic medium - I like that term...but it aint much fun to water.

Thanks again
Rockky

 

[mad librettist]

hydrophobic medium is kind of a funny phrase to use because rabies used to be called hydrophobia...

worms could care less about DE in soil even in powdered form, but I was referring to calcined DE, which is a perlite replacement. basically DE is baked into large, hard, durable chunks. The chunks retain some of the properties of DE, like holding water, while taking on some of the properties of perlite, like adding air porosity relative to water porosity of the mix as a whole. (when used in sufficient amounts that is, just like perlite. also like perlite, you want to source the biggest chunks you can).

Calcined clay is like calcined DE except it is made from clay. Both products are marketed to turf management professionals (as axis, playball, and turface). They are also sold as kitty litter, and as chemical or oil spill cleanup products (napa auto parts #8822 and others). I believe there are also versions marketed as an addition to large animal bedding (horses and such).

before using any of these products you need to test a sample with water, with strong vinegar, and if your medium will freeze and thaw, in the freezer with water repeatedly. only the stuff that holds up to the test is worthy of going into your soil.



for powered clay you have options and options. potter's clay, zeolites, bentonite, etc.... zeolyte can also be sourced in chunk form, marketed as animal bedding and for pool water filtration...