Removing Yucca Plants

Yucca plants

Yucca trees are native to southern North America, which you might not have guessed judging by the amount of them in Australia.

Stemming from the Yucatan region of Mexico and well-established throughout Central America, the Yucca plant can withstand some pretty extreme conditions. Thanks to this, the adaptable tree can be found throughout Australia, from the sun-soaked and dry outback in summer to the cooler, wetter Victorian winter.

While their resilience may be great for the yucca, it’s also what makes this persistent plant pretty tricky to get rid of. If you’re ready to say goodbye to your yucca plants to make way for something new, then our Jim’s Trees experts have some advice to help you out!

Cut Back

The first step in removing a yucca plant is cutting it down to the stump. Using an axe or a saw, carefully cut away at the plant, ensuring that all of the clippings are properly disposed of to prevent the spread of seeds.

Dig Deep

Next up, it’s time to get digging. To ensure you can easily access the entire root system, you should aim to dig around a metre in diameter around the stump, as well as a minimum of one metre deep. Then, with a bit of force, you should be able to remove and dispose of the stump.

To help with this phase, some stump removal providers recommend stump poisoning. This involves drilling holes around the stump prior to removal, and soaking them in stump killer or potassium nitrate. This can take a few months to kick in, at which point, removing the stump should be less taxing.

Get To The Root

Now that the stump has been taken care of, the next step is yucca tree root removal. As its roots can be particularly prolific, and new shoots can stem from even small bits leftover, it’s imperative to get rid of any and all root remnants. In dry weather, apply herbicide to any root pieces- ideally one that contains glyphosate or triclopyr, as these have a broad performance spectrum. This step should be continued as needed until you are confident that there are no new shoots growing, around two to three months, before filling in the hole.

 

If you’d rather avoid using chemical products in your yard, you can also try to kill the roots by intentionally waterlogging them. This will prevent them from absorbing the oxygen they need to grow, killing them over time without the use of chemical products.

 

Close up of yucca plants in the sky.

Call In The Experts

Yucca plants are fast-growing and very low maintenance, meaning it doesn’t take much for them to thrive. For the best chance at success in removing a yucca tree stump and its roots, enlisting the expert help of a stump removal service might be the best plan for you. For more information, or to speak to a member of our stump removal team, contact Jim’s Trees today.

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