I planted yucca outdoors on a sunny hill in my yard; however, it gets thicker and thicker. I had planted several yucca plants to form a half circle, but over the years it has multiplied and just looks like one big mess. How do I prune them to keep its half circle shape? Do I dig out plants growing in between?
I would choose the best plants for pruning and remove the smaller unwanted plants to help maintain its shape.
What could have caused massive brown spots, leaves turning yellow and dying, etc. on my yucca plants? We live in Pensacola, FL and after the winter I had trimmed off the very few leaves that the cold had gotten damaged, but then something went after all my beautiful yuccas. They had been looking absolutely stunning at the start of the spring. I had found a couple of very ugly grasshopper-like bugs in one of them, but wasn't sure those were what might have eaten them. Please advise. They were really ugly.
You may either be overwatering or there may be an issue with the roots. Water only if the soil is dry to the touch. If you are already doing this, check the roots for root rot. This article will help with that:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/treating-root-rot-gardening-tips-for-housplants.htm
Our yucca plant is dying from the bottom up. The blades are dying. The ones that are green have brown specks on them.
Yellowing of the bottom (older leaves) is generally ok provided that the remainder of the plant is thriving. Simply keep doing as you are and remove the old, yellowing foliage (carefully, these may still be sharp). Occasionally, this can be attributed to an over abundance of moisture or even a nutrient deficiency, but typically these plants rarely become affected by anything too serious. Water the plant only when the soil is dry to the touch.
A deck is being built over two yucca plants that I need to get rid of. Is digging out the only way? I heard roots are 4 feet long.
To kill it, cut it down as close to the ground as possible and then paint the fresh cut with concentrated Round-up. Keep an eye on it and if you see any shoots, you can repeat this process. This article will also help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/yucca/removing-yucca.htm
5 or more years old, plant given to me from established blossoming plant, but won't blossom for me.
Yuccas are fickle when it comes to blooming. They need to be mature enough first, which takes 3-5 years. After that, it is a matter of how well they have stored energy. You can try to give it some bone meal to help it with storing the energy needed for blooming, but with yuccas it is ultimatly a wait and see for blooming.
I pruned the flower top on my yucca plants last year. Since then, they have not grown at all. Will they ever re-flower? Will they ever grow more? I cut 3 inches above where the flower stem comes out of the top of the plant. These plants are about 6 feet tall. Also, my yuccas have 'sprouts' coming out of the middle of some trunks. These are growing very slowly. Are they ok like that? I like them. Should one remove dead leaves from the trunk if they are dry and withered?
Yes, it will bloom again. Yuccas do not always bloom every year, so it may be skipping a year. It is fine to leave the growths. They will not harm the plant. Yes, you can remove the dead leaves. There is no reason for them to stay on the plant.
Our lovely yucca was decimated during the recent snow with all but a few leaves surviving. Can I cut back the branches without killing the plant and will new branches grow in their place? If I can cut the branches back, how far down the branch should I cut back?
Yes, and these article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/yucca/yucca-plants-care-and-pruning-tips-for-pruning-a-yucca.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/yucca/yucca-cold-weather.htm