Question
Hi,
I have a yucca plant which is about 6 ft across and 4 ft tall.  This summer it bloomed as it does every summer-now that the flowers are gone I still have shoots with looks like pods on the end.  Can I open the pods and plant more yuccas?  Do they need to be dried before planting as I live in northeast Ohio.  Or are these pods not seeds at all.

Answer
Hi Pat,
Thanx for your question.  The yucca sends up a thick flower spike on which there were lots of bell-like white or creamy-yellow/white flowers.  When those flowers were spent, a series of green pods are left behind.  These are the seed capsules.  Allow the capsules to dry out.  They will turn a dark color and begin to split open.  When they do, you can retrieve the flat, black seeds and plant them.  You can start them now in a pot and leave them outdoors and they will come up next spring after the last frost or you can start them indoors in January.  Just barely cover them with evenly moist potting soil.  Keep watered but not soggy.  When starting in doors keep the temperature at about 75 F.  Germination can be sporadic but generally it takes 3 or 4 weeks.  Seedlings look like grass.  When they are large enough to handle plant them in separate pots.  It will take several years for them to start blooming.  When moving outdoors after the last frost, place them in the shade for 10 days and make sure they are protected from hard rains and direct sunlight.  After that, they have become acclimated and you can plant them in direct sun.  I hope this helps.
Tom