Question
I have 4 cane yuccas that came together in the same pot from Home Depot. One large, 2 medium, 1 small sized plants in the same pot.  The new growth they've all got yellowish, flimsy, curled leaves which I think points to root rot.  The smallest plant looks the healthiest, but it's new growth is still not normal.  When I first bought the plant, I was told by an uninformed person that they needed wet soil as this is a rainforest plant--WRONG!  My intuition told me to moderately water it and see what happens.  It's had moist soil since I bought it and repotted it into a container 4 or so inches bigger in diameter than it came it. (which I gather was wrong also--should have kept it more root bound)  The plant is getting lots of indirect light from a NW (Florida) window.  After I read some of the responses about what cane yuccas need, I removed a layer of moist dirt (not much pearlite- just regular)  to try to speed up the soil drying.  I've been watering it primarily from the bottom (with distilled water), and it seems to suck it up fast.  My question-- is root rot the problem, or not?  If it is, can I save the plant by changing the soil and the pot to be smaller and better draining soil?  Or can I keep the dirt and just let it dry out?  Thanks in advance for any and all advice! I have pictures I can share, but it won't let me upoad them here, but if you want me to email them, I will.  Sincerely,  Brennan in Orlando, Florida

Answer
.Hi Brennan, You may have a couple of issues so let's start at the top.
1.  There is no such thing as a houseplant.  Just outdoor plants we bring inside that that don't die from the conditions we give them.  Yuccas like sun, so I think your plant will recover and perform better given a little sun.  So try to move it to a sunnier window and turn it weekly.  
2.  You're right, wet is wrong.  Yuccas will not tolerate "wet feet".  Water thoroughly from the top to saturate the rootball (just like a rain) and then pour off any excess standing in the saucer after an hour.
3. If the canes are still firm, then lack of light and root rot are probably the culprit. I would drench the roots with a soil fungicide, check with your local independent garden center about one approved for container use. You probably won't find it at Home Depot.
4.  Yuccas are susceptible to several cane rots, so if the canes seem soft, you can cut the tips off and root them.  I've even seen the soil packed so tight to hold them up, that they die from lack of air.
5.  Add root stimulator, and if you can find it, a product called Superthrive, to your water, every time you water.  I've seen some plants survive by using it that I thought would die.
6. When you repot plants, try to match the soil types and usually only increase the pot size by 2 inches.  If your new soil seems to be staying wet, they I'd repot it again, using a coarser, more well drained soil.
7. Don't add additional fertilizer until you see new growth.  Jim