How to Transplant a Yucca Tree in the Winter

Dig into the soil around the yucca you want to transplant, making a circle at least 2 feet from the base of the tree, the depth of your shovel head.

Remove as much soil as possible from the rhizome root structure by carefully digging it out with a trowel or your hands.

Lift the yucca from its location after you free the roots from the soil. If some of the roots remain embedded in the soil, cut them off with clippers, but include as many roots as possible. Cut off any dead leaves to make the plant easier to handle.

Prepare a new planting area in full sun, where the soil has good drainage. If you plant your yucca in soil that has a pH between 5.5 and 7.5, it will adapt well. Dig a hole twice as large as the root system, transfer it to a wheelbarrow and mix in two to three gallon buckets of sand or small gravel if the soil is not sandy.

Transfer 2 or 3 inches of your soil and sand or gravel mixture into the hole. Set your yucca into the planting hole, centering it and keeping it upright. Fill the hole with the soil and sand you removed, pressing gently to remove air pockets and secure your yucca plant.

Water your yucca by sprinkling it lightly after you transplant it and again two or three weeks after you transplant it. Limit the amount of water you give it after this time.