Dracaena is an eternally green plant with an exotic appearance, very similar to a miniature palm tree - for this reason amateur gardeners call it a “false palm”. Breeding this culture will not be a problem even for a beginner grower. However, for the successful cultivation of a tropical guest, you need to pay attention to some nuances, as well as correctly and in time to trim.
Basic rules for growing dracaena
Dracaena feels rather well both in shaded places and in well-lit ones, but bear in mind that a culture with variegated leaves retains its originality in lighted rooms, while a flower with green leaves feels better in partial shade.
Dracaena does not grow very well with frequent and plentiful watering, while it favors the spraying of the crown (especially in winter, when the air becomes dry due to heating).
The temperature regime of the room where the culture grows should have the following indicators: in winter from + 15 ° C to + 18 ° C, in summer from + 20 ° C to + 26 ° C.
Did you know? In the Middle Ages, juice dRev-dracaena was widely used as a medicine and varnish for wood. In particular, the famous master Stradivarius used it to create his legendary violins.
To rejuvenate the plant or its breeding, it is necessary to trim the culture in a timely manner.
Why and when is it better to cut the dracaena
There are many varieties and types of flower, but they have one thing in common: they all grow in height, and branching is a rare occurrence.
Why trim the dracaena:
- to give a decorative appearance. With age, the trunk of the flower lengthens and the palm acquires a sloppy appearance, so excessively elongated plants are cut, thereby shortening them;
- for lush deciduous mass. On the trunk of a palm tree there are many kidneys in a sleeping state. They are invisible to our eyes. When part of the trunk is removed, they awaken, and it is in the area of the cut. Side shoots are formed from the kidneys, which will increase the green mass of the leaves. The more awakened kidneys, the more fluffy the crown;
- if the plant began to die, it broke, fell ill - for the safety of this species, they cut off the healthy part and root it;
- when growing a bonsai flower. The trunk of such plants is cut off not far from the ground, and after that, without haste, a crown is formed;
- for breeding purpose culture.
Important! Dracaena should be trimmed with a sharpened, sterile knife. So you will protect the future plant from infectious infection as much as possible.
Only a healthy palm tree is cut, and this procedure is carried out only in the spring-summer period (preferably in April-May), that is, during the period of active growth of dracaena. On such days, it produces special substances that contribute to the emergence of new cells, wounds heal quickly.
In autumn or winter, the flower enters a dormant state and it is better not to disturb it: having experienced stress, it may die.
Methods of forming dracaena
Trees sold in flower shops have an already formed crown. By purchasing such a flower, I want to save, maintain its exotic decorative look, and this can be done with the help of planned trimmings.
Sanitary pruning
Improper care of the crop can lead to the fact that it develops diseases, as a result of which the leaves dry up and fall off, the crown becomes thinner, and the stem lengthens due to the rapid decay of the leaves. The plant loses its appeal.
Pruning is done to prevent the further spread of the disease. The flower is treated with a fungicide, and ten days later, pruning is performed, removing infected shoots and leaves. It is undesirable to completely remove the leaves, because it is in them that there are substances that are involved in the creation and construction of new cells.
For branching
To obtain branching, the apex is removed from the dracaena, the cut site is dried and covered with paraffin. Under the cut, the trunk is treated with a drug that stimulates plant growth, and is tied with wet moss, which should be fixed with a waterproof material.
To create the conditions of the greenhouse, a package is put on the cropped part. Lateral kidneys appear after 2-3 months; when they become visible - they remove the moss. From many buds, shoots are formed in the future, so the grower himself decides which ones to leave and which ones to be destroyed.
For side shoots
When the side shoots reach a length of not less than 30 cm - they are shortened, so the plant is forced to build up side shoots.
Depending on the desires and possibilities of the grower, from one plant you can create an unusual, multi-stemmed, multi-level composition that resembles a bonsai in appearance.
For rejuvenation
For rejuvenation, the following plants are selected:
- a flower whose trunk is elongated, bare, bent under the weight of the crown;
- Dracaena growing to the ceiling;
- a culture whose shoots are deformed and lost their former shape.
In order to rejuvenate, the dracaena trunk is shortened to a height of 5 cm, making sure that no more than three kidneys remain on it. Below the cut, the trunk is treated with a growth stimulator and tied with moss. Thanks to such pruning, the kidneys wake up, providing the appearance of new trunks with dense foliage.
Walkthrough for pruning plants at home
In order to correctly form the “indoor palm”, you need to stock up with the necessary tool and clearly follow the instructions.
- A few days before pruning, the flower is watered and its ground part is treated with an anti-stress drug.
- It is necessary to prepare improvised tools that are useful when cutting: pruning shears (sharp knife), cutter, moss.
- It is necessary to indicate the height of the crop, if necessary - make a mark on the palm. If you cut the trunk of the dracaena in a cascade, you can achieve a voluminous and fluffy composition.
- With one sharp gesture, make an even cut.
- Remove the released juice from the cut with a soft cloth or cotton wool, then pour the cut with garden var (paraffin).
- If leaves remain on the stem at the level of 15–20 cm, remove them.
- Place the cut top of the dracaena in a container with water - this is necessary to get the roots. To avoid the development of pathogens, add activated carbon to the water. When the crown takes root, it can be re-planted in a pot.
- Moisten the palm trunk with water. When pruned, the crop quickly loses moisture; without it, the plant will not develop normally.
- The slice should be wrapped with wet moss, wrapping it with a thread.
- To achieve the greenhouse effect, you need to cover the shoot with a package.
- Watering through a pan.
- Transfer the flower to a warm and dark place.
Is it possible to cut roots from dracaena?
In the process of growth of the “room palm”, its root system develops, hardens, and it becomes noticeable that the old pot has become small. Do not torment the plant - transplant it.
Did you know? Dragon dracaena, which grows on the coast of the island of Tenerife, the largest in the archipelago of the Canary Islands, is considered the largest and oldest plant of the genus Dracaena. Its height is more than 17 meters, and its age is not less than 500 years. When the island was conquered by the Spaniards in the 15th century, this tree already looked huge and ancient.
The roots of the dracaena are trimmed in the following cases:
- If rotten or dried roots are noticed during the transplant - they should be removed, and the place of the cut treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- If you decide to grow a bonsai tree from this flower. To create such a tree, part of the roots and part of the crown are regularly trimmed, balancing them with each other.
Features after trimming
After trimming dracaena requires care:
- when side shoots appear - carefully remove the moss and bag from the trunk, return the flower to a permanent place;
- it is advisable to increase the humidity of the room up to 75% at an air temperature of 25 ° C;
- periodically you need to rotate the plant, for uniform development of shoots;
- daily should be sprayed with the crown of the palm;
- it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil, it must be moist.
What problems may arise
Dracaena is an unpretentious culture, but there are several rules, the observance of which will help to keep the flower beautiful and healthy, will not lead to its premature death:
- moderate watering, the soil should be slightly moist. The flower easily tolerates drought;
- when transplanting a flower, use only new (disposable) pots. The use of used containers increases the likelihood of contracting an infection;
- time wean the flower from the greenhouse.
Important! Dracaena is a succulent plant. Excessive watering can lead to its death.
Dracaena is a universal decorative flower that will be appropriate in any room, creating a unique atmosphere. Having given the plant its original shape, you can further emphasize its tropical origin and enjoy the exotic look for many years.
