This wonderful indoor plant is famous for its huge varietal and species diversity. There are varieties that grow only in the wild, some species grow and develop only in greenhouse conditions, and there are indoor plants that are unpretentious and do not require very complex care, although there are some features of growing this beautiful flower. In this article, we will reveal some of the secrets of caring for dracaena at home.
Species differences
Under natural conditions, more than 140 species of dracaena grow, differing in size and color. About 60 species are grown at home in different countries of the world. These are rather unpretentious plants that develop perfectly at home, pleasing with original and exoticview, creating comfort in the house.
The most popular types for home growing include the following:
- Deremskaya.
- Marginate (bordered).
- Sandera.
- Godzefa.
- Reflex (bent).
- Fragrance (fragrant).
Dracaena marginata
Perhaps the most common and unpretentious variety of domestic dracaena is Marginata dracaena. How to care for this plant at home, we will describe below. This variety can often be seen in offices and residential buildings. It grows up to three meters in height, has dark green pointed leaves that grow up to 70 centimeters in length.
Knowing how to care for dracaena, you can grow a slender tree with an elongated trunk free from branches and crowning the tops of shoots with pointed hard leaves.
Dracaena Godzefa
Under natural conditions, it is found in western Africa and the Canary Islands, where it grows to a height of up to 10 meters. In indoor floriculture, it often grows up to one and a half meters. The bluish-colored leaves with thorns at the ends reach 60 centimeters in length.
For many lovers of indoor plants, this dracaena palm is of interest. Experienced flower growers know how to care for this flower at home. They all note that care is easy, due to the fact that, unlike most varieties, this plant tolerates too dry air quite easily.
Dracaena fragrant
In nature, this varietyflowering spreads a pleasant aroma. Its flowers, shaped like pompons, are located on a meter-long peduncle. Unfortunately, this type of dracaena rarely blooms indoors, but flower growers are attracted by its very beautiful leaves up to 10 centimeters wide.
The plant tolerates a significant drop in temperature. Even when the thermometer drops to +10 ° C, it can bloom, although it rarely does this at room conditions.
Dracaena unbent (Reflex)
In nature, this is a fairly tall tree, reaching five meters in height. Leaves up to 15 cm long, lanceolate, elongated. According to florists, this is the most demanding and capricious dracaena flower. How to care for this variety at home? You need to know that this species is kept only in greenhouses, because it needs constant special temperature conditions, lighting and humidity.
Dracaena sander
The famous lucky bamboo flower. The plant is so unpretentious that such a dracaena can grow even in water. What kind of care does this variety require at home? She does not need to be planted in the ground, and mineral fertilizers must be added to the water - without them, the leaves of the plant will turn yellow. And one more important point - the water must be distilled, in extreme cases filtered. Tap water can also cause leaves to turn yellow.
Dracaena Deremskaya
This variety of dracaena has lanceolate narrowleaves, painted in dark green, up to one and a half meters long. In this species, the leaves are located not only at the top, but also along the trunk. Young leaves grow up, but with age they fall down.
How to care for dracaena at home?
The vast majority of dracaena species are long-lived: when grown indoors, they live up to fifteen years. How to care for dracaena at home to ensure its active development? We advise you to listen to the simple recommendations of experienced flower growers and florists, which we have presented below.
If you are new to floriculture and do not know how to care for a potted dracaena at home, we recommend that you give preference to the following species when purchasing a plant:
- Marginate.
- Deremskaya.
- Dragon tree.
They are considered the most unpretentious in care, it is recommended to start acquaintance with this family from them. So, speaking about how to care for dracaena at home, it is necessary to highlight the following features:
- Temperature and lighting.
- Air humidity and watering.
- Feeding.
- Transfer.
- Crop.
- Diseases and pests.
Now let's take a closer look at each item.
Lighting
This is a light-loving plant that can be placed on the western and eastern window sills. You can use the south side, but on condition that the plant is protected from direct sunlight. In the summerit is advisable to remove the heat of the dracaena in partial shade. Diffused lighting is considered ideal for this plant. It is necessary to consider how to care for dracaena at home in order to avoid plant disease due to improper lighting.
You need to know that variegated types of light require more than single-color ones. With a lack of light, the leaves of the dracaena turn pale. In the shade, the leaves will not just fade quickly - they will die.
Temperature
Dracaena of all kinds prefer moderate temperatures in the summer and cooler temperatures in the cold season, although they do not tolerate a significant drop in temperature.
In the summer, find a warm place for the flower in the fresh air, for example, a balcony facing west or east is ideal. In spring and summer, the temperature is comfortable for the plant from +20 to +25 ° C. In winter, the plant will need cooler air - from +12 to +15 ° C. The temperature should not fall below these marks, otherwise the dracaena will die.
Dracaena: home care. Watering, transplanting
These are two very important factors in plant care that beginner growers should pay attention to. First, let's deal with watering. Dracaena is quite moisture-loving, so watering it should not be too plentiful, but systematic. Flower growers believe that it is better to dry the plant a little than to over-moisten it, thereby provoking root rot.
The intensity of watering depends on several factors - the location of the plant, season, soil composition. In summer, the flower is watered twice a day.a week and spray it daily with water. To do this, use water at a temperature of two to three degrees above room temperature. Now let's figure out how to care for dracaena at home in winter, when it enters a dormant period. When the air temperature drops to +15 ° C, the plant is watered no more than once a week. The only exception is the case with the location of the flower near the heating devices.
At any time of the year, make sure that the water does not stagnate in the pot. At the same time, excessive drying of the soil should not be allowed even in winter: when the surface layer dries by two centimeters, the flower should be watered. If you find that a white coating has appeared on the surface of the soil, it must be removed and topped up with fresh soil mixture.
Leaves should be sprayed not only from the outside, but also from the inside. Make sure that water does not accumulate at the joints with the stem, this is most likely to cause rotting. Water for irrigation should be filtered or settled tap water.
Now let's talk about the transplant. The longevity of your flower depends on its timely implementation. The plant has an overgrown and voluminous root system, in a pot it quickly becomes cramped. Even a store-bought plant needs to be transplanted into a new container.
Florists offer an approximate calculation scheme that will help you understand if a plant needs a transplant. For example, if your flower has grown to half a meter, then it needs a pot with a diameter of at least 20see Comparing this proportion, you can determine when it is time for the plant to move to a new container.
One can proceed from approximate data that transplantation is carried out every three years - during this period the roots grow well. You should not buy a pot "for growth" for dracaena: in this case, all its forces will be given to the growth of the root system to the detriment of the aerial part. An adult dracaena (over five years old) can not be disturbed so often: it is enough to periodically change the surface layer of the soil.
Transplantation is best done in the spring, when the plant is growing most actively - in this case, it will better take root in a new place. Try not to damage the roots of the plant during this procedure. Prepare a drainage layer, which is very important for dracaena. Expanded clay or small pebbles are suitable for this. For dracaena, today you can buy ready-made soil or mix it yourself. As a rule, leaf and sod land, sand, humus and peat are used in equal parts for this.
The plant must be carefully transferred to a new pot with a drainage layer and new soil, without destroying the earthy coma. Having installed it in the center, fill all the voids with soil, lightly tamp and water abundantly.
Feeding
From the first days of April to the beginning of September, the plant wakes up after a winter rest and begins to grow intensively. At this time, it should be fed with fertilizers. For this, mineral supplements are used. The frequency of their use is indicated on each package, but on average the procedure is carried out once every two weeks.
Cutting
We told you how to care for dracaena at home. The trimming procedure rather performs a decorative function. By cutting the stem, you stimulate the development of lateral buds and start the branching process. This is especially important for the bordered dracaena: as it grows, the older, lower leaves die off, and the foliage is mainly concentrated only at the top. The bare trunk does not look very attractive, so this variety needs pruning to get side shoots.
You can stock up on cuttings during pruning if you plan to propagate the plant. The mother flower will be covered with new shoots, and the new dracaena (stalk or tip) will give life to a new plant. The best time for pruning is spring or early summer. This procedure is carried out already with an adult plant with a height of at least 30 cm. The cut point should be five centimeters below the youngest leaves.
Flower advice
Special publications often publish materials that describe dracaena, home care, and useful tips from experienced flower growers. We bring to your attention some of them.
- before pruning, consider the fact that the main stem will no longer grow, it will only branch to the sides;
- for trimming, use a sharp knife, activated or charcoal, prepare the preparation "Zircon";
- after cutting the stem, first sprinkle the cut with charcoal, and then process it with "Zircon";
- if you plan to propagate dracaena, root cuttings in water, to which add activatedcoal.
Diseases and pests
Florists and florists believe that this plant is quite strong and resistant to many diseases, although it has its own problems and vulnerabilities, and therefore you should know the typical diseases of dracaena. Home care, if carried out correctly, will help not only cure the plant, but also prevent the development of the disease.
Thrips, spider mites, scale insects are pests that harm almost all indoor plants. They also affect dracaena. When attacking scale insects, the surface of the stem and leaves of dracaena is covered with brown plaques. The plant drastically slows down growth. Parasites suck out cell sap, which leads to drying and loss of fresh color of the foliage, it begins to crumble.
Having found such signs, the flower is treated with soapy water using a sponge. If the plant is badly damaged, spray the foliage with Actellik solution.
Light spots and silver stains appear on the leaves when affected by thrips. In this case, the soap solution is left on the leaves for a day, and then washed off. If such a procedure did not give the desired result, then insecticide treatment should be carried out.
Spider mites infect leaf blades, leading to their drying, yellowing and subsequent death. A symptom of this disease is a thin web on the plant. Having found it, you should immediately wipe the leaves and trunk with soapy water, and then give it a warm shower.
If this does not help, spray the plant with "Fitover" or"Fufan". Usually, the spider mite appears when the air is excessively dry, and therefore, to prevent this disease, it is necessary to regularly moisten the plant and spray it with water.
Today we talked about how to care for dracaena at home. As you can see, these plants have their own characteristics, but caring for them is not burdensome. These are unpretentious indoor plants: it is enough to provide them with good illumination, humidity, and transplant in time. By following these simple requirements, you can grow a beautiful and he althy plant that will decorate your home for several years.
Reviews of flower growers
According to lovers of indoor plants, dracaena is a spectacular flower that does not require very complex care. For example, a variety of Marginat will not create problems even for beginners in floriculture. The owners of these plants note that it is very important to maintain the temperature regime for the flower during the dormant period. Otherwise, caring for dracaena is no more difficult than caring for other indoor flowers.
