Dracaena, or dragon tree, is the favorite plant of most flower growers. A representative of the agave family, the evergreen shrub dracaena looks like an exotic palm tree. That is why many people like dracaena, with it a piece of the beauty of the rainforest comes into the room. This plant has many benefits. In addition to the spectacular appearance, it is also quite resistant, tolerates strong temperature fluctuations well. In temperate climates, some members of this family grow outdoors as magnificent shrubs or even thick-stemmed trees up to 6 meters high.
Dracaena home
In room conditions, this plant is significantly inferior in size to its distant relatives. Indoor shrub grows in height from 46 to 60 cm. Very often it is confused with cordilina, but dracaena has a more modest color. She is known for her bluish-green, leathery, tough andxiphoid leaves, which reach a length of 40-50 cm. They do not exceed 2-4 cm in width. Most plants of this species bloom willingly. White or pink flowers are collected in paniculate inflorescences. The fruit is a berry.
Types of dracaena
Today we want to tell you how to prune dracaena. Due to numerous mistakes, the grower often gets an elongated and bare plant instead of a luxurious exotic palm tree. However, before moving on to the disclosure of the main topic, it should be mentioned which varieties of it we can grow at home, as well as consider the main features of each of them.
- Dracaena Reflexa is a relatively small plant with recurved leaves and branches from the roots. The stem is weakly expressed, it is rather a lush bush that needs little pruning.
- Dracaena Surculosa is also a bushy plant with dark green leaves that are decorated with spots. This species constantly forms shoots, so it is extremely important to maintain a beautiful bush shape. Since cutting this type of dracaena is not difficult at all, just pinch the top, we will not dwell on this in detail.
- Dracaena is the largest of all domestic species. It can reach a height of three meters, and hanging wavy leaves will be the best decoration for your home or office. When buying this plant, you should definitely ask experienced flower growers how to cut the dracaena, otherwise you may miss the right moment.
What is pruning done for
ActuallyIn fact, this procedure has several functions. Since cutting the dracaena is not particularly difficult, many flower growers perform this procedure as needed when the plant grows so much that it begins to interfere or rest against the ceiling. That is, in this case, cropping is carried out in order to control the height.
However, if it is done incorrectly, the fleshy stem will begin to wither, and our task is not only to preserve the decorative properties, but also to get new shoots. So we smoothly move on to the second function of this procedure - obtaining additional branches-shoots, which will not only improve the appearance of the plant, but also serve as a material for reproduction.
When to trim
The ideal time is late spring or early summer. It was at this time that the dracaena is actively growing. How to prune for branching, we will now talk in more detail, but for now a few words about seasonality. Flower growers say that the ideal time is May and June, at this time the plant is actively growing, and new buds form very quickly near the pruning site.
We can observe this from the outside, but in fact, bud formation is a systemic process that stimulates the formation of growth hormones that help heal the cut and grow a beautiful lush crown.
Emergency procedure
Pruning dracaena can sometimes be forced. For example, your plant may break down, it is often helped by pets orpissed off children. This can happen in the dead of winter or in autumn when the flower is dormant. In this case, too, do not panic. Carefully cut the trunk below the break, following the instructions we'll get to in a moment. If the dracaena receives good care, then everything will go well. That is, pruning of the dracaena can be done at any time, if necessary.
Cut height
First of all, focus on the desired end result. Estimate how high you need dracaena. How to cut for branching, we will analyze the main stages of the procedure. So, carefully examine your plant and its future place.
- You need to evaluate what plant height will look best in the interior.
- It is necessary to take into account the requirements for its lighting. Dracaena indoor is very sensitive to sunlight. The development of apical buds will occur precisely due to the light coming to the tops of the left hemp. Therefore, if the plant is on the windowsill of a northern or eastern window, it is better to cut it lower, since the lighting in the upper part of the window opening is worse than in its lower part.
Preparation
And we continue to talk about how to cut dracaena to get side shoots. First of all, prepare the necessary tools. It should be a sterile scalpel, which must first be held over the fire. In addition, you will need a paraffin candle, a sprayer and sphagnum moss. Don't forget to prepare and loose pots of soil. The cut top can be used for rooting and propagation by cuttings.
Starting circumcision
Since you can prune your dracaena for side shoots at any height, first mark the point where you would like to see branching. Cut the trunk at this level with a quick motion. For now, set aside the cut part and take care of the plant itself. With the same scalpel, cut off all the leaves 10 cm below the cut level.
While you are performing this operation, light a candle to collect the melted paraffin. After cutting, drain the paraffin first onto any suitable surface, and then transfer the plastic mass to the cut. Try to close all the pores in the cut with paraffin, but be careful not to burn the plant with too hot composition.
Tricks of the trade
After reading this instruction, you have received complete information on how to trim the dracaena at home. However, there are little secrets, the knowledge of which will allow you to get lateral processes much faster. First of all, remember that during pruning, the plant loses a lot of moisture. Often this is what prevents the laying of new buds at the top of the hemp. Therefore, immediately after the end of the procedure, spray the stem well with water, this will help restore the water balance of the cells.
To stimulate the growth of the top shoots, wrap the trunk with damp sphagnum and tie it with a rubber band. The harness will need to be removed periodically, check the condition of the escape and return it.back, moistening slightly.
The section sealed with paraffin should be left outside the wet wrapper, that is, the moss should only be on the sides. Finally, a plastic bag is put on top so that the moisture does not evaporate so quickly. Once every 5-7 days, the package is removed and the condition of the trunk under the strapping is checked. As soon as you notice the buds at the top of the trunk, the bag and strap must be removed.
Possible problems
We have told you how to properly trim the dracaena, and careful observance of these rules in most cases leads to a positive result. However, lack of sunlight, too low room temperature, excess or lack of moisture can seriously harm. The most common problem is rotting of the trunk after trimming. In this case, you will have to carry out the pruning procedure again, and without starting the situation, otherwise the decay will spread too far and destroy the plant.
