Increasingly, flower growers grow exotic plants at home. And the most popular of the unusual flowers is the southerner dracaena. This is not surprising, because beauty and unpretentious character are the main qualities for which dracaena is valued. Home care, reproduction and diseases of an exotic plant - you will learn this and much more from our material.
Description
Dracaena is a bright representative of the asparagus family. This tree grows naturally in the tropical forests of South America, India, Africa and the Canary Islands.
In our latitudes, it is successfully grown as an ornamental crop that fits perfectly into any interior. In addition, the plant is unpretentious and feels great with a minimum of care and attention. Therefore, dracaena has long been called the "office flower".
In its natural environment, the culture reaches up to 5 meters in height and about 2 meters in girth. You can clearly see the giant forms of the plant in the next photo of the dracaena. Caring for a tree at home will not bring such a result. Therefore, the height of indoor flowers rarely exceeds 2 meters.
With proper care, the plant lives 10-15 years. In addition, if you create optimal conditions for the culture, it will bloom, although this phenomenon happens quite rarely. The inflorescences of the tree are small, painted white or greenish. They are not of aesthetic value, but exude a pleasant aroma.
Views
In nature, there are 200 varieties of dracaena, and many of them are successfully grown at home. The following species are popular with flower growers:
- Dracaena marginata. The flower came to us from the coast of Madagascar. In its natural environment, the plant reaches 5 meters in height, but in room conditions it has a modest size. The main feature of the variety is a thick, stiff trunk, which practically does not shoot. Narrow, pointed, glossy flower leaves reach 80 cm in length and 2 cm in width. The color of the plates is green, with yellow, brown and red stripes.
- Dracaena fragrant. This plant is valued for its non-capricious nature. The culture has a thick trunk and large size. At home, the flower grows up to 2 meters in height. The leaves are painted in a rich emerald color, with a grayish stripe along the center. The plates reach 65 cm in length and 10 cm in width. During the flowering period, the culture is covered with small white buds that exude a pleasant aroma.
- Dracaena sanderiana. The culture comes from Africa, reaches a meter in height. This compact plant is often confused with bamboo because their trunks are similar. But the stem of the dracaena is twisted. The oblong, linear leaves of the crop are colored in light olive hues.
- Dracaena dragon. At home, the culture grows up to one and a half meters in height. The variety is valued for the dense crown that adorns each shoot of the plant. The oblong leaves of the flower are painted in green tones, but in bright light they become pink. Plate length - 50–60 cm, width - 30 cm.
Each of these varieties will be an adornment of the grower's collection.
Dracaena: care and reproduction at home
This exotic plant has an unpretentious nature. But this does not mean that the flower will grow on its own. After all, he needs minimal care and attention. In order for an exotic beauty to please with her appearance, she needs to provide:
- regular watering;
- optimum air humidity;
- comfortable temperature;
- suitable lighting;
- feeding;
- transplant;
- cropping.
Following you will learn more about each of these events. Follow the basic rules of home care, and the dracaena flower will thank you for its fast growth and attractive appearance.
Irrigation
Dracaena is moisture-loving, and in summer it needs abundant moisture. Water the flower with settled water at room temperature once a7–10 days. On hot days, increase hydration. But the flower should not be watered until the top layer of soil dries to a depth of 2-3 cm.
In the autumn-winter period, the plant does not need abundant watering. If the pot is far from heating appliances and the earth dries slowly, then moisten the soil every 1-1.5 months. If the flower grows near the battery, then water it every 3-4 weeks.
The frequency of watering depends on the type of plant. For example, sandera loves intensive moistening and drying out of the soil is undesirable for her. But marginata reacts extremely negatively to stagnant moisture. Therefore, she needs minimal watering.
Humidity
All types of dracaena, which we are discussing at home, do not like dry air. Therefore, spray the leaves of the plant at least once every 2-3 days. But at the same time, try to keep moisture out of the sinuses. After all, if it stagnates, it will lead to decay.
To increase the air humidity near the flower, put the pot on a pallet with wet expanded clay, pebbles or moss. But do not forget to add water to the stand.
Dust and dirt quickly accumulate on dracaena leaves. Plant care includes weekly processing of the plates with a damp cloth. The flower tolerates a warm shower well. But before carrying out this procedure, do not forget to cover the soil with polyethylene. After showering, be sure to shake the flower to remove excess fluid from the leaf axils.
Temperature
Providing warmth is the main rule of care. In winter, dracaena does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature, drafts and cold snap. But the heat is unacceptable for the plant.
The optimum temperature for a plant in summer is +22–25 °C. However, the plant will survive the rise to +31 °C.
In winter, the optimal range for crops is 15–18 °C. It is not recommended to allow the temperature to drop to +13 °C. In such a "cold" southern beauty will die.
But do not go to extremes and put a flower pot near the battery. Due to the hot air coming from the heaters, the dracaena will lose its lower leaves.
Lighting
Dracaena is a photophilous plant, but at the same time it is harmed by direct sunlight. Keep this in mind when placing the flower pot on the windowsill.
The best option would be a window on the east or west side of the room. The flower also feels good in the south. But it is desirable to cover the foliage from the midday rays of the sun. But in the north, without additional illumination, the culture will weaken.
Feeding dracaena
Caring for an exotic flower at home includes regular fertilization. Top dressing is especially important from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn.
At this time, it is recommended to make special preparations for dracaena every 14 days. In extreme cases, complex fertilizers for deciduous plants are suitable. But remember that an excess of minerals negatively affects the flower. Therefore, do not be zealous with top dressing and do not increase the dose of drugs.
In winter, the plant has a dormant period. At this time, it is enough to fertilize no more than once a month.
Soil
Dracaena prefers a light nutrient soil with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction. For planting, use store mixes for palms and soil intended for deciduous plants. Or make your own soil. To do this, mix in equal proportions:
- turf land;
- leaf soil;
- humus;
- peat;
- coarse sand.
Also add crushed charcoal or brick chips to the mixture.
Be sure to disinfect the mixture before planting. To do this, pour boiling water over the soil or calcine it in the oven. Thanks to this, you will destroy the bacteria and fungi that live in the soil.
Transfer
With proper care, the dracaena will grow quickly, and every two years the flower is recommended to be transplanted into a spacious pot. For young plants, hold this event annually.
Proceed to transplant in early spring, when the culture has not yet awakened from "hibernation". How to carry out the procedure?
- Put 2-3 cm of drainage on the bottom of the pot. For these purposes, use expanded clay or vermiculite.
- Carefully remove the flower and shake off the old soil. Try not to damage the roots of the culture. So only remove soil that falls off easily.
- Sprinkle the drain with a layer of earth and set the roots of the plant on it.
- Fill in new soil and lightly tap the container to fill in any voids.
- Water the flower and place in a lighted area.
Give the plant gentle care at first. Dracaena after transplantation does not need top dressing. Therefore, the first month refrain from fertilizing. As for watering, moisten the soil when the top layer dries.
Cutting
Thanks to this event, a beautiful top of the plant is formed. It is recommended to start the procedure during the period of active growth. Then the dormant lateral soils of the plant are activated, new shoots will appear on the trunk.
Cutting rules:
- Perform the procedure under sterile conditions and be sure to sharpen the instrument.
- Pruning only those plants that have reached 30 cm in height.
- Cut the shoot at least 6 cm below the last leaves. But if desired, the size of the escape can be increased.
- Remove the top so that there are no chips or breaks at the cut site.
- After the procedure, treat the cut with garden pitch or melted paraffin.
After pruning, provide gentle care to the plant. Dracaena during this period needs regular watering, good lighting and top dressing. Do not throw away the cut top, because a new flower will grow from it. How to do this will be discussed in the next chapter.
Tip propagation
This growing method is simple and even a beginner grower can handle it. After you cut off the top, dry it for 2-3 hours in a dry room. Put the plant in a glass of warm water, but before that, dissolve the tablet in the liquidactivated carbon.
Keep the sprout in a warm, lit room. But putting it in direct sunlight is not recommended. Periodically add settled water to the container. After 2-3 months, the culture will give roots, and then transplant the dracaena into a pot.
Seed propagation
This method of growing a crop is simple. But propagation of dracaena by seeds takes a lot of time. Start the event at the beginning of March. How to land?
- Soak the seeds for a day in a solution of "Epin" or other growth stimulator.
- Pour soil into disposable cups. Do not forget to make drainage holes in the containers before this.
- Moisten the soil and plant the seeds to a depth of 0.5-1 cm.
- Cover the landing with glass or polyethylene and put it in a room with a temperature of +25–30 °C.
Seeds will take 30 to 180 days to germinate. All this time, keep the soil moist and ventilate the planting daily. When the first sprouts appear, it is recommended to shade them from the direct rays of the sun.
After the seedlings have grown to 4-5 cm, transplant them into separate pots and transfer to a room with a temperature of +21-24 °C.
Problems and Solutions
Common mistakes in caring for dracaena at home:
- The lower leaves of the flower turn yellow and fall off. As a rule, this phenomenon is not dangerous, because this is how the plant rejuvenates. But sometimes the yellowing of the foliage indicates insufficient watering.
- Appear on the leavesdry light spots. Such damage occurs due to sunburn. To solve the problem, hide the flower from direct rays.
- The leaves of the plant have become soft and curled up. A similar phenomenon occurs when the culture is cold. Move the pot to a warm room.
- Brown spots appear on foliage. Most often, such lesions are formed due to insufficient watering. You do not need to immediately fill the plant, because this way you will aggravate the situation. Normalize hydration, and the problem will be solved by itself.
- The tips of the leaves have dried up and turned brown. The reason for this phenomenon is too dry air in the room. To fix the problem, place a container of water near the plant or place the flower pot on a pallet of wet claydite. And also the leaves dry up at the tips due to cool drafts and lack of watering.
A novice florist can also provide competent care for a dracaena plant. The main thing is to adhere to the rules of cultivation, and your exotic beauty will please with rapid growth and attractive appearance.
