Dracaena, or dragon tree, is the favorite plant of most gardeners. A representative of the agave family, the evergreen shrub of dracaena looks like an exotic palm tree. That is why many people like dracaena, along with it a piece of the beauty of the rainforest comes into the room. This plant has many advantages. In addition to a spectacular appearance, it is also quite stable, tolerates strong temperature fluctuations well. In a temperate climate, some members of this family grow on the street, representing magnificent shrubs or even trees with a thick trunk up to 6 meters high.
Dracaena home
In indoor 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. It is known for its bluish-green, leathery, hard and xiphoid leaves, which reach a length of 40-50 cm. In width, they do not exceed 2-4 cm. Most plants of this species willingly bloom. White or pink flowers are collected in panicle inflorescences. The fruit is a berry.
Types of dracaena
Today we want to tell you how to trim the dracaena. Due to numerous errors, the florist often gets an elongated and bare plant instead of a luxurious exotic palm. However, before proceeding with the disclosure of the main topic, we should mention what varieties of it we can grow at home, as well as consider the main features of each of them.
- Dracaena Reflex is a relatively small plant with bent leaves and branches from the roots. The stem is weakly expressed, it is rather a lush bush that needs little pruning.
- Dracaena Surcurulose is also a bush-like plant with dark green leaves that are decorated with spots. This species constantly forms shoots, so it is extremely important to maintain a beautiful shape of the bush. Since it is not difficult to cut a dracaena of this species, it is enough to pinch the top, we will not dwell on this in detail.
- Fragrant 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 of your home or office. When buying this plant, you must definitely ask experienced flower growers how to cut the dracaena, otherwise you may miss the right moment.
Why do you trim
Actually this procedure has several functions. Since pruning a dracaena is not particularly difficult, many flower growers perform this procedure as necessary, 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 performed incorrectly, the fleshy stalk will begin to fade, 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 - to obtain additional shoot branches that will not only improve the appearance of the plant, but also serve as material for propagation.
When to crop
The ideal time is the end of spring or the beginning of summer. It was at this time that dracaena was actively growing. How to trim for branching, we will now talk in more detail, but for now a couple of words about seasonality. Florists say that the ideal time is May and June, at which 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, kidney formation is a systemic process that stimulates the formation of growth hormones that help heal a section and build a beautiful magnificent crown.
Emergency procedure
Pruning dracaena can sometimes be forced. For example, your plant may break down, it is often helped by pets or sorrowful children in this. This can happen in the midst of winter or autumn, when the flower is at rest. In this case, too, do not panic. Carefully cut the trunk below the break point, according to the instructions that we will now approach. If dracaena receives good care, then everything will go well. That is, pruning of dracaena can be done at any time, if necessary.
Cutting height
First of all, focus on the desired end result. Estimate the height you need dracaena. How to trim for branching, we will disassemble the main stages of the procedure. So, carefully examine your plant and its future location.
- You need to evaluate what plant height will look better in the interior.
- It is necessary to take into account its lighting requirements. Indoor dracaena is very sensitive to sunlight. The development of apical kidneys will occur precisely due to the light entering the tops of the left hemp. Therefore, if the plant stands 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 the lower part.
Training
And we continue to talk about how to cut the dracaena to obtain side shoots. Prepare the necessary tools first. It should be a sterile scalpel, which must first be held above the fire. In addition, you will need a paraffin candle, a sprayer and moss-sphagnum. Do not forget to prepare and loose pots with soil. The cut off top can be used for rooting and propagation by cuttings.
Getting to circumcision
Since you can trim the dracaena to get side shoots at any height, first mark the point where you would like to see the branch. With a quick motion, cut the trunk at this level. 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 doing this, light a candle to collect molten paraffin. After trimming, first drain the paraffin onto any suitable surface, and then transfer the plastic mass to the cut. Try to cover all the pores in the section with paraffin, but be careful not to burn the plant with too hot a composition.
Little tricks
After reading this manual, you have received full information on how to cut dracaena at home. However, there are small secrets, the knowledge of which will allow you to get the 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 kidneys at the top of the hemp. Therefore, immediately after the procedure, spray the stem well with water, this will help restore the water balance of the cells.
To stimulate the growth of apical shoots, wrap the trunk with wet sphagnum and tie an elastic band. The harness will need to be periodically removed, check the condition of the shoot and return it back, slightly moistened with it.
The paraffin-sealed slice must be left on the outside of the wet wrapper, i.e. 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 is checked under the harness. As soon as you notice the kidneys at the top of the trunk, the bag and harness need to be removed.
Possible problems
We told you how to trim the dracaena correctly, and careful observance of these rules in most cases leads to a positive result. However, a lack of sunlight, a room temperature that is too low, or excess or lack of moisture can seriously harm. The most common problem is rotting the trunk after trimming. In this case, you will have to carry out the pruning procedure again, without starting the situation, otherwise the decay will spread too far and destroy the plant.