Bamboo of happiness, or Dracaena Sander, is a common plant, although it has nothing to do with bamboos. At first glance, this kind of plant cannot be attributed to dracaena, but it is to this species of palm trees that the sander is referred. It is believed that this culture brings happiness and attracts benefits. Pseudo-bamboo is not particularly picky about leaving: it is hardy and unpretentious.
Easy care
It is not necessary to buy a pot for Sander’s dracaena: the plant feels great in a vase of water. Because of this feature, pseudobamboo can be grown in a pot in the ground, in clean water, in a hydrogel.
Growing in water
The easiest way to grow Sander’s dracaena is to place it in a container of water. In this case, it is necessary to change the water at least once a week, making sure that the level is not very high and covers the roots by no more than two centimeters. Otherwise, there is a chance of rotting the stem.
With prolonged growth of a plant in water, leaves may turn yellow. This reaction occurs due to a lack of nutrients and minerals. To correct the situation, mineral fertilizers are added to the water tank. After some time, Dracaena Sander will turn green and will again delight with its beauty.
Caring for a plant grown in water
Caring for bamboo grown in water is easy. To do this, you must:
- Change the water in the tank regularly. It is important to ensure that it is always fresh.
- Wipe leaves periodically from dust.
- About once every three to four months, fertilize with mineral fertilizers.
- With strong growth of the roots, they are pruned by no more than 1/3.
- Be sure to clean the container in which the plant grows.
Soil cultivation
Landing Sander dracaena can be done in the ground. It is prepared from equal parts of leaf and turf land, sand, humus and peat. The plant quickly develops a powerful root system, so the capacity should be immediately prepared high, but not too wide. When transplanting plants, it is best to prepare a heavier substrate, increasing the proportion of turf land and reducing the amount of sand. Two years later, the young plant is transferred to a larger pot, and adults are transplanted every three years. Large specimens of dracaena are best left untouched: in such plants, the topsoil is changed every year.
Growing dracaena in a hydrogel
Well grows Dracaena Sander in hydrogel. With this method, mineral fertilizers are necessarily added to the substrate.
A hydrogel is a polymer granule capable of rapidly absorbing water and fertilizers soluble in it. Then he slowly gives away everything taken to the plant.
Hydrogel can be transparent, colored. Flies do not breed in this substrate, bacteria do not start.
Lighting
Bamboo does not need bright light. This is one of those plants that prefer diffused lighting, rather than direct sunlight, which can burn leaflets. Dracaena feel great in the back of the room, under artificial lighting. Because of these features, sander is often grown in the bathroom. However, with this method of cultivation, it is necessary to periodically put the flower in a bright place.
Temperature and humidity
Dracaena Sandera is very easy to care for. Unlike other types of plants, it is not demanding on moisture and perfectly tolerates dry air. It is quite sufficient to periodically spray bamboo from the spray gun during care.
Dracaena refers to heat-loving plants. For its growth, a temperature of at least 25 degrees is required: at a temperature below eighteen degrees, the plant may die. Pseudo-bamboo does not tolerate cold and drafts.
Top dressing
Bamboo must be fertilized at least twice a year. When growing, do not exceed the recommended dose of fertilizers, as this causes yellowing and death of the plant. If the plant is grown in soil, then it is fertilized no more than once a year.
Watering
To get, as in the photo, Dracaena Sander, you need to properly organize watering. This type of plant is hygrophilous, it is not afraid of stagnation of moisture and perfectly transfers life in the water regime. If the plant is grown in hydrogel or in the soil, then watering is carried out as the substrate dries, maintaining high humidity and preventing the earth from drying out deeper than two centimeters. When grown in water, it is important to maintain its level at the same level. In any case, when placing bamboo in water or in the soil, the substrate should not be more than two centimeters higher than the roots, otherwise the plant may rot.
Water quality is important when growing bamboo. This plant can be grown and watered with distilled or very soft water at room temperature.
Growing problems
During growing a plant, various troubles can arise. Most often, they appear when the requirements of the plant to the conditions of detention are not observed.
- Brown spots, the yellowness of the edges and leaf blades speaks of cold, draft. In this case, the plant must be rearranged to another place.
- Dry light spots. If the lighting is too bright, sunburn may appear on the plant.
- Brown edges on twisted leaves. So bamboo reacts to low temperatures.
- Yellowing of the lower leaves. With slow yellowing, there is nothing to worry about - this is a natural process. The plant simply drops the lower leaves.
- Rotting trunk. This is observed with an excess of water in the tank. To save the plant, it is necessary to prune it: the top is cut off at a height above the place of decay and re-placed in water for re-rooting.
Plant propagation
Typically, the plant propagates by lateral and apical shoots. A large number of them are formed. To get many instances, you must:
- Choose healthy stems with shoots about ten centimeters long, although five centimeter stems can be rooted, the roots grow well on them. Stems with yellow leaves, soft to the touch, are not suitable for reproduction.
- Leaves are removed from the stem, leaving 3-4 leaves at the top. This will help the plant direct energy to root growth.
- Cuttings are placed in a container of water. The process of root formation in different periods is always different. It can take from one to three months. At the same time, water is regularly changed in the tank to avoid decay of the plant.
In order for a lot of new shoots to form on a new sprout, they cut the crown of his head. Place the cut with wax. It protects the stem from decay.
Rooting can be carried out in a horizontal position. To do this, wax is used to close half the stem on each side and place it in a flat container with water. The stem with sprouted buds is transplanted into the ground, receiving a plant with one common root and several trunks.
Pruning
In water, in hydrogel, in soil, the plant always grows. If the stems are too stretched, then gentrification should be carried out by cutting off the long processes. And how to cut the dracaena Sander so that the plant is not inferior in terms of decorativeness to young specimens? Usually, the crown of his head is trimmed and rooted. From the resulting stem, new shoots will begin to grow. So that the stem does not decay, the cut is treated with wax.
In order to get Sander’s lush and beautiful, as in the photo, pruning and top dressing, and when growing in water, monitor the freshness of the liquid and the purity of the container.