A huge number of existing species of dracaena makes it possible for the grower to choose a culture to his taste and based on the possibilities of content. Despite its overseas origin, dracaena, being considered unpretentious, does not require special cares, but it is impossible to absolutely not follow the development of the plant. Lack of proper care, improper location in the room and some other nuances often lead to the fact that dracaena dies. How to save, what can be done to improve this exotic culture? This will be discussed in the article.
Plant features
A native of the tropical regions of Asia and Africa, dracaena surprisingly quickly adapted to growth at home. Representatives of this genus are plants with an even thickened lignified stem and bunches of dark green narrow and dense leaves, collected in a kind of rosettes at the top. The magnificent juicy greens perfectly decorates any interior - from the office to the bedroom and living room. Flowering in indoor conditions is an extremely rare occurrence. And this is not bad, because the small light flowers of dracaena have a very heavy odor, which not everyone likes. It should be noted that the specimens settled in our houses are the most unpretentious species, such as fringed, Godsefa and Canary dracaena. Diseases visit them infrequently, since these species are the most hardy, able to grow in shaded places and withstand very mild winter temperatures. But these adapted cultures will require attention and care.
We create comfortable conditions
The dracaena plant is photophilous, but it reacts hard to direct sunlight, and placed on the windowsill on the south side, it stops growing and dries. The most suitable for comfortable development will be a well-lit place at the west or east window. If necessary, you can use shading. In winter, with a lack of light, the plant is placed closer to the window. Dracaena home does not tolerate a lack of light, and a long lack of it weakens the culture, making it vulnerable to various diseases and provoking a stunted growth. Dracaena are thermophilic and develop excellently in summer at a temperature of 20-25 ° C and in winter at 16-18 ° C.
Air humidity
When buying dracaena, it is necessary to check with the seller what level of humidity is suitable for the selected specimen. The fact is that representatives of this genus have very different preferences.
Most species require high humidity, but some, like Godsef and Canarian dracaena, need a dry atmosphere.
Moisture-loving crops are sprayed in the summer several times a day with warm, settled water. The location of the container with dracaena in a pan filled with wet expanded clay or sphagnum will allow maintaining the necessary humidity. Another condition that must be observed is not to place a plant such as dracaena near heating appliances. The leaves will dry and fall off, because in such an environment it is difficult for the culture to survive.
Watering
At different periods of life, dracaena is watered with different intensities: during the growing season - generously, but allowing the top layer of soil to dry. Watering for different types of dracaena is individual, it should be remembered that excess moisture is as harmful as a deficiency.
Dracaena often dries from the wrong watering regime. Broadleaf specimens require more moisture, since they more actively evaporate it from the surface of the leaves. In winter, in a calm period, watering is significantly reduced, allowing someone to dry the land. At this time, excess moisture can cause rot of the root system, and if you keep the summer intensity of watering, then dracaena dies. How to save a culture?
You can replace watering by spraying and keeping the plant in a wet pan, avoiding stagnation in it. To the awakening of the flower in spring, watering resumes.
Top dressing
Lack of nutrients does not affect plant health in the best way. Dracaena needs top dressing almost all year round, only the frequency of their feeding changes. In summer they feed 1 time per week, in winter - 1 time per month.
Organic humates and complex mineral fertilizers produced for indoor plants are well suited. The concentration of the solutions must comply with the attached instructions, since it is impossible to overfeed the flower.
Dracaena: diseases caused by improper care
Excesses and stagnation of moisture cause decay of the roots, which is expressed in a sharp slowdown in growth and, if the process is not stopped, in the subsequent death of dracaena. To correct the situation, it is necessary to transplant the plant, changing the soil and removing damaged roots, and subsequently adjusting the intensity of irrigation.
Abundant spraying in the winter leads to rotting, causing water to accumulate at the base of the trunk and in the axils of the leaves. It is important to prevent these conditions, since even transplantation will not save in such lesions.
Inadequate watering, cold drafts or the dryness of the surrounding atmosphere leads to the fact that the edges and ends of the leaves dry out and turn brown. In advanced cases, dry brown spots may appear on the leaves. It is necessary to adjust the frequency of irrigation and place the pot in a place where the plant is not exposed to drafts.
Yellowing and falling of the lower leaves is a normal process of vital activity of a culture. The plant is aging, you can rejuvenate it by cutting and rooting the top.
Environmental factors
A critical decrease in air temperature (below 10 ° C) can provoke twisting, yellowing and softening of the leaves. It will help to increase the temperature in the room, because dracaena is still a native of the tropics.
Direct rays of the sun and an excess of light are not the best conditions for a plant such as dracaena. The leaves are dry or dry whitish spots appear on them. If the lesions are in the initial stage, then correct the situation by changing the place of the flower or its qualitative shading.
Dracaena dies. How to save?
As a rule, the implementation of recommendations on the competent content of this exotic culture removes the maximum number of problems, and the plant feels good. But, unfortunately, dracaena has many enemies that cause various diseases or simply unhealthy conditions that require the intervention of a grower.
Dracaena do not bypass the aphids, thrips, scale insects, which suddenly appear on leaves and very reluctantly leave their homes.
Often uninvited guests are scale insects - small organisms that attach to the surface of leaves and suck out cellular juice from them, causing them to die off gradually. Scabies are insects covered with a dense brown shell. That is why they are difficult to remove with home remedies. It is necessary to use insecticides (Inta-Vir, Actellik), which penetrate the insect protection. Before treatment with a cotton pad moistened with soapy water or vodka, they wipe the leaves, removing brown plaques from them.
The combination of high temperature and dryness with stagnation of air contributes to the appearance of thrips. Thrips attack the lower part of the leaf and, rapidly multiplying, fill its surface with numerous colonies. On the upper side of the leaf, light spot lesions occur. To combat these insects, the plant is sprayed (sometimes several times) with “Fitoverm”, “Decis” or “Actelikom”.
Aphid affects young leaves of dracaena and tops of shoots. These parts of the plant lose color, curl, turn yellow and fall off. If no action is taken, the dracaena dies over time. How to save a plant? Familiar insecticides Inta-Vir and Actelik will come to the rescue. All of the above insects may not immediately give up, so you have to carry out wellness procedures repeatedly.
Infectious diseases
Dracaena is a powerful plant, and infectious diseases are infrequent. But if the leaves began to become covered with oblong black-brown spots, it means that the culture picked up alternariosis or heterosporosis, in which the spotting is less pronounced.
At the first suspicion of infection, the plants are isolated. Such diseases can be easily treated by treatment with any fungicide, for example, Fundazol.
But there is a very dangerous disease that is not easy to cure - it is bacteriosis. Rotting spots and oil streaks on the leaves are sure signs of a problem. Experienced specialists, knowing how difficult it is to overcome this scourge, are advised to get rid of the infected flower.