How to grow dracaena at home - care, recommendations. How to prune for branching

The tropical regions of the Canary Islands in Africa and Asia are home to dracaena. This plant can be giant or dwarf. Its roots are smooth and even, the color is orange or yellow, and may be light brown. Is it possible to propagate this indoor flower, the dracaena palm, on your own and how to do it correctly? We'll talk about this in our article.

In contact with

How dracaena propagates at home: rules and features

Dracaena has green leaves, but depending on which variety is chosen, it may have a red or yellow stripe along the edges of the leaf. The most common type of dracaena is with a reddish-purple stripe along the very edge of the leaf.

Dracaena bordered - very well tolerates dark places and low temperatures. Other types of dracaena are much more demanding.

Doesn't present any particular difficulty. The main thing is to wipe the leaves from dust and rejuvenate old leaves, and give the plant rest during a certain period (from October to January).

Abundant growth of leaves occurs on all sides, preferably in the open air. Dracaena loves it when the top layer of soil is loosened in a pot. This should be done more often in summer and spring.

In winter, the plant needs watering less often than in summer. It does not tolerate water stagnating in the pot or the earthen ball becoming too dry. During the growth period, it needs abundant watering. It has wide leaves, so moisture quickly evaporates from them.

By appearance, you can notice that the dracaena is losing its lower leaves. To rejuvenate the plant, you need to cut off and root the top, or plant a young plant in a pot next to it. This way they will look more impressive.

Reproduction of dracaena by apical cuttings at home

Most often, propagation of dracaena at home is done using pieces of the trunk. Its length must be at least 10 centimeters. You can first cut off the top and put it in a jar of water. In this jar, first put a few pieces of charcoal. Only 3 months after cuttings of dracaena can roots appear. After this, the plant should be. Over time, new shoots will again appear from the lateral buds at the site where the mother plant was cut.

How to plant dracaena at home: How to propagate dracaena at home: photo Propagation of dracaena by vegetative means can be done all year round. An important requirement is air temperature. It should not be below 20 degrees, but optimally 22.

Dracaena must be protected from insects. This requires spraying with insecticides. The plant must not be damaged. Note that the leaves that are damaged first are those on the underside of the top of the shoots. They begin to discolor, the leaves curl, turn yellow and fall off.

We answered the question of how to propagate dracaena from cuttings at home, and now let's talk about a more complex method - growing this palm tree from seeds.

It is possible to obtain seeds from dracaena grown at home. Buying seeds in a store can be very difficult. If they are on sale, then only from Dracaena Dragon.

Dracaena can grow at home only at the age of 8 to 11 years. To obtain fruits, you need to carry out pollination artificially, using a soft brush for painting. It should be noted that some variegated species of dracaenas can only reproduce vegetatively. If they are grown from seeds, the offspring may have a completely different appearance.
How to propagate dracaena by seeds: a sprouted seed in a pot As soon as pollination is successful, the dracaena will begin to form orange-red fruits (drupes). In appearance, they resemble cherries. As soon as they ripen, they are ready for planting. Mature seeds must be thoroughly cleaned of pulp and immediately planted in prepared soil.

When the seeds are purchased at the store, they can be sown in early March. Be sure to soak it for a day beforehand, in epin or zircon.

You can buy ready-made soil for planting. First, sow the seeds in plastic cups, which must have holes in them. Plant seeds to a depth of one centimeter.

Then the cups with the seeds planted in them need to be transferred to a sacred warm room with bottom heating. Cover the top with glass or film.

The seeds do not all germinate at the same time. This may take from 30 to 180 days. The soil should be kept at moderate moisture all the time, beware. To do this, it is necessary to ventilate the greenhouse daily and protect the emerging sprouts from direct sunlight.

As soon as the seedlings grow to 5 centimeters, it is necessary to transplant them into a pot with a diameter of 7 centimeters. In this case, drainage is required. If you properly care for young seedlings, they will actively grow. And they will be healthy.

You can speed up the growth of seedlings. To do this, before planting in the substrate, the seeds must lie on a damp cloth in order to germinate. This way you can see the whole germination process with your own eyes. This will ensure that you get live dracaenas.

Watch a video experiment on how to cut dracaena at home:

In order to propagate dracaena yourself, you must follow a number of rules that allow you not only to obtain young specimens, but also to preserve the main plant without harming it. Propagation of the plant is possible both by cuttings and seeds. It is important to consider that the characteristics of its reproduction will depend on the variety of the plant.

General information

Dracaena is an unpretentious indoor plant that stands out among others for its exotic appearance. In its structure, it most closely resembles a small palm tree with a strong trunk and a spectacular spreading crown. The oblong, sword-shaped leaves may have different colors depending on the variety. It usually ranges from rich green to light green with white veins, but greyish, reddish and bluish shades may be present, giving the plant a unique appearance. The varieties of dracaena bordered and fragrant, as well as dracaena Sander, have gained the greatest popularity.

Photo gallery: unpretentious types of dracaena

At home, you can create beautiful plants that can be an excellent gift for family and friends.

Cuttings

Let's consider the most popular option for vegetative propagation - cuttings. For propagation, you can take the upper part of the stem with leaves (apical cuttings) or the stem itself without leaves (stem cuttings).

Apical cuttings

In this case we are talking about cutting off the top of the plant. To do this, use a sharp tool: pruning shears or a knife, pre-treated with alcohol. The height of the cutting should be at least ten centimeters. The cut can be either straight or oblique - this point does not play a fundamental role.

It is important that the cut is smooth, the stem should not have bark burrs and should not be crushed at the time of cutting

Carry out this procedure carefully, without damaging the stem and bark on it. The smoothness of the cut will determine how quickly the plant takes root.

In order to avoid rotting of the cutting, you need to let it dry for one or two hours at a temperature of +20–22°C, and to prevent rotting of the entire plant, you should powder the cut of the shoot with crushed coal or pour it with molten paraffin.

Almost all varieties of dracaena at the stage of drying cuttings need to remove excess leaves from the part that will be immersed in the substrate. The exception is the dracaena bordered, the stem of which is not covered with leaves.

Afterwards you can begin the rooting process. There are two ways to root apical cuttings:

• in water;
• in the substrate.

In the first case, warm water is required (optimal temperature +20–25°C). It must be changed as it becomes cloudy, that is, once or twice a week. To prevent the water from becoming cloudy too quickly, a whole tablet of activated carbon is added to it, as it has disinfectant properties. The use of rooting preparations reduces the time for roots to appear by 1–1.5 weeks. For this, Zircon is most often used (calculated at 2-3 drops per glass of water).

When choosing a method for rooting dracaena in a substrate, pay special attention to the choice of soil: give preference to sand, vermiculite or perlite. In addition, the use of hydrogel, as well as ready-made mixtures for cacti and palm trees, is common. To speed up the process, you can use powdered rooting preparations, these include potassium humate and Heteroauxin. They are used to powder the bases of cuttings soaked in water before placing them in the substrate. Liquid preparations are also applicable in this case. Epin, Zircon or Ecogel are used during the rooting period to water the soil, guided by the instructions attached to the substance. To avoid plant rotting, do not over-moisten the substrate. In order to check the moisture level in it, just rub a small amount of soil in your palm: the substrate should crumble into lumps. For cuttings, create a mini-greenhouse (made of plastic, polyethylene or glass), in which the air and soil temperatures should reach +20–22°C. During the day (3-5 times), the leaves should be sprayed with water at room temperature. In Dracaena fringe, the leaves at the top are often tied into a bunch, which helps prevent excessive evaporation of moisture. It is important to note that in order to avoid excess humidity in the greenhouse, it is worth carrying out morning and evening ventilation for 15–20 minutes.

Video: apical cuttings of dracaena

This type of reproduction can also give positive results. Typically, this method is used for plants that for some reason have lost their attractive appearance. For example, you cannot do without this procedure if the top begins to rot or dry out. In this case, the stem is divided into cuttings 5–20 cm long and rooted in a light substrate. Depending on the location of the cuttings in it, the following methods are distinguished:

• horizontal;
• vertical.

On the left is the vertical method of root formation; on the right - shoot germination during horizontal rooting

For horizontal rooting, sand, perlite or vermiculite are used as a substrate. In this case, the stem in a lying position is slightly pressed into the substrate; nothing is sprinkled on top of the cutting. Air and soil temperatures should reach +20–24°C. The presence of a mini-greenhouse promotes rooting. It is important to note that a sign of a successful stem cutting procedure is not only the roots that appear in the plant, but also the shoots that sprout from dormant buds. The cutting itself is destroyed over time, since the substances from it are actively spent on the formation of roots and shoots. During the period when plant nutrition no longer begins from the cuttings, but from independently formed roots, the shoots can be planted in separate pots.

Material on how to properly transplant dracaena will also be useful:

The number of young plants will be equal to the number of shoots, since each of them can be planted separately

When vertical rooting, sand is used as a substrate, but soil can also be used. The combined option is especially good, when the plant is planted in the ground, sprinkled with sand on top, the layer of which will be 5 cm. Thus, the roots appear first in the sand layer and sprout from it and become stronger in the ground. Thanks to this method, there is no need to replant the rooted plant, since it is already in the soil. The optimal temperature remains +20–24°C, and the presence of a mini-greenhouse allows you to speed up the process of root emergence. In this case, only the lower part of the cutting is immersed three centimeters into the substrate.

Under suitable conditions and good material taken for plant propagation, rooting takes 1–1.5 months, and shoots appear after 2 months

At low air temperatures, the rooting process may take a longer time.

Propagation by seeds

At home, obtaining dracaena seeds is quite problematic. This is due to the fact that this plant blooms quite rarely even in the most favorable conditions. Many species bloom for the first time at the age of eight to eleven years. Dracaena can bloom relatively quickly:

• fragrant;
• bent;
• Draco;
• Godseff.

Panicles with small fragrant flowers can be white or yellowish in color

If you are still interested in this idea, you need to carry out artificial pollination of flowering specimens:

1. Use a soft bristle brush, going over all the inflorescences one by one;
2. Clean the resulting seeds from the pulp and immediately plant them in the ground.

After flowering and successful pollination, dracaena produces orange-red drupes resembling cherries, which after ripening can be used for planting

Seeds purchased at the store are planted in March. For planting, you can use ready-made soil or mix peat and sand in equal proportions yourself. In order to speed up the germination process, seeds can be germinated in advance:

1. Pour water at room temperature (+20–22°C) into a shallow saucer.
2. A moisture-absorbing material (a piece of cloth, gauze or cotton pads) is placed in a saucer with water, on which the seeds are laid. To avoid rapid evaporation of water, cover the top of the container with glass or film.
3. Place the saucer in a sunny place (+20–22°C). Typically, sprouts appear within two to three days.
4. To prevent the seeds from drying out, add water as needed.

Large amounts of water can be dangerous, so keep the cloth moist without submerging the seeds completely.

Planting of germinated seeds occurs to a depth of one centimeter. Cups for planting must be equipped with a drainage system. Containers with planted dracaena seeds are covered with polyethylene or glass, creating the effect of a mini-greenhouse.

Seed germination usually takes one to five months. The soil should be kept moist at all times. The greenhouse is ventilated in the morning and evening for ten minutes. The emerging sprouts must be shaded, protecting them from direct sunlight.

This method is good because it allows you to root a new plant without immediately cutting it off from the main trunk:

1. To do this, you need to decide how tall the young plant will be: this distance is measured from the top.
2. At this point, the trunk is cleared of leaves and a small cut is made to the middle of the trunk.
3. A small hard object made of wood or plastic is placed in it.
4. A transparent bag with peat is secured under the incision site.
5. After this, the package is closed. It is important to note that the soil in it should not dry out.
6. Over time, the bag and peat will be filled with roots, after which the resulting shoot can be completely separated from the mother and transplanted into a small pot.

1 - trunk cut; 2 - packet fixation; 3 - securing the bag with peat; 4 - separation of the sprout with emerging roots

Peculiarities of propagation of different varieties

Depending on the type and variety, dracaenas may differ not only in appearance, but also have their own characteristics during the reproduction process. For example:

• Dracaena Goldena is propagated by cuttings. In this case, the trunk without leaves should reach 20 cm. It is lowered into moist soil so that two or three buds remain on the surface. The temperature under the mini-greenhouse should reach +28–30 °C. The plant is maintained in this form for 30 days;
• Dracaena Reflexa, also known as recurved, tolerates cuttings well, but can also be propagated by seeds;
• Hooker's dracaena almost never blooms at home, so it is much easier to propagate the plant using apical cuttings or air layering, and it is important to observe the temperature and humidity conditions;
• fragrant dracaena is a very slowly growing shrub, which should be taken into account when pruning and propagating it;
• A feature of Dracaena derema is the ease of rooting in moist soil, even without the use of special preparations;
• An interesting process is the propagation of Dracaena Sander: the plant can be given interesting shapes, for example, twisted;

  Even inexperienced gardeners can give a plant an unusual shape.

• Dracaena Marginata, also bordered, comes in five varieties: main green, bicolor, tricolor, purple and colorama. Each of them has its own color scheme. During propagation, the shoots of this plant can also be placed close to each other, twisted and made into twisted shapes. Propagation is best done by cuttings using a liquid rooting agent;

  Planting several trunks side by side can achieve interesting results.

• When propagating dracaena Godsef, it is important to place the cuttings under film or glass. The air temperature should reach +25°C;
• Dracaena Draco has a very wide trunk, which often has no branches, so it is better to propagate this species by seeds in order not to harm the plant;
• All methods are suitable for propagating Dracaena compacta. But it can be noted that when propagating by parts of a lignified trunk, the sections can be treated with paraffin, which will protect the trunk from drying out. In this form, dracaena is perfect for transportation over long distances and can lie for a long time waiting for planting.

Material on ways to combat diseases and pests of dracaena will also be useful:

Possible problems when propagating dracaena and their solutions

Reproduction of dracaena at home, as a rule, is not a very difficult process. And with a little effort, you can even get several young plants instead of just one. Nevertheless, even experienced flower growers sometimes still have to face some difficulties:

• rotting of cuttings rooted in the substrate. This happens if the soil is too wet: it should be moist, but not soggy. Perhaps the problem lies in the substrate itself: too heavy and dense, not suitable for dracaena;
• high humidity and high temperature, necessary for the rooting of dracaena, can cause rotting of the roots. To prevent this process, cover the soil with thick paper during spraying. Excess moisture after watering should also be removed;
• at the same time, excessive aridity of the soil and cool air can significantly slow down the development of roots and shoots. Therefore, compliance with temperature and humidity conditions plays an important role in the process of reproduction of dracaena;
• Dracaena seeds do not germinate. You should be patient: dracaena, when grown from seeds, does not sprout quickly. Individual seeds can germinate up to six months, although more often this process takes 1–3 months. Soaking with special preparations (Epin, Zircon or any other growth modulators) will help speed up seed germination;
• after trimming the top, the remaining “stump” of the dracaena does not form side shoots. External factors are to blame. The presence of side shoots and their number even depend on the time of year (for example, if you cut dracaenas in winter, the side buds may not wake up at all, or only one will wake up; in summer, the number of awakened buds can vary from 2 to 5). This process also depends on humidity, so a plastic bag is often placed on the stem to create an optimal air humidity regime.

Dracaena is easy to care for and is suitable for interior decoration in homes and office buildings. Even a person who has no experience in this area can independently propagate this plant from cuttings, following the instructions. Moreover, the whole procedure will not take much time and will not harm the main plant from which the shoots were taken.

It's time to reveal a few simple secrets for caring for dracaena that will help keep your favorite decorative and healthy - so that it not only purifies the air at home or in the office, but also pleases the eye and serves as an interior decoration!

Pot and substrate

The first thing you need to do is choose a pot that is suitable in size and shape. It may be a little larger than the one in which you purchased the dracaena - but not by much. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the plant will not grow until it has mastered the entire earthen lump. Secondly, this will take some time, and until then it is better not to leave the part of the soil that the roots cannot reach wet. This can lead to their rotting and death of the dracaena. For the same reason, you should not buy elongated pots - the superficial root system of this plant will not soon reach the bottom of the pot.

Once you've decided on a pot, don't skimp on drainage. As for the land, every gardener has his own opinion on this matter. In many sources you can find the following mixture recipe: humus, peat, turf, leaf soil and sand. But who, really, will bother with all this? Based on experience, dracaena feels good in ordinary universal soil, or in soil from any package labeled “for palm plants.” And one more very, very important point: when replanting dracaena, make sure that the thickening of the stem (from which the roots spread) is slightly raised above the top layer of soil and does not get wet during watering - otherwise rotting cannot be avoided.

Lighting and temperature

Dracaenas are very unpretentious and can do without bright light for quite a long time - especially varieties with solid green leaves. But variegated forms should be exposed to light, as they will lose color in the shade. In any case, this does not benefit the dracaena: with a lack of light, the shoots of the dracaena become very elongated and bare, and branching in such conditions cannot be expected from it. Place the pot with the plant in a well-lit place, but avoid direct sunlight (at least in the warm season). In winter, in the room where the flower is located, the temperature should not be lower than 12-15 degrees, and in summer 20-25 degrees.

Watering dracaena

The watering regime directly depends on the time of year. In summer, dracaena requires abundant watering, and in winter - moderate, with the top layer of soil drying out between waterings. Do not water dracaena (and other plants too) with hard tap water - it contains lime and changes the pH of the soil. Watering should be done only with settled water at room temperature. If the room temperature is +18 degrees or higher, you need to water the dracaena about once every 10 days. A 10-liter pot should contain 1.5-2 liters of water.

As for fertilizing, their use is not necessary if you replant the plant in fresh soil once every 1-2 years. If you want to achieve rapid growth, use liquid fertilizer for non-flowering plants every two weeks during the growing season - from March to August. Just do not exceed the permissible dose, but rather use less fertilizer than indicated in the instructions - otherwise the plant may lose its decorative appearance or even dry out.

Spraying

For the comfortable existence of dracaena, high air humidity is required - therefore, during the heating season, spray the leaves of the plant every day with soft water without lime. Be sure to wipe the leaves from dust - it not only prevents the plant from breathing and absorbing light, but is also a favorable environment for the appearance of insect pests or pathogenic fungi.

But in order to return the plant to its original “marketable appearance” or preserve it for a purchased plant, spraying with water is not enough: you need to use a growth regulator - for example, “Athlete”. This drug inhibits the height growth of the above-ground part of the plant, while promoting thickening of the stem, increasing the width and density of the leaves. Under its influence, a redistribution of nutrients occurs in plants: most of them enter the roots, causing their increased growth. Gradually, even a pale “weeping willow” can again be turned into a palm tree with strong bunches of succulent leaves (the main thing is to strictly follow the instructions for use). By the way, growth regulators are effective when growing not only indoor plants, but also vegetable and flower crops.

Pruning dracaena

In the case of ornamental trees and shrubs, forming the “crown” of a plant is quite simple: pinch off a few leaves, and it’s done. With dracaena, this process may look scary - but only at first glance. In this case, it is not individual castings that are cut off, but the entire green tops, along with parts of the trunk. As a result, what remains of a beautiful palm tree are literally “horns and legs” - that is, a bare stump and a stick sticking forlornly out of the pot. But beauty, as we know, requires sacrifice...

Like a fairy-tale dragon that grows several heads in place of one severed one, dracaena produces 3-5 new shoots instead of the cut off top. However, this is exactly what the plant is called in its homeland: “dragon tree.” Another thing is that at home it is not always easy to get these same 3-5 side shoots from dracaena (it happens that the plant produces only one, which looks rather “crooked” and only spoils the overall appearance). But this happens due to non-compliance with several pruning conditions, which will be discussed further.

First, you need to cut off the top of the dracaena growing in the pot with a sharp knife or blade. After this procedure, you need to cover the pot with the stem with a plastic bag, before watering it abundantly. Further moistening of the flower can only be done through the tray. Place the pot in the sunniest place in the house, and under no circumstances remove the bag, so that the temperature in the homemade greenhouse does not change. It must be remembered that dracaena can sprout only when the air humidity is 70-75%, and the soil and air temperature should be 20-25 degrees. You will have to wait a few weeks for results, but it will be worth it.

Secondly, the cut tops must be rooted in settled water, first allowing them to dry for half an hour. Or immediately stick the cutting into sand or a light substrate, having previously treated the cut with “Kornevin” (for accelerated root growth) or with crushed coal (to avoid rotting). You can also root cuttings without leaves, cut from a very elongated and bald trunk and retaining a side bud (10-15 centimeters).

Small palm shrubs, growing historically in Africa and South Asia, have gained immense popularity among our gardeners and housewives. And then the question arises: how and what to feed dracaena at home? It is quite expected and even natural, since in domestic climatic conditions it grows exclusively at home. A distinctive feature of the plants is the presence of hard tips and their different colors.

There is an opinion that dracaena belongs to unpretentious plants. I would immediately like to emphasize that this is a heat-loving southern plant, therefore, in our latitudes it needs to be provided with additional care.

The dragon tree requires a special temperature regime, environmental conditions with high humidity, high-quality lighting, as well as thorough watering in the summer. It is equally important to know what and how feed dracaena in summer, how to feed the soil throughout the year. Without additional elements, the tips of the leaves become dark and after some time all the greenery simply falls off.

If the plant does not receive at least minimal care, its leaf blades will begin to dry out. Direct sunlight on contact with leaves contributes to the formation of burns, and in low temperature conditions they curl. The dragon tree is susceptible to pests and infectious diseases. To eliminate these factors, it is necessary to constantly fertilize and spray the plant with fungicides. The presence of a sufficient amount of nutrients and substances in the soil allows not only the bush to actively develop, but also its green mass. The plant will be healthy and lush.

How to feed dracaena for better growth? First of all, we recommend planting the plant in slightly acidic soil. Be sure to include garden soil, sand and peat in the mixture, and the ratio must be maintained at 3:1:1, respectively.

How often and with what should I feed dracaena at home?

Experienced gardeners recommend using specialized ones, available in a wide range in stores. They are sold not only in the form of ordinary granules, but also in liquid solutions and compositions that you can prepare yourself at home. The issue of frequency and frequency of feeding deserves the closest attention.

The plant reacts sensitively to both the deficiency of useful elements in the nutrient medium and their excessive amounts in the substrate. Be that as it may, there is a danger that the root system will completely die and the leaves will fall off.

How to feed dracaena in summer? In the warm season, nutrients are added once every 1.5-2 weeks.

The most effective method is foliar feeding, which has proven itself excellent in situations where the ends of the leaves dry out.

With the arrival of cold weather (when the average daily temperature in the room does not exceed 20 degrees Celsius), the plant does not require additional fertilizer. At this time, the plant and leaves develop much more slowly. To ensure the vital functions of dracaena, a minimum of minerals and trace elements must be present in the soil. In winter, you can feed dracaena only once a month. Any foliar feeding is useless; only the substrate is suitable for fertilization.

Mineral fertilizers for dracaena

Dracaena will not grow without potassium (K), phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). The optimal ratio of the listed elements is 3:1:3; if you reduce the nitrogen concentration to 2 parts, the plant may respond to fertilizing somewhat worse. There are no highly specialized formulations for dracaena on sale.

Feeding is selected individually; you need to focus on NPK.

How to feed dracaena for better growth: folk methods

How to feed dracaena at home? People's advice recommends using bird droppings or rotted manure. To obtain an organic solution, mix 1 part manure and 4 parts clean water. The final composition is infused for 5 days. If we talk about home conditions, then the specified concentrate must be diluted in liquid, maintaining a ratio of 1:15. The store sells ready-made organic preparations. They are diluted with water only according to the instructions. Dracaena is watered under the base.

Certain gardeners strongly recommend using meat water for feeding: a specialized liquid that contains blood, which remains after the meat is removed from the cutting board. This composition contains protein, thanks to which the plant itself actively develops. Folk remedies also have a number of disadvantages, the main one of which is an unpleasant characteristic odor. Experts strongly recommend taking the pot with the substrate out into the open air. After three days, the smell is eliminated, disappears and the dracaena is brought into the room.

The frequency of feeding is determined in each case individually, and it is necessary to take into account the appearance of the leaves. If we can determine that the plant is developing slowly or is drying out, we recommend adjusting its care.

This unusual plant was born on the shores of Africa. It looks like a tree with a huge trunk and long leaves on the top. Indoor dracaena is much smaller in size, but no less attractive. It will give comfort and decorate the interior of any room.

• Types of dracaena
  • Marginata
  • Reflex
  • Durham
  • Fragrant
• Rules for replanting dracaena
• Dracaena diseases. How to treat
• Rules of care
• Medicinal properties of dracaena
• Interesting Facts
• Designers advise

Types of dracaena

Marginata

The most common type of plant. It grows up to 3 m in height, on top there are thin long leaves growing in different directions.

Reflex

Dracaena, which has a weak stem and leaves growing almost from the very root. Reflexa has bright green leaves with long yellow stripes along them.

Durham

Large dracaena with a tree-like three-meter trunk. It grows in the wild and blooms with red flowers that have an unpleasant odor. Does not grow at home.

Fragrant

The largest plant, reaches up to 6 m in height with long, wide leaves. It blooms with white flowers with a strong scent.

Caring for dracaena at home

Any type of this plant does not require any special requirements for existence. Dracaena needs to be provided with sunlight, so its “residence” is the south side of the room. However, in the hottest weather, the flower is transferred to the shade, this is especially important for a plant with green leaves.

Watering should be frequent, but not abundant. Once every two days - in the summer, in the cold season - less often, because the plant “sleeps”. Water for irrigation is boiled or passed through a filter. Despite all its moisture-loving properties, dracaena should not be overwatered. To improve the appearance of the flower and give brightness to the leaves, it needs to be fed with special fertilizers several times a week.
Reproduction methods: apical cuttings, stem pieces, air layering.

Rules for replanting dracaena

A powerful root system in a cramped pot can have a bad effect on flower growth. Dracaena needs to be replanted once a year, in late March-early April. A plant purchased in a store must be replanted immediately. To do this, use palm soil.

To avoid rotting of the root system, drainage is poured into the bottom of the pot. After transplantation, the dracaena needs to be watered with a liquid containing a growth stimulator. But, if you do not at least minimally care for the flower, pests will destroy it.

Dracaena diseases. How to treat

1. Scale insects are the most common disease. Slows down leaf growth and damages the stem. As a result of the disease, the plant turns yellow. If treatment is not started, the flower will die. In case of minor damage, it is necessary to wash the leaves with a soapy solution, adding a little vodka to it. For large injuries, special preparations are used.
2. Spider mites attack dracaena in dry rooms. Affected leaves dry out and turn yellow. Treatment is carried out by spraying the plant with vodka or special chemicals.
3. Thrips - small black insects leave stains on the leaves and slow down the growth of dracaena. To get rid of thrips, the flower is washed with soapy water and insect traps are installed.

Most often, it is improper care of the flower that causes its illness. The leaves of the plant dry out due to dry air or insufficient watering. Dracaena suffers from drafts and cold. The process of lower leaves falling off is considered normal for older plants.

Rules of care

In order for dracaena to please with green leaves and a healthy appearance, the following rules must be followed:

• Water little and often
• Provide sufficient sunlight and shade in hot weather
• Replant in time
• Systematically spray the leaves with water
• Protect from drafts
• Do not place in rooms with dry air

When buying dracaena, you should pay attention to the leaves: they should be clean, their tips should not be dry. Cut ends indicate that the plant was kept in unsuitable conditions. Dracaena carinatum or Canariasis is chosen by those who do not have enough time for care. These species can withstand both coolness and lack of care.

Medicinal properties of dracaena

An ointment for healing wounds was previously made from the resin secreted from the trunk. Dracaena juice has medicinal properties similar to aloe vera juice. It is able to have an antioxidant effect, strengthens the heart muscle and the immune system. To treat skin diseases and stomach ulcers, use dracaena juice with grape alcohol. There is a belief that dracaena protects family members from muscle pain and osteochondrosis.
This flower is considered a symbol of power, prosperity and prestige.

1. “Female dragon” is the second name of dracaena
2. “Tree of Happiness” is the name given to dracaena in South and Central America.
3. The sap of the plant serves as the basis for the varnish that is used to coat the metal. It is also used to make fabric dyes.
4. Dracaena juice is used to color wines
5. Dracaena juice is also used to give hair a lasting golden hue.
6. The large leaves of the tree are used to make fiber for ropes.
7. Scientists identify 40-50 species of dracaenas

The life of plants is divided into 3 periods: youth, maturity and old age. Up to 35 years - youth, then maturity, when the plant bears fruit, and then a long period of old age begins.

To decorate the room, you need to plant 3-4 cuttings together in one container. The roots will intertwine and can be replanted as one. With the help of wooden spacers, the side plants deviate from the center, and the bush takes on a more luxuriant shape. To form a branched tree, the shoot of the plant is pruned. This tip can be used for rooting.
Dracaena will add a very special mood to any room - from an office to an apartment. The rich greenery of the plant's leaves will cleanse the atmosphere, protect against stress and calm the nervous system. With its help, the air will be humidified and the formaldehyde content will be reduced.

Finally. What does Feng Shui teach about dracaena?

Dracaena Sandera - bamboo of happiness. Feng Shui experts call its twenty twisting stems the “Tower of Love.” In order to become happy, the pot with the Tower must be placed in the eastern or southern part of the house. This is the best amulet and source of well-being for the family. But it has nothing to do with real bamboo.

No matter what this plant is called in different parts, everywhere it gives people beauty and benefits.

Jun 14, 2016 Sergey