How to grow dracaena at home?

Today, quite a few people like to plant indoor flowers at home. Someone does it for sale, but there are also those for whom this activity brings incredible pleasure. The most important thing is to know how to do it correctly.

For plants to be beautiful, you need to take care of them carefully. If you provide the right conditions for the dracaena, you can increase the life of the flower to ten years. In shape, the culture of this species is more reminiscent of a palm tree. It is also called the lucky bamboo because it looks like the Chinese symbol for well-being. In this review, we will consider caring for dracaena at home.

Primary requirements

The main distinguishing feature of dracaena is the rosette of striped or green leaves on top. Transverse stripes on the stems can also be considered a noticeable feature.

In order for a plant to please its owners with a well-groomed appearance for many years of life, it needs to create the right conditions. The acidity of the soil should be neutral. You can check this indicator using indicator strips. You can also buy soil with the correct pH value from a flower shop. To prepare the substrate, you can use the following proportions: 3 parts of garden soil, 2 parts of peat, 1 part of sand. You can also use a mixture of sand, humus earth and peat. Any stable pot is suitable for growing the plant. The container for planting dracaena should be 25 cm high and 20 cm in diameter.

Temperature, humidity and light requirements

How to grow a dracaena flower? Caring for this heat-loving plant provides for keeping at a temperature of 19 to 25 degrees Celsius. In a cold room, the plant may simply die. You also need to monitor the level of humidity. Dry air can negatively affect the growth of dracaena. As a rule, the plant develops well in partial shade. But development in such conditions will be a little slower. Variegated varieties require more light. The best option is to put the dracaena near a window oriented to the west or east. If they face south, it is better to protect the plant from direct sunlight.

How to water properly?

Many housewives are interested in such a flower as dracaena. Home care for this plant involves regular watering. The optimal interval is every other day. It is unacceptable that the soil in the pot becomes dry. In addition to watering, dracaena also requires frequent spraying with settled water. In summer, the flower should be watered daily. Dust can accumulate on the leaves. In this case, it is recommended to use a cotton swab or napkin.

Fertilization and feeding

Dracaena care provides for regular nutrition with useful substances. This procedure is usually performed twice a month. You can alternate mineral fertilizers with organic matter. The nutrient is usually added to the water for irrigation. Dracaena are highly sensitive to chlorine and fluorine. Therefore, it is better to select fertilizers that do not contain these elements. It is not recommended to use chlorinated water for irrigation.

How to transplant correctly

What other procedures can a room dracaena require? Care must necessarily include a transplant. When the plant becomes cramped in the old tub, it must be placed in a larger pot. The flower is removed very carefully, along with the root ball. The bottom of the new container should be prepared in advance. For this purpose, gravel, ceramic fragments or pieces of foam are laid on it.

Here is an approximate procedure for transplanting a plant:

1. Drainage from above is covered with a layer of washed sand and part of the prepared soil.
2. The root ball is placed in a pot. You can add soil to the sides.
3. The land is properly watered.
4. The substrate needs to be added. There should be 1.5 cm to the top edge.
5. At the final stage, the soil should be compacted and sprinkled with a layer of peat.

Until the age of three years, the dracaena should be replanted every year. Then the procedure can be performed less frequently. At the same time, experts recommend changing the top layer of soil in a pot once a year.

How to care for dracaena in winter?

What else should you know for those interested in dracaena? Home care, photos of adult plants, requirements for keeping conditions in the cold season - such information is usually required by potential owners of this flower. As for keeping a flower in winter, in a warm room it will be the same as in summer. Best of all, he will tolerate cold at a temperature of 15 degrees. The number of sprays and waterings should be reduced to once every seven days. If the air in the room is too dry and warm, then the frequency of watering can be increased. In winter and autumn, the plant does not require additional feeding.

Reproduction

How does dracaena grow? Home care and reproduction does not involve any complex labor-intensive processes. Branches extending from the central stem are quite suitable as material for grafting. The main thing is to separate 12 cm of the top. The rest is cut into cuttings 7 cm in size. On the mother plant, the cut is treated with ash and crushed charcoal. In the future, new shoots may appear at this place.

The resulting cuttings should be rooted in a glass of water or a pot of wet sand. At the cut off top, the leaves are shortened, leaving 5-7 cm each. The air temperature in the room should not fall below 20 degrees. You can also cover the cuttings with plastic wrap. It must be removed every day in order to spray the substrate or ventilate. After 3-4 weeks, rooting will occur, and after a couple of months you will be able to see new shoots. They can be divided and transplanted into different containers.

What else should you know about dracaena breeding and home care? Seed propagation is usually used exclusively by specialists. If you still manage to buy them, then they must be soaked in warm water before planting. Five days later, the seeds can be sown in moist soil.It is best to plant them in plastic boxes with lids or miniature greenhouses. They germinate for a long time.

Growing problems

What problems can be associated with the cultivation of such a flower as dracaena? Home care, reproduction and conditions for normal development are quite simple and do not require special training. However, some difficulties in the growing process may still arise.

In a dry room, the leaves of the plant may turn yellow and fall off. Cold air and draft can be another possible cause of this phenomenon. In a month, under normal conditions, the plant can lose a couple of leaves. Improperly selected fertilizers or the presence of fluoride in the water can lead to brown and yellow spots. If the plant looks sick, it should be removed from the pot. Damaged and rotten roots are removed. Then dracaena can be transplanted. The plant after this process requires moderate watering and regular irrigation.

The sun's rays can also cause burns. In this case, it is better to find another place for the flower. If brown spots appear on the ends of the leaves, increase the amount of water when watering. Make sure that the soil in the pot is always slightly moist. Over-watering can also have negative consequences. In combination with a decrease in temperature, it can lead to the complete death of the plant.

Diseases and pests

Caring for dracaena must necessarily include the fight against diseases. This plant is rarely attacked by pests. But many modern varieties are still highly susceptible to a number of infections. So, with a fungal infection, rotting of the roots and base of the stem can be observed. The formation of black and red spots on the leaves can be a consequence of a disease such as fusarium. In this case, the plant must be treated with biofungicide, and the soil with a solution of wood ash.

If white threads appear at the base of the leaves, then most likely the plant has been attacked by a spider mite. In this case, the plant should be wiped with a cloth dipped in a solution of laundry soap, and then rinsed under a warm shower. If a mealybug has been damaged, then dracaena should also be treated with soapy water. After that, the flower is sprayed with an insecticide containing pyrethrin.

Dracaena: varieties

Dracaena is considered an exotic plant. Such a flower will easily fit into the interior of a living room or office. There are several varieties of this plant. Bordered dracaena, or Marginata, has a rosette of thin leaves. With a good plant, the flower retains its decorative qualities for a long time. This species requires good lighting. Colorama has a distinct crimson hue. Dracaena Bicolor is characterized by a striking combination of green and pink. This variety also needs good lighting and frequent spraying. The Fragrang species, or fragrant dracaena, is distinguished by glossy lancet-shaped leaves. There are also varieties with bicolor and tricolor leaves.

Conclusion

Dracaena is very popular with home growers. The plant will harmonize well with dieffenbachia, variegated varieties of chlorophytum. Caring for dracaena does not cause any particular difficulties. The main thing is to choose a well-lit place. The plant needs regular watering and irrigation. Also, to preserve a dense rosette of leaves, experts recommend rinsing the dracaena with warm water from time to time. When buying a flower, pay attention to the leaves. The main thing is that their ends are not dry. A healthy dracaena, with proper care, can retain its decorative qualities for up to ten years.

The beautiful plants in the room are the result of careful attention to the needs of green pets. Knowing how to care for dracaena, you can extend the life of a flower up to 10 years.Plants from this group resemble a palm tree in shape, and one of the species was named "Lucky Bamboo" for its resemblance to the Chinese symbol of well-being.

Dracaena care at home

A rosette of long green or striped leaves at the top is the main decoration of plants of the genus Dracaena. Also a notable feature is the transverse stripes on the stem.

Requirements for soil and pot

In order for a plant to please for a long time with its well-groomed appearance, it initially needs to create good conditions. The substrate should be neutral (pH around 6). You can check the acidity of existing soil with test strips or buy soil with a specified pH value. Prepare a substrate for planting from three parts of ordinary garden soil, two parts of peat, one part of sand. Or use a mixture of peat, humus earth and sand (2: 1: 1).

The pot or container must be stable. The height of the container for planting dracaena with a height of 50–80 cm is 25 cm, the diameter is 20 cm. A drainage layer at the bottom of the pot is imperative, because the roots require good ventilation.

Temperature, humidity and lighting

Dracaena is a thermophilic plant. Indoor temperature in summer should be in the range of 19–25 ° С. If the room is cold, then the dracaena does not grow and may die. Dry air is also harmful, it is necessary to create a humidity above 50%.

Important! Dracaena tend to thrive well in partial shade, but grow slower in such conditions. There are some differences in light requirements between varieties with green and variegated leaves.

If a flower pot is placed far from a window or lamp, then the tops of the dracaena are bent. Variegated forms require more light, east and west windows are needed. The plant on the south window should be protected from direct sunlight at noon.

Watering the plant

In summer, dracaena should be watered every other day. The soil in a flowerpot or tub should not be allowed to dry out completely.

What kind of hydration is required for dracaena:

• regular watering without stagnant water in the pan;
• frequent spraying with soft settled water;
• constantly moist, but not wet soil.

Proper care of dracaena at home involves daily spraying of the leaves in the summer. Often, dust remains even after regular washing. Then you have to wipe the leaves with a soft damp cloth or cotton pad.

Top dressing and fertilization

It is recommended to feed the dracaena once every two weeks in the summer. It is advisable to alternate mineral and organic fertilizers, dissolve and add to water for irrigation. Dracaena are sensitive to the content of fluorine and chlorine, so you need to choose fertilizers without these elements. Also, do not use chlorinated or fluorinated water for irrigation.

Transfer

This is a very important procedure, on the successful implementation of which the decorative appearance of an adult dracaena depends. Very carefully remove the root ball from the old pot. A suitable drainage material (ceramic shards, gravel, expanded clay or pieces of foam) should be placed on the bottom of the new, higher container.

How to transplant and transship dracaena:

1. A layer of washed sand and part of the prepared soil are poured on top of the drainage.
2. Install a root ball and add soil to the sides.
3. Water the soil in a pot.
4. Add the substrate, leaving 1.5 cm to the top.
5. The soil is compacted, sprinkled on top with a thin layer of peat.

Dracaena is transplanted annually up to three years of age. In the future, the procedure can be performed less often, and once a year only change the top layer in the pot to fresh soil.

Winter care

Dracaena's requirements for keeping conditions in a warm room in winter are almost the same as in summer. However, a room with a temperature of 15 ° C is more suitable. At the same time, the number of watering and spraying is reduced to once a week. If the room is warm and dry, then dracaena is watered twice a week.In autumn and winter, the plant does not need feeding.

Dracaena reproduction

If several branches depart from the central stem, then one shoot can be used as material for cuttings. The top 12 cm long is cut off, the rest of the stem is cut into 7 cm long sections. The cut on the mother plant is sprinkled with crushed charcoal or ash. In this place, under favorable conditions, new shoots appear.

The cuttings are rooted in a pot of wet sand or in a glass of water. The leaves on the cut top should be shortened, leaving 5–7 cm. The room temperature should be at least 20–22 ° С. From above, the cuttings are covered with a plastic bag, which is removed daily for airing and spraying the substrate. Rooting occurs within 3-4 weeks. After 1-2 months, several shoots grow, which can be divided and planted in different pots.

Seed propagation is mainly used by professionals. If you can get seeds, then first they are soaked in warm water. After 5 days, they are sown in moist soil in mini-greenhouses or plastic boxes with a transparent lid. Dracaena seeds germinate for a long time.

The main problems in growing

Dracaena leaves often turn yellow and die off in a dry room. Drafts and cold air can be the cause. Yellowing and loss of 1 or 2 leaves per month is normal. Fluoride compounds in water or fertilizers can cause yellow and brown spots.

Recommendation. The diseased plant is removed from the pot, damaged leaves, rotten roots are removed. Then the dracaena is transplanted, watered moderately and regularly sprayed with water.

Direct sunlight leaves light burn spots on the leaves. It is necessary to find another place for the plant where the dracaena will be better protected from ultraviolet radiation. Brown spots at the ends and along the edge of the leaf blades can occur with insufficient watering. The humidity of the earthen coma should be kept constant. Over-watering is also bad. If the abundance of moisture is combined with a low temperature, then the dracaena dies.

Pests, diseases and methods of dealing with them

Natural species of the genus Dracaena rarely get sick, little is attacked by pests. Modern forms and varieties are more susceptible to infections. Fungal diseases cause rotting of the roots and base of the stem, yellowing of the leaves. Fusarium causes red and black spots to form. The soil under the dracaena is treated with a solution of wood ash, the whole plant is sprayed with biofungicide.

White filaments at the base of the leaves on the stem are a sign of a spider mite attack. The plant is wiped with a sponge dipped in a solution of laundry soap, then washed under a warm shower. When infected with a mealybug, a scabbard, the dracaena is first washed with soapy water, then sprayed with an insecticidal preparation with pyrethrin for indoor flowers.

Types and varieties of plants and the nuances of caring for them

Dracaena are valued for their exotic look and the beauty of their leaves. Each species, variety can liven up a room, office and other premises.

Dracaena Marginata (bordered)

A graceful plant with a rosette of thin leaves at the top of a woody stem, from 50 cm to 3 m high. Dracaena Marginata with an openwork crown retains its decorative effect for a long time due to good care. With sufficient lighting, red, in some varieties, also white stripes along the edge of the leaves, look more expressive.

Colorama has a crimson hue, Tricolor attracts with a combination of green, red and yellow colors, Magenta has a raspberry border. Dracaena bordered "Bicolor" is distinguished by a combination of pink and green stripes. Forms with variegated leaves need good lighting and frequent spraying with water.

Sander

Thin shoots of this species grow quickly, bend easily at a young age. Florists use this property to obtain the famous "Bamboo of Happiness".Dracaena Sander, even when twisted, takes root well. Lanceolate leaves of light green color up to 20 cm long grow quickly.

Spiral curved, tied in bundles of 3, 5, 7 or more, dracaena Sander cuttings are symbols of prosperity, wealth and prosperity. Young stems are weaved when they are still well bent. "Bamboo of happiness" needs diffused lighting, it can grow without soil in a nutrient solution.

Fragrant (Fragrant)

Fast growing species with glossy lancet-shaped leaves. The stem is straight, thickened, or strongly shortened. There are varieties with pure green, as well as two- and three-colored leaves. Paniculate inflorescences consist of small pinkish-white corollas.

Fragrant dracaena - little demanding to care, can grow with a lack of light. It needs good watering during the period of active growth, does not tolerate too dry air and temperatures below 20 ° C. In winter, watering is moderate.

Dracaena deremskaya

The lignified stem of an evergreen perennial reaches a height of 0.5–3 m. The lower leaves die off as they age, but they may persist. The edges of the leaf blade are wavy, the color is dark green, as in the natural species, or with longitudinal lines
- yellow, white, light green. It does not bloom every year.

Godsef

A semi-shrub that looks like a reed. Leaves are oval in shape with pointed tops, collected in groups of 3-5 pieces. Green color predominates, there are lighter streaks and spots. Nice-smelling greenish-yellow inflorescences emerge from the axils of the leaves.

Reflex (bent)

Green leaves with a yellow border reach a length of 15 cm. The tall stem of the plant needs support. By trimming, you can create a more compact shape. Reflexa is a more demanding species to care for than related dracaena.

When buying a plant from a flower shop, it is recommended to pay attention to the leaves - the ends should not be dry. The initially healthy dracaena, with proper care, retains its decorative effect for more than 5 years.

At home, it is necessary to choose a well-lit place for the variegated variety, to protect the plant from direct sunlight. With a lack of natural light, dracaena develops well under artificial lighting. The plant should be regularly washed with warm water in order to preserve the main decoration - a dense rosette of leaves.

Dracaena in room conditions is in harmony with variegated varieties of chlorophytum, dieffenbachia, Veich's pandanus. All of these plants need the same lighting and moisture conditions, so it will be easy to care for the decorative group.

Dracaena palm or the second name translated into Russian means "female dragon". The plant is native to the Canary Islands. Under natural conditions, dracaena is a fairly large tree or bush. Of the 40 varieties of this plant, most can be grown indoors. Dracaena belongs to the Agave family.

General information

Dracaena is a thermophilic species, and to a greater extent prefers sufficiently heated rooms and proper care.

Dracaena is a tree with a tree trunk. The foliage of the plant is oblong, linear in shape with a pointed end. On the surface of the sheet there are veins running parallel to the sheet plate. The individuality of the plant is the green cap of leaves on the upper part of the shoot, and below the leaves turn yellow and crumble as the plant grows.

The root system of the plant is even and smooth and has a rusty tinge. Because of its bare shoot and only the green top, the dracaena is called a false palm.

Blooming at home is rare. Inflorescences are small, light shade with green and with a rare and rather unpleasant aroma. Flowers are collected in panicles. After flowering, one seed appears, which after ripening is called drupe.

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Types of dracaena photos and names

Dracaena Marginata or dracaena bordered is the most popular in cultivation. In nature, it grows in Madagascar and can reach a height of up to 5 meters. The trunk of the dracaena is slightly branching.

In places where leaves fall off, scars appear. The foliage of the plant is not fragile, elongated, narrow with a speck at the end. The width of the leaf is about 1.5 cm, and the length is about 70 cm. The veins on the sheets are parallel and bent to the top of the leaf plate, and with age they descend on the sides.

Dracaena Marginata has several variations:

• Dracaena Bicolor its difference is in the double shade of the leaves, inside the leaf has a dark green tint, and the edging along the leaf is reddish.

• Dracaena Tricolor this variation has three shades of leaves. The leaf surface is green in the center, and the edging has a creamy pinkish tint.

Dracaena Sanderian or dracaena bamboo... A plant native to Africa. The height of the bush is about 100 cm. A compact plant that is grown in a tight container. Dracaena leaves a shade of light olive with a white edging around the edges. The leaf shape is oblong, linear. Many of this type of dracaena are confused with bamboo due to the similarity of the trunk and the appearance of the leaves, they are slightly twisted.

Dracaena dragon in height, this species can reach up to 18 meters, and the trunk is about 5 meters in diameter. The plant is grown at home, its height is only 1.5 meters. Leaves are elastic and oblong, pointed towards the end.

On each shoot at the top there is a bunch of leaves, which are about 60 cm long and about 3 cm wide in the center of the leaf plate, but pointed towards the end. Resin is released on the shoots of the plant. With sufficient light, the fringing of the leaves begins to turn pink. With age, the lower leaves turn yellow and crumble, this is a natural process.

Dracaena fragrant or Dracaena Fragrans this species is large in size. Leaves saturated with a green hue and a grayish stripe along the center of the leaf. At the top, the leaves are slightly curled and are about 10 cm wide and almost 65 cm long.

Indoors, it can grow up to 2 meters in height. The inflorescences attract with a pleasant aroma. The flowers are small with a white tint. In leaving, it is not capricious and can withstand a temperature drop of up to 10 degrees.

Dracaena deremskaya slowly developing species. It can reach a height of about 1.5 meters. In some varieties of this species, the shade of the leaves is light green and about 50 cm long and about 5 cm wide, and in some varieties the foliage is variegated. Two-colored leaves have two light stripes in the center, and greenish inserts in between. The inflorescence has a scarlet hue outside the petals, and light inside. The aroma of the inflorescence is sharp and unpleasant.

Dracaena Godsef impressive appearance and unlike all varieties of dracaena in its appearance. The species grows in the form of a bush and the shape of the leaves is extended, ovoid and about 10 cm in length. The height of the plant is about 70 cm. The shade of the leaves ranges from beige to greenish.

Shoots resemble wire. Flowering begins almost immediately after planting with fragrant, sunny light green flowers, and after them berries appear - fruits. This species tolerates a drop in temperature well.

Dracaena unbent grow this species indoors. Since the species needs high humidity. The shade of the leaves is green with yellow edging along the leaf.

Dracaena compact a neat bush that looks like a palm tree. The trunk is elongated, and at its ends the leaves seem to be in bunches. The surface of the sheet is smooth and glossy. It can reach a height of two meters in height. Quite unpretentious in care and is able to withstand changes and lowering of temperature conditions.

Dracaena Massangeana bright look. The leaves are elongated and attract attention with their color. The trunk is thickened, and at the top there is foliage knotted into a bunch about 10 cm in width with a saturated solar strip along the leaf. Height can reach up to 6 meters.

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Dracaena home care

Caring for dracaena is not difficult if you do everything correctly. The plant prefers diffused lighting and direct sunlight should be avoided. Because they are destructive for her. It is preferable to place the plant on the east or west side of the room. If the plant is on the sunny side, it is better to create an artificial shade so that the leaves are not exposed to the bright sun in hot weather.

Dracaena species with solid green leaves need less light than variegated varieties. Since the amount of light for variegated varieties directly depends on the brightness of their leaves. And with a lack of light, variegated varieties lose their decorative effect.

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How to water dracaena at home

Dracaena prefers good watering. If the soil is dry to a depth of about 2.5 cm, then watering is necessary. The plant does not like stagnant moisture, so watering should be controlled.

Water for irrigation must be soft or, if the water is from the tap, it is advisable to boil it. It is better to loosen the soil before each watering.

In the summer, watering is done about once every few days. And in the cold season, about once every three days. Also, the plant should be sprayed with a spray bottle and the leaves should be wiped off dust, at least once every 30 days.

Dracaena normally develops only in a good humid room, about 65-70% humidity, so it is often necessary to spray it with soft water.

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Fertilizer for dracaena

It should be fed during the period of active growth, and it lasts from early spring to late autumn. You need to feed it once every 14 days. Fertilizer is suitable special for dracaena, or you can take ready-made mixtures for deciduous plants.

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Dracaena how to prune for branching

Prune the plant with garden shears. For branching, plants that have already reached 30 cm in height are subject to pruning. The cut site is treated with crushed charcoal. You need to cut off the shoot 6 centimeters below the location of the last leaves, or you choose the height you need for decoration yourself. A few weeks after pruning, several branches appear at the cut site.

To properly trim the dragon tree at home, the procedure should be performed in the spring. Trimming the top is necessary for the plant to obtain lateral shoots, the length you need is cut off, and then after 17-25 days new buds appear at the cut site, and later branches.

After pruning, the plant needs adequate lighting, spraying and watering for good development.

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Dracaena transplant at home

After purchase, the plant needs adaptation for about 21 days, and then it can be transplanted into a new container. The transplant should be careful, it is better to tranship along with the old clod of earth, filling the missing gaps with new soil. The plant should be transplanted from late winter to early spring.

When choosing a pot for dracaena, you need to pay attention to the flower. If the plant is about 40 cm high, then the container is needed at least 16 cm in diameter. This is provided that the previous container has already been completely filled with the root system.

It is necessary to transplant young individuals every year, and adults once every five years.

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Dracaena soil

You can purchase ready-made soil for palm trees or prepare a soil mixture yourself. The composition of the soil for dracaena should include leafy earth, turf, humus, sand, peat. Mix everything in equal proportions. Good drainage must be laid on the bottom of the container.

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Propagation of dracaena by cuttings at home

Reproduction is best done in the spring, the most optimal and popular way is cuttings and layering.

When grafting, it is necessary to select an adult plant, cut off a shoot about 10 cm long from it. Divide the shoot into 3 cm segments, provided that they have at least a pair of buds on them. On each piece, it is better to cut off a little bark from one edge and place it in the prepared soil.

Cover with foil and periodically ventilate and moisturize until the first leaves appear, and they appear in about a month. During rooting, it is necessary to isolate the plant from direct sunlight. After that, we remove the film and take care of it like an adult plant.

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Dracaena reproduction at home by layering

It is necessary to cut off the top with leaves from an adult plant and put it in water for rooting. For cleansing and prevention of diseases, it is better to dissolve an activated carbon tablet in water. After about 60 -70 days, the plant will take root and can be transplanted into prepared soil.

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Dracaena disease and pests

• Why do the tips of the leaves dry in dracaena - the reason is the dry air in the room where the plant is located. It is necessary to spray it more often or install a humidifier in the room.
• Why do dracaena leaves turn yellow and fall off - do not worry if these are lower leaves, because this is a natural process. The foliage of the plant lives for only a few years, and then begins to turn yellow and crumble.
• If dracaena sheds leaves, then the reason is stagnation of moisture in the pot and rotting of the root system. For this reason, the leaves fall off. To save the plant, it is necessary to carry out cuttings.
• Why do dracaena leaves drop and begin to curl - the reason is a drop in air temperature or drops and drafts. The plant just freezes.

• Why do dracaena leaves turn black and it does not grow - the reason is in unsuitable soil or heavy or too light, and a lack of fertilization. The plant should be transplanted into the required soil.
• Why dracaena leaves turn red is a natural process in variegated dracaena varieties. With sufficient light, the plant's leaves begin to turn red.
• Why does the dracaena have a thin trunk and it begins to disappear - the reason may be a lack of nutrients in the plant and a lack of lighting. It is necessary to carry out proper care and fertilize on time, then the plant will delight with its decorative appearance.
• Among the pests, the plant can be damaged by the scale insect, spider mite and thrips. To combat insects, it is necessary to treat the plant with the necessary fungicides or soap solution if the damage is minor.

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Dracaena with a slender trunk and a lush cap of long, tough foliage is very similar to another southern plant - a palm tree. In the wild, both one and the second culture are tall. But if nothing restricts the palm tree to grow upward, then for an indoor flower this becomes a serious problem.

Not only that, most domesticated species are capable of reaching heights of up to 2-3 meters. Plants lose their decorative effect without restrictive measures. Dracaena trunks become bare, elongate, and a small amount of leaves remains only on the tops of reluctantly branching lignified shoots.

How to propagate dracaena at home?

Faced with such a situation, novice flower growers sometimes strive to get rid of an overgrown pet. But why buy a new plant when there is already a specimen that can easily return to its former beauty? In addition, it is an excellent source of planting material for breeding dracaena at home!

But how does dracaena reproduce? In indoor conditions, it practically does not bloom, it is also extremely difficult to achieve the appearance of lateral shoots, and new plants from the roots appear only in exceptional cases.

It turns out there are several ways to get offspring from dracaena, and most of them do not require special knowledge and great efforts from the grower.In an apartment, the plant can be propagated using:

• apical cuttings;
• stem cuttings;
• air layering;
• seeds.

The first two methods of breeding dracaena at home are the most preferable. They are lightweight and give almost guaranteed results.

When is it better to propagate dracaena at home, and how to properly prepare planting material? You can check in practice the ease of reproduction of dracaena in spring. At this time, not only growth processes are activated, but also the defenses of plants. Therefore, even the most laborious method will surely give a quick result. But attempts to root cuttings in winter or autumn most often end in failure.

Propagation of dracaena by apical cuttings

If there is an adult dracaena in the house that has lost its former attractiveness, it's time to update it and grow a young specimen with its help.

The top of the shoot covered with leaves, together with part of the stem, is cut off with a sharp knife. It is optimal if a clean cut perpendicular to the trunk is at a distance of 15–18 cm from the last leaf. All leaves and old foliage are removed from the stem. After that, the future dracaena seedling is dried for 2-3 hours in room conditions.

You can root a stalk taken for reproduction of dracaena at home:

• in ordinary water with a small addition of a root stimulant and charcoal;
• in a mixture of crushed coal, sand and peat;
• in vermiculite or perlite at the choice of the grower;
• in steamed soil for dracaena or decorative palm species.

Cuttings should be rooted in a greenhouse or under a film cover, the humidity inside which can be regulated by ventilation. To do this, the shelter is opened twice a day for 15–20 minutes.

It must be remembered that dracaena, propagated at home by cuttings, does not like excessive soil moisture.

To prevent root rudiments from decaying or drying out, you need regular, but very careful watering and maintaining the temperature within the range of 20-22 ° C. Seedlings are good for spraying. Only the water is better to take warm and always settled. In the same way, with the help of a spray bottle, plants can receive the first feeding in their life.

A video on how to propagate dracaena at home will help you to study the process in detail and get answers to your questions.

The stem with the root system remaining after cutting should not be thrown away! If you cover the upper cut with a bag, and put the plant in a pot in a warm place and water it moderately, then after about a month, awakened lateral shoots will become noticeable on the stem. They will give the future life to the renewed, already multi-barreled dracaena.

Propagation of dracaena by cuttings from the stem

If the stem is too long even after pruning and it is a pity to throw it away, you can start propagating dracaena at home with cuttings obtained not from the top, but from the middle of the shoot. The same technique will be useful if, with healthy roots, the upper part of the plant is withered or rotten.

To obtain cuttings, a healthy stem is cut into 10-15 cm pieces so that the cut passes exactly at the place where the leaf was spotted. The cut points must be level and clean, without cracks or peeling of tissue.

Rooting is carried out similarly to the first method of reproduction of dracaena by cuttings. But in this case, it is possible to place pieces of shoots in the substrate not only vertically, deepening a couple of centimeters, but also horizontally, slightly pressing into the wet soil mixture.

If during the rooting of the apical cuttings only roots are formed, then when growing dracaena from the stem cuttings, in addition to the roots, shoots also sprout from the buds that were at rest. Usually, the root system develops in 1–1.5 months, and the first shoots on the cuttings are shown after 2–4 weeks.

Propagation of dracaena by air layers

When the plant is small, and it is not yet possible to get cuttings in order to propagate dracaena at home, use another method:

1. On the trunk of the plant, under the former leaf, the place of formation of future roots is marked and a small transverse incision is made approximately to the middle of the trunk.
2. To prevent it from overgrowing, a match or a toothpick is inserted into the gap.
3. Around the incision, the trunk is wrapped in sphagnum and covered with a bag
4. It is important that the moss under the film does not dry out; it is moistened with a spray bottle.
5. When the roots sprout through the sphagnum, the plank is removed and an independent seedling is cut from the mother plant.

Often, in the place below the cut, over the past time, the rudiments of shoots are formed, which become new trunks of dracaena.

The separated sprout is rooted in the soil for adult plants, and it is useful to place it in a greenhouse for a week or cover it with a large jar for accelerated acclimatization.

This method is more complicated than reproduction of dracaena by cuttings taken from the stem or from the top of the shoot, but with proper care, the young seedling takes root and grows much faster.

Propagation of dracaena seeds

At home, it is extremely difficult to cause flowering, and even more so to get seeds. If such a rare planting material is at the disposal of the florist, do not hesitate.

Dracaena seeds are embedded in the ground only fresh, but before that they are thoroughly cleaned of fruit residues and immersed in a growth stimulator solution for 10-15 minutes:

1. Dried seeds are sown on the surface of a wet sand-peat, disinfected mixture.
2. Sprinkle a little with soil, cover with a film or put it in a greenhouse for germination. Seeds require light and a constant temperature of 25 ° C to hatch.
3. Until the seeds have sprouted, the greenhouse is regularly ventilated, trying not to let cold air and condensation fall under the film.
4. Unsustained shoots should be expected in 25-30 days.

Little dracaena are gradually allowed to get used to the room air. And then the plants are dived and transferred to separate pots.

This is the most difficult and unusual way to reproduce dracaena at home, but it can also bear fruit and replenish the knowledge of the grower about an interesting indoor culture.

Video about breeding dracaena at home