In what soil should dracaena be planted? review of store mixes and do-it-yourself cooking

Dracaena transplant

A transplant is a new round in the life of a plant, which entirely depends only on you. The fate of your dracaena depends on how competently and timely you do everything. Dracaena is transplanted only in spring, at other times of the year this is not recommended. With the onset of the autumn period, the flower begins to prepare for winter, a violation of this process can adversely affect its condition. To transplant dracaena, we need:

• The new pot is 2.5 - 3 centimeters larger in diameter than the previous one, chosen for these requirements.
• Store-bought or home-made soil.
• Drainage (expanded clay can be used).
• Pruner or sharp knife.
• A container with water at room temperature.
• Water spray.

We take a new pot, pre-treated in hot water and pour a layer of drainage on the bottom. The height of the drainage layer depends on the presence of perforated holes on the bottom of the pot, if they are not there, the height is increased, if any (for an average pot), the height is approximately 2 - 3 centimeters. After that, carefully remove the dracaena from the old container, freeing the root system from the old soil. Examine the roots for decay, if any, remove them. Spray the dracaena roots with a spray bottle. Place the plant in a new pot and carefully fill in the space between the roots. Avoid the formation of air sacs in the root area. After all the steps for the best adaptation of the plant to the new soil, water it with fertilizer. Subsequently, the dracaena needs moderate watering. You can (advise) the first time to use "Zircon". Fertilize no more than 2 times a month, if you did everything right, then this will be enough.

How to plant a dracaena stalk

Indoor exotics are bred with air vents, stem and apical cuttings. Each of the technologies has its own characteristics. It is better to do this in March or April.

Planting technology with stem cuttings

Strong young trunks are selected, cut with a disinfected knife into 4 cm long fragments along leaf scars. Before, they control that there are 2-4 kidneys for each. The prepared segments are placed in a glass with a sorbent - activated or charcoal. To speed up the emergence of roots for 7-10 days, add 3 drops of root stimulant. The water is changed immediately after turbidity.

How to plant a dracaena stalk photo

Experts recommend planting cuttings directly into the soil. There are two ways of rooting - vertical and horizontal.

1. In the first case, the fragments are immersed in a moderately moist warm mixture of peat and sand 2 cm by the classical method.
2. In the second, the cuttings are laid out on a moistened substrate and pressed slightly, leaving half of the stem outside.

The pot is rearranged in a bright place, watering and airing are provided. To keep warm, they build a mini-greenhouse from a plastic bottle. After 1-2 months, roots appear, shoots break through along the entire length. After the emergence of shoots, the greenhouse is cleaned during the day, and the acclimatization of the shoots is monitored. If you skip the adaptation step, they will turn yellow after being transplanted into pots.

If after the leaves brighten and wither, the seedlings are periodically sprayed with a spray bottle, put on a cap at night. When the stems are completely destroyed, the shoots begin to feed from the roots - they are planted in pots.

When a plant definitely needs a transplant

The absence of a transplant very quickly affects the appearance of the plant. Young dracaena, in the absence of transplantation, retains its original beautiful appearance for a long time.But its roots grow very quickly and soon sprout through the drainage holes. And sometimes they even come out of the soil to the surface. In this case, the flower must be transplanted.

With regular transplanting, the roots do not outgrow the pot. But when you remove the plant from the pot, you can see many small roots braiding with an earthen ball. It is also a sign that a transplant is needed.

Adult dracaena plants that do not grow as fast may be malnourished. If they have not been transplanted for a long time, they hardly grow, and their lower leaves turn yellow and dry out in large quantities. Such a plant requires regular transplanting and feeding.

Dracaena soil

For dracaena, the soil is made from compost, turf and sand. Most often, a mixture of leafy, sod land, humus and coarse sand is used. The proportion of sod increases as the plant grows. In the first three years of growth, the proportions of the components do not change (at this time, the plant should be transplanted 1 \ 12 months). Such soil is suitable for any dracaena.

Well-chosen soil is the main growth factor for any plant. Dracaena is a large plant that needs nutrients all the time, as it grows all year round.

Two types of soil for dracaena

Knowledgeable gardeners prefer two types of soil:

Earthen mixture.

Humus, turf and sand are used (1: 1: 1 ratio)

Soil, composed of parts of sod land, leaf, parts of humus, sand and peat in the same ratio (1: 1: 1: 1: 1).

Experienced gardening tips

Some gardeners suggest using ready-made store-bought soil for planting dracaena, which contains coconut fiber, drainage components, for example, sand and a proportion of peat.

Peat absorbs water well and gives poorly. Some do not advise using it in mixtures of earth for dracaena, as this plant loves moisture. If you still use peat in your soil, then the plant will have to be watered more often. In one opinion, experts agree: there should be no clay in the soil for dracaena.

Also, experts suggest using earth, a versatile mixture that is suitable for most indoor plants. They refer to the fact that such a soil is light, with a lot of sand, expanded clay.

Drainage

Expanded clay, crushed polystyrene or clay shards can be used as drainage.

In the soil for dracaena, components must be present that give the earth a coarse fibrous structure. Thanks to this, the plant receives conditions for normal growth and timely development.

Making earth for dracaena

If there is no opportunity to purchase soil, you can always mix it yourself at home. For people living in a private house who have a summer cottage, it will be much easier to prepare the land: fertile soil is mixed with coarse river sand. The pot must have a good drainage layer

The only important warning is not to use clay soil.

Soil additives

Amateur gardeners purchase ready-made land from well-known manufacturers in the appropriate stores, while specialists prefer to produce soil on their own.

Gardeners in the manufacture of soil mix the following ingredients in equal proportions:

• middle peat;
• dolomite flour
• humus;
• sapropel;
• coarse sand;
• humate;
• vermiculite;
• trace elements.
• charcoal

Such soil for dracaena practically does not hold moisture. The palm needs to be moisturized frequently. Regular watering can cause the earth to clump to prevent this from happening, increase the amount of coarse river sand in the ground, which is sold in special stores and is intended for aquariums.

How to transplant dracaena at home

When to transplant dracaena

Dracaena is transplanted in such cases:

• immediately after purchase, if the plant was sold to you in a plastic pot, and you prefer ceramics;
• when the roots of the plant have mastered the entire space of the pot and began to hang down from the drain holes;
• if the substrate in the pot has become unusable from chronic waterlogging or for any other reason;
• with damage to the root system.

Dracaena transplantation at home is carried out at the end of winter or early spring: at the beginning of active growth, the plant tolerates the procedure more easily and takes root faster in a fresh substrate. Young plants need to be transplanted more often than adults, and it is better not to disturb large old dracaena with a transplant at all, just change the top layer of the substrate 5 cm thick in the pot annually to fresh soil.

Pot and substrate for dracaena

When preparing for transplantation, the question arises of which pot to transplant the dragon tree. It is advisable to choose a container for this plant in the form of a glass, and each subsequent pot should be 2-3 cm larger than the previous one in diameter: the dracaena root system increases in volume by an average of 1-2 cm per year. It is undesirable to take a pot "for growth", since at first the dracaena will master the roots of an earthen lump, and only after that the development of terrestrial organs will begin. As for the material from which the pot should be made, it only depends on your taste, since for dracaena there is no difference whether it is ceramic or plastic. But drainage holes for water drainage must be in the pot.

A new container must be washed with warm water and soap before use.

When choosing a substrate, keep in mind that the soil mixture optimal for dracaena should be loose, drained and slightly acidic - 6.0-6.5 pH. Garden soil will have to be abandoned because it contains too much mineral salts. You can purchase a ready-made substrate for palm trees in the garden pavilion, or you can compose the soil yourself from two parts of leafy soil, adding half a part of peat and one part of compost and sod land to it. Some growers believe that the substrate should contain more sod land than leaf land: to 3 parts of sod, one part of humus, river sand and leaf land must be added.

Dracaena flower transplant

A healthy plant is transplanted using the transshipment method. A layer of drainage material is placed in a new pot, then filled a quarter with fresh substrate. When preparing for the procedure, do not water the dracaena for several days, so that it is easier to remove it from the old pot, but damaging the roots. Draw a knife between the earthen lump and the wall of the dish in which the dracaena grows, take out the flower and see its roots

If they are healthy, transfer the dracaena along with the earthen clod into a new dish, but if it seemed to you that some roots are damaged, dry or affected by rot, carefully cut them off with a sharp sterile instrument, sprinkle the wounds with crushed charcoal and only then complete the transplant: place the dracaena in a new pot and fill the remaining space with fresh substrate by tapping on the pot so that there are no voids in the roots, then tamp the surface, water the plant, and when the soil settles, add as much substrate as needed. However, you do not need to fill the pot with soil to the top: leave the sides 3-4 cm high

After transplantation, the root neck of the dracaena should be at the same level as before.

When a flower transplant is needed

Any plant, even with the most accurate change of a clod of earth near the roots, is injured. Feeding occurs through small shoots from the visible root, they are tender and damaged by moving around the soil. Therefore, a dracaena transplant is traumatic, it is done only if necessary. However, overgrown roots, depleted soil, and a change in its composition lead to insufficient plant nutrition:

1. A dracaena transplant is required if a store-bought plant is in transport soil. Usually these flowers are delivered from Holland.If the container is spacious enough and the flower is grown on local farms, you can not rush to transplant.
2. The plant has grown, and the roots do not fit in the pot, they go out into the drainage holes.
3. Dracaena has stopped growing, yellow leaves have appeared, is in one pot for more than the recommended period.
4. There are signs of overflow, root decay, or deterioration in the quality of the substrate.
5. Fly larvae and pests have appeared in the soil.

Composition of soil for planting

In specialized stores, there is a large selection of good soil mixtures for this crop. Substrates contain:

• sod land;
• coarse sand;
• ceramic chips;
• charcoal;
• double superphosphate;
• potassium sulfate;
• microfertilizers.

Depending on the brand, the soil may additionally include peat, agroperlite, limestone or dolomite flour, biohumus, vermiculite, sapropel, humate. A versatile substrate suitable for dracaena, palms, yucca and ficuses is often found. It should be chosen in accordance with the preferences of the variety. If there is no data on which earth is better to use, you need to stop at a universal substance that is neutral in acidity.

For dracaena, you can collect the soil mixture yourself, any of these compositions will do:

• turf and leafy soil, rotted compost, peat, sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 1;
• sod soil, dry humus, river sand - 1: 1: 1;
• leaf and sod soil, sand, charcoal - 2: 6: 2: 0.1.

Dracaena needs light earth that is well permeable to moisture. Some gardeners recommend using peat. This component absorbs water, but gives it away poorly. This property is suitable for varieties that prefer drier soil. The soil for transplanting into a larger flower pot should be of the same composition as the previous one. An exception is if the plant did not develop well, hurt in the past.

When collecting the substrate on your own, you should focus on the properties of the ingredients, prepare them correctly. For rooting cuttings, it is recommended to use a wet mixture of sand and peat.

Vermicompost is added instead of humus and compost. Its advantage over similar organics is that the component does not contain weed seeds, pathogens and fungal spores. To improve its quality characteristics, humate is added to the nutrient mixture.

Coarse sand, foam and ceramic chips prevent the earth from straying into a dense ball. Sapropel is a long-lasting fertilizer, it is an organic sediment from the bottom of fresh water bodies. Dolomite flour and wood ash reduce acidity. Vermiculite is used as a mulch on the surface of the earth. The drainage layer consists of expanded clay.

How to prepare the soil and pot

Do not be lazy to replant the dracaena, the relocation process is simple and does not require a lot of time. The result is a healthy, fresh plant that will delight you with new green leaves.

For the process to be successful, adhere to the following rules for preparing the soil and pot:

1. Soil selection.

In flower and hardware stores, there is a wide range of soil for different types of plants. The best option would be to purchase a land suitable for dracaena for transplanting.

If the land is chosen incorrectly, at best, the growth and development of an indoor flower will slow down, at worst - the dracaena will die due to a lack of nutrients.

1. Pot selection.

A pot for dracaena of a young age, no more than 40 cm in height should be 20 cm in diameter. Every year, increase the size of the planter by 3-5 cm. 2 fingers should fit from the walls to the root system.

Buy containers made from natural materials: clay and ceramics. Plastic pots do not allow air to pass through, which leads to stagnation of liquid and decay of the root system.

1. Drainage.

To remove excess moisture, be sure to put expanded clay, broken brick, crushed stone, gravel or shards from a ceramic pot on the bottom of the planter. In the absence of drainage, liquid accumulates in the cavity of the pot, the root system grows moldy and decays, the plant dies.

Prepare everything you need for transplanting in advance, so the process will be faster and less hassle.

Read Dracaena species

Transplant process

Dracaena can be successfully transplanted, even if you have little experience of a florist

The main requirement is caution and delicacy, the roots of the false palm are very delicate. Before starting work, prepare everything you need: settled water, pruning shears

Be sure to disinfect the secateurs: lubricate the tool with alcohol or ignite its tip over a fire.

At home, it is correct to carry out a transplant as follows.

1. Place the drainage layer in the flowerpot. Its height cannot exceed 3 cm.
2. Remove the dracaena from the old container.
3. Remove all soil above the roots of the plant; it should be partially preserved between the roots.
4. Examine the root system carefully. If you notice rotten or dryish roots, remove them immediately. Determine by eye whether the underground part is large - if it is large relative to the upper one, carefully trim the roots. Shorten those that bulge. Sprinkle all cuts for drying with ash.
5. Put a little of the finished substrate on top of the drain in a new pot, compact it immediately.
6. Place the plant in the center of the container. Spread the roots evenly over the pot. Planting depth remains the same.
7. Pour the soil into the container, shake the pot a little, this is done to avoid the formation of voids. Compact the ground carefully.
8. The plant must be watered abundantly, the leaves must be sprayed.
9. When the soil has settled, add some more soil to the pot.
10. Take a clean (new) damp sponge, gently remove the dirt from the palm tree itself and the pot.
11. After half an hour, drain the excess liquid from the pan.

Growing rules

Dracaena is an unpretentious plant. But there are certain nuances of its transplantation and development, which should be considered before starting breeding.

Lighting

A place near a window with good lighting, without direct sunlight and drafts, is ideal for these plants.

Optimum temperature

The plant will develop well at temperatures from 18 to 24 degrees in summer, not lower than 12 degrees in winter, without sudden changes. In the summer, you can take it out into the fresh air.

Air humidity

Dracaena are comfortable in moderate and high humidity, so it is useful to spray them, wipe the leaves, and delight them with a warm shower.

Watering

Dracaena needs uniform constant soil moisture, but without waterlogging, since otherwise the roots can rot. In the summer they water it when the topsoil dries out. In winter, water is watered much less often (about 1 time in 2 months), but they do not allow the earth to dry out completely. The soil is loosened slightly between waterings to allow air to penetrate to the roots. Water needs settled at room temperature.

Top dressing

In the period from April to August, once every 2 weeks, they are fed with fertilizers for indoor flowers, added to the water for irrigation, then feeding is limited, in winter they are almost not fed. Otherwise, the rest period will be violated, which will lead to depletion of the dracaena.

Pruning

Pruning is carried out to enhance branching and give original forms by cutting off the upper part of the shoot. Soon below the cut, shoots will begin to develop from the thickenings that have appeared.

What kind of soil does dracaena like?

In general, dracaena is not capricious in terms of soil. The main thing is that it should be moderately acidic, it is good to pass moisture and air, and contain nutrients.

Dracaena has long roots, so it is important to find the right flower pot for it. It should resemble a glass in shape - a tall container with a narrow bottom and wide top

The plant does not like stagnant moisture; when transplanting, drainage of 3-4 cm is required.There should be at least one, and preferably several, drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. This is necessary to maintain the water balance at the proper level.

Expanded clay is suitable as drainage - baked clay pebbles with a diameter of 0.5-1 cm. You can also use vermiculite, small pebbles or ceramic chips.

At the bottom of the pot, drainage from expanded clay or small pebbles must be laid out

What soil is needed for growing dracaena - general requirements:

• moderate looseness - the soil allows air to pass through well, but at the same time holds the plant;
• high water permeability - moisture should evenly flow to the roots without stagnation or drying out in certain places;
• rich mineral and organic composition;
• moderate acidity at 5.5-6 pH;
• lack of weeds, poisonous impurities, pests.

Attention! Do not plant the plant in clay soil. This is the only "unloved" type of soil

Essential ingredients and minerals

The soil for dracaena must necessarily contain potassium, magnesium, calcium. To do this, use double superphosphate (saturates with magnesium and calcium), as well as potassium sulfate.

In addition to the main components, additional additives are used. It can be charcoal, dolomite flour, humate. The complex combination of these substances makes the soil fibrous and nutritious, which is necessary for the full development of the plant.

As a fertilizer, you can use sapropel - an organic substance that is obtained from decomposed freshwater microorganisms. It saturates the substrate with acids and trace elements, the fertilized plant takes root better.

What are all soil elements for?

Each substance performs a specific function in the composition of the soil:

• turf - the basis of soil for room dracaena;
• leafy ground - contains nutrients;
• biohumus - used as humus;
• sand - lightens the soil, improves air exchange;
• charcoal - enriches the soil with potassium, regulates acidity, increases looseness;
• peat - contains micronutrients, prevents soil hardening;
• humates - mineral substances that increase disease resistance;
• dolomite flour - saturates the substrate with potassium and calcium.