Dracaena, or dragon tree, is a favorite plant of most gardeners. A member of the agave family, the evergreen dracaena shrub looks like an exotic palm tree. That is why many people like dracaena; with it a piece of the beauty of the tropical forest comes into the room. This plant has many advantages. In addition to the spectacular appearance, it is also quite durable and can withstand strong temperature fluctuations well. IN temperate climate some representatives of this family grow outdoors, representing magnificent shrubs or even trees with a thick trunk up to 6 meters high.
Dracaena domestica
IN room conditions this plant is significantly inferior in size to its distant relatives. The indoor shrub grows from 46 to 60 cm in height. Very often it is confused with cordyline, but dracaena has a more modest color. It is known for its bluish-green, leathery, hard and sword-shaped leaves, which reach a length of 40-50 cm. They do not exceed 2-4 cm in width. Most plants of this species bloom readily. White or pink flowers are collected in paniculate inflorescences. The fruit is a berry.
Types of dracaenas
Today we want to tell you how to prune dracaena. Due to numerous mistakes, the gardener often ends up with an elongated and bare plant instead of a luxurious exotic palm tree. However, before moving on to the main topic, we should mention what varieties we can grow at home, as well as consider the main features of each of them.
Why is pruning done?
In fact, this procedure has several functions. Since trimming dracaena is not particularly difficult, many amateur gardeners perform this procedure as needed, when the plant grows so large that it begins to get in the way or touch the ceiling. That is, in this case, pruning is carried out to control the height.
However, if you do it incorrectly, the fleshy stem will begin to wither, but our task is not only to preserve its decorative properties, but also to get new shoots. So we smoothly move on to the second function of this procedure - obtaining additional branches-shoots, which will not only improve the appearance of the plant, but also serve as propagation material.
When to trim
The ideal time is late spring or early summer. It is at this time that dracaena actively grows. We will now talk in more detail about how to prune for branching, but for now a few words about seasonality. Flower growers say that the ideal time is May and June, at this time the plant is actively growing, and new buds form very quickly near the pruning site.
We can observe this from the outside, but in fact, bud formation is system process, stimulating the formation of growth hormones that help heal the cut and grow a beautiful lush crown.
Emergency procedure
Pruning dracaena can sometimes be forced. For example, your plant may break; pets or naughty children often help it with this. This can happen in the dead of winter or fall when the flower is dormant. In this case, too, do not panic. Carefully cut the trunk below the break point, according to the instructions, which we will come to now. If dracaena gets good care, then everything will go well. That is, pruning dracaena can be done at any time if necessary.
Cutting height
First of all, focus on the desired end result. Estimate how tall you need your dracaena. We will analyze how to prune for branching according to the main stages of the procedure. So, carefully examine your plant and its future location.
Preparation
And we continue to talk about how to prune dracaena to produce side shoots. First of all, prepare necessary tools. This should be a sterile scalpel, which must first be held over the fire. In addition, you will need a paraffin candle, a sprayer and sphagnum moss. Don't forget to prepare any loose pots with soil as well. The cut top can be used for rooting and propagation by cuttings.
Let's start circumcision
Since you can prune dracaena to produce side shoots at any height, first mark the point where you would like to see branching. Quickly cut the trunk at this level. For now, set aside the cut part and work on the plant itself. Using the same scalpel, cut off all the leaves 10 cm below the cut level.
While you are doing this, light a candle to collect the melted paraffin. After trimming, first pour the paraffin onto any suitable surface, and then transfer the plastic mass to the cut. Try to close all the pores on the cut with paraffin, but be careful not to burn the plant with too hot a mixture.
Little tricks
After reading this instruction, you have received complete information on how to prune dracaena at home. However, there are small secrets, knowledge of which will allow you to get lateral processes much faster. First of all, remember that during pruning the plant loses a lot of moisture. Often this is what prevents the formation of new buds at the top of the stump. Therefore, immediately after finishing the procedure, spray the stem well with water, this will help restore the water balance of the cells.
To stimulate the growth of apical shoots, wrap the trunk with damp sphagnum moss and tie it with an elastic band. The binding will need to be periodically removed, the condition of the shoot checked and returned back, slightly moistened at the same time.
The paraffin-sealed cut should be left outside the wet wrapper, that is, the moss should only be on the sides. Finally, a plastic bag is placed on top so that the moisture does not evaporate so quickly. Once every 5-7 days, the bag is removed and the condition of the trunk under the harness is checked. As soon as you notice the buds in the upper part of the trunk, the bag and strapping should be removed.
Possible problems
We told you how to prune dracaena correctly, and careful adherence to these rules in most cases leads to a positive result. However, lack of sunlight, too low a room temperature, excess or lack of moisture can seriously harm. The most common problem is trunk rotting after pruning. In this case, you will have to carry out the pruning procedure again, without starting the situation, otherwise the decay will spread too far and destroy the plant.
Pruning dracaena at home is one of the most important elements of caring for an ornamental plant. The goal of such an event is the most correctly formed above-ground part of the indoor culture. In order to obtain an attractive crown, you need to trim not only competently, but also in a timely manner.
Need for pruning
Currently, several main reasons are well known for which pruning an indoor ornamental plant is vital:
- in order to maintain compactness indoor dracaena;
- in order to maintain the most attractive appearance;
- for sanitary purposes.
If a false indoor palm tree has grown too tall, almost to the ceiling, then a break in the stem part is often observed, and to reduce the risk of this phenomenon, primary pruning is used . In indoor floriculture, strong stretching of the plant should not be allowed, therefore, the sample is carried out when a height of 0.3-0.4 m is reached. The stem part is cut to the required height, which allows it to remain compact and attractive in appearance. A broken plant must also be properly pruned.
If an already branched indoor plant has grown greatly or has become insufficiently decorative, with ugly growing shoots, then the dracaena will require formative pruning. Sick a plant with dry or rotting shoots undergoes immediate sanitary pruning, which involves removing all diseased parts. Despite the fact that after sanitary pruning in most cases the plant is capable of long time lose visual appeal, such an event allows you to preserve the decorative culture and achieve branching of side shoots.
How to trim dracaena (video)
Peculiarities
In flower shops and flower nurseries, dracaenas with ready-made branches are sold, since during cultivation, at the initial stage of development of a young plant, a bush is formed in greenhouse conditions. Most often, the plant does not have one top and consists of two or three well-formed shoots.
After acquiring dracaena, amateur flower growers have an excellent opportunity to form the crown of an ornamental crop on their own. It should be noted that crown formation and pinching is possible only if there is a completely healthy and well-developed plant. A grown indoor palm tree needs to be shaped not only regularly, but also as correctly as possible. Only in this case will the ornamental plant look well-groomed and beautiful.
All deformed shoots should be cut off without fail, as a result the plant produces new shoots and a large amount of foliage is obtained, and indoor flower takes on new, attractive forms. Any above-ground areas affected by pests or diseases must be cut off immediately upon discovery. This is the only way to prevent mass infection.
Timing of pruning
The trunk of indoor dracaena is a well-developed above-ground part of an ornamental plant, the structural feature of which is the spiral arrangement of dormant buds. It is thanks to this that, in the conditions of indoor floriculture, it is possible to obtain seedlings or rudiments for the formation of new branches from cuts made in almost any stem part of the plant.
Planned pruning of dracaena is most often carried out during the period of active growth of the ornamental plant. when the movement of plant juices is best achieved. Sometimes it becomes necessary to form a bush on an emergency basis. As a rule, this situation occurs when the stem part breaks off. In this case, you need to prune the plant below the broken area. It is important to note that any type of pruning can be most effective only on absolutely healthy ornamental crops.
Dracaena: how to form a crown (video)
How to prune dracaena for branching
To branch indoor dracaena, you need to use a standard pruning technique. When performing the initial pruning of tall dracaenas, use a sharp and clean knife to cut off the upper part of the plant, after which the cut area must be treated with paraffin. The trimmed plant should be placed in partial shade, and the temperature regime should be maintained at 24-25°C. In this case, one should not expect too rapid branching of indoor dracaena. As a rule, side shoots begin to actively grow no earlier than three months after the implementation of an activity aimed at branching the stem part of the crop.
If an ornamental plant has been pruned previously, but after this procedure it has become very elongated, then formative pruning will need to be done again. In this case, all the tops of the already elongated shoots are carefully, but as evenly as possible, cut off, after which the branches are shortened by cutting at a distance of 20-30 cm from the stem part.
All overground areas that are too deformed and unsuitable for crown formation will also have to be removed. A good visual effect is obtained by shortening shoots at different heights. In any case, all sections obtained as a result of crown formation must be filled with paraffin. It is possible to sprinkle the sections of the sections with crushed charcoal or cover them with special wax for processing the sections, and then treat them with the Zircon preparation, which very well stimulates the branching process.
How to use cut parts of dracaena
All trimmed parts can be planted by rooting in a nutrient substrate or water. Additionally, you can process sections of harvested dracaena cuttings with “Kornevin”. To take root planting material passed as easily and quickly as possible, the pot with the rooted plant needs to be covered with a plastic bag, which will help create optimal temperature regime and high humidity. The appearance of new leaves indicates the plant is ready to be transplanted to a permanent location.
Further care
If you prune dracaena in violation of the technology, the fleshy stem of the ornamental plant begins to dry out, but it is equally important to provide the indoor plant with proper care after the formation of the above-ground part. After pruning a tropical plant for good growth and full development, it is necessary to ensure sufficient lighting, spraying and high-quality irrigation measures.
Quite often, after pruning, dracaena forms several buds at once, but eventually some die, while others stop growing and developing. Despite the fact that indoor false palm grows quite slowly, providing proper conditions and proper care, An amateur gardener can achieve a plant height of one and a half meters or more. To activate growth processes, you will need not only the presence of sunlight and warm, moist air, but also regular fertilizing. complex fertilizers.
Dracaena: pruning results (video)
Good result It also provides additional stimulation for the growth of side shoots by spraying with a solution of urea diluted at the rate of one gram of the drug per liter of warm and settled water. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers are very well absorbed indoor plants precisely through the foliage. Into the soil flower pot During the planting process, you can add horn shavings or bone meal. With proper care in the conditions of indoor floriculture, regardless of the type, dracaena eventually grows into a very decorative and large specimen of indoor culture.
Dracaena grows at home for up to 15 years. In this case, the evergreen plant grows at the top, and the lower part of the stem becomes bare. Leaflets, having served the allotted time for a little more than a year, gradually dry out, leaving a scar on the stem. How to prune dracaena to produce side shoots? The plant allows you to create new forms by shortening the shoots.
Principles of forming a dracaena bush
Flower shops usually sell dracaena with ready-made branches. At the very beginning, when growing a young plant, a bush is formed from it in greenhouse conditions. It may consist of two or three branches. Is it possible to prune dracaena in the future? You can form each branch separately yourself, resulting in a picturesque palm tree. All operations are carried out only on a healthy plant.
Trimming time
The dracaena stem is a structure in which dormant buds are arranged in a spiral along its entire length. This is what makes it possible to obtain seedlings and the beginnings of new branches from a cut made in any part of the trunk.
Planned pruning of dracaena is done during the active growth period, when sap flow is best. There are times when the formation of a bush is needed urgently. For example, part of the stem broke off. Then the shortening must be carried out according to the rules, below the break point. Any pruning can only be effective on a healthy plant.
How to prune dracaena correctly at home
When shortening the central stem, you need to consider several points:
- top with green leaves should be in a zone of comfortable lighting, so the height of the trunk is calculated for the future growth of branches and leaves;
- for new shoots to appear, it will be necessary to provide necessary conditions germination of new shoots from dormant buds;
- all operations to prepare the correct cut and seal it are carried out under sterile conditions.
You can use a plant for pruning that has 30 cm from the soil to the attachment point of the upper leaves.
Any part of the leafy or bare trunk is cut off. The removed area can be rooted by obtaining another copy of dracaena. Pruning dracaena for branching as an operation is carried out with a sharp knife without squeezing the tissue.
After the top part of the plant is cut off, it can be used to root the top, or cut into 7-10 cm pieces, each of which is capable of producing a new plant. The requirement to cut only with a sharp knife and straight cuts is mandatory.
If the stem is leafy at the cut site, the leaves must be removed by 10-15 cm, exposing the trunk. Cover the cut area with garden pitch or melted paraffin to inner layer did not evaporate moisture, did not dry out. The rudiments of new branches should form on the cut. There can be from two to five. But not all germs will grow. The number of new formations depends on the conditions under which germination occurs.
The simultaneous development of all new shoots is achieved due to uniform lighting. Dracaena must be rotated during germination and subsequent care.
Conditions for germination:
- treating the stem with water with the addition of a growth stimulant, for example, Epin;
- creating a damp moss cushion around the open cut of the cambium, the waxed part should be open;
- a plastic bag is tightly secured on top, creating a constant humidity of 75% inside;
- The plant is kept in the light at a temperature of 22-25 degrees for a month.
It is important at this time not to open the cut site, not to remove the bag, and not to change the germination conditions. At the same time, the remainder of the leaves requires that the stem also needs to be moistened. Watering is carried out only by the bottom method, draining the remaining water that has not been absorbed into the earthen lump. It is important that germination is carried out in the light.
As soon as the plant produces buds at the cut site, it is ready to continue development without additional shelter.
It is not necessary that new branches will develop from all the hatched buds. Some will not have enough nutrition and will wither away. But you can prune the plant this way many times, renewing it and giving it a new shape.
If the plant has a bare stem, then it is completely placed in the bag after abundant watering. The bag is not removed until the seedlings appear, so as not to disturb the microclimate. The plant is watered through a tray.
When forming dracaena bordered, seedlings can go anywhere along the stem. Then the palm tree will become multi-tiered.
Is it necessary to prune dracaena at home?
The plant looks well-groomed if it is regularly pruned and shaped. Therefore, pruning is one of the mandatory operations for caring for dracaena. It happens that a plant develops deformed shoots, they should be removed. Then, instead of them, the plant will send out new shoots, more foliage is obtained, and the plant takes on new forms.
Any areas with pests and diseases should be removed immediately to prevent infection of the entire plant. This operation is called sanitary pruning.
Video about the result of pruning dracaena
Many years ago, a tropical guest named dracaena appeared in our homes. The variety of representatives of this genus will satisfy the taste of any plant lover. There are varieties with narrow, medium-wide or wide leaves, plain or colored, with thin and thicker trunks... Elegant and graceful, it reveals its attractiveness only when proper care and formation. The main difficulty in the formation of dracaena is to prune the plant so as to achieve branching, as well as obtain side shoots at home.
Features of growing dracaena at home
Dracaenas prefer to grow in a well-lit room, and variegated varieties will retain their color in a brighter place; green-leaved varieties do well away from a light source, but not in dense shade.
These plants need to be watered abundantly when the top layer of soil has dried out by 3–5 centimeters. Dracaenas do not like waterlogging, but they respond well to spraying the crown. The best temperature for their development: in summer 20–25 °C, in winter 16–18 °C. Dracaenas are undemanding in terms of soil composition, but they develop best if the soil mixture consists of turf, sand and peat in a 2:1:1 ratio. A drainage layer is required at the bottom of the pot.
Feed the plant every two weeks during the growing season, alternating a solution of organic and mineral fertilizers. During the cold season, dracaenas enter a period of relative rest. It is necessary to reduce watering and stop fertilizing.
How to prune and re-shape a plant
With all the variety of forms and varieties of dracaenas, they have a common feature: the trunk grows in height and branches extremely rarely.
Why prune dracaena:
- To improve appearance and increase decorativeness, dracaena is rejuvenated - elongated shoots are shortened by pruning. Since the peculiarity of the plant is the falling of the lower leaves of the crown during fairly rapid growth, often elongated shoots take on an unsightly appearance (they become bent, deformed, etc.);
- to form a lush crown. Along the entire trunk of the dracaena there are dormant buds that are invisible to us. Removing part of the trunk stimulates the awakening of such buds just under the cut; side shoots will appear from them, which, when they grow up, will increase the mass of leaves. By increasing the number of shoots, a more luxuriant crown is formed;
- for growing multi-stemmed plants and simulating bonsai. In this case, the trunk is cut closer to the ground or at a low height, and then over the years the crown is formed;
- to preserve the plant. If the dracaena fell and broke or got sick and began to die rapidly, to save at least parts of the plant, the tops or parts of the branches are cut off and rooted;
- for reproduction. Apical and stem, in addition, stem are capable of releasing lateral shoots from dormant buds.
Reasons for cutting a flower
Basically, the plant owner relies on his own opinion and taste. If, from your point of view, the dracaena has reached a considerable height, has a bare trunk with a tuft of leaves on the top and has lost its former attractiveness, you want to renew and rejuvenate the plant or get a multi-stemmed dracaena specimen instead of a single-stemmed one, then by pruning you can adjust the height of the plant, the density of the crown and the whole appearance.
When should you prune?
Eat important rule: this procedure is carried out exclusively on healthy plants and only during the period of active growth - in spring or summer. The fact is that during the growing season, the plant body produces special substances for the construction of new cells and for the successful healing of wounds. In winter, during the period of low temperatures and decreased intensity of sunlight, it is very difficult for the plant to endure such stress. And weakened plants may even die.
The only exceptions are emergency cases. For example, when the dracaena is broken or the top (trunk) is damaged (rots), or if its top rests against the ceiling, then urgent pruning is allowed. In this case, you will need to pay additional attention to caring for the plant so that the dormant buds of the dracaena can safely germinate.
No special in-depth knowledge is required to perform pruning yourself. It is advisable to simply have an idea of the process.
What happens if you pinch (cut) a dracaena; Is it possible to trim the top, shorten part of the trunk, cut off the leaves?
Some plant lovers unknowingly call docking or pinching the separation of the top of a dracaena. In fact, these plants are not pinched, but cut. They do this in order to subsequently root the part separated from the mother’s body and get a new plant.
You can cut off not only the top. They often resort to shortening the trunk. Parts of the trunk 12–15 cm long are capable of producing new shoots from dormant buds.
Dracaena leaves should not be trimmed. It is in the leaves of plants that substances are formed for the construction of new cells and tissues. Part of the crown is removed only on the cut cuttings if it is completely leafy.
Imitation bonsai from dracaena
Real bonsai takes decades to grow and is a form of art. An imitation bonsai is formed from dracaena using pruning, and this process will also take more than one year.
Getting a thick trunk
The main task is to grow a thick trunk. Since dracaena trunks grow in thickness rather reluctantly, it is necessary to provide optimal conditions for growth. The first is bright diffused light, the second is a temperature from 18 to 25 °C, the third is watering as the soil dries out, the fourth is fertilizing. It is imperative to monitor the combination of these conditions. That is, the lighter, the warmer and more humid. When the light decreases, you need to lower the temperature and reduce watering, this will prevent the plant from stretching in height.
How to form a tree
After 3–5 years, when the dracaena trunk at a height of 10–15 cm from the ground reaches a diameter of 4–5 cm, the trunk is trimmed. With proper care, several new shoots will grow below the cut point. Now these shoots will grow in height, and the trunk will thicken a little. In the future, everything depends on the imagination of the grower. After some time, you can cut new trunks closer to the place of the first cut or further from it, on one or on different levels, then repeat pruning on all branches or selectively so that the dracaena can grow.
In this way, an original cascading multi-stemmed version of the dracaena, reminiscent of a bonsai, is created.
Photo gallery: growing dracaena bonsai
It will take several years to grow an imitation bonsai from dracaena. Cascading multi-stemmed dracaena imitates bonsai. Dracaenas formed in this way also resemble bonsai.
How to form an “indoor palm tree” - step-by-step instructions
Dracaena can grow at home for a very long time. In this case, the evergreen plant grows at the top, while the lower part of the stem is exposed. In step-by-step instructions, we will look at how to prune dracaena to produce side shoots.
Preparation for the procedure
Two to three days before the planned pruning, it is advisable to carry out preparations that will allow the plant to safely endure this procedure and successfully grow new shoots.
First, you need to water the plant so that by the time of pruning the soil has absorbed the bulk of the moisture, but the lump has not yet had time to dry out.
Secondly, spray the ground part of the dracaena with the anti-stress drug “Epin”. This will help the plant produce special substances to successfully overcome the state of shock and the rapid growth of new shoots.
Preparing the plant for pruning
Prepare the dracaena that you intend to trim. Place it in a well-lit place and at a level that makes it convenient to work. Check that the trunk or trunks on which the cuts are to be made are clean. If these areas are dirty, wipe with a clean cloth.
And it’s time for this plant to be pruned.
Flower shaping tool
To make the cut you will need pruning shears or a sharp knife. The pruning procedure, although quite simple, is still an operation, and therefore is carried out under sterile conditions. Pre-disinfect the tool blade with alcohol. The sharpness of the cutting edges affects the cleanliness of the cut: it should be smooth, without jagged edges. Then there is a higher probability that the apical cutting will take root rather than rot, and the wound on the trunk will heal faster.
Slice processing
A fresh cut on the trunk should be treated to avoid infection. For this purpose, it is advisable to have a special antifungal drug (for example, Topsin-M) or a substance that can replace it. At home, crushed activated carbon or cinnamon will perform such functions. Garden varnish is needed to cover the wound. This technique prevents drying of the tissues adjacent to the cut site. Instead of garden varnish, you can use a wax or paraffin candle at home.
Photo gallery: means for processing dracaena cut
The cut sites should be treated with an antifungal drug 
Garden varnish is needed to cover plant wounds Treating the cut area with paraffin
How to make an incision correctly
Decide on the location of the cut. Before cutting off part of the dracaena, take a close look at it, imagine what it will look like when it sprouts several new branches at the top of the remaining stem, and then decide at what height the part of the plant will be cut off.
First you need to decide on the location of the cut.
The cut should be smooth. Do it in one motion.
Place the cut off crown of the plant for rooting. If it is all covered with leaves, cut the leaves at a quarter or third of the height of the cutting. Place in a glass of water, where you add an activated carbon tablet or a small piece of charcoal to block the development of pathogenic microorganisms and rotting of the cuttings.
If the cut part of the plant is quite long, 20 cm or more, you can divide it into several parts 12–15 cm long, process the upper cuts in the manner described above, and also place them in a container with water for rooting, and then plant them in the ground.
In about a month, roots will appear on the cuttings
Feeding to stimulate the germination of dormant buds
After three to four days, when the plant overcomes the shock state after pruning, it is necessary to feed the plant at the root and along the stem with fertilizer containing increased content nitrogen. This fertilizing is carried out after watering to prevent burns to the roots. The easiest way is to use ammonium nitrate at the rate of a teaspoon per three liters of water. But if possible, it is better to use a specialized fertilizer with an improved composition Plantafol in a ratio of 30:10:10.
Feeding is repeated every 2 weeks for 2–3 months, until new shoots reach a length of 4–6 cm.
Caring for dracaena after pruning
Since the plant has undergone surgery, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for a speedy recovery:
- Provide dracaena comfortable temperature in the range of 20–24 °C.
- Provide the plant with a bright place protected from direct sun rays. If pruning took place in autumn - winter, it is necessary to add additional lighting to the plant fluorescent lamps that you use at home so that the total daylight hours are at least 12 hours.
- Carefully monitor soil moisture. When the top layer of soil dries 4–6 cm, water with warm, soft water or a solution with fertilizer.
- Dracaena loves high humidity. Don’t forget to spray its crown with water at room temperature.
- For uniform development of the crown, do not forget to periodically slightly rotate the container with the plant in relation to the light source.
Possible problems associated with pruning
Any organism in a state of stress, which also includes the removal of part of a plant, becomes more vulnerable to adverse factors. After the pruning procedure, you should treat the plant with increased attention for several months.
Be more careful with watering. It is necessary to prevent overflow and drying out of the earthen coma. Since dracaena lacks a crown or part of it, the plant cannot absorb as much moisture as before. When overwatered, the roots have no way to breathe. But the soil should not dry out, since the plant needs strength to germinate new buds.
Protect dracaena from drafts. Temperature changes are dangerous for a weakened plant.
The main goal is to prevent illness
Once a week, carefully inspect the above-ground part of the plant. Pests and diseases are more likely to settle on a weakened plant than on a healthy one. If insects are detected, it is necessary to treat the trunk and the remaining part of the crown with an insecticide, for example, Agravertin, as soon as possible. If the crown remains on the dracaena and spots of different colors appear on the leaves, your plant has been attacked by pathogenic microflora. In this case, spray the plant with one of the fungicides (Topsin-M, Fundazol). Processing chemicals should be carried out in non-residential premises twice with an interval of 7–10 days.
Root update
Occasionally feel the stem and branches of the dracaena. A decrease in tissue elasticity indicates problems with the root system. You need to remove the dracaena from the pot and check the condition of the roots. Cut off hollow, darkened and dead roots, replant the dracaena into fresh soil, using the root formation stimulator “Kornevin”.
Once upon a time I had a dracaena, and it grew very, very big, and I decided to prune it and cut it (my husband said that it looked as if it had been killed), it turned out to be something with three branches, I specially made it of different heights, if suddenly there were several the kidneys will burst - perhaps they will not interfere with each other. The cut areas were covered with charcoal and filled with wax. I divided the cuttings into 2 parts - in total there were six cuttings and the main plant. A month passed, 7 buds appeared on two cut branches, and 3 on one (thank God); I don’t know how this violence will get along now; I didn’t count on such a breakthrough.
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Dracaena is a plant that is responsive to care. Knowing the optimal maintenance conditions and simple techniques for forming a crown, even a novice gardener can turn a plant into a luxurious, attractive decoration for every room.
Dracaena, also known as false palm or dragon tree, is a popular home and office plant. With proper care, it grows up to 1.5 or even 2 meters in height and can live up to 15 years.
Photo gallery
Formation of dracaena. Filling the cut with paraffin.
It is unpretentious in care; the only aspect that can cause difficulties when growing it is pruning, which must be done regularly.
Why do you prune dracaena?
There are three main reasons why dracaena is pruned:
- sanitary and preventive, in which all damaged leaves and shoots are cut off to stop the spread of the disease;
- decorative, in which a crown is formed;
- if the dracaena has grown to the ceiling.
To obtain side shoots and rejuvenate dracaena, decorative pruning is also used, giving the plant a well-groomed appearance and the necessary splendor. In addition, pruning is used as one of the methods of propagating dracaena, the cuttings of which take root quite quickly and successfully.
How to prune dracaena correctly at home?
First of all, you need to understand what height of tree you want to get in the end. Second important factor is lighting, because future shoots will develop precisely due to the light falling on them.
The cut should be at such a level that new shoots and foliage receive sufficient sunlight.
Expert opinion
Mokhov Andrey Petrovich
To carry out the pruning procedure, you can use a scalpel or a sharp sterile knife; it is not recommended to use scissors or garden pruners, as they pinch the stem and can cause unwanted damage.
You will also need garden pitch or a more conventional paraffin candle, sphagnum moss, a water sprayer and a plastic bag.
What types of dracaena need to be pruned?
At home, as a rule, the following types and varieties of dracaena are grown:
All types of dracaena grown at home need pruning; only its frequency differs.
Trimming time
Like all procedures that injure the plant, pruning must be carried out during the period of active growth, this is the only way to guarantee that everything will be successful and the dracaena will quickly recover. This period can be considered the time from the end of winter to the beginning of summer. The optimal months are April and May.
You should not prune immediately after transplantation, as the plant may not withstand double stress. It is best to wait at least a month. During this time, the dracaena will successfully take root in the new pot and will survive the operation much easier.
In the autumn-winter period, pruning is not recommended, since low temperatures and lack of light can lead to the fact that it will take more than one month for new buds to appear; in the worst case, the plant may even die.
To increase the dracaena's chances of survival, it is necessary to provide it with the most comfortable conditions possible and maintain them throughout the period it takes for new shoots to appear.
Step-by-step instructions for crown formation
When faced with the need to prune dracaena, in order to achieve results and not destroy the plant, it is important to strictly follow the algorithm of actions:
- Determine the height of the cut and mark this place.
- Using a sharp knife, cut off the top along the mark line. Under no circumstances should shoots be broken off.
- Using a piece of cotton wool, remove the sap that appears at the cut site, then pour garden varnish or paraffin over the top of the stem. It is not recommended to use wax for this purpose, since its melting point is much higher than that of paraffin. This will only harm the plant.
- If there are leaves on the trunk, they must be removed from the entire area 10–15 cm below the cut.
- Spray generously with water and wrap the section of the trunk below the cut with damp sphagnum, leaving the cut itself open.
- Place a transparent plastic bag or film on top to maintain the required temperature and humidity.
Expert opinion
Mokhov Andrey Petrovich
Graduated from KubSAU, specialty: agronomy
For the trimmed top, you can prepare a separate pot, planting it in which, after a while you can get another plant.
Over the next month, new shoots will appear on the trunk; until this time, it is recommended to remove the plastic bag no more than once every 5 days to ventilate and spray the plant.
Watering during this period must be carried out using the bottom method or by immersion. To avoid waterlogging, unabsorbed remaining liquid is drained from the pan, otherwise this can lead to rotting of the measles system and death of the flower.
How to prune dracaena for branching
Such pruning is carried out either in young dracaena with one trunk, or in cases where the trunks have grown too long, become bare and have lost their visual appeal.
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