Dracaena is a beautiful plant native to Africa. It is often grown at home, because the evergreen leaves, collected in unusual rosettes, look interesting. But many owners of the flower note its weak, slow growth. Therefore, information about why dracaena does not grow and what can be done in this case will be useful.
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Features of Dracaena
Dracaena is a tropical evergreen plant used for decorative purposes in European countries. It belongs to the group of false palms: the thin, woody trunk is almost bare, and the leaves are collected at its top. Interestingly, its name translates as "dragon tree".
Dracaena requires special care: it is important to maintain the appropriate temperature in the room, properly moisten the soil, regularly feed the plant, and trim the branches to create a beautiful crown.
Types of Dracaena
There are several dozen varieties of the plant, each of which requires special care.
Dracaena growth rate
Before trying to speed up growth, it is worth understanding how quickly this indicator should increase. Much depends on the plant variety, but even in the most suitable conditions, dracaena rarely grows more than 10 cm per year. This most often happens in the spring and summer; in late autumn and winter, the flower is in a natural state of dormancy.
If you regularly feed the plant and use fertilizers with growth stimulants, you can achieve better results, but faster does not always mean better: dracaena from such means often becomes weaker, susceptible to various infections, and loses its attractive appearance.
Reasons for poor growth
If the plant looks good, there are no yellow or brown spots on the leaves, and there is no reason to believe that the houseplant is suffering from any disease, a few key points are important.
Lack of fertilizers
All indoor plants need periodic feeding. It is recommended to enrich the soil in which dracaena grows in the spring and summer: at this time, the indoor flower requires the maximum amount of nutrients.
As a fertilizer, you can use products such as "Zircon" and "Epin" (when using them, always follow the instructions and observe the dosage).
Top dressing lasts for 2-3 months, fertilizers are used in small quantities every 14 days. In winter, it is not necessary to use nutrient substrates (the only exceptions are those varieties that do not slow down their growth during cold periods of the year).
A tight pot
Poor water quality and improper watering
The composition of the water can affect the growth of the plant. This perennial is sensitive to fluoride, so tap water often causes brown and yellow spots on its leaves.
The intensity of watering depends on the season. The flower does not grow well in waterlogged soil. You should not water the plant every day - it is recommended to wait until the soil dries out, and then moisten it generously. In spring and summer, you need to water more often, in winter - less often. You should spray the leaves 2-3 times a week.
Low light
Dracaena, being a native of the tropics, loves light. But you shouldn't leave it under direct sunlight for a long time.
It is better to keep the pot against the wall opposite the window.
You can diffuse the light with thin curtains: this will protect the dracaena from drying out. If for some reason the pot had to be placed in a dark corner, it is important to use artificial daylight lamps.
Need for transplant
Over time, the soil becomes depleted - the flower absorbs all available nutrients from the soil. Experts recommend replanting dracaena once a year. If this is not possible, you can replace only the surface layer of soil and immediately feed the flower.
Experts recommend regularly loosening the soil. If a white coating appears on the soil surface, it should be removed.
What to do if dracaena does not grow
If you have had the plant for several years and the height of the stem has not increased during this time, then you should reconsider the conditions for keeping the dracaena:
- First, inspect the leaves. If there are spots, mold, or growths on them, this indicates an infection.
- If the plant is healthy, try moving it to another location and changing the watering schedule first. After 4-5 weeks, you will notice a positive result: the leaves will become stronger, more elastic, and shiny.
- If such measures are ineffective, it is worth purchasing fertilizers suitable for dracaena, changing the soil, and transplanting the flower into a larger pot.
Do not forget that this perennial does not tolerate low temperatures.
While the dracaena is young, it does not have a trunk, but as it matures, the lower leaves fall off and the trunk appears. There are also species of dracaena, for example, "godseffiana", that are not similar to their relatives and will not have a trunk when the plant is grown. There are also plants similar to dracaena and also without a trunk.
Replant into a larger pot, move to another location, change the watering schedule. At the same time, you need to make sure that the plant is not sick.
In order for the dracaena to stop growing, it should not be transplanted into a deep pot (the plant will be cramped and will not grow) and mineral fertilizers should be limited. The plant needs to be trimmed.
