Overview of methods for planting dracaena at home

Dracaena is one of the most popular decorative foliage plants. Despite the fact that its homeland is the African tropics, it has adapted to indoor conditions, grows quickly and fits perfectly into any design style. Before planting a dracaena at home or in the office, you should familiarize yourself with the rules of care and the characteristics of the species.

Brief botanical description

Dracaena (dragon plant) is an evergreen plant of the asparagus family. The tree-like form is more common, and the shrub-like form is less common.

As they grow, the lower leaves dry up and fall off, the trunk becomes bare, and a bunch of densely collected drooping leaves remains at the top. For their external similarity, tree-like dracaenas are often called "false palms".

Types of Dracaena

There are about 60 varieties of indoor dracaenas. They are distinguished by the height and thickness of the trunk, the size and color of the leaves. Experts distinguish green-leaved and variegated varieties. From all the variety, amateur gardeners choose those that are easier to care for.

Marginata

Dracaena marginata is the most popular variety. It is most similar to a palm tree, and with good care it can reach large sizes (up to 2 m and higher). Narrow curved leaves are painted dark green. Along the edge of the leaf blade there is a red or burgundy dividing stripe, less often yellow.

Fragrant

This type of shrubby plant got its name due to the pleasant honey aroma that comes out during flowering. In natural conditions, dracaena blooms regularly, in indoor conditions – extremely rarely. Glossy leaves with wide light green or yellow stripes reach 1 m in length and 10 cm in width.

Deremskaya

This is one of the varieties of fragrant dracaena. The spear-shaped leaves are brightly colored with white or yellowish solid stripes. In addition to decorative properties, the ability to remove harmful substances from the air is noted.

Sanderiana

Dracaena Sanderiana, or Sandera, is a low shrub (up to 1 m). The branches grow almost vertically from the base. The leaves are bright green, with wavy edges and silvery stripes. The shoots with constrictions on the trunk look like bamboo, so Sandera is often called "lucky bamboo" or "luck bamboo".

Godsefa

The low semi-shrub is not very similar in appearance to other types of dracaena. In the shape and color of the leaf blade, it resembles dieffenbachia or aucuba. The long stems become woody in the lower part, but remain herbaceous above. The leaves are about 10 cm long and 4-5 cm wide and have an oval shape.

Bent over

Dracaena reflexa (or crooked) is a tree with lanceolate leathery leaves that bend downwards. In nature, it reaches a height of 6 meters. When grown indoors, the top is often pinched to get a lush bush. Variegated varieties have yellowish-green or cream stripes along the edge of the leaf blade.

When to plant dracaena

At home, dracaena can be planted throughout the entire growing season. The best time is spring, when sap flow and other life processes are activated. The plant accepts various types of fertilizers well.

Many gardeners use the lunar calendar, taking into account favorable and unfavorable days for planting.

Preparing for landing

Before planting a dracaena in your home, you should make sure that the conditions are suitable for the chosen variety. It is important to remember that variegated varieties need a lot of light, otherwise they will quickly lose their decorative qualities.

When buying dracaena in a store, pay attention to:

• damage to the trunk and shoots;
• presence of signs of disease or pests;
• development of the root system (the tree should fit tightly in the pot).

You can plant the plant in another container 2-3 weeks after purchase: it needs to adapt to the new conditions.

Growing conditions

All types of dracaena require sufficient lighting, so it is better to place the pot on the south or southeast side of the house.

Green-leaved varieties should be protected from direct sunlight; in hot weather they should be placed in the back of the room.

Plants with variegated leaves can be placed on the windowsill, but in summer it is better to stick sun protection film on the window glass.

During the growing season, the optimal air temperature is +20…26ºС. It is useful to take the dracaena out to the loggia or balcony, protecting it from wind and drafts.

It is advisable to maintain air humidity at 70-80%. To do this, spray the leaves with a spray bottle or wipe them with a damp cloth. It is recommended to bathe the palm tree in the shower once every 1-2 weeks.

A layer of wet expanded clay or pebbles can be placed in the tray. An open aquarium or other container with water humidifies the air well.

In winter, it is necessary to provide rest - gradually lower the air temperature to +15ºС and reduce watering.

Choosing a Flowerpot

The pot should be chosen based on the size of the plant, and it is more important to consider the volume of the root system, not the crown. The roots should be placed freely, with 4-5 cm in reserve for growth. You should not buy a large pot for a young seedling. The soil in it will be constantly over-moistened, and this leads to rotting of the roots.

The rooted shoot is planted in a container with a diameter of 15-17 mm. As it grows, select a pot that is 2-3 cm wider and 5-6 cm deeper.

It is desirable that the material from which the dishes are made be porous. If the clay pot is glazed, air permeability decreases. Plastic containers with a drainage hole and a layer of expanded clay are also suitable.

Priming

The soil for dracaena should be nutritious and loose. To prepare the soil mixture, you need to take leaf soil, coarse river sand, peat and mature humus in equal proportions.

Another option: garden soil (3 parts), peat (1 part), coarse sand (1 part).

When purchasing soil, you should pay attention to the acidity of the soil; the optimal pH level is 5-6.

If the store does not have special soil for dracaenas, a mixture for palm trees will do.

Methods of planting at home

Planting with air layering is a reliable method used by experienced gardeners. Seeds are much easier to plant, but their germination rate is low.

Layering

Before the procedure, you need to wash your hands well and disinfect the knife. Further actions are carried out in the following sequence:

1. Select a place on the stem to make a cut (under a node, at a distance of 10-15 cm from a healthy leaf).
2. Make a shallow (1/3 of the stem thickness) oblique cut and insert a toothpick or sharpened match into it.
3. The cut is wrapped in pre-soaked moss and covered with an opaque film on top, securing the cuff first below the cut and then above.
4. To prevent the sphagnum moss from drying out, it is periodically moistened with a syringe.
5. When the roots grow through the moss, the film is carefully removed, the seedling is cut and planted in a pot.

The process can be accelerated by treating the cut with a root formation stimulator.

Seeds

Dracaena rarely blooms indoors, and it is even rarer to find a gardener who will share seeds. It is easier to buy them in a specialized store.

Sowing is carried out in the following order:

1. Soak the seeds in a growth stimulator solution.
2. Prepare cups with a moist peat-sand substrate.
3. Plant the seeds at a depth of about 1 cm; create a mini-greenhouse.
4. After germination, the film is removed and the seedlings are watered regularly.

When the seedlings grow to 4-5 cm, they are planted in a permanent place.

Reproduction of Dracaena

The easiest way to propagate indoor dracaena is by cuttings. The planting material used is stem cuttings or shoot tips.

Stem cuttings

For planting, you can use parts of the main trunk or side shoots. The cut should be made along the leaf scars; the length of the segments can vary (from 5 to 20 cm).

For rooting, the cuttings are placed in a peat substrate, either vertically or horizontally. To maintain high humidity, the container is covered with film. At a temperature of +20…24ºС, the roots develop within 20-25 days. A seedling with roots 2-3 cm long can be transplanted into a separate pot with nutritious soil.

By apical cuttings

This method is often used to rejuvenate a plant. The upper part of the stem together with the leaf rosette is cut off with a sharp knife and placed in water or wet sand.

To ensure favorable conditions, the cutting is covered with a transparent bag and placed in a warm place, protected from direct sunlight and drafts. The greenhouse should be periodically ventilated, gradually accustoming the seedling to the open air.

Care after planting

A young plant requires special attention and care; for the first feeding, you should use half the dose of fertilizer.

Top dressing

During the growing season, dracaena needs to be fed 1-2 times a month. It is useful to alternate mineral complexes and organic matter.

Bird droppings are often used as organic fertilizer. They are poured with water (1:4) and infused in a closed container for 4-5 days. Before use, dilute (1:15), apply under the root after abundant watering.

In a flower shop you can buy a special fertilizer for dracaena, and complexes designed for deciduous crops, ficus or succulents are also suitable.

A good effect is achieved by using nitroammophoska (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water).

Useful substances are well absorbed when spraying leaves. For foliar feeding, prepare the following mixture:

• potassium nitrate – 0.5 g;
• ammonium sulfate – 0.3 g;
• potassium phosphate – 0.2 g;
• water – 1 l.

Fertilizers in granular form are scattered on the surface of the soil, and they gradually saturate the soil.

Watering

The frequency of watering depends on the temperature and humidity of the air, as well as the type of crop. Dracaena with wide leaf blades uses up moisture faster than those with narrow ones.

In summer, the plant is watered 1-2 times a week, in winter – 1-2 times a month.

Tap water should be left to stand in an open container for at least 24 hours. When using melt water, it is important to bring it to room temperature.

Pruning and shaping the bush

Formative pruning of dracaena is best done in spring, during the growth period. A young tree can be pruned when it reaches 30-35 cm in height.

The top is cut off with a knife or pruning shears 5-6 cm below the base of the leaf rosette. The cut is treated with garden pitch or activated carbon powder.

To make the buds sprout faster, the trunk can be treated with phytohormones (just below the cut).

Old trees often lose their decorative qualities: stems stretch and bend, leaves lose their elasticity and shine. In this case, the rejuvenation procedure becomes vital.

Transfer

Young 1-2 year old dracaenas need to be replanted every 2 years, adults - every 5 years. This is done before the onset of heat.

For a healthy plant, the transshipment method is suitable (together with a lump of earth). Old or diseased specimens should be carefully examined, and damaged parts of the root system should be removed.

In winter, a palm tree is replanted only if it needs to be saved from pests or diseases.

What time and how does dracaena bloom

In the wild, all types of dracaena bloom. At home, only varieties of fragrant dracaena bloom. This happens once every 8-10 years. Flower stalks form in the axils of leaf blades for about a year.

Flowers are white or cream (sometimes with a greenish tint), small, collected in a loose panicle. Only one drupe fruit is formed from the ovary.

Diseases and pests of indoor palm trees

Dracaena is often affected by fungal diseases:

1. Alternaria (dry spot). Infected leaves and trunk tissues wither and die.
2. Fusarium. Fungal infection spreads from the roots. After a short time, yellowish spots appear on the leaves, the trunk dries up.
3. Wet rot. Watery spots can be seen on all parts of the plant. The disease is short-lived, the dracaena dies in a few days.
4. Bacteriosis. The tips of the leaf blades darken and dry out, small ulcers appear on the stems, separated from healthy tissue by a light yellow stripe.

Fungal infections can only be controlled with chemical or biological fungicides.

Scale insects, thrips, spider mites feed on plant juices. The process of photosynthesis is disrupted, the leaves turn yellow and fall off. The disease affects the above-ground part, then spreads to the root system. Insect pests are capable of not only slowing down growth, but also completely destroying the plant.

At an early stage, you can fight parasites with folk methods, using a solution of laundry soap, ammonia, tobacco decoction or garlic infusion. In case of massive damage, only chemical methods will help: treatment with Fitoverm, Actellic, Fufanon, etc.

Effective preventive measures include proper care. It is necessary to maintain optimal humidity and temperature, prevent dust accumulation, and regularly apply fertilizers.