Dracaena. Caring for dracaena or growing dracaena at home. How to organize care for dracaena at home

The homeland of the popular “small palm” is Africa and South Asia, the Canary Islands. Dracaena is loved for the touch of exoticism that it adds to landscapes familiar to the eye. Taking care of the dragon's tail is not difficult at all if you know about the needs of the plant.

Temperature and lighting requirements

There is an opinion according to which dracaena loves shade. It's not entirely true. Indeed, the plant tolerates partial shade. However, in a dark place there will be problems with development and growth. The flower will not be happy with bright sunlight either. From direct rays it will begin to dry out, the tips of the leaves will turn yellow.

It is important to find the “golden mean”: sufficient soft, diffused lighting. The plant will not refuse artificial rays either.

All types of shrubs successfully develop under the influence of lighting devices.

• A strong young shoot is selected.
• Using a sharp knife, cut into pieces of 3-5 cm so that each has at least 2 buds. It is important not to crush the stem.
• The bark is cut on one side of the cutting.
• The stem is stuck into previously prepared soil (a mixture of peat and sand).
• The structure is placed in a warm place, away from direct sunlight.

It is important to keep the humidity in the cutting room under control. IN good conditions The first shoots will appear in 1-1.5 months. Caring for them involves systematic spraying with clean water.

The cutting is the top of the dracaena, which is placed in a container of water room temperature.

For disinfection purposes, add an Activated Carbon tablet. After 3 months, roots will appear. This is a signal that it is time for the cuttings to grow in the ground on a permanent basis.

There is another way to grow new plants:

• An incision is made on a developed shoot, which is wrapped in damp moss or polyethylene.
• After waiting for the roots to appear, the shoot is separated from the mother dracaena and planted in the ground. Garden varnish will help “heal” cuts on the plant.
• Pruning can be considered as a means of propagation. At the same time, this is a way to stimulate the development of lateral buds.
• After the procedure, planting material appears and the branching process is activated.

Work begins in the spring or early summer. They cut off the dracaena, the height of which is at least 30 cm. The distance between the cut point and the last leaves on the bare stem is 5 cm. When deciding to carry out such work, one must take into account that the main stem will not grow anymore.

Spicy. The cut area is treated with crushed Activated Carbon and Zircon. Planting material placed in water until rooting, and dracaena in warm room. With perseverance and patience, it is not at all difficult to propagate an exotic flower.

Factors that will ensure plant health

An actively developing shrub needs feeding. This period begins with the arrival of April and ends at the end of August. Complex fertilizers are used every 2 weeks.

Using various home remedies is effective. Feeding with nettle tincture will have a beneficial effect on flower growth. The yellow tips of the leaves “scream” about dry air or soil. Brown spots are sunburn.

The plant needs help if it is frozen or overheated. The rescue operation consists of removing damaged foliage and feeding with Cytovit, Epin or HB-101.

Dracaena in order to notice emerging pests in time. The flower is susceptible to attack by scale insects, spider mites and thrips. An arsenal of appropriate insecticides will help in the fight against uninvited guests.

Anyone who wants to can easily care for a dragon's tail can do it. Dracaena will repay your care by decorating the interior.

More information can be found in the video.

Planting and caring for dracaena (in brief)

• Bloom: decorative foliage plant.
• Size: large size
• Lighting: in winter - bright light, in summer light partial shade is possible (near the western or southern window).
• Temperature: in the spring-summer period - 18-25 ˚C, in winter it is desirable to keep it cooler, but not lower than 12 ˚C.
• Watering: during the active growing season - regular and abundant: the substrate should dry to a depth of 2-3 cm between waterings. If the dracaena is in a cool room in winter, watering is reduced.
• Air humidity: the plant needs periodic spraying of leaves or shower procedures.
• Feeding: from April to September 2 times a month with a liquid complex for decorative foliage plants. In winter they do not feed.
• Rest period: from October to April, but only when the plant is in a cool room.
• Transfer: every 2-3 years or as needed, in the spring, at the beginning of the growing season.
• Reproduction: seed and vegetative (stem pieces, rooting apical cuttings).
• Pests: mealybugs, thrips, scale insects, aphids and spider mites.
• Diseases: phyllosticosis, alternaria blight, light brown spot.

Read more about growing dracaena below.

Dracaena domestica - growing features

In translation - "female dragon", or "dragon", as written in Dahl's dictionary. In residential areas, mainly tree-like forms of dracaenas are grown, similar in appearance to cordylines. In floriculture literature, the dracaena flower is sometimes found under the definition “ false palm", because, despite its resemblance to a palm tree, dracaena is not actually a palm tree. The easiest to grow are Dracaena marginata, Dracaena Godseffiana and Dracaena draco - they are the least demanding. Other types of dracaena can be difficult to grow. Here are some of them:

• – try not to over-moisten the roots of the plant: the dracaena palm tree is more likely to tolerate dry soil and lack of air humidity than wet roots;
• – in summer it is better to keep dracaena in partial shade next to a south or west window;
• – if possible, take the plant out into the yard or onto the terrace in a shaded place;
• – optimal temperature for dracaena – 18-25 ºC in summer, in winter the room should be cooler, but not colder than 12 ºC;
• – in winter, dracaena needs brighter light than in summer;
• – in winter, when it works central heating, spray the dracaena twice a day, sometimes give it a warm shower.

Caring for dracaena at home

Botanical description of dracaena.

Dracaenas are very picturesque. According to various sources, there are from forty to three hundred types and forms of dracaenas. When young, their not particularly branched stems are densely covered with sessile lanceolate or wide leathery leaves - sometimes just green, sometimes variegated or with longitudinal stripes of white, pink or yellow color different widths. Over time, the dracaena trunk becomes bare, becomes woody, and the plant takes on a majestic appearance. In some dracaenas, the leaves form a bunch at the top of the stem, which makes the dracaenas really look like a palm tree; in other species, the leaves are arranged spirally or in whorls along the stem. The roots of dracaenas are club-shaped, without shoots, yellow-red when cut. Dracaenas grow very slowly and live a long time. IN room conditions almost never bloom, but if you are lucky, you will see panicles of pinkish or white fragrant flowers. The popularity of dracaena in indoor floriculture is explained by its unpretentiousness and exotic beauty. Dracaenas are used to decorate interiors as single plants; they are also good in compositions. Hotel lobbies and halls, company offices, winter gardens, huge shopping centers- here’s an approximate one, but not far full list rooms in which dracaena will be appropriate.

How to care for your home dracaena.

Type of subshrub. The trunk is short and thin, the leaves, compared to other species, are also short, twisted, and gray-green in color. The height of this compact plant is no more than 80 cm. It easily takes root in water. Does not require air spraying. This dracaena is also called the “bamboo of happiness.”

A plant with a pleasant aroma of flowers. The peduncle reaches 90 cm in height, the inflorescences are small fluffy balls. Unfortunately, in apartment conditions it almost never blooms. The leaves are collected in a rosette, the length of the leaf sometimes reaches 1 m, and the width is 10 cm, the leaves are glossy, with a wide yellow stripe.

- a variety of fragrant dracaena. This is an elegant plant with dark green, almost black narrow leaves, tightly collected in bunches. The leaves are so shiny, as if they were covered with varnish. Despite the name, this type of dracaena sometimes reaches large sizes, but this does not make it any less impressive and elegant.

A very catchy representative of the family that will decorate any interior. On a slender stem, sometimes reaching one and a half meters in height, sit large, bent leathery leaves of a dark green color, decorated with two longitudinal white stripes.

This tree looks like a huge cactus: bunches of sharp leaves grow on thick branches. This species grows slowly and sometimes branches. When damaged, it has the ability to secrete resinous juice, which is colorless at first, but when exposed to air it turns into blood-red “dragon’s blood.”

Dracaena reflexa, or Dracaena reflexa

- a densely leafy tall plant. The trunk branches, each branch has several leaf rosettes. The leaves are wide and long, pointed and curved downwards, olive green with a creamy edge.

very peculiar, it differs from other dracaenas so much that it is difficult to even believe that they are related to it. Firstly, the Godsefa dracaena reaches only 60 cm in height. Secondly, its leaves are oval, pointed, strewn with cream or white spots or specks on the upper side, for which it is popularly called “golden dracaena”.

All these species are attractive in their own way, and no matter what dracaena you decide to grow in your home, you will not regret it: dracaena does not cause any trouble, but looks both exotic and respectable. In addition, you will have a lot of time to get used to this plant and love it, because dracaena grows slowly, but the result will not disappoint you.

Dracaena - spectacular indoor flower, which is a rosette of elongated leaves of dark or light green color on a woody stem. Growing dracaena is a simple and enjoyable process, since the tropical exotic is unpretentious, lives 5-15 years, growing 1-2 m in height. While indoors, it purifies the air from harmful impurities: formaldehyde, toluene, ammonia emitted by linoleum, chipboard, and various low-quality synthetic materials used in interior decoration. Due to its property of purifying the air from pathogenic microbes and impurities, dracaena is recommended for decorating medical and children's institutions, apartments, and offices.

Indoor dracaena: types and names

The name of the flower means female dragon, the second name is dragon tree. The homeland of dracaena is Africa, but some species grow in the Canary Islands, the southern regions of Asia, and the tropical regions of Central America, where dracaena, according to Aztec legend, is called the tree of happiness. The oldest specimen of this tropical exotic grows in the Canary Islands, its age is 6000 years.

In nature, there are up to 150 species of dragon tree; the most popular in indoor floriculture are:

• Marginata or dracaena marginata is bicolor and tricolor;
• "Song of India" is distinguished by flexible shoots that are shaped in intricate ways, intertwining, twining or tying and a lush pale green crown;
• Sandera, also called “Lucky Bamboo” for the similarity of its young shoots to real bamboo;
• Deremskaya is distinguished by light green leaves with dark veins, white and light green borders along the edges;
• Canary forms a thick trunk, decorated with a gray-green tuft;
• Godsefa is characterized by spotted, oval-shaped leaves and a wavy edge;
• Goldena is highly decorative, thanks to dark transverse stripes on its wide leaves;
• The recurved one has thin branching shoots, curved elongated lanceolate leaves of olive color.

Attention! The dragon tree is sometimes confused with the cordyline tree. Distinguish between these houseplants You can look at the roots; the latter ones are white.

How to care for dracaena at home

The most popular species include Dracaena marginata, whose care is simple and pleasant. She, like most exotics, prefers good lighting, but does not tolerate direct exposure to the sun and drafts. The ideal place for dracaena bordered is an eastern or western window. Tolerates artificial light, partial shade, temperature 20-25° C in summer, 15° C in winter. The dragon tree will have an even trunk if it is periodically turned in different directions towards the light source.
For planting, use a soil mixture of equal portions of humus, turf soil, and sand. All types of this plant love abundant watering, but cannot tolerate stagnant water. In hot summers, dracaena fringe requires watering every 2 days. In winter, the amount of watering is reduced, since stagnant water combined with low temperatures lead to the death of the plant. Dracaena fringe does not tolerate dry air, requiring regular spraying, washing in the shower, and wiping off dust. In summer, spraying is carried out daily, in winter every 3-4 days.

From time to time, it is recommended to loosen the soil in which the dragon tree grows, and if it forms on the surface of the soil white plaque- he is being replaced.
The optimal time for fertilizing is spring-summer, the frequency of fertilizing is twice a month. Dracaena bordered is responsive to feeding by any complex fertilizers, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus.

Features of transplantation

Dracaena, which does not require much effort to care for at home, requires regular replanting to promote its longevity. It is easy to determine whether a plant requires replanting: a dragon tree 40 cm high corresponds to a pot with a diameter of 15 cm. Usually, replanting dracaena at home is carried out every 2 years. Young plants are replanted annually until they reach 3-4 years of age.

The purchased flower requires mandatory replanting and soil renewal.

When doing this, you need to slightly crush the transport container, then carefully remove the flower from the container without damaging the roots. Clean the roots from the old soil. Place drainage material at the bottom of the new pot: expanded clay, small pebbles, sprinkle some soil, for example, special soil for palm trees, place the plant, cover it with soil, leaving the root collar open. To speed up the engraftment process, it is watered every 2 weeks with the growth stimulator “Zircon”. The surface of the soil is covered with small pebbles and other decorative material.

Reproduction methods

How to propagate dracaena at home interests all fans of this plant. Indoor exotics reproduce most effectively:

• apical cuttings;
• stem segments;
• air layering;

The best period for breeding is the first two spring months. Reproduction in the summer-autumn period is fraught with a longer rooting process.

To propagate a dragon tree using the first method, you need to cut off its upper part, treat it with a root formation stimulator, stick it into nutrient-rich soil, and cover it with film. Twice a day, open the film slightly for 20 minutes for ventilation to avoid increasing humidity and rotting of the cuttings. During the period of root formation, the cuttings are not watered, but sprayed 3-5 times a day with warm, settled water. To speed up the formation of the root system, the cuttings are sprayed weekly with a weak solution of fertilizers.

In the second method of propagation, the stem is cut into segments with 2 buds, up to 7 cm long. Rooting is carried out by cutting the bark of the segments, sticking them into the soil, and covering them with film. Just like with the first method of propagation, regular ventilation and spraying are carried out.

The third method is quite labor-intensive and requires experience. After making a small cut on the trunk of the plant, strip it of bark. Place some wet peat in a plastic bag and tie it to the trunk so that the cut is inside the bag of peat. After some time, roots will grow at the site of the cut. When they appear, cut off the trunk below the roots and plant a new plant in the ground. After a certain period of time, new shoots will appear on the cut trunk.

The most difficult process of breeding dracaena is propagation by sowing seeds. The seeds are sown in a nutrient substrate and covered with film. The first shoots appear after 30-40 days. The complexity of the process lies in the fact that this tropical exotic blooms extremely rarely in indoor conditions, and it is very difficult to obtain seeds.

How to prune dracaena

Pruning helps to rejuvenate and form a branchy ornamental tree. Dracaena marginalata is completely unpretentious in care and pruning, so anyone can do it.

For pruning, plants from 30 cm in height are selected, the optimal time is spring-early summer.

Pruning is done with a sharp knife or garden pruning shears 5 cm below the base line of the lower leaves. The cut must be covered with wax or sprinkled with charcoal, and treated with Zircon growth stimulator. The cut parts are treated with the drug “Kornevin” and rooted in a pot, covered with polyethylene, periodically turning different sides towards the light source.
If necessary, pruning is carried out in winter or autumn.

When cutting other types of dracaena: Derema, bent - the cutting height is chosen arbitrarily. After making the cut, clear the trunk of leaves 10 cm below it, and carefully cover the cut itself with melted wax. Spray the stem with water, wrap it in wet sphagnum, securing it with a rubber band, leaving the waxed cut open. Place a plastic bag on top, opening it every 5 days for ventilation. As soon as new buds appear, the bag and sphagnum are removed.

Diseases, symptoms, treatment

Although Dracaena marginalata is unpretentious in care, if the rules are not followed, it is affected by pests: scale insects, thrips, spider mite.

Scale insects attack leaves and stems, which begin to turn yellow and slow down their growth. If no action is taken, the plant will die. In case of severe damage by scale insects, the flower is treated with the drug "Actellik", in case of minor damage - soap solution with the addition of vodka or alcohol.

Small black insects - thrips - infect the leaves, causing spots to form on them, and the dragon tree slows down its growth. A soap solution applied for 24 hours will help get rid of thrips, after which it is washed off. After a week, the treatment is repeated.

Spider mite infestation occurs due to increased dry air. Affected leaves turn yellow and fall off. Treating the flower with Fufan or Fitoverm will help get rid of the mite. Maintaining the required air humidity is a reliable prevention of spider mites.

Insufficient watering and increased dryness air can cause yellowing of the leaves, the appearance of brown spots, and their drying out.

Drafts and too low air temperatures also provoke the appearance of brown spots.

Direct hit from bright sunlight causes burns on dragon tree leaves. To avoid this, the flower is moved to another place or shaded.

Video

Dracaena marginalata, which is as easy to care for as other types of this exotic decorative flower, will become a real decoration of your home and office interior, bringing to it a refined atmosphere of the tropics.

Many gardeners love dracaena for its attractiveness and unpretentiousness, for its elongated leaves collected in rosettes; it looks like a palm tree and reminds of the hot south.

The “indoor palm tree” decorates many houses and apartments, and is also popular in offices. It is important to know how to care for dracaena at home.

Description of the plant

Dracaena flower is evergreen, belongs to the Asparagus family. Africa is considered its homeland, but it can also be found in the Canary Islands. Translated from Latin, the name means “female dragon.” In appearance it looks like a bush or tree. The stems are straight and dense, similar to a tree trunk, and the oblong leaves are collected at the top of the trunk into a rosette.

The oblong leaves are rich green in color, plain or with stripes of different colors. In appearance it is similar to a palm tree and can reach a height of 2-3 m when indoors.

Life expectancy at good care can reach 5-15 years. There are more than 150 species and varieties of dracaena.

Types of dracaena with photo and name

Up to 40 varieties of plants are grown indoors. They differ in the type of bush, the color and shape of the leaves, and the size of the plant. The most popular types of dracaena among gardeners are:

• Dracaena fringed. A tree-like plant with narrow, long leaves arranged in such a way that it looks like a disheveled hairstyle. The leaves are concentrated at the top; when they fall, an unusual pattern is formed on the central trunk. This type of plant grows up to 3 m.
  
• Dracaena Derema. It differs from other species in the color and shape of the leaves: they are wider and have white stripes. This makes the plant more attractive and unusual.
  
• Dracaena Sandera. This type of dracaena resembles bamboo in appearance. Its leaves are long, green with yellow stripes. For greater decorativeness, the stems of the plant are artificially twisted into a spiral. The stems are woven into baskets, trellises and other elements. In their usual form they are simple, erect stems.
  
• Dracaena Fragrant. This type of plant has a thick but unstable trunk, sometimes requiring support. The leaves are green and large, attached directly to the trunk. The plant strongly emits a wonderful aroma without even releasing the peduncle. The flower itself appears rarely and reaches one meter. When grown indoors, it practically does not bloom.
  
• Dragon tree. In nature it grows up to 20 m, but indoors it reaches 1.5 m. It has a hard stem-stem, like a tree. Its leaves are sword-shaped, green with a red edge.
  
• Dracaena marginata. The most common type in our homes. It has a tree-like smooth trunk and a rosette of green leaves with a red edge at the top. Grows up to two meters.
  

Each species has its own characteristics of care, so you should study the nuances before planting them.

Dracaena. Pruning and propagation. Video:

Caring for indoor dracaena

Although dracaena is an unpretentious plant and does not require much time for itself, every gardener should still know how to care for dracaena at home. The main advantage of the plant is the unusually colored leaves collected at the top of the trunk. In order for them to be juicy, bright, without dried out or yellowed areas, you need to properly care for the plant.

Flower pot

To plant a plant 50-80 cm high, you need a pot of size: diameter - 20 cm, height - 25 cm. It must be stable; a tall plant can easily be knocked over, but the pot must prevent this. Be sure to add a layer of expanded clay or other drainage material to the bottom of the pot. Dracaena roots need air supply.

Soil for dracaena

For good growth and the development of dracaena requires a neutral substrate with a pH of about 6. Ready soil Usually they sell it with the pH indicated, but if you prepare it yourself, you must then check it using indicator strips. The substrate can be prepared in two ways.

1. 3 parts earth, 2 parts peat and one sand.
2. 2 parts peat, one part humus and one part sand.

Room temperature

Since the plant’s homeland is a warm continent, it means it loves warmth. During the warm season, it is necessary to maintain the room temperature at least 19-25 °C. At lower temperatures, the plant grows poorly and may even die. She also does not like too dry air; it should be at least 50% humidity.

Illumination

Dracaena loves light, but does not tolerate direct sunlight. Especially on a hot afternoon, if the pot is in the sun, it will be better to shade it at this time.

For plants with variegated leaves, the western or eastern side of the room is best; they need more light. If it is located far from the window and artificial lighting, the top may become crooked.

How to water dracaena?

In summer, during the hot season, it needs to be watered once every two days. Do not let the soil in the pot dry out completely. The soil should be constantly moist, but not wet. It is necessary to frequently spray the leaves of the plant with soft water. When watering dracaena, you should ensure that the water in the pan does not stagnate. If you spray plants every day, then it appears on the leaves. limescale. Therefore, you need to frequently wipe the leaves from dust and plaque with a damp cloth.

Plant nutrition

Fertilizers need to be applied 2 times a month, this is in the summer months. It is better to alternate mineral and organic feeding. Add them along with water during watering. The plant does not like fluorine and chlorine, so you should pay attention to this when choosing a fertilizer.

How to care in winter?

If the plant is in warm room and in winter, you need to care for it almost like in summer. But better in winter place it in a room with a temperature no higher than 15 °C.

Then watering and spraying should be reduced and done once a week. In a warm room, water twice a week. In winter and autumn, dracaena does not need to be fed.

How to replant dracaena at home?

Replanting a plant is important for the decorative appearance of an adult dracaena. Transplantation is usually carried out into a larger and taller pot. It is necessary to put drainage material at the bottom of the new home; these can be ceramic fragments, expanded clay, pieces of polystyrene foam, or pebbles. It is necessary to carefully remove the plant from the old pot so as not to damage the root system.

Transplanting dracaena at home occurs as follows:

1. Place a layer of sand and a little soil on the drainage material in a new pot.
2. Place the plant in a pot, placing a ball of earth in the middle, and cover the sides with soil.
3. Water the soil in the pot.
4. Add the substrate, leaving 1.5 cm to the edge of the pot.
5. Compact the soil with your hands and sprinkle peat on top.

Up to three years, the plant must be replanted annually. In subsequent years, do this as it grows. But every year you need to change the pot upper layer soil to fresh. Care and replanting give the plant strength to grow and develop further.

How to prune dracaena for branching?

To get an attractive crown house plant, it needs to be trimmed on time and correctly. The procedure is also required for sanitary purposes to remove old shoots. To indoor palm tree did not reach the ceiling and did not break the stem, initial pruning of the plant is required. It is produced when the dracaena trunk reaches 30-40 cm. Here you need to trim the stem part at a certain height in order to maintain the compactness and beautiful appearance of the palm tree.

If the plant is allowed to grow and form unsightly branches of side shoots, then it needs to be pruned to give decorative look. It is necessary to cut off all lateral deformed shoots that look ugly.

In order for dracaena to produce new shoots, scheduled pruning must be carried out during active growth. Then the movement of plant sap occurs most favorably for the plant, it will not hurt.

In order for an indoor palm tree to branch better, it is necessary to carry out a standard pruning technique. Primary pruning is done when the trunk height reaches 30-40 cm. The top of the trunk is cut off with a sharp knife, and this area is treated with paraffin. Place the cut dracaena in a shaded place at a temperature of 24-25 °C.

Side shoots will appear at the top of the trunk 3 months after the procedure. All deformed shoots should also be pruned. To obtain a special decorative effect, it is necessary to cut off all the shoots at different heights. Also treat them with paraffin and special means to improve Zircon branching.

Dracaena fragrant: propagation, care, watering. Video:

Reproduction of dracaena at home

After the dracaena reaches enormous size, you need to start propagating it, otherwise it will lose its attractiveness. The easiest types of dracaena to propagate at home are Derema, Bordered and Sandera. This must be done in March-April, when plant growth processes are activated. When it comes to the question of how to propagate dracaena at home, there are two main methods: cuttings from the top of the plant and from stems.

Method of propagation by apical cuttings

Cut the apical stalk 10 cm long and place it in a bowl of water, placing pieces of charcoal on the bottom. Treat the cut on the plant with ash or the same coal, new shoots will come from it. Cover the container with the cutting with film and place it in a place with a temperature not lower than 20-22 °C.

It is necessary to open the film daily to ventilate the cuttings. It is necessary to change the water frequently by adding charcoal or activated carbon to it. The cutting takes a long time to take root - 3-4 weeks, and after 2 months several shoots form; they need to be transplanted into different flower pots.

Propagation by stem cuttings

If the top of the stem withers with age, then reproduction is carried out stem cuttings. A healthy stem of the plant is cut out; its diameter should be at least 2 cm. Cuttings are formed at least 20 cm long. Cuttings need to be cut with a sharp knife in the places where the leaves are attached to the stem. Then the cuttings can be rooted in two ways:

• Vertical. Bury the bottom of the cutting into suitable soil by 3 cm, and sprinkle on top with a layer of sand 6 cm thick. Water and fertilize the cutting; it does not need to be replanted into a new pot. First, the cuttings will take root in the sand, and then into the soil.
• Horizontal. Place the cutting in a prepared pot with a suitable substrate. Press it slightly into the soil and leave it to germinate at high humidity and a temperature of approximately 24 °C. At the stem, in contrast to the apical cutting, not only roots, but also shoots begin to form. As the shoots grow, the stem is destroyed as they feed on its nutrients. When the shoots begin to receive nutrition through the root system, they need to be transplanted into separate pots.

Propagation by seeds is done only by specialists. If you can find seeds, you must first soak them in warm water. After 5 days, sow them in a suitable container in moist soil. Grow seedlings in greenhouse conditions, that is, with a closed container. Care as for ordinary seedlings. The seeds of the plant take a very long time to germinate.

If a flower is kept at a temperature below 10 degrees for a long time, its leaves wither and fall off. At the same time, its root system also rots. This attitude towards the plant is unacceptable.

Infectious plant diseases include: Alternaria blight, heterosporiosis, phyllostictosis, bacteriosis. The first three fungal diseases are treated with fungicides. But bacteriosis of dracaena cannot be treated. The affected flower should be destroyed immediately.

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Dracaena is a tropical African plant. Due to the attractive, even exotic, for our places, appearance, has become popular with us. It fits perfectly into the interiors of offices and homes, and has many more positive qualities.

Dracaena is a shrub that consists of a rosette of leaves located on straight stems, which with age turn into a trunk (woody tissue). Dracaena, depending on age, can reach a height of 10 cm to 2-3 m.

Dracaena leaves are mostly bright Green colour, elongated from the base by 15 - 70 centimeters. At home, depending on the type of dracaena and the quality of care, it can live 10-15 years. She has proven herself to be unpretentious plant. Caring for it, if you follow the rules of care, does not cause much trouble.

Rules of care:

Lighting. Dracaena is a light-loving plant, but does not like direct sunlight. For her, diffused light is better. Dracaena species with dark green leaves require less light than variegated ones. Leaves lose their natural color when there is insufficient lighting.

Watering. It needs to be watered abundantly. The intensity of watering depends on the volume of the dish (flowerpot, pot), time of year, location.

It should be watered when the surface layer of soil dries out by 2-3 cm. It is preferable to water Dracaena systematically, preferably with filtered water or boiled water. Before watering, the top layer of soil must be loosened.

How to water in summer

Dracaena, in summer, is watered once every 2 days. If the leaves begin to wither, you need to increase the frequency of watering. Dracaena leaves, in summer, are sprayed with water at room temperature.

How to water in winter

Dracaena hibernates in winter; it needs to be watered once every 3 days. Watering time is determined by the dry outer layer of soil. If overwatered, the root system may rot.

Rules of care:

Feeding. Dracaena is fed only during its growth period - from late March to early autumn. Fertilizing is applied once every 2 weeks. To do this, it is better to use fertilizers offered flower shops. Such as: “Rainbow”, “Dracaena”, “Ideal”, “New Ideal”.

Air humidity. Dracaenas need moist air. There are also species that are resistant to dry air, these are: “Dracaena Godseph” and “Dracaena dragon”, other species need to be sprayed frequently.

Reproduction

Dracaenas are propagated in three ways:

1. Seeds;
2. Stem cuttings;
3. Layering from the top

Moreover, only green forms of dracaena reproduce by seeds; variegated dracaenas reproduce vegetatively.

Multiply, better in spring.

Detailed consideration of reproduction methods:

Seminal. Before planting, seeds are soaked in a special solution, for example, in “Zircon”, for 1 day, at a temperature of 23-28 degrees. Then sow them in special soil for palm plants.

After planting, water and place in a warm place, closing the containers plastic film. After 1-2 months, the seeds will germinate. The sprouts should not be exposed to direct sunlight. In the future, they only need to be watered and fed once a month. After the sprout becomes 5-6 centimeters long, it is transplanted into a permanent container.

Cuttings. To do this, you need to select a young strong stem, cut it into cuttings, 3 - 5 cm each. Each cutting must have at least 2 buds. On one side of the cutting, cut the bark and stick it into the prepared soil. Then put it in a warm place out of direct sunlight. The first shoots appear after 1-1.5 months. Young shoots must be periodically sprayed with water.

Layers from the top. To do this, you need to take a cutting (top) and place it in water at room temperature. I also put a tablet of activated carbon there. The cuttings will give roots in 3 months, and then they are transplanted into the ground.

Transfer

The longevity of dracaena depends on timely transplantation. It has a powerful root system, which, over time, becomes cramped in the pot. For a plant whose height is 40 centimeters, the diameter of the pot must be no less than 15 cm. If this condition is not met, the plant must be transplanted into another container.

When replanting, special soil for palm trees is used. When replanting, you need to put a little drainage at the bottom of the pot. After transplanting, be sure to water the plant.

Trimming

When pruning the dracaena trunk, the development of lateral buds is stimulated, and the branching process begins. Best time for this procedure - spring and early summer. You can trim plants whose height is no less than 30 cm. It is necessary to cut on the bare stem, below the last leaves, by 5 cm.

If the entire stem is covered with leaves, then you can trim it at your discretion. You just need to know that after pruning, the trunk will not grow. The cut site must be treated with activated carbon, powder, and then Zircon, and the dracaena itself must be placed in a warm place.

Diseases

The most common pests:

1. Spider mite- affects the leaves, the leaves become yellowish and begin to dry out. The tick appears mainly where the air is dry. To combat them - increase air humidity, spray plants, treat chemical preparation, for example, "Fufan".
2. Shchitovka- very quickly affects the plant from all sides. Lives on stems and leaves. After a scale insect attack, dracaena growth slows down and the leaves turn yellow. The plant may die if measures are not taken in time. Control methods - wash the leaves with a mixture of soap solution and vodka, if the plant is not severely damaged. If the dracaena is severely damaged, it must be treated, outdoors, "Aktellikom".
3. Thrips- tiny black insect. They start on leaves. Dracaena growth slows down, the leaves become covered with spots. To combat them, treat the leaves with soapy water, wash off after a day. If it doesn’t help, then repeat the procedure and install a trap for insects.

Now you know how to care for dracaena so that it always pleases your eye, while neatly fitting into the interior of your office or home.