How to plant dracaena at home: all the methods

September 13, 2019
Houseplants
Svetlana Pavlova

Dracaena is a popular plant among indoor flower lovers. It does not require complex care, pleases with beautiful greenery and grows quickly. With rapid development, the flower often loses its decorative effect, the trunk becomes greatly elongated, it becomes exposed, and the leaves remain only at the top. But it’s easy for him to regain his former attractiveness. In this article we will look at how to plant dracaena at home using different methods.

General characteristics of the plant

Dracaena belongs to the Asparagus family. The plant is a succulent shrub native to South America. The local population is convinced that a dracaena branch, which is cut at midnight during the full moon, brings good luck in love affairs. Ten species are used for growing in apartments. They grow quickly and it is often necessary to plant dracaena at home.

The plant is sometimes called false palm. It has long and narrow leaves, the ends of which are curved down. The trunks of young dracaenas are flexible. For the composition, several plants are planted in a pot, intertwining them with each other.

Features of transplantation

Dracaena can be grown at home for decades. With the constant development of the root system, the container becomes cramped over time. The appearance of the flower deteriorates due to lack of nutrients and requires replanting. How to plant dracaena at home? This event requires compliance with the following rules:

The diameter of the new container should be 2.5 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. It is better to take a container that is not wide, so that new roots do not actively form, but the vegetative mass increases.
The plant will require loose, nutritious soil. To prepare soil at home, take turf soil, humus, peat and sand in equal proportions. It is first calcined in the oven.
Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the container.
When transferring into a new container, carefully inspect the root system, removing damaged shoots.
The substrate near the trunk is compacted and moderate watering is done.

Young plants require annual replanting, and adults - as the root system increases.

When does dracaena need a transplant?

How to plant a dracaena flower if you really want to propagate it is described in detail above. But there are times when you just need to rejuvenate the plant and encourage it to grow further. Knowing how to plant dracaena correctly and when to do it, you can grow a wonderful, healthy shrub.

The optimal time for transplantation will be February–March. At this time, the flower wakes up after winter, and its vital processes also awaken. At this time, transplantation will not be too stressful for the flower.

Several cases when it is recommended to plant dracaena:

The flower needs a change of pot. The roots of the plant have grown greatly, and the shoots are exposed from the soil - it’s time to choose a larger pot for the dracaena and update the soil. This way the plant will have more free space, which means it will grow.
Replanting a purchased plant. As a rule, indoor flowers are sold in plastic containers that are not intended for long-term flower growing. Also, the soil in the pot may not be of the highest quality; it is better to replace it yourself.
You will have to plant the dracaena if the flower is flooded with water and the roots begin to rot.

Planting dracaena

Often young plants in a flower shop sell several copies in one container. As they grow, each of them is transplanted into a separate container. This procedure is best carried out in the spring. Before transplanting, it is necessary to prepare the correct substrate. Ready-made mixtures for palms and cacti are well suited for dracaenas. How to plant dracaena at home, a photo of which is presented in the article? For this:

Before replanting, moisten the soil abundantly;
remove the group planting from the container without destroying the earthen ball;
carefully, without damaging the roots, disassemble a group of plants into individual specimens;
fill the pots with soil, first placing drainage on the bottom;
Compact the substrate around the plant and water with warm, settled water.

Place the transplanted flowers in a bright place, avoid direct sunlight.

How to properly propagate Dracaena marginata marginata at home step by step: photo

Dracaena marginata got its name due to the special color of the leaves: long leaves of a dark green color with a narrow red stripe along the edges, which seems to border the leaf. The “home palm” looks impressive and can reach 1.5 meters and higher in height. It is unpretentious in care: it likes abundant watering, does not like stagnant moisture, dry air and small pots. It takes root well in offices, apartments, houses with good diffused lighting and humidity above 65%. Loves frequent spraying and baths.

Dracaena will perfectly decorate the interior

Now let's talk directly about plant propagation. Dracaena Marginata marginata reproduces well by cuttings (apical and stem). Step-by-step description of dracaena propagation:

Use a sharp knife to cut off the top of the plant or a piece of the stem.
Dry the cut for one to two days by wrapping the cutting in a paper towel or gauze. Then treat with a product that stimulates root formation.
Place in purified and settled water for a month. During this time, the plant will produce roots and can be transplanted into the ground.
You can skip the third point and immediately plant the cuttings in the prepared soil, having previously treated the cut with a composition that stimulates root formation.

This simple algorithm will help you propagate Dracaena Marginata.

Dracaena loves spraying from a spray bottle

You can see a clear demonstration of the propagation of a domestic palm tree in the following photo. Sometimes it is also recommended to wrap the cuttings in a plastic bag until they are completely rooted, leaving space for the leaves to grow.

Photo example of dracaena propagation

How to update dracaena?

The houseplant can grow very tall. But due to lack of light and volume of the pot, the leaves begin to fade, the shoots become thin and small. In addition, in mature dracaenas the lower part of the trunk becomes bare. In this case, they resort to flower rejuvenation. How to breed dracaena? There are several ways to get offspring from dracaena. In an apartment or office, the plant is propagated:

Apical cuttings - used for very elongated plants. Shortening the top promotes the development of lateral shoots.
Stem cuttings - unsuccessfully grown shoots are removed and cuttings are cut from them, this makes the dracaena tidier.
Air layering is a longer method than the first two. Three cuttings are obtained from one plant, and they take root quickly.
Seeds are the most difficult way. It is very difficult to obtain seeds at home; dracaena blooms in captivity in exceptional cases. But, if you purchased successful seeds, it is possible to get many young plants at once.

To grow a new flower, everyone chooses the most suitable method on their own.

How to properly propagate Dracaena derema at home step by step: photo

Another indoor beauty is Dracaena dereme. The plant has wide and long (up to 50 cm) green leaves with white and yellow stripes. It blooms with red flowers, but flowering indoors is extremely rare. Perhaps this is a plus, because these flowers do not smell very pleasant. It does not grow as tall a tree as Dracaena Marginata, but nevertheless it looks no less presentable.

Reproduction occurs in several ways:

air layering
apical cuttings
stem cuttings

This is what Dracaena derema looks like.
We will tell you in more detail about the method of propagation by air layering later in the article. Unfortunately, the plant does not reproduce by individual leaves. This is the lot of most succulents and violets. For a plant to take root, it needs to have at least 5 cm of stem, and ideally 10-15. Then the plant will definitely take root.

Important! If you purchased any type of dracaena in the store, be sure to first transplant it into a larger pot. This way the plant will grow and you can quickly wait until the age when the flower can be propagated by cuttings.

This type of dracaena is loved for its decorative effect.

Several dracaenas placed in a box form a real “palm grove”

Breeding Tips

The most favorable period for propagation of the dracaena palm is considered to be the beginning of April, when the plant begins active growth after the winter period. At this time, the rooting process is especially fast. If you omitted this point, then young plants can be grown at any other time, but reproduction will not take place so quickly. The winter period is no exception. The only thing you need to remember is to turn on artificial lighting and it is advisable to add additional heating.

Trimming time

When can you prune dracaena?

Favorable time for pruning is April and May . This is a period of active growth during which sap flow begins. During these months, phytohormones are actively produced: cytokinins and auxins, which contribute to the rapid growth of lateral shoots. The wound after pruning in the spring will quickly heal.

Is it possible to prune dracaena in winter and summer?

In the summer and winter months it is not recommended to form a crown. These are periods of rest when all processes in the plant slow down. New buds may not appear for a long time after pruning and the wound on the cut will take a long time to heal. Pruning during this period is a lot of stress for the flower .

ATTENTION! Winter pruning is allowed in emergency cases when the stem of the plant is broken.

Reproduction by apical cuttings: algorithm of actions

How to plant dracaena at home using cuttings? This method of breeding is often called crown propagation. The plant must be developed and have a leafy crown. The process is quite simple and convenient. To do this, you should adhere to the following algorithm:

Cut off the top with a sharp knife, previously heated over fire or wiped with alcohol.
Treat the cuttings with Kornevin.
Place in water for rooting or in damp sand.
How to propagate dracaena from an old plant? To get new tops on the mother plant, leave a stump of about 6 cm. Sprinkle the cut with activated carbon and cover with a bottle. Ventilate and water occasionally; over time, a new plant with several tops will appear.

The cutting for rooting must be without damage to the bark and free from stains and cracks.

Rooting of the top will go faster if:

Change the water every two to three days to prevent rotting.
Dissolve an activated carbon tablet in water for disinfection.
When rooting in sand, the soil needs to be slightly moistened.
Keep the container with the plant in a bright place, without direct sunlight.
Make a greenhouse for the plant from transparent material and ventilate it daily.
It is advisable to spray the leaves with a palm fertilizer solution.

Following the recommendations, an adult plant grows from the top very quickly.

Propagation by stem cuttings

How to plant dracaena at home? In some situations, for some reason the plant looks very bad and dies, but there are still parts of the stems that are suitable for growing a new flower. In this case, it is quite appropriate to apply the method of propagating dracaena using stem cuttings. To do this, select that part of the stem that does not contain cracks or surface damage, and cut cuttings about five centimeters in size. It is better to make a cut in the places where the leaves are attached. Each cutting must contain at least two buds. Rooting is carried out in sand in two ways:

Vertical - cuttings are planted vertically, one end is buried three centimeters in the sand.
Horizontal - chopped stems are laid horizontally on the substrate and pressed a little, without deepening completely. In this case, two or more new dracaenas appear.

With such rooting, the soil, consisting of sand, is always kept moist. The optimal air temperature in the apartment is twenty-five degrees. Roots begin to appear after two months.

How to properly propagate Lemon Lime dracaena at home step by step: photo

A bright and spectacular plant is the dracaena variety Lemon (Lemon) Lime. It looks especially appropriate on window sills with diffused light, kitchen tables and transparent coffee tables.

Lemon Lime is an initially small bush with many bright green leaves with thick yellow and white stripes. After a few years, the plant usually becomes very elongated, exposing the stem. At this stage, you can think about how to propagate this type of dracaena.

Lemon Lime at its best

Methods for propagating dracaena Lemon Lime:

cuttings
tops

There are no special features in this case, just do as described in the article. For cuttings, it is recommended to take a stem about 20-30 cm in size. This way the plant will definitely take root in a new place.

The flower grows up to a meter tall

Tips for propagating dracaena varieties Lemon Lime:

use growth stimulants
during rooting, the plant is placed in a container with water and coarse sand at the bottom (at least 4-5 cm)
after rooting, place in the ground (mixture of sand and peat 1:1)
It is large cuttings that produce roots, so do not be afraid to prune the plant

Dracaena Lemon Lime is loved by flower growers

Caring for cuttings

How to plant dracaena correctly? When rooting cuttings, it is necessary to monitor their development. The first sign that they have roots is the beginning of their growth. In the apical leaves, new leaves grow, and in the stem leaves, the buds swell, from which young shoots appear. With confident growth of the cuttings, the time they spend in the open air is gradually increased, i.e., without the film, and then it is removed completely. We should not forget about the humidity of the air in the room and the substrate in the container. Rooted cuttings will require bright lighting, but without direct sunlight. For cuttings that germinate in water, the water is changed after two to three days.

Choosing a pot

How to plant dracaena without the right pot? This point should not be left without due attention.

Ceramic pots are best suited for dracaena. This pot allows water to pass through well, which is what this indoor flower needs.

Of course, you can use a plastic pot, but then you need to monitor the watering regime more carefully. The soil in a plastic pot will take longer to dry than in a ceramic one, so it should never be over-moistened.

The pot size should not be too large. If the plant is too spacious, it will begin to intensively grow the root system, and there will be no strength left for the above-ground part. It is better to choose a pot 2-3 cm larger than the previous one.

Reproduction by air layering

This method is ideal for obtaining young plants if the dracaena has grown very tall. It is recommended for use by experienced flower growers. Let's look at how to plant dracaena at home step by step, using layering:

Prepare nylon thread, sphagnum moss and a plastic bag in advance.
Determined by the height of the seedling.
The required distance is measured from the top, the plant is cleared of leaves and a small cut is made under the leaf scar, with a depth to the middle of the trunk.
A wooden or plastic object is inserted into the incision: a match, a toothpick or a small plate so that it does not become overgrown.
Wet moss is wrapped around the trunk, covered with a bag and tied.
Make sure the moss is always damp.
When the roots have grown strongly, the bag is removed, the shoot is separated from the mother tree and transplanted into a small pot.
Make a small greenhouse by covering the flower with a glass container. After a few days it can be removed.

Air layering with roots takes root very quickly.

How to properly propagate fragrant dracaena at home step by step: photo

If the dracaena derema during flowering does not give off the most pleasant smell, then lovers of floral scents will be delighted with the smell of fragrant dracaena flowers. Small flowers open in the evening and bloom until the morning, filling everything around them with a dizzying aroma.

Warning! Since the flower is a strong-smelling flower, it is not recommended to place it in bedrooms. Also, people with allergies to flowering plants should be extremely careful with fragrant dracaena.

Fragrant dracaena during the flowering period
This type of dracaena reproduces in the same way as the others. At the site where the cuttings are cut, several daughter shoots usually grow within a few months. Thus, with regular pruning, you can get a plant with developed foliage.

In the small fragrant dracaena, the trunk does not become woody, but remains completely covered with leaves for some time. Only after a few years can you notice a kind of bark in the places where the leaves used to grow.

This is how fragrant dracaena grows

In a couple of decades, the plant can grow to impressive sizes.

Dracaena fragrant in the photo is about 15 years old

Propagation by seeds

In very rare cases, dracaena blooms indoors and it is even possible to collect the seeds. But it should be borne in mind that they rarely ripen and have poor germination. How to plant dracaena at home using seeds? It is best to purchase planting material from a flower shop so that the seeds have good germination. In this case, it is easier to grow a varietal plant. They are sown early - in late February or early March. The soil is prepared for the substrate by mixing equal proportions of sand and turf soil. To grow you need:

soak the seeds in a solution of a growth stimulator;
plant in the ground at a distance of 5 cm from each other;
Cover the top of the container with film;
after germination, feed the soil and constantly moisten the soil;
plant the plants in separate pots when they reach five centimeters.

This method of growing dracaena takes from two to three months.

Possible problems associated with pruning

After pruning, in some cases the buds never wake up. It is necessary to re-prun, making cuts a few centimeters lower than the previous ones.
The cut site in one or more areas (central trunk and side shoots) begins to rot. Immediately you need to re-prun, removing all rotten parts.
Some buds are stunted in growth. You can activate their development by spraying the emerging shoots with urea (aqueous solution of urea - 1 g/l) or make an aqueous solution of a growth regulator by adding microfertilizer (2 drops of epin + 2 drops of cytovit per 250 ml of water). Zircon is more suitable for stimulating flowering. After the procedure, carefully blot with a napkin so that the solution does not stagnate in the axils of the shoots and does not cause burns to the plant.

Growing a plant similar to a palm tree at home is not difficult - dracaena is undemanding in care. The owner needs attention and timely watering, proper lighting and timely pruning. .

Author: Oksana Mazur
Print

A teacher by training. My hobby is growing flowers. I try to experiment in the selection of garden and indoor plants (irises, Saintpaulias). I share my experience with the viewers of my channel on You Tube. Rate this article:

(79 votes, average: 3.8 out of 5)
Share with your friends!

Seedling care

How to plant dracaena at home? Seedlings grown from dracaena seeds require careful care. It is very susceptible to watering; the soil must be constantly moist. Its drying out causes the death of young plants. And waterlogged soil leads to fungal diseases and root rotting. In addition, tropical plants need humidified air. Seedlings require constant spraying. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that water does not get into the axils of the leaves, otherwise they will rot. Next to the containers, it is best to place containers filled with water and pebbles, which will gradually evaporate and increase the humidity in the room. It is advisable to place plants on eastern windows.

Indoor dracaena flower - replanting, watering, fertilizing and care after propagation

Dracaena is quite unpretentious. Does not require constant attention, expressed in constant feeding or frequent transplants. You need to replant the plant once a year if it is young. An adult and old plant is replanted as the roots grow every 2-3 years. Watering is moderate. Dracaenas really do not like damp soil and stagnant moisture in the pan. The soil must be moist. However, some types of dracaenas still love water and can grow in it. For example, Dracaena Sandera.

It should be fertilized with a special fertilizer for dracaenas, or for bamboo. It depends on what type of plant you choose. In any case, the fertilizer must contain the following substances:

nitrogen
copper
potassium
calcium
magnesium
sulfur
phosphorus
boron

The list can be supplemented with other useful elements.

4 types of dracaenas: fragrant, marginata, Derema, lemon lime

The best option is the following fertilizer application schedule:

in the spring-summer period 1 time per month
in the autumn-winter period 1 time per season

After breeding, care is standard.

Possible problems when propagating dracaenas

Despite the fact that dracaena is a very unpretentious indoor flower, even experienced gardeners make some typical mistakes that lead to the death of the plant. The most common are:

Excessive watering - you should not over-water the soil ball, nor should you over-dry it. Young plants are very sensitive to excess moisture; the roots can rot and they will die.
Using used containers for transplanting and rooting contributes to the spread of infection. When propagating dracaenas, try to use only new pots.
Keeping a flower under a film for a long time requires constant ventilation and weaning of the plant from the greenhouse.

Compliance with all rules leads to successful reproduction.

Methods and rules for crown formation

To form the crown of dracaenas, there are two pruning methods.

Sanitary and preventive pruning

With this method, diseased, damaged leaves and shoots are removed.

Most flower diseases appear due to improper care : overwatering, dry air, drafts.
This is immediately reflected in the leaves, which begin to turn yellow, dry out and fall off.

The stem quickly becomes bare and the plant becomes unattractive. Therefore, ten days after treating the flower with fungicides, it is possible to prune.

The purpose of pruning is to prevent further spread of the disease and remove damaged leaves and shoots.

Decorative pruning

Aimed at forming dracaena of a beautiful shape, with leafy shoots.

How to understand that you need to pinch the top to get side shoots:

the plant has grown almost to the ceiling and has become too tall, making it difficult to care for;
shoots become deformed and take on an ugly shape;
the plant has only one trunk, which is bare and looks unattractive.

How to prune dracaena correctly:

the plant must be healthy , free from pests;
Do not combine replanting and pruning the plant ; the interval between these procedures is up to two months.

Items needed for pruning:

sphagnum moss - has a loose structure, is able to absorb and retain moisture;
garden varnish - will protect the wound from leakage of juice and from infection;
sharp pruning shears or knife - to obtain an even cut.