All types of dracaenas - ideal plants for home keeping. They are able to grow both on bright south-eastern window sills and in the back of the room under artificial light. They also have no special requirements for soil composition and room humidity.
Most species of these palms grow very tall in nature. As they grow, the lower leaves age and fall off, the stem gradually becomes bare and the plant loses its decorative appearance. Therefore, pruning of dracaena is necessary to obtain side shoots.
What types of dracaena need to be pruned?
Among the variety of dracaenas, there are varieties that require regular pruning. These are the varieties Reflexa, Surculose, and Fragrant.
Dracaena Reflexa
In nature, it is a huge tree up to 10 m tall. In home floriculture, it is grown as a bush up to 1 m in height. The plant has brightly colored, pointed leaves, up to 20 cm, and thick, powerful stems. Foliage color ranges from dark to light shades of green, with beige or yellow stripes.
Dracaena Surculosa (Surculosa)
New shoots grow out of the ground. IN room conditions reaches a height of 1.5 meters. This species grows well in width, and the number of shoots in the pot increases quickly. The leaves are oval, with a pointed edge.
Several subspecies of this dracaena have different foliage colors. Juicy bright green leaves are covered with yellow, white, cream or light green spots of different diameters.
Dracaena fragrant (Fragrans)
In nature it reaches a height of six meters. At home grows up to 1.5–2 meters. Bright, glossy leaves 60 cm long tightly cover the erect stem. The color of the leaves is plain, dark green or with light stripes.
Trimming time
When can you prune dracaena?
Favorable time for pruning - 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 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 - great stress for the flower.
ATTENTION! Winter pruning is allowed in emergency cases when the stem of the plant is broken.
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: overflow, dry air, drafts.
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:
Items needed for pruning:
- sphagnum moss - has a loose structure, capable of absorbing and retaining moisture;
- garden varnish - will protect the wound from leakage of juice and from infection;
- sharp pruning shears or knife - to obtain an even cut.
Step-by-step instructions for crown formation
How to prune dracaena at home without harming the plant? Let's consider the main stages of how to form a crown:
ADVICE! It is advisable to trim the stems at different heights. As the side shoots grow, tufts of greenery will form along the entire length of the plant. The bush will look voluminous and fluffy.
Caring for dracaena after pruning
After pruning the dracaena, it is advisable to create comfortable conditions:
- A month after pruning, the dracaena should have new side shoots. During this period, remove the greenhouse from the flower and move the pot to a permanent place.
- Room humidity - 75%; air temperature - up to 25 °
- Lighting. Ensure a uniform supply of diffused sunlight.
- Periodically turn the pot with the plant so that the shoots do not reach towards the light and develop evenly.
- Make sure the soil is constantly moist, but do not allow it to overflow.
- Spray the crown once a day with settled or filtered water.
- A stream of water is a fine spray that will evenly moisten the entire surface of the sheet. Once a week add “Epin” or “Zircon” to stimulate the growth of new shoots.
IMPORTANT! Make sure that water does not get into the rosettes of leaves during sprinkling. This will protect the plant from trunk rot.
Dracaena tolerates pruning well and allows the formation of a fluffy crown. With the help of simple pruning, the aesthetics can be easily maintained. appearance and a beautiful plant shape is formed.
It will not be possible to grow a false palm tree, also known as dracaena, at home if you do not know the technique of pruning the plant. This operation must be carried out regularly - this helps renew the foliage and allows you to prevent or timely cure plant diseases. By pruning, a neatly shaped crown is created, thanks to which the plant decorates any home.
Dracaena care - general points
Dracaena itself is an undemanding plant to care for, and largely because of this, it is so common among those who like to work with flowers. The Marginata, Godsepha and Dragonwood varieties take root especially well at home.
Dracaena has many varieties, most of them are easy to care for.
Table: maintenance of dracaena throughout the year
What else you need to know about dracaena:
- Before watering, it is recommended to thoroughly loosen the soil around the trunk and check to what depth the soil has dried. If drying out has not reached a depth of 2–3 cm, you need to wait with watering. It is better to underwater than to overwater the plant. Varieties with wide leaves have a large evaporation area and therefore require abundant watering.
- Variegated dracaena species need very good lighting. They will feel more comfortable on a south window. In summer, dracaena can be taken out into an open room, but protected from the wind and scorching sun: on a bay window, balcony, loggia, terrace.
- All dracaenas are afraid of drafts and direct sunlight, despite their African origin. Contamination should also be avoided by wiping the leaves with a damp soft cloth.
- For less injury to the plant during transplantation experienced flower growers They use the transshipment method (transplantation while preserving the old soil). Dracaenas under 5 years of age must be replanted every year, then once every two to three years.
Self-pruning dracaena - how to do it right
Pruning itself is stressful for the plant, and if it is done during a period of pronounced dormancy from October to January inclusive, it is doubly painful. The plant is weakened, the healing of cuts and the appearance of side shoots occurs much more slowly, and even the death of the plant is possible during the rehabilitation period. Nevertheless, pruning must be done, but best time for this operation - the period from early spring to early autumn, during the growth phase, when the cut sites heal better and faster and dormant buds awaken.
In order not to further injure the plant, pruning must be carried out on time and correctly.
There are several reasons for pruning dracaena:
- aging of the plant, the need for rejuvenation;
- deformation of dracaena, the need to give the crown shape;
- propagation of dracaena by transplanting shoots;
- disease prevention, pest treatment.
Pruning to produce side shoots
If you purchased a young plant with one trunk, and it is of sufficient length - at least 30 cm to the point where the leaves form - it can be pruned for the purpose of branching. To do this, 10 cm is cut from the top of the dracaena. After the procedure, two to five new shoots may form on the trunk. It is customary to leave three strong shoots so that they are freely located on the stem.
Pruning for branching
It is carried out in cases where the leaves of the dracaena fall off and it is necessary to return its lush and elegant crown. If there are 2-3 branches on the trunk, cut off the tops of each of them at the same height, leaving only 2-3 hatched dormant buds.
If you trim the shoots at different heights, you can get a beautiful multi-tiered plant.
How to make a dracaena bonsai
Growing dracaena using the bonsai technique is possible in principle, but is associated with great difficulties. Dracaena grows quickly, and some of its species have large leaves, so it will not make a real dwarf tree - although you can try to imitate the Japanese technique.
You can achieve the desired result if you ensure uniform development of the root system and foliage.
You need to take a plant with a short trunk (no higher than 30 cm) and a developed crown, remove it from the pot and trim the roots by about a third. Transplant the plant into a suitable flat container with drainage. The root collar remains 1–2 cm above the soil level. After 2–3 weeks, you can begin to form the crown. Trimming the top and side shoots are further operations that are performed according to growth and the desired result. The roots are pruned once every two years. To create additional shoots, the so-called tops, lignified shoots are cut off near the trunk. This procedure helps thicken the trunk below the cut branches. Excess shoots are removed from the trunk.
You need to trim dracaena with a sterile instrument.
- Take a sterile sharp knife and determine the cutting location at the desired height, not lower than 30 cm from the soil on the central trunk and side branches. You need to plan the cut at the level at which the plant will have access to light.
- Make the cut carefully and evenly. Immediately after the operation, treat with garden pitch, melted wax or crushed activated carbon. This procedure is done so that the inner layer of the trunk does not dry out.
- If there are leaves at a distance of 10 cm or more from the cut, remove them to reduce the area of evaporation and speed up the growth of side shoots.
- To better awaken dormant buds, treat the stem at a level of 15 cm from the cut with a growth stimulator. An aqueous solution of epin, charkor, cytokinin paste, etc. is suitable.
- Wrap the trunk around the cut 15 cm with damp moss. The cut remains open.
- Cover the plant with a plastic bag to create the required temperature and humidity. The best option: temperature 25 o C and air humidity 75%.
- Water the plant generously and place it in a shaded place.
Video: pruning and shaping the dracaena crown
Features of care after pruning
After pruning, the dracaena is watered 2-3 times a week through a tray, since in order to maintain a stable microclimate and until new seedlings appear, the bag is not removed. The stem is sprayed with water 3–4 times a week room temperature. Once a week, the moss, if any, is moistened and the trunk is inspected. Immediately after the buds have hatched on the trunk, the cellophane is removed and the pot is transferred to the light.
Pruning dracaena can be sanitary and decorative. In the first case, rotten and dried parts of the bush are removed, as well as leaves and roots damaged by insects or mold. In the second, part of the mother trunk is cut off to stimulate the growth of side shoots and leaves. The crown of the dracaena becomes thick and lush. Removal of diseased and healthy parts of an ornamental bush is carried out with the right tool and in strict certain time, otherwise the plant will weaken and die.
Spring or autumn
Pruning shoots is stressful for dracaena. The plant needs time to heal its wounds and recover. Removal is not carried out in the autumn and winter months. Around October, the ornamental bush prepares for hibernation and cold weather. If you deprive it of part of the mother trunk, the immunity of the exotic flower will weaken, and it will become an ideal target for attack by fungi and insects. The exception is sanitary pruning. Rotten and dried leaves, as well as branches, are removed at any time of the year to protect the bush from further spread of infection.
Decorative pruning is carried out in mid-spring. Sometimes the procedure is postponed to May or early June. Dracaena, awakening from winter sleep, actively grows and produces a lot of sap. Any damage quickly heals, and fresh buds form in place of the removed mother trunk.
It is not recommended to prune dracaena in the middle or end of summer, when the air temperature rises and humidity drops. The earth is in a hill and root system constantly dry out, the flower becomes vulnerable. Dracaena, weakened by heat, after removing the shoots, will not be able to resist spider mites and other pests.
In winter, decorative bushes with broken tops are pruned. If part of the trunk has fallen off due to mechanical damage, the remaining wound is trimmed with a sharp knife or scissors. Torn edges slow down and complicate healing. But when pruned in winter, dracaena is provided with adequate watering, proper lighting and nutrition.
Tools
The ornamental bush is unpretentious and hardy, but even it can die if bacteria or rust from a knife gets into the wound. Indoor palm pruning is carried out with clean and sharpened tools. Pruning shears, regular scissors or a kitchen knife will do. Wear medical gloves or rubber ones for washing dishes. During the procedure, sterile cotton wool and a bottle of antiseptic should be on hand:
- peroxides;
- ethyl alcohol;
- tinctures of calendula or eucalyptus;
- Chlorhexidine.
If nothing suitable is found, use vodka. The blade of the tool is wiped with an antiseptic after removing each part of the plant. It is forbidden to use rusty or dull knives that cannot cut the shoot the first time. Poor quality tools injure the plant, slowing down its recovery. After not correct pruning deformed shoots are formed.
An open wound is an ideal environment for bacteria to multiply. A fresh cut must be sprinkled with activated charcoal or charcoal. The preparation has antiseptic and drying properties.
Coal powder is replaced with a paraffin candle. Melted wax cauterizes wounds and protects against infection by germs. After treatment with paraffin, the cut area is wrapped in moss. Sphagnum has a porous structure, due to which it retains moisture and creates favorable conditions for the formation of healthy and strong buds.
Healing is accelerated by growth stimulants. Make-up is added to the water for spraying. The most common preparation intended for the treatment of dracaenas is called “Zircon”.
Step-by-step instruction
An ornamental bush is pruned when:
- it has one stem with few leaves;
- young shoots are deformed;
- plant height exceeds 2–2.5 m.
10–15 cm retreat from the top of the dracaena. More is possible if the owner of the plant needs a neat and squat flower. The main thing is to leave a stump that protrudes 20–25 cm above the substrate.
Instruments are disinfected immediately before the procedure. Using a sharp pruner, remove the selected part of the ornamental bush. If you were unable to cut off the mother trunk the first time, you should not break it with your hands. The parts that have not separated from the flower are cut off with a sharpened knife. A sharp blade leaves smooth wounds without ragged edges.
The next step is to clear the remaining stem of leaves. They retreat 10 cm from the stump, leaving only the bark. The buds, shoots and leaves growing in this section are removed with a knife.
Gardeners who choose charcoal or activated carbon as an antiseptic grind it in a mortar in advance. Powder is generously sprinkled on a fresh cut. The treatment can be repeated several times until the dracaena wound dries out.
If, instead of activated carbon, the owner of the flower opted for a paraffin candle, he will need not only a lighter, but also a disposable plastic knife. The cutlery allows you to control where the melted wax ends up. Droplets of liquid paraffin leave burns on the leaves of dracaena. The lower part of the plant, on which the greenery remains, can be covered with a plastic bag. The cover is removed after cauterization.
Sphagnum moss is wound around the dried cut. A thick layer of moss is secured to the trunk with rubber bands or ribbons. A plastic bag is placed on top and the edges are tied around the appendix. The polyethylene cover is removed once a week so that the mother trunk has access to oxygen.
The bag and sphagnum create a damp tropical climate, which stimulates the growth of new buds. The first shoots look like small droplets or peas. If they appear on the stem, the dracaena no longer needs moss and a plastic cover.
The ornamental bush spends a lot of liquid when forming buds. The substrate in which the dracaena lives is moistened daily with a spray bottle. A few drops of growth stimulator are added to the water. After the shoots appear, the feed is removed.
Care after pruning
The removed parts of the dracaena do not have to be thrown away. The blanks can be sprouted in a glass of warm water or a container with sphagnum moss. Sprouts that have acquired their own roots are planted in a pot in which the mother stem lives, or in a new small flowerpot.
After decorative pruning, dracaena is hidden from direct ultraviolet radiation. Indoor flower restored in semi-darkness at a temperature of +24–26 degrees. Until the cut site is healed, it is forbidden to add fertilizers to the water for irrigation. The exception is the growth stimulator.
The decorative bush, on which young shoots have formed, is returned to the southern windowsill. sunlight stimulates kidney growth. To ensure that the shoots develop evenly, the pot is periodically turned clockwise. Thanks to this, the sun will hit all parts of the bush. If the shoots are deformed due to incorrect light conditions, they are pruned next spring or summer so that straight specimens with dense foliage grow in place of ugly branches.
Dracaena belongs to the group of unpretentious and hardy indoor flowers. But even such a strong plant needs care and timely pruning. Removal of the stem is carried out with clean and sharp instruments, and after the procedure, antiseptics are used. Coal and paraffin protect dracaena from infection, and sphagnum and fertilizers stimulate the appearance of new shoots.
Video: pruning and propagation of dracaena
Pruning is an important element of plant care at home. It is simply necessary to prune dracaena that has grown to the ceiling. The main goal of such care is to form the correct beautiful appearance of the aerial part. In order for the plant to have an attractive crown, it needs to be pruned correctly and on time. Care rules are common for all types of indoor false palms. The same recommendations can be applied to bamboo and fragrant dracaena.
- maintaining compactness;
- giving an attractive appearance;
- sanitary purposes.
- trunk break;
- rotting or damage to the stem by pests.
- when calculating the height of the trunk, you need to take into account comfortable lighting of future side shoots;
- In order for new shoots to appear, all conditions must be provided.
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Important reasons
In some cases, pruning dracaena is vital. Among the main reasons it should be noted:
An indoor dracaena that has grown too tall often breaks off. To avoid this, many gardeners advise doing initial pruning. The plant should not be allowed to grow tall. With a trunk length of 30–40 cm, it is necessary to prune the dracaena. This will preserve the beauty and compactness of the indoor flower.
In addition, pruning is necessary for a plant that initially had the correct crown, but it has grown and lost its attractiveness. A sick plant needs similar care. In this case, flower growers recommend removing all rotten and dry parts. After such a procedure, the plant may lose its attractiveness for for a long time. However, this will save the dracaena from death.
Features of pruning at home
Flower shops offer the buyer already branched dracaena. At the very beginning of growth, the top of the plant is cut off, thereby forming two or three side shoots. This procedure is carried out in greenhouse conditions.
The formation of the crown of a decorative dracaena after purchase falls on the shoulders of the florist. Pinching and pruning must be done as correctly and regularly as possible. This procedure must be carried out on a healthy plant.
All affected areas on a diseased plant are cut off to eliminate the possibility of further rotting and infection.
Pruning period
Due to the fact that the dormant buds on dracaena are arranged in a spiral shape, new side shoots can be obtained almost anywhere in the cut. Pruning the dracaena trunk must be carried out during the period of active growth, that is, in spring - summer. During this period, maximum movement of plant juices is observed.
In winter, pruning can only be done in exceptional cases:
If the dracaena breaks off, then the cut should be made below the break.
Getting side shoots
At home, you can achieve the formation of a beautiful crown with the help of proper pruning. To do this, you need to take a clean, sharp knife, cut off the top and treat the cut area with paraffin. Many gardeners seal the cut using a regular candle. After this, the plant should be placed in a dark place where the temperature is kept between 21–25 degrees. Don't expect any side shoots anytime soon. As a rule, new side branches begin to grow only 2-3 months after pruning.
Pruning also needs to be done on a plant that has a formed crown, but has grown. If the side shoots of the dracaena grow too long, you need to cut them all off. The cut should be made at a height of 20–30 cm from the main stem of the plant.
Pruning the side branches of dracaena at different heights will give a result that will delight you with its unusualness and non-standard nature. It is imperative to remember that all sections must be treated with paraffin. This will prevent the plant from rotting. Sometimes, instead of paraffin, you can use crushed charcoal or use a special paraffin for plants. The areas of the trunk where branching is planned must be treated with Zircon. It activates the branching process.
In Dracaena fringe, shoots can sprout not only at the cut site. The marginant variety allows you to obtain lateral branches in one area from the cutting site.
Pruning rules
When cutting the stem indoor plant There are several important points to consider:
You need to trim the bare section of the trunk. When pruning, you should never squeeze the trunk. Cut off branches or trunk can be divided into cuttings of 7–10 cm. Each of them will subsequently produce a new plant. The cuts must be even.
There are plants that have many leaves on the trunk, but due to improper lighting, the stem is crooked and unattractive. In this case, you need to remove all the leaves on the trunk, exposing an area of 10–15 cm. Then prune the dracaena.
IN artificial conditions Dracaena grows for 13–15 years. The shoots of some of its species can stretch up to half a meter in 6 months. The leaves live for about a year, and then dry out and fall off, exposing the lower part of the trunk. Over time, the plant loses its decorative effect, turning into something like a palm tree. In this regard, many flower owners are interested in how to prune dracaena for branching.
Dracaenas offered for sale in specialized stores already have a formed crown. The task of the gardener who bought such a plant is to maintain its decorative appearance by carrying out scheduled pruning.
When propagating dracaena at home, the crown is formed independently, adhering to certain principles:
- The first pruning is carried out when the plant reaches a height of at least 30 cm from the soil level to the point of growth of the upper leaves.
- All manipulations are carried out with a well-sharpened instrument and only clean material is used. The cuts are made evenly, without squeezing the tissue. Breaking off parts of the shoot is unacceptable.
- Pruning to form a crown is carried out during the beginning of the active growing season and only on a healthy plant.
- Pruning should not be combined with replanting, as this can lead to the loss of the flower. The minimum interval between these procedures should be at least 2 months.
The best time to prune a plant
Pruning of dracaena is carried out in the spring, in April or May, during the activation of all life processes of the plant.
This promotes faster healing of wounds and the growth of new shoots.
However, there are times when a plant needs emergency pruning. For example, a flower is damaged by pests or part of a shoot breaks off. In these and similar cases, emergency sanitary pruning is carried out. When carrying out this process, special attention is paid to caring for the plant after pruning.
How to prune dracaena for branching
At self-cultivation For dracaena, it is important to carry out the first pruning on time and correctly, designed to begin the formation of the crown.
It consists of carrying out several simple steps, as a result of which the top of the dracaena is removed:
- On the stem of the plant, mark the location of the cut, taking into account that young shoots will appear lower.
- Make an even cross-section with a quick movement.
- The released juice is dried with a porous material and treated with garden pitch or paraffin. The shoots of some types of dracaenas have leaves below the cut point. They are removed, exposing a section of the trunk of 10–15 cm.
- The leafless area below the cut is treated with a solution of a drug that stimulates growth processes, for example, “Zircon” and covered with moist sphagnum. The moss is fixed on top with any waterproof material. It will not only hold the sphagnum layer in place, but will also help maintain its moisture.
- To create greenhouse conditions, a transparent plastic bag is placed on the cut part of the shoot, simulating a greenhouse, and the plant itself is placed at air temperatures from 22 to 27 ° C in a slightly darkened place.
Caring for young dracaena after the first pruning, before the appearance of lateral shoots, consists of regularly moistening the soil, which is best done from below, through a tray, and weekly airing of the part of the flower covered with a bag.
The lateral buds take quite a long time to wake up - 2 – 3 months. After they swell and peck, the moss is removed, leaving an improvised greenhouse to preserve the microclimate. New shoots will develop from most of the formed buds, so their number is adjusted according to the grower’s plans.
Pruning to produce side shoots
When shoots at least 30 cm long develop from the lateral buds of the dracaena, they are shortened again, stimulating the growth of lateral branches.
Acquired formed plants are subject to a similar procedure.
They are formed according to the same principles and rules as the first pruning, additionally taking into account 2 factors:
- Side shoots are cut at different (from 15 to 30 cm) heights from the main stem. This will allow you to form a more voluminous crown.
- Harmonious development of shoots is possible only if they are illuminated evenly, so the plant is periodically rotated around its axis.
Pruning rules for propagation at home
Dracaena pruning is carried out not only to form the crown, but also to prepare cuttings used for vegetative propagation of the flower.
- The tips of shoots ending in leaf rosettes from 15 to 30 cm long are used as apical cuttings.
- Stem cuttings, or chibouks, are cut from elongated and, as a rule, bare parts of shoots 7–10 cm long.
Pruning in order to obtain cuttings is carried out in the spring, following the principles and technology of formative pruning.
Caring for dracaena after pruning
A month after pruning, the side shoots will become sufficiently strong. The greenhouse can be removed and the flower moved to a permanent place. Caring for dracaena after pruning consists of timely, regular watering, spraying of shoots and fertilizing.
- After pruning, the plant is sensitive to lack of moisture and waterlogging, so it is important to observe correct mode watering, preventing the earthen clod from completely drying out and water from stagnating in the pan.
- Dracaena gratefully responds to irrigating leaves and shoots with water, which is carried out to increase air humidity, as a hygienic procedure and as foliar feeding, once a week irrigating the shoots with water with the addition of mineral supplements and preparations that stimulate shoot growth.
- After the crown is formed, the plant grows actively, requiring an increased amount of nutrients, so it would be appropriate to carry out root feeding, which involves alternating the use of mineral and organic fertilizers. In summer they are applied once every 2 weeks; in winter, once a month is sufficient.
Proper and timely pruning of dracaena, as well as good subsequent care, will allow you to obtain a plant with a lush decorative crown, which will delight others with its beauty for many years.
