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Dracaena (Dracaena) from the Asparagus family lives in nature in tropical regions, as well as subtropics of Europe. There are more than 100 species of trees and shrubs of this genus in the world. In indoor floriculture, of course, a limited number of species are used, but they all differ in their spectacular appearance and unpretentiousness, which is characteristic of succulent plants (1).
An ancient Aztec legend speaks well of the nature of the dracaena.
The warrior asked for the leader’s daughter as his wife. To which the father said: take a stick, stick it in the soil, water it, if after 5 days leaves appear on it, I will give my daughter. The warrior took a stick of dracaena, stuck it in and … happily married. This is probably why the dracaena is called the “tree of happiness.”
Types of dracaena home
Of the huge number of species of dracaena in indoor floriculture, mainly 4 species are used – Godsef’s dracaena, Sander’s dracaena, fragrant dracaena and bordered dracaena. These are the most unpretentious species.
Dracaena bordered (Dracaena marginata). This spectacular evergreen at home grows up to 3 m. It has narrow leaves up to 70 cm long, most often dark green with a narrow beet-brown border around the edge. With very good care and ideal conditions, dracaena can throw out umbrella inflorescences with small white flowers with a strong aroma. They open only at night (2).
This species has several interesting varieties:
- Bicolor (Bicolor) – with bright green leaves with a pink stripe.
- Colorama – her leaves are green on the underside, and almost completely burgundy on the top, the green color is barely visible.
- Magenta – with bright green leaves with a red stripe.
- Tricolor (Tricolor) – with leaves with a red-yellow stripe.
Dracaena Sandera (Dracaenasanderiana). Lucky Bamboo (Bamboo of happiness) – this type of dracaena is sold under this name. As a rule, this is not a separate plant, but a composition of several stems with leaves at the top.
Dracaena Sandera grows up to 1 m in height. It is a slender shrub with a bright green trunk. The branches grow vertically, silvery leaves with a wavy edge 3-4 cm wide and 26 cm long look like a lancet.
This species also has several interesting varieties:
- Golden lotus (Golden Lotus) – with striped yellowish leaves;
- Lucky Gold – with light green leaves and a yellow border;
- Moonlight (Moon Shine) – with green leaves with white and silver stripes;
- White – with original white leaves with a wide light green stripe in the middle;
- Celes – it is this variety with simple green leaves that is sold under the name Lucky Bamboo.
Dracaena Godseffiana (Dracaena Godseffiana). This species is often called the “golden dracaena” and outwardly it is very different from others. Its height is only 60 cm, the leaf plates are oval with sharp tops and a very original color: green with many white or cream spots. Moreover, the leaves are soft and smooth to the touch. This original appearance often leads to Godsef’s dracaena being confused with aucuba and even dieffenbachia.
The shrub grows rapidly in breadth due to active branching. Young plants quite often bloom with small, pleasantly smelling yellowish-green flowers.
This species loves diffused light, but in the shade it quickly loses the original color of the leaves.
The most popular varieties:
- Milky Way – the most common variety with leaves in light specks and a white stripe in the center;
- Janita (Juanita) – with green leaves with a blurry pattern of cream spots and a narrow white stripe in the center;
- Florida Beauty (Florida Beauty) – with cream spots on the leaves and a yellow stripe in the center.
Dracaena fragrant (Dracaena fragrans). This dracaena is very popular with flower growers; it is decorated with offices and foyers of public buildings. With good care, it grows up to 2 m. Long, hanging, slightly curved leaves are collected in a rosette. They are glossy, green with wide stripes. The length of the leaves can reach 1 m with a width of 10 cm. In nature and greenhouses, fragrant dracaena blooms very effectively, exuding the aroma of honey and hay. However, in room conditions it is impossible to achieve flowering.
It is believed that this type of dracaena most effectively cleans indoor air from benzene, trichlorethylene and formaldehyde.
The most popular varieties:
- Massangeana (Massangeana) – with variegated leaves and a wide yellow stripe in the center of each leaf;
- Варнески (Werneckii) – with bright green leaves with a wide white border;
- Malayan (Malaika) – a compact plant (leaf length does not exceed 40 cm) with light green leaves, with a green stripe in the center, a white border turning into dark green;
- Janet Craig – a large shrub up to 2 m high with dark green, as if ribbed leaves more than 30 cm long.
Dracaena care at home
When growing dracaena, it is important to remember that these are plants of the tropics. Therefore, for normal development, they need a temperature of +18 … +25 ° С, and in winter, during the dormant period, they need a temperature not lower than +12 ° С, but not higher than +18 ° С.
Ground
Dracaena prefers soils with an acidic or slightly acidic reaction. They should be fertile, well-drained, but fairly heavy. You can use ready-made soil for palm trees.
Or make it yourself from soddy soil, leaf humus, clay and coarse sand or perlite (1: 1: 1: 1: 1). When transplanting adult plants (over 4 years old), the proportion of humus is increased to 3 parts.
Lighting
Most species and varieties can grow not only in diffused light, but also in the shade, but the color of the leaves in the latter case will be less bright.
The best place for a pot with dracaena is the window sill of a south or west window.
Humidity
Most varieties of dracaena are drought-resistant, but the beautiful shape and bright color of the leaves, good development depend on high-quality watering. Watering should be carried out regularly after the soil dries to a depth of 2 – 3 cm.
Dracaena respond very well to regular spraying with soft water. In summer, it is advisable to arrange a warm shower once every 1 to 7 days.
During the dormant period, in winter, watering is reduced to 1 time per month.
fertilizers
When planting or transplanting dracaena into the soil, you can add a complex mineral fertilizer for decorative leafy plants. Do not use ash and fertilizers with a high calcium content.
Feeding
Dracaena is fertilized in the period from April to September 1 time in 14 – 15 days.
– If it is not possible to regularly feed the dracaena, I advise you to use fertilizer sticks – 2 – 4 pieces per pot, depending on the size of the plant for 2 months, – advises the collector of indoor plants Elizaveta Starostina.
Trimming
Dracaena grows on its own only upwards, while the lower leaves die off and expose the trunk. To make it look like a beautiful tree or a lush bush, formative pruning is carried out. As a rule, the first pruning is carried out at a height of 30 cm. Not all species need to adjust the height of the plant, most often pruning of the top is practiced in marginal dracaena, reflex dracaena and fragrant dracaena.
If the dracaena is multi-stemmed, then the trunks are trimmed at different heights.
The cut site is treated with a growth stimulator, and then protected with garden pitch or wax. In order to wake up the maximum number of buds, the tops of the cut trunks are wrapped with moss and plastic wrap, in which several punctures are made with a needle.
After pruning, several buds form on the trunk. If they are placed symmetrically, then everyone leaves them; if they are too close to each other, then the smallest and weakest ones are plucked out.
The best time for shaping pruning is April or the first half of May. After pruning, the plants are placed in a bright place with an air temperature of + 25 ° C and regularly sprayed with soft warm water.
In addition to forming pruning, sanitary pruning is also used. First of all, it is needed on the eve of winter and early spring in order to remove the dried parts of the leaf blades, since even in this form they take away part of the nutrition from the plant as a whole.
Reproduction of dracaena at home
Growing from seeds is a lengthy process and rarely gives a good result. But dracaena is easily propagated by apical cuttings and stem pieces.
Cuttings. For propagation by cuttings, it is important to have a very sharp knife, small pots with a light substrate, a bright place with a temperature of + 25 ° C.
The cuttings are cut from a bare stem, choosing the areas where the leaves used to grow (that is, the cut is made above or below the internode), the cuts are dusted with a root formation stimulator, laid flat in the ground, pouring 2 cm of soil on top. A pot with a cutting for a month is covered with a jar or a plastic bag. As soon as shoots appear from the ground, the shelter is removed and plants begin to grow for further planting in pots.
Cuttings from a bare stem can be placed in a glass of water and a drop of Zircon, and when the rudiments of roots appear, planted in pots with a light substrate.
The tops of the shoots. You can also propagate dracaena by rooting the tops of the shoots that remain after pruning adult plants. The lower cut is powdered with Kornevin, deepened 2-4 cm into light soil, the plant is covered with a plastic bag with several punctures and placed in a bright, warm place for rooting. As soon as new leaves begin to grow, the plant can be transplanted into a pot.
Similarly rooted and lateral shoots, which are formed from the buds after pruning.
Dracaena transplant at home
The best time to transplant is spring. The first time the dracaena is transplanted a month after the purchase. The pot is taken more than 2 cm in diameter. Then the transplant is done every 2 – 3 years, increasing the volume of the pot and refreshing the soil. However, every spring the topsoil is renewed.
Before transplanting, the plants are not watered for 4 days. The earthen lump is taken out carefully, the roots are examined, the damaged ones are removed, the sections are dusted with ash. Between the earthy clod and the walls of the pot should be 1,5 – 2 cm.
Drainage holes and drainage in the form of expanded clay or pebbles are required.
If the plant is large and old, then it is better to use the transshipment method, carefully preserving the earthen clod. For larger plants, buy a stable glass pot.
– If the dracaena develops poorly, or you find root rotting, urgently transplant. Even in winter, – recommends collector Elizaveta Starostina. “This is the surest way to save the plant.
Diseases of dracaena home
Alternaria. It appears as dry spots with a light center on leaves and stems. Gradually, the affected tissue turns black.
The disease is suppressed by spraying with copper-containing fungicides or Fundazol. Treatment of diseased plants is carried out 3 times with an interval of 10 days.
Tomato spotted wilt virus. Infected plants begin to lag behind in growth, young leaves are deformed, brown longitudinal lines and spots appear on them.
It is not subject to treatment – the plants are destroyed.
Phyllostictosis. It infects the leaves, leaving large pale brown spots on them with a yellowish-green border, which dry out quickly.
Topaz and Oksihom fungicides are used to protect the plant.
Homemade dracaena pests
Mealybug. It attacks leaves and stems and can be recognized by its cottony, waxy discharge.
Plants must be washed under the shower, using a soapy solution. Then spray with Aktara or Aktellik preparations (3). Repeat the treatment after 10-14 days.
Spider mite. It populates the plant if the room has dry and warm air. In the light, punctures on the leaves are visible, with a large number of pests, cobwebs are visible.
Plants are sprayed twice with an interval of 14 days with Acarin, Bicol or Fitoverm (3).
Thrips. These are small insects that settle on the underside of the leaves and feed on the juices of the plant. The leaves become a grayish-brown hue with a silvery sheen.
It is necessary to spray the plants with Aktellik 2-3 times.
Shchitovka. It affects leaves, trunk and branches, oppressing the plant.
Insects are removed with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. The plant is then washed with soapy water. The remains of scale insects are destroyed with Actellik.
Popular questions and answers
We asked about gardenia houseplant collector Elizaveta Starostina – she answered the most popular questions of flower growers.
– the natural aging process;
– lack or excess of moisture;
– diseases or pests.
Sources of
- Ivanina L.I. Dracaenaceae family / Plant life: in 6 volumes // M .: Education, 1982.
- Huxley A. New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. – 2: 96-97 // Macmillan, 1992
- State catalog of pesticides and agrochemicals approved for use on the territory of the Federation as of July 6, 2021 // Ministry of Agriculture of the Federation https://mcx.gov.ru/ministry/departments/departament-rastenievodstva-mekhanizatsii-khimizatsii- i-zashchity-rasteniy/industry-information/info-gosudarstvennaya-usluga-po-gosudarstvennoy-registratsii-pestitsidov-i-agrokhimikatov/