Dracaena: how to prune for branching and side shoots at home. How to prune dracaena correctly to get a beautiful plant

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Having exotic types of indoor plants in the house, it is important not only to take good care of them, but also to maintain the formed beautiful bush. Otherwise, it will simply lose its decorative appearance. Such plants include dracaena. Tree forms of it are grown in apartments and offices. It looks like a palm tree, although it is not one.

Description of the plant

– beautiful flower. It has many forms that differ in appearance. The stems of young plants cannot branch much; they are strewn with either lanceolate or leathery leaves. Their coloring can be monochromatic green and variegated, on which there are stripes of different widths of white or Pink colour. Over time, the stem gradually begins to become woody and bare. Dropping occurs every two years lower leaves. As a result, after some period, the leaves will be located only in the upper part.

The root system of the plant is club-shaped. There is no growth on it. The growth of the dracaena crown is slow. Life expectancy is long. Seeing dracaena blooming at home is rare. It practically does not bloom indoors. Well, if you are lucky, you will see a fragrant panicle of white or pink flowers.

Growing a plant

Caring for dracaena at home is not difficult; it is quite unpretentious. It is used to decorate the interior of a room, as the flower has an exotic appearance. The plant is provided favorable conditions in compliance with each rule:

light sunny place without direct sun exposure;
temperature regime in summer time from 18 to 25 degrees, and in winter not lower than 12 degrees;
regular watering, avoid excessive moisture of the roots, the plant does not tolerate it well and may die;
feeding up to two times a month with mineral fertilizers;
formation of dracaena;
spraying and warm shower V winter period.

The only question owners have when growing a plant will always be how to properly prune dracaena, since its decorative effect still depends on the foliage.

Trimming

Very often in flower shops you can buy a plant that was formed in greenhouse conditions. In addition to the main trunk, it contains branches with developed foliage. If you were sold a flower with one shoot, then additional branching can be achieved by pruning exotic dracaena at home. This procedure will stimulate the production of side shoots, which may later be useful for propagating the plant by cuttings.

The purchased flower must acclimatize well, so it is not recommended to immediately begin the procedure of forming shoots, otherwise the dracaena will begin to hurt after such pruning. Let's figure out how to prune dracaena and what requirements must be observed.

The trunk of the plant contains many dormant buds, which are arranged on it in a spiral. This property of the flower allows you to get new additional shoots. Pruning works best during sap flow, which occurs during the period of active growth. But there are exceptions - breaking off the stem. In this case, the cut is made under the break line.

Young plants are pruned randomly before reaching two years of age. Their trunk has not yet begun to become bare. Therefore, pruning is carried out for decorative look. At this point you should be sure that the dracaena is healthy.

If you need to branch a flower well, then you will need some tips:

The top of the dracaena, which grows in a pot, is cut off with a sharp object.
The wound is not sprinkled with anything and is not cauterized.
Water the plant well and cover the pot with film.
The covered pot is placed in a sunny place in the room.
Subsequent waterings are carried out in the tray without opening the pot to avoid changes in the temperature inside the bag.
The appearance of shoots is possible only at a temperature of 20-25 degrees and a humidity of 70-75%. Only in this case, new buds will appear in a month, a maximum of one and a half.
Try not to over-water the dracaena to prevent rotting of the root system and thereby cause the death of the flower.

The buds that hatch will not all survive. Many will dry up. The strongest will remain. They will produce lush foliage. Due to the fact that buds can appear anywhere on the stem, the flower will become multi-tiered.

Dracaena can be pruned this way many times.

Many years ago, a tropical guest named dracaena appeared in our homes. The variety of representatives of this genus will satisfy the taste of any plant lover. There are varieties with narrow, medium-wide or wide leaves, plain or colored, with thin and thicker trunks... Elegant and graceful, it reveals its attractiveness only with proper care and formation. Main difficulty when forming dracaena, prune the plant so as to achieve branching, as well as obtain side shoots at home.

Features of growing dracaena at home

Dracaenas prefer to grow in a well-lit room, and variegated varieties will retain their color in a brighter place, green-leaved varieties feel good away from a light source, but not in dense shade.

These plants need to be watered abundantly when 3–5 centimeters dry out. upper layer soil. Dracaenas do not like waterlogging, but they respond well to spraying the crown. The best temperature for their development: in summer 20–25 °C, in winter 16–18 °C. Dracaenas are undemanding in terms of soil composition, but they develop best if the soil mixture consists of turf, sand and peat in a 2:1:1 ratio. A drainage layer is required at the bottom of the pot.

Feed the plant every two weeks during the growing season, alternating a solution of organic and mineral fertilizers. During the cold season, dracaenas enter a period of relative rest. It is necessary to reduce watering and stop fertilizing.

How to prune and re-shape a plant

With all the variety of forms and varieties of dracaenas, they have general feature: the trunk grows in height and branches extremely rarely.

Why prune dracaena:

To improve appearance and increase decorativeness, dracaena is rejuvenated - elongated shoots are shortened by pruning. Since the peculiarity of the plant is the falling of the lower leaves of the crown during fairly rapid growth, often elongated shoots take on an unsightly appearance (they become bent, deformed, etc.);
to form a lush crown. Along the entire trunk of the dracaena there are dormant buds that are invisible to us. Removing part of the trunk stimulates the awakening of such buds just under the cut; side shoots will appear from them, which, when they grow up, will increase the mass of leaves. By increasing the number of shoots, a more luxuriant crown is formed;
for growing multi-stemmed plants and simulating bonsai. In this case, the trunk is cut closer to the ground or at a low height, and then over the years the crown is formed;
to preserve the plant. If the dracaena fell and broke or got sick and began to die rapidly, to save at least parts of the plant, the tops or parts of the branches are cut off and rooted;
for reproduction. Apical and stem, in addition, stem are capable of releasing lateral shoots from dormant buds.

Reasons for cutting a flower

The plant owner mainly relies on own opinion and taste. If, from your point of view, the dracaena has reached a significant height, has a bare trunk with a tuft of leaves on the top and has lost its former attractiveness, you want to renew and rejuvenate the plant or get a multi-stemmed dracaena specimen instead of a single-stemmed one, then by pruning you can adjust the height of the plant, the density of the crown and the whole appearance.

When should you prune?

Eat important rule: this procedure is carried out exclusively on healthy plants and only during the period of active growth - in spring or summer. The fact is that during the growing season, the plant body produces special substances for the construction of new cells and for the successful healing of wounds. In winter, during low temperatures and decreasing intensity sunlight, it is very difficult for the plant to endure such stress. And weakened plants may even die.

The only exceptions are emergency cases. For example, when the dracaena is broken or the top (trunk) is damaged (rots), or if its top rests against the ceiling, then urgent pruning is allowed. In this case, you will need to pay additional attention to caring for the plant so that the dormant buds of the dracaena can safely germinate.

Any special in-depth knowledge for self-execution no trimming required. It is advisable to simply have an idea of the process.

What happens if you pinch (cut) a dracaena; Is it possible to trim the top, shorten part of the trunk, cut off the leaves?

Some plant lovers unknowingly call docking or pinching the separation of the top of a dracaena. In fact, these plants are not pinched, but cut. They do this in order to subsequently root the part separated from the mother’s body and get a new plant.

You can cut off not only the top. They often resort to shortening the trunk. Parts of the trunk 12–15 cm long are capable of producing new shoots from dormant buds.

Dracaena leaves should not be trimmed. It is in the leaves of plants that substances are formed for the construction of new cells and tissues. Part of the crown is removed only on the cut cuttings if it is completely leafy.

Imitation bonsai from dracaena

Real bonsai takes decades to grow and is a form of art. An imitation bonsai is formed from dracaena using pruning, and this process will also take more than one year.

Getting a thick trunk

The main task is to grow a thick trunk. Since dracaena trunks grow in thickness rather reluctantly, it is necessary to provide optimal conditions for growth. The first is bright diffused light, the second is a temperature from 18 to 25 °C, the third is watering as the soil dries out, the fourth is fertilizing. It is imperative to monitor the combination of these conditions. That is, the lighter, the warmer and more humid. When the light decreases, you need to lower the temperature and reduce watering, this will prevent the plant from stretching in height.

How to form a tree

After 3–5 years, when the dracaena trunk at a height of 10–15 cm from the ground reaches a diameter of 4–5 cm, the trunk is trimmed. With proper care, several new shoots will grow below the cut point. Now these shoots will grow in height, and the trunk will thicken a little. In the future, everything depends on the imagination of the grower. After some time, you can cut new trunks closer to the place of the first cut or further from it, on one or on different levels, then repeat pruning on all branches or selectively so that the dracaena can grow.

In this way, an original cascading multi-stemmed version of dracaena, reminiscent of a bonsai, is created.

Photo gallery: growing dracaena bonsai

It will take several years to grow an imitation bonsai from dracaena. Cascading multi-stemmed dracaena imitates bonsai. Dracaenas formed in this way also resemble bonsai.

How to form an “indoor palm tree” - step-by-step instructions

Dracaena can grow at home for a very long time. Wherein evergreen grows at the top, while the lower part of the stem becomes bare. IN step by step instructions Let's look at how to prune dracaena to get side shoots.

Preparation for the procedure

Two to three days before the planned pruning, it is advisable to carry out preparations that will allow the plant to safely endure this procedure and successfully grow new shoots.

First, you need to water the plant so that by the time of pruning the soil has absorbed the bulk of the moisture, but the lump has not yet had time to dry out.

Secondly, spray the ground part of the dracaena with the anti-stress drug “Epin”. This will help the plant produce special substances to successfully overcome the state of shock and the rapid growth of new shoots.

Preparing the plant for pruning

Prepare the dracaena that you intend to trim. Place it in a well-lit place and at a level that makes it convenient to work. Check that the trunk or trunks on which the cuts are to be made are clean. If these areas are dirty, wipe with a clean cloth.

And it’s time for this plant to be pruned.

Flower shaping tool

To make the cut you will need pruning shears or a sharp knife. The pruning procedure, although quite simple, is still an operation, and therefore is carried out under sterile conditions. Pre-disinfect the tool blade with alcohol. The sharpness of the cutting edges affects the cleanliness of the cut: it should be smooth, without jagged edges. Then it is more likely that apical stalk it will take root rather than rot, and the wound on the trunk will heal faster.

Slice processing

A fresh cut on the trunk should be treated to avoid infection. For this purpose, it is advisable to have a special antifungal drug (for example, Topsin-M) or a substance that can replace it. At home, crushed activated carbon or cinnamon will perform such functions. Garden varnish is needed to cover the wound. This technique prevents drying of the tissues adjacent to the cut site. Instead of garden pitch, you can use a wax or paraffin candle at home.

Photo gallery: means for processing dracaena cut

The cut sites should be treated with an antifungal drug
Garden varnish is needed to cover plant wounds Treating the cut area with paraffin

How to make an incision correctly

Decide on the location of the cut. Before cutting off part of the dracaena, take a close look at it, imagine what it will look like when it sprouts several new branches at the top of the remaining stem, and then decide at what height the part of the plant will be cut off.

First you need to decide on the location of the cut.

The cut should be smooth. Do it in one motion.

Place the cut off crown of the plant for rooting. If it is all covered with leaves, cut the leaves at a quarter or third of the height of the cutting. Place in a glass of water and add the tablet. activated carbon or a small piece of charcoal to block the development of pathogenic microorganisms and rotting of the cuttings.

If the cut part of the plant is quite long, 20 cm or more, you can divide it into several parts 12–15 cm long, process the upper cuts in the manner described above, and also place them in a container with water for rooting, and then plant them in the ground.

In about a month, roots will appear on the cuttings

Feeding to stimulate the germination of dormant buds

After three to four days, when the plant overcomes the shock state after pruning, it is necessary to feed the plant at the root and along the stem with fertilizer with a high nitrogen content. This fertilizing is carried out after watering to prevent burns to the roots. Easiest to use ammonium nitrate at the rate of a teaspoon per three liters of water. But if possible, it is better to use a specialized fertilizer with an improved composition Plantafol in a ratio of 30:10:10.

Feeding is repeated every 2 weeks for 2–3 months, until new shoots reach a length of 4–6 cm.

Caring for dracaena after pruning

Since the plant suffered surgery, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for a speedy recovery:

Provide dracaena comfortable temperature in the range of 20–24 °C.
Provide the plant with a bright place protected from direct sunlight. If pruning took place in autumn - winter, it is necessary to add additional lighting to the plant fluorescent lamps that you use at home to total length daylight hours was at least 12 hours.
Carefully monitor soil moisture. When the top layer of soil dries 4–6 cm, water with warm soft water or a solution with fertilizer.
Dracaena loves high humidity air. Don’t forget to spray its crown with water at room temperature.
For uniform development of the crown, do not forget to periodically slightly rotate the container with the plant in relation to the light source.

Possible problems associated with pruning

Any organism in a state of stress, which also includes the removal of part of a plant, becomes more vulnerable to adverse factors. After the pruning procedure, you should treat the plant with increased attention for several months.

Be more careful with watering. It is necessary to prevent overflow and drying out of the earthen coma. Since dracaena lacks a crown or part of it, the plant cannot absorb as much moisture as before. When overwatered, the roots have no way to breathe. But the soil should not dry out, since the plant needs strength to germinate new buds.

Protect dracaena from drafts. Temperature changes are dangerous for a weakened plant.

The main goal is to prevent illness

Once a week, carefully inspect the above-ground part of the plant. Pests and diseases are more likely to settle on a weakened plant than on a healthy one. If insects are detected, it is necessary to treat the trunk and the remaining part of the crown with an insecticide, for example, Agravertin, as soon as possible. If the crown remains on the dracaena and spots of different colors appear on the leaves, your plant has been attacked by pathogenic microflora. In this case, spray the plant with one of the fungicides (Topsin-M, Fundazol). Processing chemicals should be carried out in non-residential premises twice with an interval of 7–10 days.

Root update

Occasionally feel the stem and branches of the dracaena. A decrease in tissue elasticity indicates problems with the root system. You need to remove the dracaena from the pot and check the condition of the roots. Cut off hollow, darkened and dead roots, replant the dracaena into fresh soil, using the root formation stimulator “Kornevin”.

Once upon a time I had a dracaena, and it grew very, very big, and I decided to prune it and cut it (my husband said that it looked as if it had been killed), it turned out to be something with three branches, I specially made it of different heights, if suddenly there were several the kidneys will burst - perhaps they will not interfere with each other. The cut areas were covered with charcoal and filled with wax. I divided the cuttings into 2 parts - in total there were six cuttings and the main plant. A month passed, 7 buds appeared on two cut branches, and 3 on one (thank God); I don’t know how this violence will get along now; I didn’t count on such a breakthrough.

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Dracaena is a plant that is responsive to care. Knowing the optimal maintenance conditions and simple techniques for forming a crown, even a novice gardener can turn a plant into a luxurious, attractive decoration for every room.

Dracaena is a popular indoor plant. Many people have it in their homes. Therefore, questions about how to form a dracaena, how to prune it for branching in order to get side shoots are always relevant. To do this, you need to study information about the flower and understand what features it has in care.

Dracaena belongs to the Asparagus family in the form of trees or succulent shrubs. There are more than 50 species of this plant, and most of them live in Africa. In order for a flower to grow for a long time at home and delight you with its beauty, you need to properly care for it and know the basic principles of forming a dracaena bush. An evergreen crop can grow for a very long time - up to 10 years or more. This plant is tropical, in appearance it is very similar to a palm tree, but it has nothing in common with the latter. In this regard, among plant lovers the name “false palm” is found. Such appearance indoor flower acquired due to a specific shortening of the barrel. If pruning is carried out correctly, then in the future the young flower will form a crown, somewhat similar to a palm tree.

In general, this flower is unpretentious and caring for it is quite easy, the main thing is to adhere to several basic rules, namely:

maintain optimal temperature conditions in the room where the plant is located (+15...+25°C);
V summer period It is better to place the dracaena in the shade, and in winter the flower, on the contrary, needs to be given more light;
do not water too much, otherwise there is a risk of harming the roots (dracaena will tolerate dryness more easily than excessive soil moisture);
in winter, when the heating is on and the air in the room with the plant becomes dry and warm, it is necessary to spray the flower with water from a spray bottle;
Promptly prune the false palm tree in order to obtain a beautiful lush crown, rejuvenate the flower and its propagation.

Dracaena is always an interior decoration

You should not allow the culture to grow too much. If it is very high, the trunk may not withstand the load and break. As a result, the plant will die.

The need for pruning dracaena

Many novice gardeners often face the question of whether it is possible to prune dracaena. In this case, the answer will be yes. Moreover, it needs to be trimmed. There are several reasons for this:

for a compact and attractive appearance;
for preventive sanitary purposes;
to avoid barrel breakage.

It is better to prune when the flower is still young and its height reaches 30-40 cm from the ground to the first leaves. This way you can get a small, neat composition. If the plant produces a lot of lateral branches, it is necessary to carry out formative pruning. It is also made in in case of emergency, for example, when part of the stem broke off. But more often this procedure is carried out to obtain branches. It is important to remember, no matter what the purpose of pruning, the manipulation will only have an effect on healthy plant.

How to trim

The main task is to get a beautiful branched dracaena; to do this, it must be shortened in the standard way, that is, by making an even cut of the trunk. The procedure must be carried out with a sharp knife or pruning shears. The cut area (stump) needs to be filled with paraffin so that it does not release moisture and dry out. The most favorable period for pruning is spring or summer.

Such manipulations with a plant can be compared to an operation: all tools must be clean, and hands must be gloved; when cutting, the trunk must not be squeezed. The process of forming a branch is long and takes from 2 to 3 months.

The question of how to trim dracaena and choose optimal height trees. To do this, plant growers advise to imagine the final result, that is, what size plant a person wants to get in the end. It is required to carefully evaluate the existing plant and the place where it will be located, taking into account the availability required lighting, because dracaena, like many other indoor plants, is very sensitive to light. It is the latter that has one of the key values for the growth of branches and general condition flower. Once all factors are taken into account, an understanding will emerge optimal choice cutting height.

The question of how to properly prune dracaena in order to accelerate the growth of side shoots remains relevant. It's worth remembering here that best period for the procedure is spring-summer, that is, the time of intensive growth of the crop. It’s easy to help a flower by using the following technique: wrap the cut with special damp moss and create a kind of greenhouse, putting a transparent one on top plastic bag to retain moisture. 2-3 times a week you need to check the condition of the plant and, if necessary, moisten the moss with water. When small leaves appear, the bag and moss must be removed.

How to form a branched crown during secondary pruning? It is carried out in the same way as the primary one, but not along the main trunk, but along the branches. IN in this case It is better to prune the plant at different levels, forming tops of different heights. To obtain side shoots that are identical on each branch, the false palm is rotated so that each shoot receives the same amount of light. All shoots separated from the trunk can be planted in the ground after cleaning them first. bottom part from leaves. After a couple of months proper care Dracaena will take root from the cut shoots.

Risks of pruning a plant

It happens that a plant develops shoots with defects; it is better to remove such shoots immediately.

Often, after the dracaena has been pruned, the trunk rots (usually this happens due to excess moisture). In this case, repeated shortening is carried out. You should not delay the process, as rot can travel down the trunk and kill the plant.

Thus, trimming dracaena at home is not at all difficult, the main thing is to do everything correctly and follow the rules for caring for the flower after surgery: adhere to the optimal temperature regime, provide the right amount of light and moisture.

Video - Dracaena. Pruning and propagation

Dracaena, or dragon tree, is favorite plant most flower growers. A member of the agave family, the evergreen dracaena shrub looks like an exotic palm tree. That is why many people like dracaena; with it a piece of the beauty of the tropical forest comes into the room. This plant has many advantages. In addition to its spectacular appearance, it is also quite durable and can withstand strong temperature fluctuations. In temperate climates, some representatives of this family grow outdoors, representing magnificent shrubs or even trees with a thick trunk up to 6 meters high.

Dracaena domestica

IN room conditions this plant is significantly inferior in size to its distant relatives. The indoor shrub grows from 46 to 60 cm in height. Very often it is confused with cordyline, but dracaena has a more modest color. It is known for its bluish-green, leathery, hard and sword-shaped leaves, which reach a length of 40-50 cm. They do not exceed 2-4 cm in width. Most plants of this species bloom readily. White or pink flowers collected in paniculate inflorescences. The fruit is a berry.

Types of dracaenas

Today we want to tell you how to prune dracaena. Due to numerous mistakes, the gardener often ends up with an elongated and bare plant instead of a luxurious exotic palm tree. However, before moving on to the main topic, we should mention what varieties we can grow at home, as well as consider the main features of each of them.

Why is pruning done?

In fact, this procedure has several functions. Since trimming dracaena is not particularly difficult, many amateur gardeners perform this procedure as needed, when the plant grows so large that it begins to get in the way or touch the ceiling. That is, in this case, pruning is carried out to control the height.

However, if you do it incorrectly, the fleshy stem will begin to wither, but our task is not only to preserve decorative properties, but also to get new shoots. So we smoothly move on to the second function of this procedure - obtaining additional branches-shoots, which will not only improve the appearance of the plant, but also serve as propagation material.

When to trim

The ideal time is late spring or early summer. It is at this time that dracaena actively grows. We will now talk in more detail about how to prune for branching, but for now a few words about seasonality. Flower growers say that perfect time- this is May and June, at this time the plant is actively growing, and new buds form very quickly near the pruning site.

We can observe this from the outside, but in fact, bud formation is a systemic process that stimulates the formation of growth hormones that help heal the cut and grow a beautiful lush crown.

Emergency procedure

Pruning dracaena can sometimes be forced. For example, your plant may break; pets or naughty children often help it with this. This can happen in the dead of winter or fall when the flower is dormant. In this case, too, there is no need to panic. Carefully cut the trunk below the break point, according to the instructions, which we will come to now. If dracaena gets good care, then everything will go well. That is, pruning dracaena can be done at any time if necessary.

Cutting height

First of all, focus on the desired end result. Estimate how tall you need your dracaena. We will analyze how to prune for branching according to the main stages of the procedure. So, carefully examine your plant and its future location.

Preparation

And we continue to talk about how to prune dracaena to produce side shoots. First of all, prepare necessary tools. This should be a sterile scalpel, which must first be held over the fire. In addition, you will need a paraffin candle, a sprayer and sphagnum moss. Don't forget to prepare any loose pots with soil as well. The cut top can be used for rooting and propagation by cuttings.

Let's start circumcision

Since you can prune dracaena to produce side shoots at any height, first mark the point where you would like to see branching. Quickly cut the trunk at this level. For now, set aside the cut part and work on the plant itself. Using the same scalpel, cut off all the leaves 10 cm below the cut level.

While you are doing this, light a candle to collect the melted paraffin. After trimming, first pour the paraffin onto any suitable surface, and then transfer the plastic mass to the cut. Try to close all the pores on the cut with paraffin, but be careful not to burn the plant with too hot a mixture.

Little tricks

After reading this manual, you have received full information How to prune dracaena at home. However, there are small secrets, knowledge of which will allow you to get lateral processes much faster. First of all, remember that during pruning the plant loses a lot of moisture. Often this is what prevents the formation of new buds at the top of the stump. Therefore, immediately after finishing the procedure, spray the stem well with water, this will help restore the water balance of the cells.

To stimulate the growth of apical shoots, wrap the trunk with damp sphagnum moss and tie it with an elastic band. The binding will need to be periodically removed, the condition of the shoot checked and returned back, slightly moistened at the same time.

The paraffin-sealed cut should be left outside the wet wrapper, that is, the moss should only be on the sides. Finally, a plastic bag is placed on top so that the moisture does not evaporate so quickly. Once every 5-7 days, the bag is removed and the condition of the trunk under the harness is checked. As soon as you notice the buds in the upper part of the trunk, the bag and strapping should be removed.

Possible problems

We told you how to prune dracaena correctly, and careful adherence to these rules in most cases leads to positive result. However, the lack of sunlight is too low temperature in a room, excess or lack of moisture can seriously harm. The most common problem is trunk rotting after pruning. In this case, you will have to carry out the pruning procedure again, without starting the situation, otherwise the decay will spread too far and destroy the plant.

Pruning is important element caring for the plant 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 view aboveground 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.

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Important reasons

In some cases, pruning dracaena is vital. Among the main reasons it should be noted:

maintaining compactness;
giving an attractive appearance;
sanitary purposes.

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 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:

trunk break;
rotting or damage to the stem by pests.

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 using correct 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 side shoots any time 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 different heights will give a result that will delight you with its unusualness and originality. 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 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:

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.

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.

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