Many gardeners appreciate the dracaena for its attractive appearance and not picky. This plant is reminiscent of the tropics, due to the external resemblance to a palm tree. And its elongated leaves will decorate any room. The "indoor palm" is also very popular in offices, here dracaena becomes a part of any interior design.
Dracaena is native to Africa, although some representatives of this group grow in Central America and South Asia. An ancient legend is even connected with the first. A beautiful love story tells of a warrior... The young man fell in love with the leader's daughter, but the strict father did not want to give his daughter in marriage to a stranger. The leader agreed to give permission to the young couple to get married on the condition that the young man insert a stick into the ground and on the 5th day there will be leaves on it. According to legend, this is how the first dracaena grew, which in America is still called the tree of happiness.
This plant is not called a shrub or tree for nothing. Leaves on straight stems form rosettes resembling a tree trunk. Dracaena can reach a height of up to three meters. This tree grows for 5-15 years, it all depends on the type and care of dracaena, of which there are more than a hundred today.
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Varieties of dracaena: description and photos of the most popular species
Each of the varieties of room dracaena is interesting and unique in its own way. Regardless of variety of colors, sizes and shapes of leavesAll plants have distinctive characteristics. Consider the most popular varieties of this amazing flower, which is often compared not only with a palm tree.
Dracaena Bordered
This "tree of happiness" has narrow and elongated leaves that resemble a tousled hairstyle. Leaves are concentrated at the top of the trunk. When they fall their base creates a characteristic pattern on the main trunk... Dracaena Bordered can grow up to three meters in height.
Dracaena Deremskaya
You can recognize this dracaena by its larger leaves with an original color. In addition to the green tint, white stripes appear on the leaves, which makes the flower quite unusual.
Dracaena Sander
If Dracaena Bordered looks more like a palm tree, then Dracaena Sander is more often compared to bamboo. The twisted green leaves have given this species of dracaena another name. Though spiral barrel effect made without leaves artificially. If you do not do this, you will get an ordinary upright tree with leaves, where there are stripes of green-yellow color.
Dracaena Fragrant
This plant received this name due to the inflorescence of fragrant white buds. The bush always blooms, and even low air temperatures up to 10 degrees are not a hindrance to the plant... The rest of the dracaena is similar to its relatives with narrow elongated leaves with distinctive gray-silver stripes in the middle.
Dracaena Bent
In this type of plant, the stem is branching almost from the very root, and the leaves of the tree are inclined to the bottom and, in fact, slightly bent.They are distinguished by a golden frame around the edge.
Dracaena Godsef
This plant is completely different from other species. Dracaena leaves are oval, and the flower itself has the shape of a bush. But the most interesting is in its colors: interspersed with cream and golden shades. This plant looks quite bright and elegant even when it is not in bloom.
Dracaena Draco
Under natural conditions, it can grow up to 25 meters in height, and at home - up to 1.5 meters. This bush is also called false palm. It has xiphoid leaves with a reddish frame and a straight stem-trunk.
How to care for dracaena at home?
The flower is native to the tropics, so it loves when the leaves of the plant are brightly illuminated by the sun's rays, but it is desirable that this lighting be diffused. Penumbra is also suitable... It is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of caring for dracaena at home, which are associated with the color of the leaves. The brighter the foliage, the more lighting the bush needs.
The temperature must be moderate: in summer up to 24 degrees, in winter - at least 15, in addition to some varieties that can feel great at 10 degrees. But this plant does not like the wind, therefore it is advisable to protect the dracaena from airing with the opening of the vents. Although the plant resistant to dry air, and many will not even be offended when they are forgotten to water, but still, a domestic palm tree loves watering with warm water and a periodic shower from a sprayer. These procedures can be done at any time of the year. But you need to make sure that moisture does not stagnate on the leaves, if it is not possible to bathe the plant, then wipe the leaves with a damp sponge.
But the plant is watered in different seasons, in different ways:
- In summer - twice a week;
- In winter, one is enough.
Every month, the plant loves strong watering until the pot is lowered into the bath.
Dracaena transplant at home
You bought a dracaena in a store and do not know if you need to replant the plant? Take a close look at the appearance of the bush. If the plant is young, then you can transplant it into another pot. But if the bush is already quite large, then it is best to wait for the arrival of spring.
Ask your consultant if the bush was brought from abroad. In this case, a special substrate is used for transportation and the tree requires a mandatory transplant.
Before solving the issue with dracaena transplant and care, you need to decide on a pot for this flower. The size of the pot will depend entirely on the height of the dracaena and the root system. For instance, a plant with a height of 50 centimeters will need a pot of at least 20 centimeters... There is no need to immediately acquire a huge capacity, as if in reserve. All the same, it will be necessary to transplant a bush every 2 years and replace the pot. It must be only a few centimeters larger in circumference than the previous container. And immediately acquired large containers will only contribute to the stagnation of water, which dracaena does not really like.
As for the special soil for the plant, it can be purchased at a flower shop or made by hand by mixing leafy, turfy peat and compost soil in proportions 1: 2: 0.5: 1. The transplant procedure is as follows:
A new pot must be treated with boiled water.- We fall asleep at the bottom of the drainage layer.
- We carefully take the plant out of the old pot and carefully examine the roots. If rotten, cuts off. We spray the entire root system from a spray bottle.
- We place the dracaena in a new pot and make sure that the space between the roots of the plant is covered with earth.
- Water the bush with Zircon bait. Next times, you need to feed no more than twice a month.
Subsequently, dracaena is fertilized from April to December once every 14 days. In winter, once a month is enough and the dose of bait is best reduced by half. Universal baits for palm trees and dracaena are suitable for care.
Features of growing dracaena at home
Dracaena Godsef, Dragon and Bordered are unpretentious plants to care for, unlike other varieties, but still adhere to the elementary rules of caring for dracaena necessary, and this is due not only to the correct lighting and watering.
It is recommended for home dracaena to loosen the top layer of soil in pots in summer and spring. The flower does not like when water is in the root system for a long time, therefore it will certainly be grateful for improving the aeration of the earth. Discard the lower leaves for the plant is quite normalunless the leaves fall very often. You can rejuvenate the bush by cutting off the top of its head and rooting it. A group of shrubs will look prettier, so new shoots can be planted on a lone plant.
In order to achieve the development of new lateral branches, it is necessary to properly cut the bush and arrange for care and conditions similar to those of a greenhouse. Why cut off the top of the dracaena with a sharp blade or knife, without bending the trunk too much. Good nwater the plant and close it with a plastic bag... Install in a sunny area and do not remove the shelter so as not to disturb the temperature and humidity. In this case, dracaena is watered through a pallet.
Reproduction of indoor palm
If you decide to get several from one plant, then you need to know about the breeding options for dracaena. There are only three options.
Seminal. Suitable for plants with only green leaves. Before planting, the seeds must be soaked for a day in a stimulating solution, for example, in "Zircon". The air temperature must be at least 29 degrees. Seeds must be planted in special soil, in a disposable container and covered with plastic wrap on top. If everything is done correctly, the seeds will grow in a few months. Remember that you cannot place the plant in direct sunlight. The sprout must be fed once a month, and when the seedling reaches 6 centimeters in size, transplant the sprout into a pot, but only a small size in a circle.- Cuttings. You will need a strong young stem and a sharp knife. Feel free to cut the stem into 4–6 cm pieces, trying not to crush the stem. On each piece of the trunk, on the stem, cut the bark and insert it into the ground. Move the cuttings to a warm room. A greenhouse can be made using a plastic eggplant or jar. The first shoots will appear in a few months. They will need to be sprayed with warm water from time to time.
- Layers from the top. Cut off the top of the bush and place it in a cup of warm water, after throwing a tablet of activated carbon into it. You will need to be patient as the roots will form in about 3 months. Then the plant can be transplanted into the ground. You can plant the top in a jar, but the plant will take root without it.
Dracaena diseases and pests
Many gardeners complain that the plant dies or begins to dry out in winter and do not know what to do. Dracaena flower is afraid of drafts. And if the plant is on a cold windowsill, then the bush is also in danger of death. In winter, the flower begins to rest. His no need to fertilize and water often and abundantlyas the water in the ground freezes. Which leads first to hypothermia of the roots, and then the whole bush. As a result, leaves begin to dry and fall off. Before that, they turn yellow and get a brown border. After the leaves fold and fall off. At the same time, the roots of the flower are already beginning to rot from an excess of water.
The treatment and care of the plant will depend on the degree of damage. If only the leaves are damaged, then it is not too late to move the dracaena away from drafts and cold. It is necessary to water the bush carefully and spray it from time to time. When the frozen leaves are dry, cut them off. In the spring, the flower needs to be transplanted.
If the trunk is soft, then save the dracaena from decay. It is necessary to cut off all soft spots.Even when a stump remains, in the spring it will give new shoots. If the leaves fall and curl, this means that the roots are damaged.... In this case, the flower must be transplanted. Examine the root system and let dry if it is very wet.
If dracaena leaves begin to dry, make sure the flower is not in direct sunlight. Rearrange if necessary. The air for the plant is probably very dry. In this case, the bush needs more frequent spraying. If the leaves have already turned yellow or fallen off, rejuvenate the bush by cutting and rooting the crown.
As a rule, dracaena is affected by insects in the form of a spider mite or scale insect. In the latter case, brown plaques form on the bottom of the leaf, and bushes infected with spider mites become covered with yellow spots and a cobweb can be seen between the leaves. PWith proper care, wiping and spraying, pests are not terrible for this plant... But if this happened, then you can save the dragon tree by spraying it with an insecticide. The shield is first removed with soapy water. Spraying should be done every week.
Dracaena will be able to give your room an atmosphere of sophistication and sophistication with a slight tropical touch. Take proper care behind this flower, and it will delight you with luscious and beautiful greenery that can decorate any room.
