Dracaena is one of the most unpretentious plants among the indoor. Her homeland - Canary Islands and tropical forests of Asia and Africa.
Currently there are about two hundred species of these flowers, like a palm tree, whose name is unusual for our ears.
In most cases, has a tree trunk, elongated, rarely oval leaves, collected in a bundle.
Did you know? Translated from the Greek dracaena - "female dragon". Therefore, the plant is considered a symbol of women born in the year of the Dragon.
Care for dragon season at home
Lighting
For these home flowers that look like a palm tree, placement in partial shade is quite acceptable, however, it is recommended to put them in brightly lit parts of the room, but without direct sunlight.
Varieties with variegated colored foliage need more light than plants with green leaves. Lack of coverage has a negative effect on the growth of dracaena..
The most suitable for cultivation are the east or west side, which overlook the window.
Air temperature and humidity
Although Dracaena and come from the warm edges, but this plant does not like the heat, arid air. The plant will fully develop in summer at a temperature of 20-25 ° C, and in winter at 15-18 ° C. It is also necessary to maintain the humidity of the air by placing a container next to water or spraying dracaena once a week.
Did you know? The plant is useful in various industries: from dracaena and horsehair fibers, brushes, juice, and resin are used for treatment. The plant itself has a positive effect on the nervous system, bringing peace and good mood.
How to water the dracaena
In order for the plant to enjoy its healthy appearance and lush greenery, it must be properly watered. The frequency of watering depends on the variety, but there are general recommendations.
Summer watering rules
Growth dratsen mainly occurs in summer, so you need to water it in this period in large quantities. However, there is the following nuance - watering should be done after the top layer of soil dries by 2-3 cm. This usually happens on the 8-10th day after the previous irrigation.
How to water dracaena in winter
Already in autumn, the soil dries much slower, dracaena during this period and until the end of the winter cold rests. Accordingly, watering is needed less often. Its frequency is once a month. You need to focus on the drying of the soil, because the plant can stand near the heater, which means that watering will be needed more often.
It should be remembered that your home-palm flower does not tolerate frequent watering, because they lead to stagnant water and rotting of the roots, so do not make such an error in the care.
Top dressing and care of the soil
There are special complex feeding, which are designed specifically for indoor plants and are sold in stores. It is preferable for plants to fertilize in liquid form. They should be applied with water for irrigation. It should be borne in mind that it is better to do this during a period of active growth, that is, in spring and summer.
Many fans of indoor palms, and indeed flowers, are interested in their growth, so they want to provide them with suitable care.
An important question is how to fertilize dragon seed for rapid growth.
This plant requires the following elements: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium in the ratio of 3: 1: 3. Therefore, select the desired fertilizer, based on the presence in its composition of these substances.
Important! In summer, the dragon plant is fertilized once a week, and in winter, when the plant is resting, it is better not to do this more often than once a month.
Soil is very important for dracaena: nutritious and slightly acidic is preferred. You can buy ready-made soil in the store, there are special mixes for this type of deciduous plants. If you decide to prepare the soil yourself, then you need to take an equal number of parts: hardwood, sand, humus, turfy ground and peat.
Rules for trimming dracaena
Cutting dracaena can be done in cases of preventing the spread of the disease or in order to change the shape of the plant.
Crop dracaena is in the rest period, ie, in winter. Be sure to disinfect the tools for pruning, as well as the place of the cut must be powdered with charcoal or wood ash. You can cut the top of the main trunk, after which the side shoots will begin to grow in the dracaena.
How to transplant dracaena
If you have recently purchased dracaena, then it needs a transplant. How often transplant dracaena? A young and actively growing plant needs to be replanted regularly - once a year, and the adult dragon plant is better transplanted once every two or three years. The best time for a transplant is a period of gradual withdrawal from the rest state: the end of winter is the beginning of spring.
Be sure to place a drain on the bottom of a new tank. The diameter of the tank itself should be 2-3 cm larger than the previous one.. Plant transplantation occurs by transferring an earthy coma with dracaena roots. This should be done very carefully so as not to damage the root system.
After adding the required amount of soil, the soil should be watered and left in a shaded place. After shrinking, you can add more soil, if necessary.
Did you know? It is very rare to see the dracaena bloom at home. The inflorescences of this plant are small, the flowers are white or cream-green.
Breeding dragon
If you want to grow these beautiful home flowers yourself that look like a palm tree and have the name Dracaena, then you can do it in different ways. The most laborious of them is seed.
Seed method
There are seeds dracaena on sale, therefore, you can grow this plant from scratch. After studying some of the rules, you will learn how to germinate the dragon plant from the seeds.
Before sowing, seeds should be soaked in water at a temperature of 26-30 ° C for about a day. After that, you need to make a recess in the already prepared soil, put the seeds there, sprinkle with earth, cover with a film and put in a warm place.
Lighting should be sufficient. It is necessary from time to time to water and air the seeds. The first shoots will appear in about 1.5-2 months, and when the shoots reach a height of 6-7 cm, they can be transplanted into permanent pots.
In general, the cultivation of dracaena from seeds will take about 2 years.
Cuttings dracaena
For this method, you need to take only strong young stems about 4 cm long. Each such stalk should have 2-4 buds. Cutting the necessary part with a disinfected instrument, it is rooted into the prepared soil, providing watering and ventilation. It is better to make a small greenhouse cuttings with a plastic bottle.
Rooting and the emergence of the first shoots occurs within 1-1.5 months.
Important! The plant does not like excessive watering, so there must be good drainage in its pot.
Reproduction by layering
The easiest way is considered reproduction by layering. For those who are interested in how to grow dracaenum using this method, we will tell you that you need a top of the plant. It must be cut with a sharp knife: the length of the section from the leaves to the point of cutting should be about 15 cm.
After the layer has dried, you need to put it in a container with warm water, adding activated carbon or wood ash to the water for disinfection.
Water should be separated, it should be added as needed. Placement should be warm and lit. After two months, the roots will appear, and the dracaena can be transplanted into a regular pot with soil.
The main thing in breeding dracaena, whatever method you choose, is the subsequent correct care.
These are the basic rules of how to care for the dragon tree at home and provide it with the necessary conditions for full development. This plant due to its beauty can be the pride of any home.