How to properly prune dracaena to get a beautiful plant
Dracaena grows at home up to 15 years. In this case, the evergreen plant grows with its top, and the lower part of the stem is bare. The leaves, having worked for a little more than a year, gradually dry out, leaving a scar on the stem. How to prune dracaena to get side shoots? The plant allows you to create new forms by shortening the shoots.
Principles of forming a dracaena bush
Cutting time
The dracaena stem is a structure in which dormant buds are located along its entire length in a spiral. This is what makes it possible to get seedlings, rudiments of new branches on a cut made in any part of the trunk.
Planned pruning of dracaena is done during the active period of growth, when the best sap flow. There are times when the formation of a bush is needed urgently. For example, a part of the stem broke off. Then the shortening should be carried out according to the rules, below the break point. Any pruning can only be effective on a healthy plant.
How to properly trim dracaena at home
When shortening the central stem, you need to take into account several points:
- the top with green leaves should be in the zone of comfortable lighting, so the height of the trunk is calculated for future growth of branches and leaves;
- for the emergence of new shoots, it will be necessary to provide the necessary conditions for the germination of new shoots from dormant buds;
- all operations for making the correct cut, sealing it are carried out under sterile conditions.
You can use a plant for pruning that has 30 cm from the soil to the place where the upper leaves are attached.
Any part of a leafy or bare trunk is cut off. The remote area can be rooted by getting another copy of the dracaena. Dracaena pruning for branching as an operation is carried out with a sharp knife without squeezing the tissues.
After the top of the plant has been cut off, it can be used to root the top, or cut into 7-10 cm shafts, each of which is capable of producing a new plant. The requirement to cut only with a sharp knife and even cuts is mandatory.
If the stem is leafy at the cut point, the leaves must be removed 10-15 cm, exposing the trunk. Cover the cut with garden varnish or molten paraffin so that the inner layer does not evaporate moisture and does not dry out. The rudiments of new branches should form on the cut. There can be from two to five. But not all rudiments will grow. The number of new formations depends on the conditions in which germination takes place.
Achieved the simultaneous development of all new shoots due to uniform illumination. The dracaena must be turned during germination and in subsequent care.
Germination conditions:
- treatment of the stem with water with the addition of a growth stimulant, for example, Epin;
- creating a wet moss cushion around the open cut of the cambium, the waxed part should be open;
- a plastic bag is tightly strengthened from above, creating a constant humidity of 75% inside;
- in the light at a temperature of 22-25 degrees, the plant is kept for a month.
It is important at this time not to open the cut site, not to remove the package, not to change the germination conditions. At the same time, the remainder of the leaves requires glaze, the stem also needs to be moistened. Watering is carried out only by the bottom method, draining the rest of the water that has not been absorbed into the earthen lump. It is important that germination is carried out in the light.
As soon as the plant begins to germinate at the cut site, it is ready to continue development without additional cover.
Not necessarily new branches will develop from all buds that have hatched. Some will lack food and dry out. But you can cut the plant like this many times, updating it and giving it a new shape.
If the plant has a bare stem, then it is completely placed in the bag after abundant watering. The bag is not removed until the seedlings appear, so as not to disturb the microclimate. The plant is watered through the pallet.
When dracaena is forming, bordered seedlings can go along the stem anywhere. Then the palm tree will become multi-tiered.
Is pruning dracaena required at home
A plant looks well-groomed if it is pruned and shaped regularly. Therefore, pruning is one of the mandatory operations for caring for dracaena. It happens that the plant has deformed shoots, they should be removed. Then, instead of them, the plant will start up new shoots, more foliage is obtained, the plant takes on new forms.
Any areas with pests and diseases should be removed immediately to avoid contamination of the entire plant. This operation is called sanitary pruning.
I have a dracaena that needs to be pruned for branching. But it does not reach 30 cm, and did I understand correctly, if you form, all the leaves need to be removed?
Help would be grateful. I'm taking a photo.
If you plan to use the cut off top for further rooting, then it is better to wait until the dracaena grows a little more. Judging by the photo, after cutting, a small part of the top will remain, which will be difficult to root. In the case when you just need to form a beautiful crown in a young plant, you can cut it off now. Try to make the cut point closer to the top. On the remaining stem, the leaves should be torn off. Firstly, the formation of many new shoots is stimulated in this way, and secondly, the leafy stem will be inconvenient to place in a bag to create the necessary microclimate. The leaves may not fit and will still bend, and in the future they themselves will disappear.
Hello! I just can't make up my mind to prune. I'm afraid to do something wrong. In my case, as I understand it, I need to cut 20 cm from waving 3 small trunks. Did I understand correctly?
Your dracaena doesn't look very attractive. Prune urgently. You have three separate tops. You can cut at the same level or at different levels. The second option will help you get new shoots at different heights, which will make the composition more attractive. We've updated the cropping video. Take a look. Root the tops and get three new plants.
Thank!!! Cut off !!
Good day! I cut the dracaena, washed it down with paraffin and covered it with a bag, as it was in one of the instructions on YouTube, but it rotted for me and the main stem began to dry. Does it make sense to trim the rotten edges and do it according to your technology?
The dracaena leaves drooped. What to do?
Dracaena leaves sagging, if there is not enough water for it, water the flower well, do not forget to drain the rest of the water from the pan. Leaves also droop from waterlogging, in this case do not water the bush until the earth dries well. Also, the crown sags if the dracaena is cold and from a draft.Does the flower receive enough light? He's somehow frail, maybe it's better to rearrange it to a lighter window?
Hello! Please tell me what to do. We bought a dracaena at a markdown in the store, it was no longer very good, I thought I would transplant at home, it would move away. And she's getting worse and worse. The leaves turn gray, shrivel and fall off. Please advise something!
Most likely, the problem lies inside the pot, where the roots rot. Didn't you notice anything suspicious during the transfer? Were they treated with fungicides? If not, you will have to remove the bush again, rinse the roots in potassium permanganate and pickle with Fitoverm. The soil, accordingly, must be changed again, since there may already be fungi in it.
P.s. white bloom is a soapy solution, I read on the Internet that if the problem is in pests, it helps. After the purchase, I transplanted, tried to put it on a window not with direct sunlight, in a room where there is still a balcony, and on a window where there is no balcony. It's a pity, but I don't know how to help.
You can cut dracaena about a meter tall
You can, only the cut will have to be done below. Nothing will grow on a bare stem, new shoots of dracaena start up next to the cut. Cut just above the young bush that is growing nearby. The cut off part of the plant can be used for reproduction by dividing the trunk into shanks and separately rooting the top with leaves.
Thank! I'll try it in the spring.
Help please! Already for the 2nd time I cut the dracaena, and after a while 2 new side shoots begin to "creep out". moreover, one grows rapidly and soon forms into a new branch, while the other germinates 1-2 cm and stands still. As a result, the dracaena turns out to be lopsided, with a bare trunk and one lateral grown branch. have you ever seen this?
Dracaena often have such a problem: it lets out lateral shoots, but it is very difficult to get several points at once. The reasons may be different: from the banal too frequent peeping under the bag, when the greenhouse conditions are violated and the bud freezes, to ... the simply inexplicable nature of this flower and its "unwillingness". " I myself faced such a situation, and now, after cutting off two trunks, I have one young shoot on each, the rest froze, slightly hatching. Experienced growers advise you to simply repeat the pruning until you get the desired result. We will try.
Thank you very much. Exactly, we must try to cut it off again, maybe 2 shoots will hatch anyway) And about the bag, this is a novelty for me, I never put a bag on the palm trees, cut off the top, I just sealed it with a candle, and that's it
Hello, tell me I have a big three top dracaena, one of them could not bloom, there was a bunch, I untangled it and it became the leaves turn yellow and dry. I think it can cut off this top, will new runners go
In principle, dracaena gives side shoots well, though not always where we want. See if the tip is really bad, then it is really better to cut it off.
How to propagate, what to cut off. I'm afraid to harm, thanks
If you want to make a more lush crown and at the same time get new plants, you will have to cut off all the tops. Cut at different levels. Sprinkle the slices with activated charcoal and put transparent bags on them, tying tightly. Shorten the cut tops to a soft trunk and set for rooting. You can immediately plant it in the ground, after sprinkling the cut with root or other root growth stimulant. Cover the plant with a transparent cap.
Tell me what to do with my pet? Rooted the top from an old bush, then decided to form a crown, but apparently I did something wrong
If you mean that dracaena has formed one shoot, then this phenomenon is quite frequent, the flower does not always give as many lateral buds as you want. You can try to wait until the process grows up and trim the top again. True, it will turn out to be a slightly curved bush, but on the other hand, no one will have an interesting shape, with a step. Regarding the yellowing of the leaves, it may be the result of a violation of the irrigation regime (overdried or flooded soil). The leaves also turn yellow from lack of nutrition.
Hello. And what do you advise to do with the plant under the ceiling? Everyone is happy. I'm only afraid that she herself will begin to bend. How to cut it so that you don't lose all the beauty?)
You will still have to cut it, since the dracaena eventually drops the lower leaves and exposes the trunk. Slices can be made at different distances, here you need to take into account the state of the flower and it is difficult to recommend something without a photo.
Good evening. I want to plant a dracaena, the height is almost to the ceiling. It would be nice to shorten it. I will cut off the top and transplant it separately. Is it possible to cut off another 10-15 centimeters from the remaining stem to make it shorter?
Yes, the dracaena can be shortened to the height you want. If you have 2 or 3 tops, cut at different levels.
The palm tree has grown strongly. Can the side trunks be trimmed? Where and how else can you trim?
The plant has little light, so it is bent.
To make the dracaena really look like a palm tree, I would completely remove the side branches (they are already crooked), and simply shorten the tops. This will create a trunk and a lush crown on top when young shoots grow on the trimmed tops.
Hello! The dracaena has stretched out strongly, I want to cut it off. I will root the tops, but what to do with the old plant? Will the lateral processes go? And what is the best way to do it, cover the slice with a bag or paraffin it? And the last question: while you put the cut tops in the water, will they give roots?
The neighbors threw out the flower, if I'm not mistaken dracaena. How to put it in order? Thanks in advance.
Please add a photo to make it clearer what it is about.
The appearance of my dracaena suits me, I don't want the leafy part to grow higher, can I cut off the top leaves? Or they won't grow anyway, because is the pot small? I want to keep it this way)
Unfortunately, it will not work to stop the growth of dracaena. Maybe slowly, but it will continue to grow. This is the nature and we cannot freeze growth without causing harm. After removing the top, the lower leaves will fall off over time and you will be left with the skeleton of the plant. When you stop liking your dracaena, cut the tops with leaves. Treat the cuts with wood ash or activated carbon, tie them with plastic bags. Soon buds will appear, from which new tops will grow. This will restore the appearance of your plant and obtain material for growing new specimens.
Thank you very much for the quick and detailed answer!
But this plant can be cut off, otherwise it raises the ceiling.
Yes, dracaena reacts well to pruning. For a beautiful new crown to appear, you will have to wait. Usually, the entire trunk with leaves is cut off, leaving the lower part.The cut is treated with activated carbon and tied with a cellophane bag. Several holes are made in the bag for ventilation. The plant is watered as usual, fertilizer is applied to build up the leaf mass and new buds are expected to appear after cutting. It develops from 1 to 3 kidneys. A new crown grows out of them. The top of the cut plant is rooted and a new specimen is grown.
Hello! I am not satisfied with the appearance of my dracaena, I want to cut it off, give it a crown, tell me how to do it?
Your dracaena grows into one trunk, so to get a beautiful crown, you need to trim it. After pruning, the lateral buds will wake up and two or more branches may form. Although very often dracaena branches reluctantly - as I had two trunks, only two branches grew (only one bud woke up on each). But you need to try, especially since the plant tolerates this procedure well, even with repeated repetition. You can cut half the height, or even more, leaving 1/3 of the trunk - it all depends on your desire. But keep in mind that there will be no leaves on the remaining stem. How to trim is described in detail in the article above.
Thanks again. Not even two weeks have passed, but already like this
Now start stimulating the development and growth of the sprout by applying fertilizers. Start with small doses.
Excellent result! Your dracaena is just fine - she reacted very quickly. Now a few more buds would appear, then it will be generally excellent. In addition to feeding, remember to turn the pot towards the sun so that the crown develops evenly.
Please tell me how to help the plant. The neighbors threw it out into the entrance - it became unnecessary for them. I could not walk by and sheltered her. But she looks very bad. How to revive it?
All the stems are not very clearly visible, but one thing is clear - there are two plants, both are neglected. Plant them in different pots and cut them drastically, leaving no more than 15 cm in height (starting from the old branch). If all branches are healthy, you can leave them. It is better to remove dried and diseased ones (a palm tree has a similar one, which is the first to be seen in the photo). How to properly crop and what to do next, see the article above.
It turns out there are two palms in a pot. One has two branches - smooth, in good condition, but thin stems. The second has 4 branches, two of them are dried, two with curved and curved tops, all the trunks are thin. Okay, I'll cut them off first and tell them. And what to do with these curved tops, they do not even plant normally, because the trunks are in a semicircle. It's a pity to throw it out, or can you tie it to a stick? Or won't it help?
Regarding the branches: cut off the dry ones completely, shorten the rest well. I usually cut at different levels, for example, one trunk can be left 10 cm high, the second - already 15 cm, etc. As for the cut tops, they are not planted at all as they are (long, thin and crooked). Choose the most even ones, cut off the branches (it is desirable that an even top remains with a small part of the lignified trunk). So root it in water or immediately in the ground.
The cat broke the dracaena, will the top still take root, because it is already adult and large?
Dracaena takes root easily. You need to cut off the upper part of the trunk no more than 20 cm. You can put it in water with activated charcoal or immediately plant it in moist soil, after sprinkling the cut with root or other growth stimulant. The roots will appear quickly and you will have a pretty young dracaena.
That is, it is possible to root both the upper part, with leaves, and the lower bare stem?
Yes, the top will take root quickly. As for the bottom, I personally have never done that. Cut the top off not too long, so as not to get a bald trunk with a top again. It is better to remove a few leaves from the bottom. Try to divide the bare stem into several parts and put it in water too. Trying is not torture. Perhaps something will work out. Share your experience with our readers.
Dracaena takes root perfectly. It seems to me personally that one stem, without leaves, takes root even better than the crown: it takes a little more time, and the plant turns out not so beautiful, with a "step", but then it usually outstrips the crown in growth. From one large branch of dracaena, you can get five to six cuttings, and they will all take root. Therefore - do not throw away naked stems!
Thanks, I'll try
Hello! I have a young dracaena, would like to know when can I make the first pruning?
I would not be in a hurry yet, the trunk is still very low. Usually cut in such a way that the place of the cut falls on an already lignified trunk, without leaves. So dracaena forms lateral buds faster. If you cut it off now, a little stump will remain in the pot, and new tops will stretch out in search of the sun. Moreover, it is almost winter now, although growth processes will continue, but slowly. Wait until spring, and then focus on the height of the stem.
Hello, I have a dracaena more than 1.5 meters, it can be cut off so that new children would go.
If it grows in one top, then at this height you just need to cut it off. How to cut - it would be clearer if you see a photo of a palm tree. What do you mean by the word "kids"? She will not give shoots from the roots, but the lateral buds on the stem after pruning will wake up, forming new shoots-tops.
Good day! Palma is 6 years old, height is 2 meters, it was transplanted 2 years ago. It is impossible to water the plant, the water is poured out. Tell me how to save the plant? Does it make sense to transplant into a new pot without pruning? How to prune (at what height) and should the stem with roots be transplanted into a new pot?
I would be sorry to cut her off - such a beauty. So what if I didn't grow the side branches, but all the leaves are in place, even in the lower part of the trunk. And the fact that they turn yellow and problems with watering is the reason in the shallow pot. Try to transfer the flower to a larger, wider container. If you really want to cut, then see for yourself - you can remove half the height of the trunk, or even more. But you still have to transplant - in this flowerpot the roots have already completely braided it, so the water pours out.
I got a dracaena with four tops, about two meters high (thrown out by someone). I always dreamed of a large plant. But the branches are thinner, the leaves are preserved only at the very top. I want to trim it, but I'm afraid that it won't survive such a radical trimming, as shown here. Can you cut one branch at a time? Should this be done in the spring, when growth is accelerating, or can it be done in winter? Can the weakest, thinnest branch be pruned below the recommended level?
Dracaena tolerates pruning very well and it is better to cut off everything that is needed at once. You can cut it as you like, it will be beautiful if done at different levels (above and below). As for the timing, spring is considered the best period, but I cut mine off in winter too. True, then she thought longer, but still sprouted.
Good afternoon, I want to combine transplantation and pruning of dracaena, is it possible?
I would not recommend doing this. This is double stress for the plant. Trim first. When new buds appear and begin to grow, you can transplant.
thanks, so perhaps I will
Good day! at work she grew up like that, she feels bad - she falls. Does it make sense to trim and root the top again? or hope that after pruning the existing shoot will grow?
I would cut off the top - in the lower part all the leaves have already fallen, and new ones will not grow. If you don't cut it off, it will stand in a bald post with a bun on top of the head. You can even remove the top, but half the height. Then there is every chance that the lateral soils will wake up and twigs will appear at the cut site. And the top can be rooted.
in my opinion this is a dracaena, 40 cm on the stem, at the moment something needs to be done with it.
tell me what kind of flower
Hello, my husband was presented with an adult Dracena, she is about one and a half meters high, during the transportation of 1, the top broke off, now there is a bare trunk with several leaves, please tell me, should I trim it?
If the trunk is too tall, and also without leaves, I would cut it. Then the lateral buds will wake up and this "stick" will have lateral branches. I like it when several tops are at different heights.