Dracaena

Latin name: Dracaena
Family: Agave - Agavaceae
Homeland: Guinea, Africa and South Asia
Growing up: For a beginner
Lighting: Shade Tolerant
Humidity: Moderate

Description:
Homeland dracenis - Guinea, Africa and South Asia, where they grow as trees or shrubs. In total there are about 150 species of evergreen trees and shrubs, common in the tropics of the Old World. Recently, dracaena has become not only decorative, but also technical culture. It is used to extract a resin called “dragon's blood.” From the fibers of the leaves, having the properties of horsehair bristles, make brushes.

Dracene can be attributed to the most powerful green "filters". A dracaena bordered, for example, is capable of absorbing poisons such as xylene, benzene, formaldehyde and trichlorethylene through leaves and roots, and neutralizing them.

Decorative and at the same time unpretentious plants with narrow, elongated leaves, collected on the stems of beautiful, spreading rosettes.

Veins are located parallel to me converge to the end of the leaves. The roots are yellow, perennial. The flowers are small, white or greenish, with a strong smell. At the time of flowering plants are carried out of the rooms.

The popularity of dracaena, which is used as a single plant for a living room or a hall, is constantly growing. Tall specimens are purchased for offices, and now they are on sale much more often than before. Long-time favorite cordidins, as a rule, are more compact, but their leaves are no worse than those of dracaena, if not more attractive.

Because of their lignified leafless stem with a tuft of leaves at the top, dragon trees and cordis are called false palms, they are not related to real palm trees. These majestic trees, which have long been grown as indoor plants, perfectly fit into the modern interior. The dragon tree was prized in Victorian times (in the 19th century), but only recently it was included in the list of the most popular plants. Currently, dracaena is sold annually more than any other large indoor plants.

There are different opinions regarding the difficulty or ease of growing these plants. The easiest answer is: the difficulty or ease of cultivation depends on the type of plant.

Some of the 40 species of plants of the family can be grown in indoor conditions, but the most beautiful dracaena with multi-colored leaves are mostly bred in heated greenhouses. Breeding draceni is not difficult, since the pieces of the stems perfectly transport and serve as planting material.

The dragon scenes are light-requiring, but require protection from direct sunlight. The dragon tree (Dracaena draco), fragrant Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans) and Dracaena Hooker (Dracaena hookeriana) can spend the summer outdoors and spend the winter at 12 ° C and below in places protected from frost. All other dracaenas are kept all year round in a room where the temperature should not fall below 18 ° C. Lower soil temperatures can be dangerous for the plant. They are unpretentious, shade-tolerant, but develop better in bright light. General care. Most dracaena grows well in hydroponics. More resistant - plants with green leaves. Dragons with narrow, rigid sword-shaped leaves require increased attention. The soil is constantly moistened, not allowing excess water in the pot. Propagated by apical cuttings, stem segments and layering. Use at solitary planting, in winter gardens. Segments of the stem rooted under the film at a temperature of 25 ° C.

Cordilins and dracaenes are often confused and sell one after another. Common apical Cordilin usually sold as apical dragonza; in English, it is called Red Dracaena ('red dracaena'). These similar plants are nevertheless easy to distinguish. Cordilina tend to creeping rhizome, and its roots are white and nodular. The dragon tree has no such rhizome, and its roots are straight and smooth, dark yellow or orange.

Also dracaenas are distinguished by the presence of only one seed in each nest of the fetus (there are three in the cordilin) ​​and arcuate veining of the leaves (in the cordilin, the lateral veins extend at an acute angle from the main one).

Plant Care

Location

Plants are placed on illuminated, but protected from direct sunlight places, especially variegated forms. D. Draco, D. Fragrans and D. Hookeriana can spend the summer outdoors, and spend the winter at 12 ° C and below in places protected from frost; all other dracaenas are kept all year round in a room in which the temperature should not fall below 18 ° C; lower soil temperatures can be dangerous for the plant. Best of all grow in light shade, near the east or west window. Some species, such as D. Terminalis, require bright light, D. Marginata and D. Fragrans grow in the shade. Temperature: moderate, in winter not lower than 12 ° C. More easy to grow species withstand lower temperatures.

Lighting

Best of all grow in light shade, near the east or west window. Some species, such as C. terminalis, require bright light, D. marginata and D. fragrans grow in the shade.

Watering

Abundant, the soil should always remain wet; summer may require daily watering. In winter, watering is reduced, but does not allow the soil to dry out.

Air humidity

Moderate.

Humidity: additional information

Requires regular spraying. Only D. Draco and D. Godseffiana can tolerate dry air well.

Care

Every two weeks the plant should be fed with highly diluted fertilizer.

How to grow dragon fruit with the appearance of a palm tree

By planting a stem of a dragon stalk into the soil, you can grow a tree with leaves at the top of the stem,
like a palm tree. These trees are sold in stores, but you can grow them yourself - recently, segments of stems, taken from trees in the tropics and specially dried, are becoming increasingly common.

Leafy sprout grows from the lateral bud on the stem after its rooting.

Dried stalk cut tightly stuck into loose soil. The soil is kept moist but not waterlogging.

The old dracaena, if it has cut and rooted the top of the stem, will look like a false palm.

Breeding

Variety dracaena with green leaves propagated by seeds. Shoots appear in 30-35 days.

Variegated forms (dracaena white and variegated, etc.) can be propagated by parts of non-woody stems and apical cuttings on plants. To this end, on the trunk, slightly below the leaves, make an incision up to half the trunk from the bottom up. A piece of a match is inserted into the incision so that parts of the stem do not join. This place is wrapped in wet moss and tied with twine. It is even better to attach a cut pot to the notch or wrap it in a thick paper funnel. The pot or funnel is filled with loose nutrient soil, in which roots are quickly formed. For this, the ground must be wet. After the formation of roots at the site of cutting, the upper part is removed and transplanted into a separate pot. The remaining stem can be cut into cuttings from 5 to 7 cm in length and landed obliquely into the ground in a room room for rooting. In the pot leave a stump height of 5-10 cm for a young plant.

Amateur flower growers cut the tops of plants 30–35 cm long, root them in a jar of water and coarse sand at the bottom (5 cm layer). Rooted apical stalk, using phytohormones and lower heating.

As they appear on the left stem, the shoots are cut with a part of the stem and planted. On the old stalk leave the process on the ground itself.

The mixture for growing dracaeni consists of sod (four parts), hardwood (two parts) of the earth and sand (one part). Good drainage is required.

Dracaena are propagated by stalk lengths: stem parts 5-7 cm long are used as stem cuttings. Segments of the stem rooted under the film at a temperature of 25 ° C.

Adult plants are transplanted in the spring after 3-4 years.

More resistant - plants with green leaves. Dragons with narrow, rigid sword-shaped leaves require increased attention.

Transfer

Once every two years in the spring. Adult plants are transplanted in the spring every 2-3 years, young every year.

Ground mix: turf, leaf, humus, peat (2: 1: 1: 0.5); for large specimens, turf, sheet, humus, coarse sand (gravel) in the ratio 3: 1: 1: 1. Good drainage is superfluous.