Do I need to cut the dracaena. Dracaena pruning rules for side shoots

There is a very common misconception regarding palm trees: many people believe that if a palm tree is regularly pruned, it will grow better, but in fact it is quite the opposite. The less you take care of the palm tree and the less you prune it, the better the palm tree. Plants of the palm family (Arecaceae, or Palmae), as a rule, are tropical plants. There are many various kinds palms, there are more than 2000. Palms differ in height, shape of the trunk and shape of the leaves, but, as a rule, have a uniform trunk and a bunch of fan-shaped leaves on top. And while you don't need to prune your palm frequently, you should know when and how to care for your tree to keep it healthy and looking good.

Steps

Determining the state of the palm

Check if it's time to prune your palm. And although experts advise cutting palm trees as little as possible, under some circumstances it may be necessary. Analyze the situation, whether the palm tree really needs to be cut. But remember, the less you trim, the better.

• Dead or dying leaves are removed for aesthetic reasons.
• Palm trees are pruned for reasons fire safety especially if they are near houses.
• To increase visibility and safety next to roads and sidewalks.
• To prevent the destruction of buildings in strong winds.
• To collect fruits, seeds or flowers.
• Do not prune your palm for aesthetic reasons, as this can harm the plant.

1. Determine the state of the palm. If there is a risk of damage to property or people, then the palm really needs to be pruned - when the leaves or branches die or are broken, or when the palm begins to bloom or bear fruit.

   Choose the right tool

   1. Choose a palm trimming tool. There are many tools for pruning palm trees. When choosing a tool, consider the size of the tree and branches.

      • A serrated knife can be used to trim branches less than 2.5 cm in diameter and can also be useful for removing flower stalks.
      • Large scissors or large pruners are suitable for removing relatively large branches, over 2.5 cm in diameter.
      • Via hand saw you can easily remove hard and thick branches.
      • For very large and very thick branches, a chainsaw can be used, but you must be extremely careful when working with it so as not to hurt yourself or the tree.

   2. Select suitable equipment to climb a palm tree. Palm trees can grow very tall. To climb up to the branches you may need different equipment - it all depends on the height of the tree.

      • For low trees, you can use a stool or stepladder.
      • Higher stepladders are suitable for pruning trees up to 4.5 m high.
      • The aerial platform should be used for cutting very tall trees.
      • Special climbing equipment may only be used by trained professionals. In this case, thorns or crampons should not be used, as they can damage the trunk and cause tree disease.

   3. Consult with a professional. Palm trees can be very tall and large, and their spiky branches can be huge. If you need to cut high or a big tree, and your tool or skills are not enough for this, then best solution will contact a professional.

      • Try to find someone with palm pruning experience.
      • Make sure that the specialist you find does not use devices or mechanisms that can damage the tree (for example, cats or thorns).

      Removing dead and damaged leaves

      Sterilize the cutting tool. The tool used for pruning can carry diseases from one tree to another. That is why it is recommended to sterilize the entire instrument before cutting.

      • Remove any dirt or debris from the instrument.
      • To sterilize, place the instrument in a solution of 1 part bleach to 3 parts water.
      • For a chainsaw, both chain and bar must also be sterilized separately.
      • Soak the instrument in the solution for at least 5 minutes.
      • Rinse the instrument clean water and dry thoroughly before use.

   4. Prepare gear or equipment for lifting. Before climbing a tree, make sure the ladder or other equipment is secure and secure.

      • Check that the ladder or stool is stable and secure.
      • Make sure the palm is not tilted or damaged by the fixtures you are using. If you damage the trunk during pruning, the tree may die.

   5. Remove dead or damaged leaves. Removing healthy leaves and branches deprives the tree of important nutrients and can lead to stunted growth, spread of disease, and death of the palm.

   6. Remove loose petioles ( sheet plates) from the branches.

      • Take the petiole in your hand and gently pull. If it doesn't come off, don't pull too hard, just leave it.

   7. If the palm tree blooms or bears fruit, cut off the flower stalks. Flowers and fruits take a lot of energy and nutrients from the tree, attract insects, and in some cases can be dangerous for people walking under the palm tree.

      • Cut off the fruit stems and remove the flowers by hand.
      • The sooner you remove fruit or flowers, the better.

   8. Throw away cut branches, flowers, or fruits. Carefully dispose of branches, flowers, or fruits in an organic waste container. Palm branches often have sharp edges that can be dangerous, so be careful.

      • Clean up trash without removing your gardening gloves.
      • Remove any fallen fruits, flowers or seeds - they attract insects and animals that can harm the palm. In addition, fallen fruits can leave marks on cement or asphalt, causing bad smell or grow in unwanted places.
      • Do not pluck weakened leaves from the tree. Always cut them at a distance of 5 cm from the trunk to avoid holes in it.
      • Do not use spiked devices to climb palm trees. The thorns can leave holes in the trunk through which disease is more likely to enter.
      • When pruning a palm tree, always wear gardening gloves.
      • Be careful when pruning more than one palm tree at a time. If the first palm tree is sick, the disease can be transmitted next tree through the scissors you use.

Dracaena grows at home up to 15 years. In this case, the evergreen grows with the top, and the lower part of the stem is exposed. Leaflets, having worked out the due date for a few more than a year, gradually dry out, leaving a scar on the stem. How to cut dracaena to get side shoots? The plant allows you to create new forms by shortening the shoots.

Principles for the formation of a dracaena bush

AT flower shop usually sell dracaena with ready-made ramifications. At the very beginning, when growing a young plant, a bush is formed from it in greenhouse conditions. It may consist of two or three branches. Is it possible to trim the dracaena in the future? You can form each branch separately on your own, getting a picturesque palm tree. All operations are carried out only on a healthy plant.

Trimming time

The stem of the dracaena is a structure in which dormant buds are arranged in a spiral along the entire length. This is what allows you to get seedlings, the beginnings 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, 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 cut dracaena at home

When shortening the central stem, you need to consider a few points:

• top with green leaves should be in a zone of comfortable lighting, so the height of the trunk is calculated for the future growth of twigs and leaves;
• for the emergence of new shoots, it will be necessary to provide the necessary conditions germination of new shoots from dormant buds;
• all operations for the design of the correct cut, its sealing are carried out under sterile conditions.

You can use for pruning a plant that has 30 cm from the soil to the attachment point of the upper leaves.

Any part of a leafy or bare trunk is cut off. A remote site can be rooted by getting another copy of the dracaena. Cutting the dracaena for branching as an operation is carried out with a sharp knife without squeezing the tissues.

After being cut off top part plants, it can be used to root the top, or cut into 7-10 cm shank, each of which is capable of producing a new plant. The requirement to cut only with a sharp knife and clean cuts is mandatory.

If the stem at the cut point is leafy, the leaves must be removed by 10-15 cm, exposing the trunk. Close the cut garden pitch or melted paraffin, so that the inner layer does not evaporate moisture, does not dry out. On the cut, the beginnings of new branches should form. They can be from two to five. But not all buds will grow. The number of new formations depends on the conditions in which germination takes place.

Simultaneous development of all new shoots is achieved due to uniform illumination. Dracaena must be rotated during germination and in subsequent care.

Germination conditions:

• treatment of the stem with water with the addition of a growth stimulator, for example, Epin;
• creating a damp moss cushion around the open cut of the cambium, the waxed part should be open;
• a plastic bag is tightly strengthened on top, creating a constant humidity of 75% inside;
• in the light at a temperature of 22-25 degrees, the plant is aged for a month.

It is important at this time not to open the cut point, not to remove the package, not to change the germination conditions. At the same time, the rest of the leaves require, the stem must also be moistened. Watering is carried out only by the bottom method, draining the remnants of water that has not been absorbed into the earthen clod. It is important that germination is carried out in the light.

As soon as the plant buds at the cut site, it is ready to continue development without additional shelter.

It is not necessary that new branches will develop from all hatched buds. Some will not have enough food, and they will wither. But you can cut the plant so 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 package is not removed before the appearance of seedlings, so as not to disturb the microclimate. The plant is watered through the pallet.

When forming a bordered dracaena, seedlings can go along the stem anywhere. Then the palm tree will become multi-tiered.

Is it necessary to trim dracaena at home?

The plant looks well-groomed if it is regularly trimmed and shaped. Therefore, pruning is one of the mandatory operations for the care of dracaena. It happens that the plant develops 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 prevent infection of the entire plant. This operation is called sanitary pruning.

Video about the result of pruning dracaena

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Julia Pyatkova 07/14/2015 | 34073

Dracaena - very beautiful plants, however, over time, they lose their decorative effect: they grow tall and begin to bend. But this is very easy to fix.

In an adult plant, the trunks are very long and thin, so they no longer hold the tops - "pompoms" and begin to bend under the weight of the leaves. Such a dracaena hardly has an attractive appearance. But do not throw away the plant just because it has ceased to decorate the interior of the apartment. Dracaena can restore its former beauty, and at the same time propagate the plant. It remains only to learn how to do it right.

Dracaena pruning rules

In order for the plant to become compact again, it needs to be pruned. First, you should cut off the tops, stepping back from the leaves down about 5 cm. This should be done with sharp scissors or pruners. It is desirable that the cuts are even, and not "torn".

If the apical cuttings are not too twisted, they can be put in water for rooting. Soon they will take root, and they can be planted in the soil. This is one of the easiest ways to propagate dracaena. You can also plant the tops directly into the soil, after sprinkling the sections with a root stimulator. The latter is not necessary, but if you have a suitable tool (for example, Kornevin), then the process of root formation will go faster. Cuttings planted in the soil can be covered with a bag to create favorable conditions for young plants.

At the second stage, the dracaena trunks should be shortened and slices sprinkled charcoal. So that the plant does not lose its decorative appearance for a long time after pruning, the trunks should be cut as low as possible. However, it is not necessary to make them the same length. New sprouts will come from the tops of the trunks, so they can be cut to different levels. As a result, as the "bunches" of foliage grow, they will be on different height, which will make the plant more voluminous.

After about a month, new shoots will begin to appear on the stems. They grow from the side, but over time they will begin to strive upward. Now you know how to form a dracaena, so in the future you can continue to experiment with it, giving the plant a shape that seems to you the most decorative.

Methods for propagating dracaena after pruning

The process of pruning dracaena can be combined with reproduction. One of the methods we have already considered is rooting (or rooting) of apical cuttings. But you can propagate dracaena from the remains of trunks - stem cuttings. This can be done in two ways.

The remains of the stems that are suitable for propagation should be elastic and dense. They should be cut into small pieces (about 7 cm), making cuts along the leaf scars. Tools must be clean and sharp. With vertical rooting, dracaena cuttings are immersed in a moist substrate to a depth of about 3 cm. It is best to root the cuttings in sand, perlite or vermiculite. If you planted them in the ground, then it is recommended to sprinkle it with a thick layer of sand on top.

This method is different in that stem cuttings do not stick into the substrate, but lay them horizontally on moist soil, slightly pressing them. From above, the cuttings must be covered with a bag to create greenhouse conditions. As the shoots grow, the rooted piece of the stem will begin to break down, since all the nutrients will go to the formation of roots and young shoots. As a result, the shoots will switch to food from their own roots, and they can be divided and seated in separate containers.

Usually cuttings take root in 1-1.5 months. Shoots are formed by the end of the second month.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in updating and propagating dracaena. Therefore, if you do not know what to do with a plant that has long ceased to be an apartment decoration, use our advice and give it a second life.

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AT artificial conditions dracaena grows 13 - 15 years. The shoots of some of its species in 6 months are able to stretch up to half a meter. The leaves live for about a year, and then dry up and fall off, exposing the lower part of the trunk. Over time, the plant loses its decorative effect, turning into a kind of palm tree. In this regard, many flower owners are interested in how to cut the dracaena for branching.

Dracaena offered for sale in specialized stores already have a formed crown. The task of the grower who bought such a plant is to maintain its decorative look through planned pruning.

When propagating dracaena at home, the crown is formed independently, adhering to certain principles:

1. The first pruning is carried out when the plant reaches a height of at least 30 cm from the soil level to the growth point of the upper leaves.
2. All manipulations are carried out with a well-sharpened tool and use only pure material. Sections are carried out evenly, without squeezing the tissues. It is unacceptable to break off parts of the shoot.
3. Pruning in order to form a crown is carried out during the period of the beginning of active vegetation and only on a healthy plant.
4. Pruning should not be combined with a transplant, this is fraught with the loss of a flower. The minimum interval between these procedures should be at least 2 months.

The best time to prune a plant

Dracaena pruning is carried out in the spring, in April or May, during the activation of all vital processes of the plant.

This contributes to faster healing of wounds and the growth of new shoots.

However, there are times when a plant needs emergency pruning. For example, a flower is damaged by pests or part of the shoot has broken off. In these and similar cases, an emergency sanitary pruning. During its implementation Special attention is given to the subsequent care of the plant after pruning.

How to cut dracaena for branching

When growing dracaena on your own, it is important to timely and correctly carry out the first pruning, designed to initiate the formation of a crown.

It consists in carrying out several simple actions, as a result of which the top of the dracaena is removed:

• On the stem of the plant, the location of the cut is marked, given that young shoots will appear lower.
• With a quick movement, an even transverse cut is made.
• The released juice is dried with a porous material and treated with garden pitch or paraffin. Shoots of some species of dracaena have leaves below the cut point. They are removed, exposing a section of the trunk of 10 - 15 cm.
• The leafless area below the cut is treated with a solution of a drug that stimulates growth processes, for example, "Zircon" and covered with wet sphagnum. Moss is fixed on top with any waterproof material. Not only will it hold the sphagnum layer, but it will also help keep it moist.
• To create greenhouse conditions, a transparent plastic bag is put on the cut part of the shoot, imitating a greenhouse, and the plant itself is placed at air temperatures from 22 to 27 ° C in a slightly dark place.

Caring for a young dracaena after the first pruning, before the appearance of lateral shoots, consists in regularly moistening the soil, which is best done from below, through a pallet, and in weekly airing the part of the flower closed with a bag.

Lateral kidneys wake up for quite a long time - 2 - 3 months. After they swell and peck, the moss is removed, leaving an impromptu greenhouse to preserve the microclimate. Most of the formed buds will develop new shoots, so their number is adjusted according to the plan of the grower.

Pruning for side shoots

When shoots at least 30 cm long develop from the lateral buds of the dracaena, they are shortened again, stimulating the growth of lateral branches.

The acquired formed plants are subject to a similar procedure.

They are formed according to the same principles and rules as the first pruning, additionally taking into account 2 factors:

• Lateral shoots are cut at different (from 15 to 30 cm) heights from the main stem. This will allow you to form a more voluminous crown.
• Harmonious development of shoots is possible only if they are evenly illuminated, so the plant is periodically rotated around its axis.

Pruning rules for reproduction at home

Pruning of dracaena is carried out not only in order to form a crown, but also for the preparation of cuttings used for vegetative propagation flower.

• As apical cuttings, the tops of the shoots are used, ending in leaf rosettes, from 15 to 30 cm long.
• Stem cuttings, or chibuki, are cut from elongated and, as a rule, bare parts of shoots 7–10 cm long.

Pruning in order to obtain cuttings is carried out in the spring, following the principles and technology of forming pruning.

Dracaena care after pruning

A month after pruning, the side shoots will get stronger enough. The greenhouse can be removed and the flower moved to permanent place. Care for dracaena after pruning consists in timely regular watering, spraying shoots and top dressing.

• After pruning, the plant is sensitive to lack of moisture and waterlogging, so it is important to observe correct mode irrigation, which does not allow complete drying of the earthen coma and stagnation of water in the pan.
• Dracaena responds gratefully to irrigation of leaves and shoots with water, which is carried out in order to increase air humidity, as a hygienic procedure and as foliar top dressing, once a week irrigating the shoots with water with the addition of mineral supplements and preparations that stimulate the growth of shoots.
• After the formation of the crown, the plant is actively growing, needing an increased amount of nutrients, so it will be appropriate to carry out root dressings, which involve alternating the use of mineral and organic fertilizers. In the summer they are applied 1 time in 2 weeks, in the winter 1 time per month is enough.

Proper and timely pruning of the dracaena, as well as good subsequent care, will allow you to get a plant with a lush decorative crown, which for many years will delight those around you with its beauty.

It will not work to grow a false palm tree at home, it is also a dracaena, if you do not know the plant pruning technique. This operation should be carried out regularly - this helps to renew the deciduous part and allows you to prevent or cure plant diseases in time. By pruning, a neatly shaped crown is created, thanks to which the plant decorates any home in such a way.

Dracaena care - general points

Dracaena itself is an undemanding plant in its care, and in many respects because of this it is so common among those who love to deal with flowers. Houses of the Marginata, Godsefa and Dragon Tree varieties take root especially well.

Dracaena has many varieties, most of them are unpretentious in their care.

Table: dracaena content throughout the year

What else you need to know about dracaena:

• Before watering, it is recommended to loosen the soil around the trunk well, check to what depth the soil has dried out. If drying has not reached a depth of 2-3 cm, you need to wait with watering. Better to underfill than overwater the plant. Varieties with wide leaves have large area evaporation, therefore, require abundant watering.
• Variegated species of dracaena need very good lighting. They will feel more comfortable on the south window. In summer, the dracaena can be taken out into an open room, but protected from the wind and the scorching sun: on a bay window, a balcony, a loggia, a terrace.
• All dracaena are afraid of drafts and direct sunlight, despite their African origin. Contamination should also be avoided by wiping the leaves with a damp, soft cloth.
• For less injury to the plant during transplantation experienced growers use the method of transshipment (transplantation with the preservation of the old soil). Dracaena under the age of 5 years must be replanted every year, then once every two to three years.

Self-pruning dracaena - how to do it right

Pruning in itself is stressful for the plant, and if it is done during a period of pronounced dormancy from October to January inclusive, it is doubly painful. The plant is weakened, the healing of cuts and the appearance of side shoots is much slower, and even the death of the plant is possible during the rehabilitation period. Nevertheless, pruning is necessary, but the best time for this operation - the period from early spring to early autumn, in the growth phase, when the cut sites heal better and faster and dormant buds awaken.

In order not to additionally injure the plant, pruning must be carried out on time and correctly.

There are several reasons for trimming dracaena:

• plant aging, the need for rejuvenation;
• deformation of the dracaena, the need to give the crown a shape;
• propagation of dracaena by transplanting processes;
• disease prevention, pest control.

Pruning for side shoots

If you have purchased young plant with a single trunk, and it is of sufficient length - at least 30 cm to the point of formation of leaves - it can be cut for the purpose of branching. To do this, 10 cm is cut off from the top of the dracaena. After the procedure, two to five new shoots can form on the trunk. It is customary to leave three strong processes in such a way that they are freely located on the stem.

Pruning for branching

It is carried out in those cases when the leaves of the dracaena crumble and it is necessary to return to her a lush and elegant crown. If there are 2–3 branches on the trunk, the tops of each of them are cut off at the same height, leaving only 2–3 sleeping buds that have hatched.

If you cut the shoots at different heights, you can get a beautiful multi-tiered plant.

How to make dracaena bonsai

Growing dracaena using the bonsai technique is in principle possible, but it is associated with great difficulties. Dracaena grows quickly, and some species have large leaves, so it will not make a real dwarf tree - although you can try to imitate the Japanese technique.

It will be possible to achieve the desired result if the uniform development of the root system and the deciduous part is ensured.

You need to take a plant with a low trunk (not higher than 30 cm) and a developed crown, take it out of the pot and cut the roots by about a third. Transplant the plant into a suitable flat container with drainage. root collar remains 1-2 cm above the soil level. After 2-3 weeks, you can begin to form a crown. Pruning the top and side shoots are further operations that are performed as they grow and the desired result. The roots are cut once every two years. To create additional shoots, the so-called tops, lignified shoots are cut off at the very trunk. This procedure contributes to the thickening of the trunk below the cut branches. Excess shoots are removed from the trunk.

Cut the dracaena with a sterile instrument

1. Take a sterile sharp knife, determine the place of the cut at the desired height, at least 30 cm from the soil on the central trunk and side branches. You need to plan the cut at the level at which the plant will have access to light.
2. Cut carefully and evenly. Immediately after the operation, treat with garden pitch, melted wax or crushed activated carbon. This procedure is done so that the inner layer of the trunk does not dry out.
3. If there are leaves at a distance of 10 cm or more from the cut, remove them to reduce the evaporation area and speed up the growth of side shoots.
4. For a better awakening of dormant buds, treat the stem at a level of 15 cm from the cut with a growth stimulator. An aqueous solution of epin, charkor, cytokinin paste, etc. is suitable.
5. Wrap the trunk around the cut by 15 cm with wet moss. The cut remains open.
6. cover the plant plastic bag to create the required temperature and humidity. The best option: temperature 25 ° C and humidity 75%.
7. Water the plant abundantly and place in a shady place.

Video: pruning and shaping the dracaena crown

Features of care after pruning

After pruning, the dracaena is watered 2-3 times a week through a pan, since in order to maintain a stable microclimate and until new seedlings appear, the bag is not removed. The stem is sprayed with water 3-4 times a week room temperature. Moss is moistened once a week, if any, and the trunk is inspected. Immediately after the buds have hatched on the trunk, the cellophane is removed and the pot is transferred to the light.

Material on the methods of propagation of dracaena will also be useful:

Possible cropping issues

• After pruning, in some cases, the kidneys do not wake up. It is necessary to re-cut, making cuts a few centimeters lower than the previous ones.
• The cut point in one or more areas (central trunk and side shoots) begins to rot. Immediately you need to re-pruning, removing all rotten parts.
• Some kidneys are stunted. You can activate their development by spraying the emerging shoots with urea (an aqueous solution of urea - 1 g / l) or make an aqueous solution of a growth regulator by adding microfertilizer (2 drops of epin + 2 drops of cytovit per 250 ml of water). Zircon is more suitable for stimulating flowering. After the procedure, gently blot with a napkin so that the solution does not stagnate in the axils of the shoots and does not cause burns in the plant.

Growing a palm-like plant at home is not difficult - dracaena is undemanding to care for. The owner needs attention and timely watering, proper lighting and timely pruning. .