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How to care for dracaena at home? This plant does not require unusual conditions. Despite the fact that it comes from tropical forests, with proper care, it grows and develops well in our climate. Naturally, in the house, and not on the street. And even the cruel dry air in a room with central heating is not able to harm him. But, only with the right attitude.
In principle, even the most inexperienced room grower is quite capable of containing dracaena in himself. You just have to follow a few simple conditions.
The soil
Dracaena is very unpretentious to the composition of the soil. You can say the rougher the better. After buying a plant in a store, it must be transplanted. As a rule, flowers are in the transport soil, which is not suitable for full development. Therefore, they either buy specialized soil for palm trees or dracaena, or make up the soil mixture on their own. Moreover, it is not difficult to do this.
It is necessary to take in equal parts clean sand, peat and rough sod land. Mix thoroughly and spill with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. A day after processing, the earth is ready to take the plant into its arms.
Transplant Features
Which pot to take? The size of the pot is very easy to determine. For every 15 cm of the stem, there should be 5 cm of the diameter of the container. That is, if your dracaena is 60 cm high, then the diameter of the pot should be at least 20 cm. The material does not matter. Dracaena feels great both in plastic and in ceramics. Again, clay is still preferable. It has sufficient weight so that the flower does not tumble.
When a dracaena is transplanted
You can transplant the plant all year round. But we recommend doing it around the end of winter. With the onset of spring, the dracaena begins an active phase of growth, and it is better not to disturb it at this time.
Young plants need to be replanted once a year, adults less often. Oriented to the roots. As soon as they become visible above the surface of the soil, then the time has come.
The least traumatic root system is the transshipment of a fully earthen coma. If your flower is already too large for transplanting, then just once a year replace the top 7 cm of land with fresh. Just be careful not to damage the roots.
Water the dracaena
This plant is very fond of water. But she does not like to swim in it at all. Therefore, drainage is needed such a thickness. A proper fit ensures a good outflow of excess fluid from the root system.
The most correct thing is to put the pot with dracaena in a wide tray. Peat, moss or expanded clay is applied to it. All liquid that drains from the pot is absorbed into these materials. Then it will gradually evaporate, creating the necessary moisture level near the flower.
In general, it is advisable to spray the plant more often directly over the crown with warm, settled water. This will prevent the tips of the leaves from drying out.
When and how much to water dracaena? Rarely in winter, more often in summer.It’s difficult to make an accurate schedule. It all depends on the conditions of detention and the size of the plant. It is usually customary to focus on the dryness of an earthen coma. As soon as the top 2-2.5 cm is dry, it is necessary to water. It is strictly forbidden to dry the soil. Dracaena can not stand it and die. It is better to pour a little more and after 15 minutes to drain the excess liquid from the pan than to underfill and destroy the flower.
Water for irrigation should be at room temperature. If it is poured from the tap, it is recommended to let it stand for at least 12 hours. Then boil and cool. Instead of boiling, you can freeze the liquid in the freezer.
Only without fail after each preparatory procedure, water is drained from the sediment. If this is not done, then very soon a white coating will appear on the surface of the soil in the pot. These are deposits of hard salts, which are not at all in favor of dracene.
Air temperature
Dracaena loves heat, but does not tolerate heat. The most optimal conditions of keeping fluctuate in the temperature range from +18 to + 26 ° С during the period of active growth. This is approximately from the second decade of March to the second decade of October.
During a distinct dormant period, the plant requires different temperatures. This is from +14 to + 16 ° C. If you do not provide such conditions, then rested dracaena will not be able to fully grow and develop in the summer. She just does not have enough strength.
By the way, when the temperature of the content drops below + 11 ° C in any period, there is a high probability of outbreaks of disease. Perhaps even the appearance of rot and dropping leaves. This feature should be considered.
Lighting
A lot of light for dracaena is very good. But only scattered. Direct sunlight literally burns out spots on the leaves. And with a lack of lighting, the shoots grow stunted and thin, the leaves turn pale and hang with rags.
If the plant is standing on the windowsill, they shade it with light blinds, white paper, a light curtain. If on a table or nightstand next to a window, then additional shading is not required. At the same time, good lighting should be year-round. That is, during the winter holidays too.
When artificial illumination dracaena feels great. Only these should be special phytolamps for plants. They give the right amount of ultraviolet light without burning the crown with a high incandescent temperature.
Formation
Dracaena is often grown in conservatories or offices. Because it grows to 3.5 meters in height. But if you do not engage in plant formation, then the sight will bring few aesthetically pleasing moments. A long bare trunk with a bunch of leaves on the crown.
A small trunk with several shoots looks much more beautiful. In this case, it turns out a very magnificent crown, which always looks great.
How to achieve this result if the dracaena reaches up? By itself, it will not release lateral shoots. Have to sacrifice a chic hat. To do this, you will need:
- sharp sterile knife
- garden var or crushed tablet of activated carbon
The slice is made at a level of about 6-7 cm below the first sheet. That is, in the hands should remain the crown with a short cut. And in the pot - one trunk without leaves. Do not regret, it will be better. They only look strictly so that the cut is perfectly smooth. Even the tiniest makhrushki provoke rot. The wound is sprinkled with charcoal or covered with var.
After some time, the buds will swell on the trunk and young shoots will appear from them. By the way, the top of the head is not thrown away. You can try to root it under cover in the soil or even just in the water. Only the slice is necessarily dipped into the root stimulant. So the process will go much faster.
The danger of the formation is that only one new shoot can appear. Then the formation procedure will have to be carried out again, after some time.By the way, if young shoots cut off the tops, then in the end you can get a beautiful tree with a lush crown. Only necessarily let the plant move away from the previous injury. They even help for some time: they are watered with a solution of any adaptogen. It can be epin, zircon and other biological agents.
Tip. They begin to form a plant when the height of the main stem reaches at least 28 cm.
Pests
In the Russian climate there are no insects that love dracaena. But there are a couple of omnivorous pests that can even fancy cacti. This is a spider mite and scab. They often settle on the plant if the microclimate around is dry and hot. At normal humidity, they do not appear. But, if such a misfortune prevailed over a plant, then it would be necessary to arrange for it an alkaline or potash shower.
To do this, tightly wrap the pot with polyethylene, cling film, foil. Put him in a basin or bath. Then the crown is generously washed with a solution of household or potash soap. After 15 minutes, rinse with a warm, gentle stream of clean water.
If this procedure does not bring improvement, then you will have to use any systemic insecticide.
Disease
In general, dracaena is not particularly susceptible to disease. Often, they occur only when the provoking factors coincide. It can be:
- excessively high or low air temperature
- stagnation of water in a pan or pot
- constant drafts
- low humidity near the pot
If these problems are eliminated, then diseases can be completely avoided. The first sign is most often the appearance of the leaves. The tips begin to dry on them, yellow, brown spots appear, which then turn black. A massive fall of foliage signals a severe defeat of the dracaena. It is urgent to identify the cause and save the plant.
At the same time, periodic yellowing of the 2-3 lower leaves is a natural norm. The old die off, the young grow, everything, as was established by nature. In general, the average leaf life under good conditions is about 2.5 years. If yellowness disgusts, then you can simply cut the leaf to a healthy tissue. All the same, he will gradually die off and fall off.
Fertilizers
During the period of active growth, the flower must be regularly fed. It can be any mineral or organic fertilizer. Dracaena is omnivorous, and gratefully responds to any treats.
It’s important not to overdo it. Once every 3 weeks will be enough. And do not exceed the dosage indicated by the manufacturer. More benefit from this will not work. But the burning of small feeding roots is easy.
Useful Tips
- In the summer, you can make dracaena breathe on the street or balcony. Only cover from strong winds and drafts. She feels wonderful in the garden, under a slight shading.
- On the leaves over time a lot of dust and dirt accumulates. It is easy to wipe a young plant with a damp soft cloth. Well, an adult tree tolerates regular warm showers. And do not have to rub every leaf.
- It is customary for greater beauty to sprinkle the topsoil in a pot with small pebbles or gravel. We do not recommend this, because the root system should breathe freely. And the pebbles partially interfere with the evaporation of excess moisture.
How to care for dracaena at home? As you can see from the text, it’s not difficult at all. Simple observance of elementary rules, a little competent leaving and more love. Dracaena will appreciate the efforts and will delight you with a beautiful exotic look.
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