Dracaena Cuttage Propagation Methods and Things to Note When Repotting
Dracaena is surely familiar to many people. It is a very special tree. If you cut into it, a red sap will flow out, just like bleeding. Even so, this has not affected people's love for it. Now many people choose to plant it, but before planting, you still need to master its propagation techniques and repotting techniques.
Dracaena Propagation Methods (Cuttage)
1. Layering propagation:
1. At a suitable part of the plant stem, make a ring cut, with a ring width of 1.8-2.2 cm, deep to the xylem, and use a small knife to peel off the bark at the ring. Use a clean wet cloth to wipe away the sap overflowing from the cut, and use a 5000-1000 ppm naphthalene acetic acid aqueous solution to smear the bark at the upper end of the cut.
2. Then tie white plastic film to the lower end of the cut, straighten it into a funnel shape, fill it with a rooting medium mixed with moss and mountain soil, wrap it around the cut, pour water through once, tie the upper end of the plastic film tightly, then place the plant outdoors for cultivation and strengthen fertilizer and water management.
2. Cuttage propagation:
1. Selection of cuttage time. Dracaena can also be propagated asexually by cuttage, from May to June. This is the period of vigorous growth for Dracaena, when the plant is rich in nutrients, and it is very easy to survive after cuttage.
2. Selection of cuttage branches. Before cuttage, select a mother plant with high ornamental value, take robust branches that have grown for more than two years, each section about 10-20 cm long, with or without leaves.
3. Specific cuttage techniques. Cut the base of the cutting into a flat opening, retain the leaves after the upper part is cut across, soak the upper and lower cuts in clean water to wash away the overflowing sap, place in a cool and ventilated place to dry for a while, then soak the base of the cutting 2-3 cm in 5000-1000 ppm naphthalene acetic acid, generally 5 seconds is enough, and insert immediately after soaking.
4. For Dracaena cuttage, the seedbed can use a small clay pot, and the substrate can be vermiculite, perlite, or high-temperature sterilized plain sandy soil. After potting, carry out the cuttage. One plant per pot. After inserting, water thoroughly once, place the seedbed in dappled light, and care for it carefully.
What to Note When Repotting Dracaena
1. Be careful when removing from the pot, and do not injure the root system of the Dracaena, especially the main root.
2. The new nutrient soil should be kept as consistent as possible with the original soil formula.
3. After potting, do not water immediately. It needs to be placed in a cool place for 3-5 days before watering.
How to Repot Dracaena
1. Time. Household potted Dracaena usually needs soil and pot changing after 2-3 years of planting. It is recommended to carry out the repotting operation in April in spring.
2. Pot selection. As for what kind of flower pot to choose, this depends on the plant's growth needs. Since Dracaena leaves grow relatively long and droop, in order to prevent the leaves from drooping too low, it is recommended to choose a taller flower pot.
3. Soil. Dracaena itself does not have high soil requirements, but you cannot just find some soil to replant it either. The soil also needs to be selected. It is recommended to use loose, fertile, well-drained sandy soil, appropriately adding humus soil.
4. Removing from the pot. Take the Dracaena out of the old pot, then remove the soil. Since the old soil has fewer nutrients, it is necessary to remove the soil attached to the outer part of the roots. Be careful not to injure the root system during the soil removal process, and avoid breaking the root hairs.
5. Potting. Place some broken tiles at the bottom of the new pot, then spread a layer of nutrient soil, then put the plant into it, then cover with potting soil, and compact the soil around the plant to stabilize the plant.
How to Fertilize and Water Dracaena
1. Fertilizing:
1. After planting it, keep fertilizing 1-2 times a month, and also keep the soil moist. It prefers loose, well-drained sandy loam soil.
2. Dracaena should be fertilized with thin fertilizer. When fertilizing, apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, to avoid the golden yellow markings on the leaves becoming less obvious due to excessive nitrogen fertilizer. Stop fertilizing during the winter dormant period.
2. Watering:
1. Dracaena is a plant from tropical regions, and it can withstand an overly dry environment. In daily watering, do not water too much, otherwise it will cause the Dracaena to rot. After watering thoroughly, water once every 10 days.
2. Dracaena will go dormant in winter. During dormancy, it will not absorb a large amount of water, so its watering amount should be controlled. It can be watered once every ten days or so, and it is best to keep the soil relatively dry, so that it can safely go through dormancy.
Dracaena has many propagation methods, but the common one is cuttage. After cuttage propagation for a certain period of time, repotting is needed. When repotting, be sure to pay attention to the selection of soil and the care after repotting. Only by doing these tasks well can its growth be ensured.