How to care for Dracaena? Home cultivation methods and precautions
When a Dracaena is injured, it oozes a deep red liquid. It is like blood. People say this is where the name "dragon's blood" comes from. It is also a very ancient tree species. It is now a common ornamental plant. There are traces in the room, and every plant needs feeding. Below, the editor will introduce to you the home cultivation methods and precautions for Dracaena. I hope everyone likes them.
Home cultivation methods for Dracaena
Soil
Dracaena is highly adaptable and not demanding about soil. However, it is best to use a slightly loose, fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. It can be mixed with yellow soil with high humus content from under pine trees and river sand, or cultivated by mixing humus soil with river sand. During cultivation, Dracaena needs ferrous sulfate applied once a month to ensure the soil pH is suitable and slightly acidic, suitable for its normal growth.
Water and fertilizer management
Watering: It likes high temperature and high humidity, and fears the hot sun; it does not need watering once within a few days. In spring, summer and autumn, thriving plants need more watering. Do not wait for the soil to dry out; water when the pot is slightly moist.
In winter, the frequency of watering can be appropriately reduced. But the potting soil must not be dry, to ensure sufficient nutrients and promote flowering in spring.
Fertilizing: Dracaena propagation mainly involves applying nutrient solution. If the number of plants grown is small, the nutrient solution may not need to be specially formulated. The dragon tree's root system is well developed and robust, and fertilizing is nothing more than diligence.
Temperature and light
Dracaena likes both warm and humid, sunny environments, and can also tolerate shade. However, when kept indoors, if placed in a shaded environment for a long time, the leaves will fade. Therefore, it is best to place the pot in the southeast direction of the windowsill, so that it is fully exposed to sunlight.
If the dragon's blood tree is placed on a balcony, when the summer sun is too strong, the pot should be moved indoors, especially at noon, and shading should be done properly. The general light level should be 40-50%, to avoid sunburn. The Dracaena likes warmth and is not cold-tolerant.
Propagation methods
For home cultivation, cutting propagation is generally used to propagate Dracaena; combined with pruning, from April to August each year, it can be done indoors all year round, but the temperature needs to be kept between 20-30°C, which is beneficial to the growth of new roots.
Home precautions for Dracaena
How to get through winter safely?
During the winter dormancy period, it is necessary to stop fertilizing and control watering. Usually, it is placed indoors for overwintering. It can be watered once every ten and a half days, and the potting soil can be slightly dry, so it can safely pass the winter.
If there is no sunlight for a long time, you can turn on the lights at night, place the Dracaena under a 40-watt lamp, and provide artificial supplementary lighting, to ensure the beautiful appearance of the leaves.
At night, the dragon's blood tree should be placed inside the curtains, and a thick air curtain should be used to block cold air, or the flowerpot should be placed in a warm corner, to ensure safety through the winter.
Common pests and diseases
Common disease of Dracaena: Alternaria black spot. It mainly damages the leaves of Dracaena.
Common pest of Dracaena: red spider mite. The red spider mite really is the most annoying pest in the world, no contest!
Common pests of Dracaena and their control methods
Common pest of Dracaena: red spider mite
Symptoms of the disease
Because the environment is dry, when the dragon tree is kept for a long time on a balcony or indoor windowsill, it is easy for red spider mites to grow. Red spider mites, commonly known as fire dragons, belong to the mite pests; they gather on the back of plant leaves, forming webs and sucking plant juices.
When the dragon's blood tree is damaged by red spider mites, the leaves fade, the chlorophyll is destroyed, dense yellow spots appear on the surface, the small yellow spots gradually shrink, turn yellow, wither, and in severe cases fall off, losing ornamental value.
Prevention methods
Red spider mites often hide in branches, on the back of leaves or in densely populated areas. The webs are hidden and they are caught manually.
If treated with chemical agents, 20% trichlorfon emulsion can be added to 800-1000 times water to prepare a spray solution, which has a good killing effect on adults, nymphs and eggs. It can also be sprayed by adding 50% dichlorvos emulsion to 1000-1500 times water.
When spraying, pay attention to the back of the leaves, so that the killing effect is better.
Common pest of Dracaena: scale insects
Symptoms of the disease
The damage surface is very wide; they suck the sap of stems and leaves, causing poor plant growth and even causing sooty mold, which causes serious damage to the leaves. Its incidence rate is higher than that of red spider mites, and it multiplies in early spring.
Prevention methods
When the number is small, they can be removed with a brush. In addition, a 800-1000 times liquid spray of Supracide can also be used. Mixing a certain amount of carbofuran into the cultivation soil has a preventive effect, but the effect only lasts 3 months.
Whether it is red spider mites or scale insects, they are very annoying pests. On ordinary days, it is necessary to check frequently. When you find spider silk and white powder, you should check the front and back of the leaves for insects in time. Pests in the early stage are easy to control.