Detailed Explanation of Dracaena fragrans Planting Methods and Technical Key Points
Dracaena, also called Ti plant, is a perennial evergreen shrub or tree of the Liliaceae family and the Dracaena genus. The plant has a short and sturdy form with upright stems, and young trees are less than 100 cm tall. It is currently an extremely popular indoor foliage plant loved by people all over the country.
Summer Dracaena fragrans Planting Methods
1. Light: Dracaena fragrans both likes warm, humid and sunny environments and can tolerate shade. Of course, it is still best to place the flower pot on a southeast-facing windowsill so that it fully receives sunlight. In summer, appropriate shading is needed, and generally a light level of 40% to 50% is sufficient.
2. Temperature: The most suitable growing temperature for Dracaena fragrans is 20-28 degrees Celsius. If summer temperatures are high and the air temperature exceeds 32 degrees Celsius, or if winter temperatures fall below 15 degrees Celsius, Dracaena fragrans enters a dormant or semi-dormant state.
3. Soil and fertilizer: Dracaena fragrans has relatively high requirements for soil, so loose, fertile culture soil that drains and breathes well and is rich in organic matter should be used. It is usually mixed with 5 parts garden soil, 3 parts leaf mold, 1 part decomposed organic fertilizer, and 1 part river sand. Dracaena fragrans does not have a very large demand for fertilizer; applying compound fertilizer 1-2 times per month during the growing season is sufficient.
4. Watering: Dracaena fragrans is a plant that likes sun and tolerates shade. Normally water by watering from the top, and just keep the soil moist.
5. Pruning: The leaves of Dracaena fragrans grow in a spreading shape, so pruning is basically unnecessary. Simply remove yellowed leaves in time to prevent them from affecting its appearance.
Pest control Because the environment is dry, keeping Dracaena on a balcony or indoor windowsill for a long time makes it prone to red spider mites. Red spider mites, commonly known as fire dragons, belong to mite pests and mostly gather on the underside of plant leaves, spinning webs as cover and piercing and sucking sap. When Dracaena is harmed by them, the leaves fade, chlorophyll is damaged, dense small yellow dots and small yellow spots appear on the surface, and they gradually shrivel, turn yellow, wither, and in severe cases fall off, losing their proper ornamental value. Control methods. Red spider mites often hide on the backs of branches and leaves or in places where leaves are dense, making webs for concealment, and manual capture is relatively easy. If chemical agents are used for control, 20% dicofol emulsion can be added to 800-1000 times water to make a solution for spraying; this pesticide has a good killing effect on adults, nymphs and eggs. Alternatively, 50% dichlorvos emulsion can be added to 1000-1500 times water to make a solution for spraying. When spraying, be careful to also spray the undersides of the leaves, so that the killing effect is better.