Dracaena for home - there is a representative of the agave family.
In some sources it is a family of dracaenaceae. There are more than 150 species of perennial plants. Dracaena prefers subtropical and tropical forests in Africa, America and Asia. Dracaena in a translation from the Greek language - a female dragon.
Description
The plant has a stiff stem and long leaves which are concentrated at the top. The leaves are lanceolate and pointed at the tip. Veinlet’s is expressed over the entire surface of the leaves.
The fruits resemble the seeds. In one nest has one seed.
Dracaena blooms very rarely at home. The flowers are not decorative. A strong and unpleasant smell is in the flowering period.
Often people suffer from the smell of flowers and pot is moved to an open area. Sometimes, in the summer there is paniculate inflorescence with lots of flowers growing from the rosette of leaves. There is flowers are small, green or white color.
The stems and leaves are used for the manufacture of goods for the home. Some kinds of plants have a red resin from which the manufactured rubber products. The leaves Dracaena separated into fibers for the manufacture of brushes.
In ancient times, a medicine made from the resin of dracaena. Presently it is used as an antiseptic and immune stimulant. In the past, people believed that the plant calms the nervous system and ward off evil spirits.
Dracaena comprise at home because of decorative and beautiful leaves.
If you follow all the rules, care for the flower is not complicated. The tree is not capriciously to specific environmental conditions. Often inexperienced gardeners are taking dracaena for cordyline.
The growth decorative wood is rather slow, but eventually it reaches the ceiling in the apartment. There is dwarf, miniature species that barely reaches the height of 0.5-1 m.
Large species of plants grow well at home conservatories and greenhouses. There are great varieties of Dracaena are growing on a windowsill in the apartment.
Often flower grows in offices, because of unpretentious care and resistance to the dry climate. If you sometimes forget to water the flowers, it perfectly endures any inconvenience.
Dracaena care indoor
Lighting
Most species of Dracaena prefer bright diffused light, but it must be protected from direct sunlight. The plant will approach the eastern and western sides. Location on the south side requires constant shelter from the sun at lunch time, especially in the hot season.
Green kinds are less demanding of solar lighting than the variegated varieties.
In the summer of dracaena can move outside in the shade but avoiding contact with rain.
In winter, the flower is often lacking natural light. Move the plants closer to the light source or install additional artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps. Its growth and health depends on the light intensity.
Temperature
Warm loving plant prefers 20-25 ° C, but can subsist comfortably at 27 ° C. But the flower is necessary to create high humidity and regular spray. In winter, the temperature was lowered to 18 ° C, but not below 12-13 ° C.
Humidity
Some species can withstand and feel comfortable in a dry climate (and the dragon tree Dracaena godseffiana). Most species prefer high humidity.
In hot weather, dragon tree sprayed several times a day. Water is used at 2-3 ° C above the environment. The leaves often washed a shower or wipe with a damp cloth. The shower washed the dust and prevents the appearance of insects.
For added moisture, put the pot on the tray with moist moss or expanded clay. The room put the decorative fountain and a humidifier to increase humidity. In winter dracaena positioned away from heaters that dry the soil and air.
Some species during the cold period it is not necessary to spray to prevent accumulation of water in the leaf axils. The leaves covered with wax to give a decorative effect and a glossy appearance.
Watering
When it is warm, the soil should be constantly moist. Plants are watered abundantly, but the water should not stagnate in the tray. Decorative tree watered after drying of the soil. Beginning in the fall or after the onset of cold weather, watering is gradually reduced and the time between watering increase. The land must be completely dry out, otherwise the roots will rot.
Dracaena sprayed during the period drying of the soil. Excess water on the bottom of the pot has a negative impact on the growth of plant. You need to make the drainage at the bottom of the pot to release excess moisture.
Dracaena broadleaved require copious watering to saturate the moisture leaves. Varieties with narrow leaves watered much less.
Fertilizing
Dracaena fertilize throughout the year. The plant does not have a pronounced period of rest. You can use the fertilizer complex. In the summer of fertilizers are applied 1 time per week.
In winter, fertilize once a month.
The composition of the soil
Soil picked nutritious, slightly acidic with a pH = 6 - 6.6, it must consist of turf and leaf earth, sand in the ratio (4: 2: 1). You can to add charcoal in a small amount.
Repotting
Young plants are transplanted every year, using the method of transshipment.
Transshipment - roots transshipped in a large pot with the same ground, only adds the missing portion of the land.
Adult plants are transplanted about once per 3-4 years or as needed when the root system is not enough space in the pot.
It is necessary to take the substrate sheet land, of the turf of earth and sand. The ratio is chosen (4: 2: 1). Also, add a bit of charcoal and crushed brick.
Charcoal in the ground prevents rot of the roots if there is overabundance of moisture.
Broken brick increases the friability of the soil and creates an opportunity there for the passage of water and air.
You need to put on the bottom of the pot substrate of expanded clay as the drainage prior to transplant. In large plants each year the topsoil update. Dracaena can grow in hydroponics.
Pruning
Green leaves in most species are only in the upper part of the crown. The lower leaves turn yellow and die 2 years later. Large part of stem with no leaves cut at 20-30 cm. The cutting of the cut part of the trunk is used for reproduction.
Along the trunk there are new leaves after circumcision, which further give the tree decoration. You need to reduce the humidity and watering when the new leaves do not appear.
Reproduction
Dracaena propagated by seeds and cuttings. Dracaena with monophonic green leaves multiply seeds, all other species reproduce only by cuttings.
- The seeds are sowing in early spring (March). Soil used of sand and peat (1:1). The first shoots will appear after a month. Once shoots get stronger, they are transplanted into a separate container.
- For obtaining cutting you need to cut off the top of 30 cm and then placed in a container with water. On a bottom the container sprinkled coarse sand a few centimeters. The cutting is planted in the ground after the emergence of roots. Scion that appeared on the main stem, cut off with part of the stem and it’s planted in the ground. Old stem cut off down to ground level.
Insects and diseases of room Dracaena
Dracaena prejudice Quadraspidiotus perniciosus, mealybug and spider mite.
To remove the pests used soap and a washcloth at the initial stage of destruction of the flower. Each leaf is rubbed carefully. Then dracaena treated with insecticide.
To remove the large amount of insects the procedure is repeated a few times with an interval of 5 days.
The tree sprayed with insecticide for the destruction spider mites.
For the prevention of pests, the leaves should be regularly wiped with a damp cloth, which is moistened with warm water.
Difficulties care for Dracaena House Plants
In Dracaena there are problems with growth and disease because of abundant watering and stagnation of water in the pallet. The roots of the plants begin to rot. The top of the crown wither and dry up. Dracaena ceases growth. Stagnation of water in the leaf axils is particularly dangerous.
Room dracaena can withstand short-term shortage of moisture and spraying, but it is very sensitive to excess moisture.
A few reasons, when beginning withering the tips of the leaves and the leaf color changes to brown.
- The climate in the room is too dry.
- Watering is insufficient.
- Frequent drafts around the plant.
- Low temperature.
The leaves curled, start to wither and soft to the touch - wrong mode of the room temperature. Perhaps at night temperature is too low.
There are leaves begin to turn yellow - not enough of fertilizers in the soil (especially nitrogen) and low humidity indoors.
The leaves at the bottom of the tree turn yellow and fall off - is a natural process after 1-2 years for all kinds of dracaena. But the upper part of the crown should remain lush and graceful. For the rejuvenation the bush, you need to cut off the tops of 30 cm and it takes root.
The spots are dark, and dry on the leaf surface - possibly burns from exposure to direct sunlight or too much sunlight. The plant is necessary to close from direct sun.
Dracaena is used in medicine and in everyday life
Juice is used for dyeing tissue. The juice is added into the paint for hair dyeing (in golden color).
Dracaena juice is added to the medications. Medications are used to the treatment of cutaneous diseases and stomach ulcers.