Image - Wikimedia / David J. Stang
The drácena, or dracaena, is a plant that we usually have at home, either inside or at the entrance. In those places where there are no frosts or they are so weak that it is practically impossible for it to snow, we even dare to plant it in the gardens.
But of course, when it is kept in pots, for example, or in a corner of the plot where the available space is rather limited, it is important to ask yourself the following question: how to prune the dracaena?
When should you prune Dracaena?
Although you do not believe me, the dracaena is not a plant that has to be pruned every year. In fact, in certain cases it is totally inadvisable to do so, such as if we have it planted in the ground and it has enough space to develop normally. But there are others in which we will have to take a pruning tool, such as a hand saw or scissors like these.
The ideal time to do this is between mid-spring and early summer.. It must be taken into account that our protagonist is a heat-loving plant, and that the cold stops its growth as well as slows down the circulation of the sap, so if we were to remove a branch in winter, it would cost much more to close the wound ; And not only that, but while doing it, its microscopic enemies (fungi, viruses, bacteria) could penetrate your body and make you sick.
How is the dracaena pruned?
Sometimes we have a dracaena that is growing so much that, for example, it is reaching the roof of the house or slightly preventing the other plants from having a normal development. In these circumstances the best option is to prune it, but how? Okay, when we work with plants, we cannot miss something that, I consider, is the most important thing: patience.
And it is that we usually want to see results now, immediately, and that with plants is impossible, because they follow a different rhythm. If we cut a main stem of a dracaena, we will have to wait a few weeks to see new leaves sprout. It should not even surprise us -although it is not usual if the specimen is healthy- that said stem gets a little damaged.
Therefore, if we are going to prune, we have to do it well, ensuring that the plant can properly heal its wounds. So that We advise you to follow the following steps:
- The first is to move away from the dracaena a little to see it well, as a whole. We have to see what its development is so that the pruning is appropriate.
- Now, if it is growing a lot in height, we will proceed to cut about ten centimeters of stem. With this we will achieve, after a few weeks, that said stem branches further down.
- Then, if we want the plant to branch more, we will cut some stems, not all, because we have to think that the dracaena produces rosette leaves at the end of the stems. Moreover, if you have, for example, five stems, it would be best to prune only two, and if you have less, 1.
- Finally, we will cover the wounds with healing paste as this.
How to cut a cutting from a dracaena?
If you are interested in creating a plant from your dracaena, it is as simple as cutting a stem with leaves with a length of about 15 to 20 centimeters. Then, you just have to put it in a glass of water and put it away from direct light.
Now you will only have to change the water and wash the glass every day. Once it produces its own roots, it will be time to plant it in a pot with universal soil.
What are the care of the dracaena after pruning it?
Now that we have the dracaena pruned, do we have to give it any special care? Well, the truth is that... it wouldn't hurt. But don't worry: the only thing that changes with respect to the care you have given him up to now is that it is advisable that you go looking at his wounds. If the tools you have used were clean and you have disinfected them, your plant will surely recover well, but it still doesn't hurt to inspect its stems and leaves, to make sure everything is fine.
And also, you have to be careful with the sun. If exposed to it, stems that have been trimmed can burn more easily than those that remain intact. Moreover, of all the species of dracaena that exist, only a few tolerate direct sun, such as the dracaena draco (Canary dragon tree), or the Dracaena cinnabari (Socotra Dragon). Others like the Dracaena fragrans (water stick, trunk of Brazil), Dracaena reflex (dracaena marginata), or the Dracaena braunii (lucky bamboo), prefer a protected exposure.
Pruning is a very important task, but since it can be complicated at times, we trust that what we have told you in this article will help you.