Dracaena Marginata - care at home, propagation, pruning and shaping

This green tree with narrow leaves has become a popular addition to many homes and offices. Its unusual appearance attracts attention, and its low maintenance makes it suitable for both amateur gardeners and even those with no experience. Dracaena marginata is undemanding in terms of watering and location, so it's easy to grow. caring for it at home quite light.

Outside its natural habitat, it is also known as the "dragon tree" due to its leaves, which have a brightly colored border, making it recognizable among other varieties. The tree is successfully propagated by cuttings, allowing you to easily increase the amount of decorative greenery in your home or office.

Characteristics of the branched Dracaena marginata

Dracaena is a small, evergreen tree native to South Africa, where it grows wild. Varieties such as the fragrant, marginated, and dereme varieties are popular in apartments, houses, and offices. One of the most undemanding representatives of its genus is the branched dracaena.

Plants of this species are characterized by the following features:

• a straight trunk that has the same width along its entire length;
• lignification of the trunk;
• long and narrow leaves, pointed at the ends;
• the veins of the leaves are arranged parallel;
• straight and smooth roots with a yellow tint;
• green color of leaves with variegated additions;
• the size of an adult plant depends on the variety and can be from 50 cm to 3 meters;
• It has white flowers with a rather pungent aroma.

Due to the distinctive red-purple leaf margins, the tree is also known as "Dracaena marginata." This unique cultivar grows to a height of 5 meters in the wild.

The flower is chosen for interior decoration not only because of its appearance, but also because of its beneficial properties:

• air humidification;
• cleaning indoor spaces from formaldehyde;
• destruction of microbes;
• beneficial effect on the human body.

Growing this tree requires minimal knowledge and skills, but the result is a beautiful plant that will delight the eye for many years.

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Caring for Dracaena Marginata at Home

When caring for a tree, you should follow basic recommendations regarding maintaining temperature, moisture, watering, and timely fertilization of the plant so that it develops and is not susceptible to disease.

Lighting

A distinctive feature of this variety is its love of light and its need for constant sun exposure. It's one of the few plants that isn't afraid of sunbathing and only grows stronger and brighter in the sun.

Temperature and humidity

Since the flower originates from tropical climates, it requires temperatures as close as possible to those found in these latitudes. The tree does not tolerate low temperatures well; in winter, try not to let the thermometer drop below 16°C (61°F), otherwise the plant will suffer. The optimal and acceptable temperature for dracaena is between 22°C and 28°C (72°F). During the summer months, it is perfectly acceptable to leave the plant in a flowerbed, garden, or balcony, where the temperature will be significantly higher.

Dracaena noticeably reacts to lack of moisture, with leaf tips starting to dry out. To prevent this, mist it several times a week during the hot months. During the winter, there's no need for this; the plant adapts well to low humidity. To refresh the leaves, bathe the plant in warm water at least once a month; a shower works well for this purpose.

Watering and fertilizing

The plant doesn't like heavy watering or large amounts of water. It should be watered little by little but often to keep the soil moist but not too wet. A watering can with a sprinkler attachment is convenient for watering.

It is recommended to feed dracaena throughout the year with mineral fertilizers specifically formulated for this plant. During winter, fertilize once a month, with half the recommended dose sufficient. During the rest of the year, fertilize twice a month.

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Pruning and shaping

Florists recommend pruning dracaenas in a timely manner to promote branching and an aesthetically pleasing shape. This process should be performed in the spring months, when the growing season begins. Pruning allows you to:

• restrain the upward growth of shoots;
• activate the emergence of lateral branches;
• give the plant the required shape;
• get shoots for propagating dracaena at home.

The procedure should be carried out in several stages:

1. Cut off the top of the tree so that at least three leaves remain on the trunk;
2. Sprinkle the cut area with activated carbon, wood carbon will also work;
3. Place a plastic bag over the resulting flat top to retain moisture;
4. Wait until lateral shoots appear, after which you can remove the polyethylene.

On average, when using this algorithm of actions, the flower will develop three to five lateral shoots, which will begin to actively grow and give the tree a new shape.

Problems of growing marginata at home

Although the Dracaena marginata is one of the most undemanding representatives of its species, as with any houseplant, difficulties may still arise during the growing process, which will require certain measures to resolve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6_uSAq0eic

Diseases

The ornamental tree is susceptible to the following diseases:

1. Heterosporium leaf spot is caused by a fungus that infects foliage with its spores. Brown spots appear on the foliage and, if left untreated, spread rapidly. The fungus can be controlled by spraying the leaves and the top layer of soil with fungicides.
2. Phyllosticta leaf spot is also caused by a fungus that can spread to the plant from the air, water, or other infected flowers. The characteristic sign of this disease is brown spots on the leaf surface. These spots can vary in size and shape, and upon close inspection, a black dot can be seen within each spot. As soon as the first signs of phyllosticta leaf spot are noticed, the plant should be isolated, the affected foliage trimmed, and then treated with fungicides.

   

3. Tomato spotted wilt virus is another disease that can affect dracaenas. Its first sign is leaves turning bronze or purple. They will then curl and dry out. Treatment involves trimming off all affected leaves and treating the plant and soil with specialized treatments several times.
4. Alternaria leaf spot is a fungal infection that appears as brown, velvety spots on foliage and spreads rapidly, leading to complete wilting. To eliminate the fungus, prune as many diseased leaves as possible and treat the tree with fungicides.

   

Powders and solutions for combating these diseases can be purchased at specialized flower shops; they always come with detailed instructions for use.

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Pests and methods of control

Insect pests can also cause a tree to lose its healthy, aesthetic appearance:

1. Scale insects – signs include a gray coating on the leaves. To get rid of the pest, treat the plant with a soap solution and special products.
2. Thrips – when they appear, light spots appear on the tips of leaves and they begin to dry out. Spraying with appropriate solutions is used.

   

3. Aphids - a characteristic feature is the appearance of a sticky coating on the flower; you can get rid of it with a soap solution, thoroughly washing the plant, as well as with products such as Fitoverm.
4. Spider mites can be identified by the appearance of fine webbing on flowers; the next stage of development will be dark spots on the foliage. A soap solution is an effective control method at the initial stage of infestation; if spots have already appeared, the plant should be treated with acaricides.

   

5. Mealybugs are characterized by the appearance of mealy lumps and a white coating on the tree. Treatment with soap and alcohol solutions, as well as insecticide sprays, are effective in controlling them.

What to do if the tips of the marginata leaves are drying out?

There may be several reasons for this phenomenon, and each of them requires separate preventive measures:

• low humidity in the room, therefore, it is necessary to spray the flower more often;
• incorrect watering, adjust the soil moisture regime;
• exposure to direct sunlight, we move or shade the plant;
• diseases and pests, we determine what specific disease the flower is exposed to and treat it.

You cannot ignore the wilting of the tips of the leaves on a plant and wait for it to go away on its own; you need to take action.

Propagation and transplantation of dracaena at home

Repotting a young dracaena is recommended every year, and once it reaches maturity, this procedure can be done every few years. Transplanting is done by moistening the soil thoroughly. Remove the plant from its pot with the root ball and transfer it to a new pot with fresh soil. During this process, you can also treat the root system. Choose a soil specifically designed for dracaenas and palms.

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When propagating the bordered beauty at home, it is important to follow these steps:

1. We treat a sharp knife with alcohol and cut off the top of the dracaena to a height of 10 cm.

   

2. We remove excess leaves so that the shoot trunk is at least 5 cm.
3. We prepare a substrate with a high peat content and select a pot with a depth of up to 10 cm.

   

4. Make a shallow hole in the substrate with your hand and plant the cutting there. You can place the cut off top in water with activated carbon and leave it there for roots to sprout; this will speed up the plant's growth upon planting.

   

5. We place the flowerpot on the windowsill and cover the sprout with a small jar to create a greenhouse effect.

Care for the young plant, watering and moistening it, and it will soon begin to grow and produce new shoots. You can also propagate the dracaena by dividing the stem, similar to the method described above.

Frequently asked questions about growing

Dracaena is an excellent green addition to any interior, also serving as an air purifier and actively fighting harmful microbes. With proper care, the plant is trouble-free and provides positive energy.