Dracaena fragrant

Fragrant dracaena (Dracaena fragrans) is a tall herbaceous plant that grows in the form of a shrub and belongs to the genus Asparagus. The place of its growth is the hot tropical countries of West Africa, where it retains its foliage all year round. In the wild, bushes dracaena reach a height of about 6 meters, only a few separate branches extend from a thick lignified trunk. Dense narrow leaves grow at the crown of the crown. Their length can be up to 1 meter, and their width is only 1 cm.

Description of the plant

Dracaena leaves are strong, glossy and form a dense green ring around the trunk. They are placed on it in order of priority. The color can be all shades of green or yellow. There are varieties of dracaena, which have a double coloration of the leaf plate. White or dark green streaks will be clearly visible on them. In older plants, the lower layer of leaves is practically absent, so the trunk looks bare.

White or yellow flowers exude a pleasant aroma. They gather in spherical lush inflorescences and are located along an oblong peduncle protruding from a rosette of leaves.

Fragrant dracaena is popular among flower growers and is often grown in garden plots. Under indoor conditions, it will not bloom. The plant is unpretentious to care for, has a quiet growth. Due to its unique appearance and impressive size, dracaena will be an excellent living decoration for offices and any other spacious premises, no worse than palm varieties of plants.

Caring for fragrant dracaena at home

To grow a healthy and attractive plant, certain rules must be followed.

Location and lighting

Lighting for fragrant dracaena should be chosen bright, but avoid direct sunlight on the leaves. Variegated varieties prefer to receive a lot of light, while traditional dracaena varieties choose partial shade.

Temperature

The most favorable climate for growing dracaena shrubs is a temperature of 18 to 25 degrees. In summer drought, it is better to regularly ventilate the room where the pot is located. In winter, make sure that the temperature does not drop below 13 degrees.

Watering

The irrigation regime for fragrant dracaena should be moderate; the soil should not be heavily waterlogged. Otherwise, root decay may occur. The next watering is required only after the top layer of soil in the pot has dried. From time to time, the dracaena needs to loosen the soil.

Water for irrigation should be settled and contain a minimum amount of fluoride. Do not use cold water directly from the tap.

Air humidity

It is important to provide parameters of high humidity in order to prevent curling and drying of the leaves. For this purpose, it is necessary to spray dracaena daily, wipe the leaves from dust.Vases are placed on pallets, on the surface of which expanded clay and pebbles are laid. To ensure that the plant always has access to a source of moisture, water is regularly watered into the trays.

The soil

As a soil for growing fragrant dracaena, a ready-made mixture for dracaena or palms is used. You can make a suitable soil yourself: for this, 3 parts of garden land, 1 part of peat and 1 part of sand are connected. To ensure a good drainage effect, charcoal is added to the pot, as well as crushed brick chips.

Top dressing and fertilizers

In spring and autumn, every two weeks, the plant must be fed with complex fertilizers, and in winter, this should be done only once a month. Try to avoid fertilizers that contain phosphorus.

Transfer

Young bushes of fragrant dracaena are transplanted in the spring every 2-3 years by transshipment. It is important to renew the soil in pots of adult specimens annually.

Pruning

Pruning is carried out if the dracaena shoots are very elongated and have lost their leaves. The top is shortened so that 4 leaves remain at the bottom of the trunk. The cut sites are wrapped in polyethylene for effective lateral bud formation. When the first shoots appear, the protective material can be removed.

Reproduction of fragrant dracaena

Dracaena reproduces by cuttings. To do this, cut off the tops of shoots 10-15 cm long, which are dipped in wet sand or water to form roots, or use pieces of stems. The most favorable time for cuttings is spring or autumn.

Certain varieties of this species prefer seed propagation.

Diseases and pests

Spider mites, scale insects, thrips and aphids pose a threat to the shrub. In the fight against them, the treatment of leaves with chemicals that have insecticidal properties helps to cope.

Growing difficulties

With improper care of the plant, the fragrant dracaena is exposed to a number of serious diseases leading to the possible death of the entire shrub:

• Decay of stems, due to the loss of turgor pressure in them, wilting of leaves, the appearance of dark spots. In most cases, this occurs due to waterlogging of the soil due to frequent and abundant watering.
• If the plant is exposed to light for a long time, the foliage begins to turn yellow and dry out. Conversely, with insufficient light, it becomes pale and dull.
• Low temperatures adversely affect plant development. Dracaena pots should not be left in the cold for a long time. The tips of the leaves begin to blacken and subsequently fade quickly. The characteristic symptoms of frostbite are dark brown spots, which are the beginning of decay of the entire leaf blade.
• Lack of soil nutrition affects the growth of the shrub. New growths show signs of deformation.
• Poor quality and hard water can cause leaf spot formation, so it needs to be defended or boiled.