How to Propagate Dracaena Using Three Methods

Houseplants
Dracaena Propagate

Dracaena is a popular genus of plants for home gardeners. Some of the most common variants of this plant include Dracaena Marginata, Dracaena lucky bamboo, and Dracaena lucky lime. These are very striking, decorative plants that can brighten any home. They are also great because they are generally hassle-free, so they are ideal even for people without much experience with gardening. In fact, they are so easy to grow that they are recommended for first time gardeners.

This easiness is also true for propagation. If you wish to propagate Dracaena, you will be able to do this without much trouble. You need to follow a few simple steps, and you will be able to propagate Dracaena with high chances of success.

There might be many different reasons why you may with to propagate Dracaena plants. The first is obvious: you may want to have a new plant for your home, or to give it to family and friends as presents. But this is not the only reason people choose propagation. Maybe the adult plant is getting a bit leggy, so you may propagate it to get a new, stronger plant. In any case, it is easy to propagate Dracaena and even beginners should be able to do it without much hassle.

How to Propagate Dracaena with Top Cuttings

Perhaps the best and easiest ways to propagate Dracaena is to use the so-called "top cuttings". These are what the name suggests: cuttings taken from the top of the plant. Literally, it involves cutting off the top of the existing Dracaena plant and growing it from there as a new plant.

If you wish to use this method, make sure to only cut with sterile knife or scissors. Cut the plant just below the leave line. You also need to make sure to include at least one node. The nodes are essential, because this is where the roots grow. You will recognize nodes as white bumps on the stem. When taking a top cutting, make sure that there is at least one or, preferably, a few nodes present.

After this, you should root your cuttings. There are two ways to approach this. You can plant them in soil, or you can make your cuttings root in water. Many people choose the water method because it allows for easier observation. With rooting in water, you can see how the roots are growing and you always know when is the time to plant your cutting in the ground. You can use any small container, such as a vase or a jar filled with water. Put the container on a warm spot and wait for the roots to start growing. Just make sure to replace the water periodically.

You can do this at any time of the year, just keep in mind that it generally goes more quickly during the warm months of spring and summer. The rooting will take more time in the colder parts of the year, particularly during the winter.

You should move the cuttings into the soil when the roots are about one inch long. You may also leave it in the water for longer, but do not plant it into the soil before the roots are at least an inch long.

What about the original plant? It will rejuvenate itself and start sprouting new leaves from the nodes that were close to the top. It will not look unsightly for long. This is why taking head cuttings is one of the best and fastest ways to propagate Dracaena.

How to Propagate Dracaena with Stem Cuttings

If you don't want to propagate Dracaena with head cuttings, you may try a different approach. Propagation with stem cuttings is also a good option. This is particularly useful when you want to get more new plants from one adult plant. With a head cutting, you are only getting one new plant from the mother plant. However, stem cuttings can be more numerous, which is a good choice when you want to grow many new Dracaena plants. This is also the most common method used in nurseries. This is how they get so many new plants.

It is important to note that you can combine this method with the head cutting method. With stem cuttings, you will be taking stem sections to propagate. You can take as many as you wish, just make sure that they are at least 8 inches long and that each contains at least a few nodes. Also, make sure to always leave enough on the original plant. You need to leave a good section so the original plant can recover and grow back.

Similarly to the head cutting, you can root stem cuttings directly in the soil or in the water. Just be patient: it generally takes more time for stem cuttings to root and start growing. The roots will appear on the bottom nodes, while the nodes near the top of the cuttings will produce new leaves.

How to Propagate Dracaena with Air Layering

Finally, you can also propagate Dracaena using air layering. These plants are ideal for this method. It is similar to taking a cutting, but you are not removing it from the mother plant before it develops its new roots. This is a great way to minimize the risk over the cuttings not developing roots, or developing them too slowly.

With air layering, you are essentially tricking the plant to make root on the cutting. This sounds complicated, but it is actually very easy. The whole process is straightforward. Just make sure to have a sterile knife at hand, and also some rooting hormone. The rooting hormone is not a must, but it can help speed things up.

First, select a spot on the stem that is of the same length that you wish your new Dracaena plant to be. With a sterile knife, gently scrape a layer of bark on the stem. This will expose part of the plant. This exposed pa should be about half of an inch wide and going around the entire stem.

If you have prepared some rooting hormone, dust it onto the section you have created. After this, take some sphagnum moss and wrap it around the section that you cut. Cover everything with plastic and secure it in place.

This will make a Dracaena plant think that it has been planted in soil. It will make her start developing roots on the cut section.

It takes some time for the plant to develop roots, so be patient. When you notice roots inside of the plastic, remove it and cut the stem below the part that has rooted. This will give you a new Dracaena plant with its own roots so you can plant it regularly in the soil.

Photo credit: Maxim Savinov

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