Dracaena Plant Care
Ornamental plants can dramatically change the look of the room. Ornamental plants as an alternative you can choose to decorate the room, then try a dracaena plant, which has many varieties and you can freely choose. There are about 30 varieties of dracaena plants found throughout the world. Here we will discuss about different varieties of dracaena plants and how to care for them.
Dracaena Plant Varieties
There are many varieties of the dracaena plant with their beautiful foliage. Here are some popular varieties of the dracaena plant that you can avail from a nursery and improve the ambiance of a room.
There are many varieties of the dracaena plant with their beautiful foliage. Here are some popular varieties of the dracaena plant that you can avail from a nursery and improve the ambiance of a room.
- Dracaena Marginata, is also called the Madagascar dragon tree or red edged dracaena. This can grow up to a height of 15 feet and has narrow pointed leaves, dark green in Color with red or purple stripes. This plant is normally placed in large pots near doors.
- Dracaena sanderiana, or the lucky bamboo plant is quite a popular choice for home or office plants. This is because it is quite hardy and requires less maintenance.
- Dracaena deremensis 'Janet Craig' is another popular variety with dark green foliage, growing up to a height of 2 feet. A smaller variety of this plant 'Compacta' is also available.
- Similar to the Janet Craig variety, Dracaena deremensis 'Warneckii' has sharper leaves with a white border. It grows up to a height of one feet and has 5 to 6 stalks with long dark green leaves.
- Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana', or the corn plant, has wide leaves with a yellow variegation. The leaves of this plant arch beautifully which make it an ideal indoor plant. It can grow very well in low lighting.
- Dracaena reflexa grows as a small bush having dark green foliage with beige stripes. Outdoors it can also grow as a tree, reaching a height of about 30 feet.
- Dracaena Rikki has a beautifully color pattern on the leaves which are aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. With its long, slender leaves, having a yellow band running in the center, this is a favorite plant for interior designers.
If you want your dracaena plant to thrive for a longer period, then you need to care for it properly. Here are some instructions for how to care for a dracaena plant.
- The first step to be remembered for dracaena plant care, is to choose a healthy plant. Discard plants which may have diseased leaves or weak stems. There should also be no yellow leaves, as the plant may not survive for a long time.
- There are some plants, like the lucky bamboo plant, that can grow well even without soil. For this plant, use a wide glass bowl. Check for the alkalinity of water, before placing your lucky bamboo plant in the bowl.
- There are other varieties of the dracaena plant which flourish in a well drained soil. For this, place small shards of a terracotta pot in the large pot where you would be placing your plant. Use a mixture of peat moss and potting soil for your dracaena. Repotting the plant after every five to six years will prevent the accumulation of salts. During the hot months, amply water the plant to prevent it from drying.
- Place the pot in a well light room, away from direct sunlight, as direct exposure can harm the plant. The room should also have a proper ventilation. For fertilizer, you can use plant foods that are soluble in water. A liquid fish emulsion fertilizer can also be used for the plant once in a month.
- dracaena plants get infested with pests that can hamper their growth. If there are any mites, rub the leaves with cotton ball dipped in alcohol to destroy the mites. The plant should always be keep moist to prevent scales.
- Pruning the plant on a regular basis will improve the health and also trigger growth. Pruning is another way of discarding unhealthy leaves and stems. It can also be implemented for shaping your plant in a beautiful manner.
