A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 shaping a dragon tree?

Hi there..

I just got a very small dragon tree (about 8").. When I bought it I just liked the way it looked, I had no idea it was the same thing as the 6' ones I've been admiring in the local greenhouse for years

There is only one in the pot, and it looks like at some point the cane was chopped off and there are 3 more shooting from the sides of it. Is that how they made it branch out like that?

The "wood" part of these shoots is only about 1" long, so I know it will be a long, long time before I try anything with it, but I would like to know how to make it branch out more (if possible) when it's bigger, and how to make the branches look twisted and kinked...

I'm completely new to this and there doesn't seem to be much how-to info on the web, but now that I know what kind of plant I have I'm looking forward to growing it in some strange positions like the ones at the greenhouse...

Thanks for any help

no, it won't be a long long time. after you get 3-4 inches of "wood" you can cut it and it will branch, and you can root the cutting. just stick it down in the pot with the mother plant.

thanks, that's what I was looking for.. how far down from the bottom leaves do I cut, and do I cut straight across or on an angle?

And do you know how to grow them on the strange angles? I've seen them in spirals and such before, but I have no idea really how to do that.. I would just like it to grow some way other than straight up..

I'm brand new at this, sorry for all the questions

Cutting the main stock of this tree won't kill it?

I've read elsewhere and had it confirmed here that that's possibly the only way to get it to have more than one branch.. I don't know for sure though, I'm just learning as well..

ok, as long as there are some "leaf nodes" that have shed leaves, you can cut it. i usually cut mine straight across, but that is laziness. don't know if there is a "right way" cause i just do it.

to make them grow "funny" you can either bend a wire coat hanger to "train" the soft part to grow (make sure you have the light source in the direction you want it to grow) or you can do what i do, let it grow toward the light in one direction for a while, then turn it. it will be funny shaped, but not in a particular "style". some have been on purpose, and some by accident.