A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Dracaena-propagating-Time to repot yet?

Hello! I recently (6 weeks ago exactly... I marked "dracaena surgery" on my calendar!!) topped a severely leggy & virtually horizontal stalk of one of my favorite dracaenas. Now, as well as making stem cuttings from sections of the stalk, I also put the very top 10 inches in water.
What I'm wondering about is when is it time to put the water-rooted (little star-roots [nub-like] showing, nothing long) top into soil? It is doing well in the water - even has new growth!! But I don't want to put it into soil too soon (or too late, or too deep, or too not perfect.. :rolleyes: )
And that point about "too deep" is another question - I put this top into about 6-8" of water - the root-buds are mostly towards the top section, though also several down at the bottom section. Can I re-cut this stalk so that I'm not hving to plant it 8" deep.. but cut the stalk again to ... maybe only 4 inches????

Thanks so much for the great forum!!
Kath

i don't usually put mine in water at all. i just plop mine down in the dirt next to the "mother" plant and it will take off. that way, i am watering it the same, and it is getting the same amount of light.

Hi Kathy,

I am a little surprised that you don't have any actual roots developed after 6 weeks in water. It may be because of the length of the cutting. Short tip cuttings develop roots more readily than older stemmed cuttings.

As a general rule, it is best to wait until the roots are about an inch long before moving it to soil. Use a small pot and put about an inch of soil under the roots.

You can cut off the lower portion of the stem without a problem.

Thanks Will!
That makes a lot of sense... it's getting water from too much 'surface area'.... I'll trim the stem!

Thank you
Kath

Another propagation question... now on to the stem cuttings (maybe two questions)
First of all... since I think I did this wrong for one stem and not the other -> I've seen instructions for placing the stem on moist soil with "buds up"... How can you tell which way to lay a stem? I couldn't see anything different on one side from the other. And I figured that since the parent stem that is left often sprouts two (diamentreically opposed) branches, how could it matter how I layed the stem in the dirt? But, sure enough - one of my sprouts had to travel 180' round to come out on top. Can you tell me how to tell a "bud"??

And now that the sprouts have "real leaves", can I cut (shorten) the canes that are now sprouting before putting them in their new pot? (E.g., if whole cane is 4", but sprout is flush to one end, can I/should I trim the stem to 2"..???)

THANKS.
Kath

Hi Kathy,

Evidently, you have propagated your Dracaena stem cuttings by putting sections of them on top of moist soil. In that case, there is no right side up and you neededn't wory about bud locations. Clearly you have been successful in getting new shoots.

Are there any roots that have grown down into the moist soil? If so, be careful not to damage them.

Yes, you can cut off the excess stem. Transplant your cuttings into very small pots until their roots have developed fully.

Thanks so much Will! This is all so exciting & gratifying since I have realized I reeeeally love my dracaenas! (And the mother plant has finally revealed a green nub that is going to be a new branch, too! So there is new life abounding!)

I'm not sure about roots yet, as I haven't jostled the stem cuttings in the slightest yet since laying them on the moist soil & tenting them. I'll gently check to find out just where the roots are on the two different stems. I'm about to make a trip to the nursery and get potting soil and some small pots...(among other things.. of course. ...Nurseries are such lovely dangerous places to go!! $!)

Oh - would it be recommended to keep the new starts tented for humidity for a while, or should they start now to get acclimated to the indoor air - since they have 'real leaves'?

And since you discourage repotting, after the roots are established in very small pots, I still assume I should then move them into more permanent pots that will last them for, what, a couple of years? Is that about the right minimum timing for repotting?

(Sorry to be so verbose! This is just all so satisfying, and your help is so.. Spot On!!! )

THANKS Will!
Kath

Hi Kath,

It's great to share your enthusiasm! You have done a great job so far.

If your stem cuttings have roots about an inch long, then you can gradually start opening up and removing the plastic tent over the course of about a week. When the roots are sufficiently mature they are able to absorb and supply the plant with moisture that it requires, making the tent unnecessary.

I discourage unnecessary or premature repotting. Potting up is a lot like getting bigger shoes for kids. It may be a nuisance, but you up-pot only when the roots have really filled the pot with a tight rootball. And then you move the plant up one size only. The timing depends on just how crowded the roots are. My rule of thumb is that the pot should be large enough to keep the soil moist for at least three days. If not, then it is time to up-pot. Otherwise, resist the urge to repot.

Do you have any photos to share with us?

I'm sure you should be afraid to ask me for more information... If I overuse 'word space', I'm sure about to overuse photo space big time..!

Let me see if I even know how to post photos...
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/kathpdx/DracaenaSprouts1.jpg [The middle 'log' here is the bottom portion of the water-submerged stem that I recently shortened. This might not be a great idea, but I just thought I'd put in on the moist soil and see...)
Another photo including the sprouting root buds on the top of the cut plant: http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/kathpdx/DracaenaSprouts2.jpg
Maybe this shows how well the Top is doing: http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/kathpdx/DracaenaGrowth1.jpg

Mom plant and bud:
mom: http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/kathpdx/DracaenaParent.jpg
Bud (right of center, just above angel) http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/kathpdx/DracaenaBud.jpg

I hope this works. If not I'll try to edit & correct.

Hi Kath,

Great photo posting job and even better horticultural work! That is an excellent example of a propagating technique that is not often used. I hope it will encourage others to try it with long stems that they have removed from their Dracaenas. You are now the Designated Expert in Dracaena propagation.

Before you cut off any of the stems to make them smaller, check to see if the stems have put down roots all along the stem.

Thanks for taking the trouble to get the photos posted for all to see.

Stay tuned. I will try to post photos of our (my plants) progession.

I want to somehow acknowledge the help in posting photos (I can't remember the search I used in this forum) but try this ...
\https://www.agardenersforum.com/old/ubbthreads.php/ubb/nolongerexists/topic/4/1403.html?

Hopefully this will take you to the thread that gave me the options about posting photos.

Kath-pdx,
This one??????????????
Help me with my African Violets!!

Weezie,
THAT's that one with the link to how to post photos! Just gotta scroll down.
Thanks!
Kath

Anytime!!!

Direct link to the help with posting
photos'!!!
Direct link to help with posting photo\'s....

Hi Kath,

I was unaware that it is possible to propagate using your technique. Thank you for posting photos; a picture truly is worth 1000 words!

Cricket

Kath-pdx,
here is a photo of mine


I too have been thinking of starting more. Dracaena is one of my favorites too

Phoenix - Nice NICE dracaena! My 'mom plant' is in a pot about the same size, now I just need to get it better light during the winter so it doesn't again grow parallel to the ground! I'm hoping for it to look as good as yours!

Cricket - glad you liked the photos. I realized I'd forgotten to include the "tented" version... The pot I have the canes laying in happens to be perfect for a zip lock baggie to fit snuggly over:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/kathpdx/TentedDracaena.jpg

Also the 'soil' I have them in/on is 1/2 peat & 1/2 sand. I read that recipe somewhere and it seems to have worked!

Oh, Will - I just checked for roots: I don't see any except on one cane - and its at the far oposite end to the new sprout. I assume I should just leave them be in the tent/on the moist soil until ... until I see more? And .. what if I halved the 4" canes now.. would I risk the baby plants?
I guess one option I have is to, when they're ready, put the whole 4" in a new pot. That will just be a bigger first pot than I'd planned. Whatcha think?

Kath

Hi Kath,

I don't have a very good answer for you. The roots and the foliage cannot be severed. So you seem to be stuck with this 4-inch horizontal stem between them.

You could insert the stem into a pot vertically with the rooted end in the soil. Initially the foliage head would be growing horizontally, but eventually it will orient itself in an upward direction.

You could also leave it as is and perhaps you will get more foliage heads to develop midway along the stem.

Let is know what you decide and be sure to take photos.

Thanks Kath,
It didn't always look so good. I rescued it from one of the cell phone stores i worked at. When i brought it home it was in pretty rough shape. No body was taking care of it. The poor thing had not been watered properly and there was hardly any soil in the pot. Once it established it's self to my house i repotted it and it grew like mad.

I think I would go this route though You can always trust Mr. Creed

So I am discovering. Can someone make sure his contract here is air tight??

I am floating on air from these wonderful compliments! Thank you Phoenix and Kath-PDX.

Will

The more I think about it I think I'm going to take his Other advice! (Nice of Will to offer choices!)

Mother Nature offers the choices. I just try to point them out!