Thursday, March 1, 2012

Dracaena


Dracaena
Silhouette plant , florida beauty , striped dracaena or fountain plant

Ideal conditions

Light and position
All dracaenas need good light but care should be taken to avoid putting them in very bright sunlight as there is then a possibility of scorching . they should also be protected from cold draughts . taller plants can be placed on the floor

Temperature range :
Dracaenas can survive quite low temperatures in the region of 10 C ( 50 F) , although their leaves will droop in such conditions and eventually fall off . however 3 couple of weeks in such temperatures will do no harm . the ideal temperature is somewhere between 15-21 C ( 59-70 F ) .

Watering :
The plant needs plenty of water , especially during the growing period , throughout which the potting mixture should be kept very moist be careful , however , not to stand the pot in water and in the winter months , keep the soil fairly dry . they also need a humid atmosphere , so stand the plants on trays of damp horticultural aggregate .

Feeding
Use a liquid fertilizer during the growing period but it should not be fed during the winter . do not use a foliar feed as dracaenas do not do well if their leaves become wet

Seasonal care :
During the summer months , when the plant is growing , water is the most important thing to remember . making the roots excessively wet should be avoided , so allow the plant to dry out to some extent between each watering . do not allow it to get bone dry in winter . many of the taller growing plants will need cutting back , and this can done at any time of the year

Soil
Use soil – based potting mixture and pot on the plants during the summer months , ensuring that the new pots are not too large . it is a good idea with some plants to remove the top layer of old soil and replace it with fresh mixture . pot on only when the plant is nearly pot-bound 












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