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I have a very tall Cornstalk Dracaena which has been growing for probably five or six years at least. One of the stalks is now brushing against the ceiling, but doesn't have many leaves except for on the top two or three feet. In other words, the bottom two thirds of the stalk is bare. Is there any way I can cut the growing part off and get roots to grow from it so that I can replant it? I really don't want to just throw it away because the leaves that are there look very healthy.
I have a very tall Cornstalk Dracaena which has been growing for probably five or six years at least. One of the stalks is now brushing against the ceiling, but doesn't have many leaves except for on the top two or three feet. In other words, the bottom two thirds of the stalk is bare. Is there any way I can cut the growing part off and get roots to grow from it so that I can replant it? I really don't want to just throw it away because the leaves that are there look very healthy.
You have definitely done something right if your plant is 5 or 6----congrats! If you have the true 'corn plant', (solid green leaves), you have a fragrans....
Worth a try:
Propagation Dracaena fragrans is propagated by cutting segments of old stems 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in) long. These are allowed to dry off, and then inserted into moist sand until they have rooted. New growth, typically two or three shoots, comes from old leaf scars at the top of the stem.
I think I'd chop the top healthy part off and do what the previous states...and then, I'd chop the trunk off to maybe 2 feet tall and see if it sprouts some new leaves.
What causes the plant to lose its lower leaves? If it isn't just the natural shedding of lower leaves as the plant matures, it may be due to the plant being kept too warm and dry.
Also, if you have sprayed any of that plant-shine stuff on the leaves, they might fall off....spider mites can make leaves fall off.....dracaenas don't like a lot of attention, (feed it every once in awhile, don't over water, etc), but they don't like to be moved either....
If the tips of the leaves turn brown, it is usually too much salt in the water...
I took our corn plant which was up to the ceiling and cut 3 feet out of middle and gave to neighbor sitting in water in milk bottle,it rooted easily and neighbor has fine growing corn plant.I did this after researching.
I should add we did same for top,it rooted also.
Last edited by DanBev; 02-14-2012 at 08:53 AM..
Reason: add info
About 16" or so below the healthy leaves, take a razor and slice,upwards, on a 45 degree angle, about 1/3 of the way into the trunk.
Put a toothpick into the slit to hold it open just a little.
Dust the sliced opening with Rootone* hormone powder., getting it inside the slit the best you can.
Leave the toothpick in the slit.
Take a handful of sphagnum moss, wet it and ball it up all around the cut that you made in the trunk.
Wrap some plastic sheeting around the sphagnum moss and secure it at the top and the bottom of the plastic so that it stays in place. You can use string or a rubber band or whatever.
Leave it there until you see the plastic wrap getting full of roots.
Once there are plenty of roots, cut the trunk just below the plastic wrapped root ball.
Remove the plastic wrap and plant it where you like.
Air layering is the proper and best procedure for success! It's fun, too.
Inexpensive, Rootone (pronounced: root tone), is a fungicide and promotes rooting - here's an informative link:
When given a tall Dracaena that looked the same, I cut the top off, stuck it in a vase of water and it rooted rather quickly. The rest of the stem I cut into 12" pieces and stuck them in water, just like the lucky bamboo that are popular. They rooted as well, and sprouted leaves. I would recommend waiting until it gets warmer, unless the room you root these in is warm. I seem to do better with cuttings when it is warm weather out. I would forget air layering, cuttings work so well with D. Fragrans. So easy.
Let us know how you fair with this!
Last edited by katnip kid; 02-18-2012 at 01:07 AM..
Reason: add
When given a tall Dracaena that looked the same, I cut the top off, stuck it in a vase of water and it rooted rather quickly. The rest of the stem I cut into 12" pieces and stuck them in water, just like the lucky bamboo that are popular. They rooted as well, and sprouted leaves. I would recommend waiting until it gets warmer, unless the room you root these in is warm. I seem to do better with cuttings when it is warm weather out. I would forget air layering, cuttings work so well with D. Fragrans. So easy.
Let us know how you fair with this!
Air layering is the correct method for that plant and it's a great thing to learn how to do. I learned from Jim Crockett. (Crockett's Victory Garden, Massachusetts)
Sections of the trunk can be used to make new plants with some success but the pot/container with the soil/medium should still be covered with the clear plastic to retain the moisture.
I prefer vermiculite as the medium, when available. Soil is invitation for problems (mold/disease) unless kept sterile - something which is almost impossible to do at home.
Regardless of which method used, Rootone should be used.
Last edited by rainroosty; 02-19-2012 at 01:00 PM..
Air layering is the correct method for that plant and it's a great thing to learn how to do. I learned from Jim Crockett. (Crockett's Victory Garden, Massachusetts)
Sections of the trunk can be used to make new plants with some success but the pot/container with the soil/medium should still be covered with the clear plastic to retain the moisture.
I prefer vermiculite as the medium, when available. Soil is invitation for problems (mold/disease) unless kept sterile - something which is almost impossible to do at home.
Regardless of which method used, Rootone should be used.
Oh, I dunno, I just stuck all of mine in water and they all rooted just fine.
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