It is bold, perfect and you can neglect it and it won’t die. Let it grow tall up to eight feet.
The red or yellow-edged, spiky dracaena plants are known to be one of the best houseplants that rid the home of pollutants.
There are also very bold in an office or home especially if they grow up to eight feet in height.
Dracaena deremensis that originated from Africa also sprouts with colourful purple-green strap-like foliage. Others produce lush green and yellow or white striped leaves.
If you are looking for exciting new plants this year, do not buy the common types. There are pale maroonish dracaenas or some with thick layers of yellow on the edges of the leaves which can make a good collection.
The plant is also perfect for beginners because it rarely dies.
Morgan Osiolo, a florist in Nyali, Mombasa says dracaena is newest plant that he has added to his collection.
“It is two months old in the nursery. It is simple to maintain and beautiful. So far, I have sold it to five clients who have liked it,” says Mr Osiolo, adding that the type he sells can grow up to three to four feet tall. To control the height, prune the older leaves to enable new foliage to sprout.
“Dracaena deremensis is a good indoor plant. Stems of the houseplant are called canes and can be pruned at any point to keep the plant beautiful,” says the florist. A plant ranges from Sh700 to Sh1,500 depending on the demand.
Propagation
It can either be grown from seeds or cuttings. Its seeds take about 30-40 days to sprout. For a cutting, it takes about one month. It also roots readily from tip cuttings.
It also works well in a potting soil with a taproot system hence it should be grown in a big pot.
Planting
Make holes in your flower pot and then put some pebbles in the pot. The holes will enable proper water drainage.
Put the plant in a pot with the original soil from the nursery. The plant should not be deep into the pot. Adding more soil to the pot will enable the plant to move up.
Watering
Dracaena deremensis does not require a lot of water. Water it twice a week. The soil should dry out slightly between watering seasons. The compost should be saturated after watering and not watered again until the surface is dry to touch.
The plant is sensitive to fluorides and build-up salts and the leaves may brown if you use fluoridated water. Also, flush the salts monthly. It is essential to use pure and clean water.
The plant should be kept clean by spraying water on the leaves then wiping them with a clean cloth or cotton.
Lighting
Dracaena deremensis thrives in lower light level situations; direct sun can burn the foliage. Also, if the light is too low, the leaves will narrow.
Fertilisers
This plant can do well with water-soluble house-plant fertiliser which can be applied twice a month.
Pest control
The plant attracts pests like moth, spider mites and requires regular pest control. Every two and three weeks, spray pesticides as prescribed by an agro vet to avoid killing the plant.
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