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BCU - Earth Houseplants Entrance Plant Propogation Contact B.Howe |
Plant PropogationExtreme Stem Cuttings:The only plants I have ever tried this with is Yucca, and Dracaena marginata (Madagascar Dragon Tree). Do your own research before you take my word for it :-) You have a seven-foot-high Dracaena which you just can't find a place for, what do you do? Grab a small saw! Cut the tree about 4"-6" above the soil line. The stump which is left in the pot will grow into new tree, look for new growth in a couple of weeks, don't bother watering it until then. Now, what can you do with the six-and-a-half foot long stick you've got in your hands? Where'd you put the saw? You want to cut off the leafy part at the the top of the stem, leave about 6-8" of stem below the bottom leaves. Take this bunch of leaves and drive the stem into the pot beside the stump (you can put it in a different pot if you'd prefer, but a pot with a stump is about as attractive as a dead Christmas tree, so I put the leaves back in with it). These leaves will also grow into a new tree, before too long. Now on to the real kicker! I have not tried this, yet. I have my eye on a six-foot Dragon tree in the living room, but I'm holding off until a rainy day in the spring. Here's the idea though. The stick that is left over, usually long, sorta straight and entirely leafless can be cut up to grow new trees. Cut it into sections about 4"-6" long. They should dry for an indeterminate period of time. I'm going to try half of mine at 1 week, the other half for two weeks and see which is better. After they have had time to dry, seal the ends with a wax-based pruning goo. In theory, that's it. When you want to start a new tree, just lay one of these sticks (again, my technical term for 'section of stem') down on top of the soil and walk away. Oh yeah, store them in a dark, cool place (like everything else). When I try mine, I'll post the results. Thanks for stopping in, Brett Last Updated: March 19, 2001 |