The dragon tree is not hardy outdoors in this country and only rarely blooms when cared for as a houseplant. However, you can take advantage of the fact that dragon tree cuttings are relatively easy to root.
How do I grow a dragon tree cutting?
To take a dragon tree cutting, cut a section at least 15 cm long with clean secateurs, let it dry for a day and then stick it in soil or a glass of water. Within a few weeks the cutting should form roots and continue to grow.
Various opportunities for rooted cuttings
In contrast to many garden plants, a dragon tree, with its mostly “single-stemmed” growth, does not offer much attack surface for freshly sharpened secateurs and pruning as a basis for propagating cuttings in larger numbers. After all, the remaining trunk of a cut dragon tree looks really desolate at first. However, in a he althy dragon tree, new shoots usually form just below the cut point within a few weeks. Overall, there can be various reasons for the very radical step of cutting the dragon tree:
- limiting growth to a certain size
- saving a rather ailing plant
- the promotion of more branched growth forms
- the propagation of a specific subspecies
How to make a dragon tree cutting
Use garden scissors that are as clean as possible (€14.00 on Amazon) or rose scissors with a blade that is as sharp and smooth as possible. Then first cut the “trunk” of the dragon tree horizontally and, if necessary, close the plant wound with a little tree wax or coal dust. You should let the lower end of the cutting, which is at least 15 cm long, dry for about a day before finally sticking it into the ground or placing it in a glass of water. In most cases, rooting should be so advanced after a few weeks that the cutting can fully supply itself with water and nutrients again. If possible, do not expose your dragon tree cuttings to strong temperature fluctuations or excessive sunlight.
Young plants slowly get used to certain location conditions
Dragon trees can react very strongly to unsuitable lighting conditions and lose leaves. That's why even supposedly powerful, rooted cuttings should not be moved from their shady rooting location to a location with hours of direct sunlight without a gentle transition.
Tip
While so-called rooting hormones and other substances are recommended for some plants to promote root formation, such a thing is not necessary for the formation of rooted cuttings of the dragon tree.