Identification: Any hope???

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by primassa, Sep 24, 2006.

  1. primassa

    primassa Member

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    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    This plant is more than 30 years old. It originally came from South Florida, but moved north with my family to NJ more than 20 years ago. It resided in my parents' home until about 5 years ago, when it grew too tall for their ceilings and I took it into my NYC apartment. I put it in a bigger pot, and for many years it thrived, grew taller, and even sprouted new shoots for the first time in a decade. Now, I keep having to tie the stalks to stakes, because it's too tall to support itself. The edges of the leaves are turning brown, and it's become so big that tying it isn't working anymore. Is it time to let this plant die? Have I been keeping it alive past its natural lifespan? I have no clue what kind of plant it is, and what I should do with it. Can someone identify it and advise me? Can I cut off smaller shoots and transfer to them to another pot, or will they die? From the one time I repotted it, I remember that the roots were just tiny, short, delicate tendrils.

    HELP!

    --Patrick
     

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  2. Marn

    Marn Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Union, Oregon
    HI there .. this is your plant .. here is a link on it and if you click on the link in the yellow part you will get some info on them ...

    http://www.denverplants.com/foliage/html/drjccane.htm

    and also to start a new plant the best way with them is air layering .

    here is a link on air layering ..

    http://www.denverplants.com/foliage/html/Glossary.htm

    hope this all helps ..

    i would just leave it the way it is .. and cut the dry leaves off .. i know it is hard to let go of a 30yr old family plant .. :)

    Marn
     
  3. Rima

    Rima Active Member

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    When's the last time it was repotted?
     
  4. primassa

    primassa Member

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    Marn, what a great help! Rima, it was last repotted several years ago, but honestly, I can't go any larger without importing some kind of sarcophagus. Do you think a lack of space might be the cause of the browning leaf edges? Or a bug/disease?
     
  5. Newt

    Newt Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Hi Patrick,

    Frequently the brown tips come on Dracaena comes from flouride in the water. I don't water mine until it is dry. That will also help with the browning leaves and to make the roots grow deeper. I would also suggest you use an organic fertilizer in the spring and summer. Fish emulsion once a month will help keep it greener and lusher. You can also use milk. Yup, the stuff you put in your coffee. When the container is empty I add water to fill and use that to water my plants. They enjoy the calcuim and minerals. A tablespoon of milk added to a large watering can is also ok. I do that from time to time if we don't use alot of milk. I also use the cooled water from steaming veggies with NO salt added. Cooled water from hard or soft boiled eggs is good too.
    http://www.plant-care.com/dracaena-flouride.html

    You can cut the canes and propagate new plants. There will be new sprouts where you cut the stem. Take a look at these pics for some ideas of how it would look. This first one is a different variety with a thicker trunk, but you get the idea.
    http://www.vermeulen.be/documents/graphics/products-_-dracaena-_-steudneri-_-cane.jpg

    Here's one with different heights in one pot. You can have this look by staggering the height where you cut the canes. I would do a few, and not all at once.
    http://mgonline.com/cornplant01.jpg

    Your plant appears to be leggy and that could be from very low light. These plants tolerate low light, but a bright spot will help the stems to be chunkier and the leaves to grow closer together. I have a similar problem with mine and try and move it to a sunnier position in the winter when the sun isn't as strong. It really perks it up. The leaves are very dusty and should be cleaned with a damp rag. That will help it to breathe too.

    Here's another couple of sites on propagation. You should be able to do cane cuttings with such large canes but they will be slow to form roots. I have one older then yours and ended up discarding the original plant after propagating new ones. They look much better and have a better root system and thicker canes.
    http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk/grownet/indoor-plants/propagation.htm
    http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06560.htm

    Newt
     

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