If you ’re looking to dunk your toe into the world of bonsai but you do n’t desire to start with anything too difficult , dracaena plants are about to become your new good friends .
Most bonsai need to be keep outside and requires a careful balance of water , vivid lighter , and regular feedings .
Dracaena , on the other hand , can dwell inside all twelvemonth long , and is dead felicitous in low light . It wo n’t twist up its toe if you fall a bit behind on the old lacrimation schedule , and feeding is a biannual outlook .
Photo by Tangopaso, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.
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To put it simply , dracaena makes learning the artwork of bonsai easy .
Here ’s what you could expect in this guide :
What You’ll Learn
If you ’ve grow a dragon tree before , then you know what ’s need .
If not , you might want tocheck out our grow guideto help you get your footing . We also have a beginner’sguide to set off with bonsaiif you are see for a number more information .
All stage set ? Then let ’s start our journey .
Dracaena as Bonsai
Dracaena is perfect if you stargaze of wish for an indoor bonsai that can grow in humiliated light .
It is n’t one of the “ traditional ” coinage that experts use , partially because it has such large leaves . Most traditional bonsai have small leaves , which make it so they appear to be miniature tree diagram .
The big leaves of flying dragon tree diagram shatter this thaumaturgy , but they ’re still an splendid pick for those who want an easy - care tree that can live inside yr - round .
Dragon Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree bring themselves well to training as bonsai because they like it when their roots are bandage a little bit . They can also withstand a bit of drouth – which is idealistic if you are somewhat , shall we say , forgetful about tearing .
You might be wonder where the name “ dracaena ” comes from . It ’s modern Latin and descend from the Greek name drakaina , denoting a fabulous distaff serpent or dragon . The plant has blood line - flushed sap and a treetop of spiky peak , puddle it appear dragon - like .
In fact , the blood - red resin is so vibrant that it has been used in the paint industriousness .
These plants can live for a prospicient sentence , which makes them especially suitable for bonsai . One of the former tartar trees in the world uprise in Tenerife , the big of the Canary Islands , issue forth in at around 500 days sure-enough .
Planting and Care
So you brought your dracaena home , and now it ’s clock time to repot it .
Even if you purchased a pre - started specimen in a container , you will still need to remove the existing filth and put back it with your own fresh stuff .
The first step is to take the plant life out of its existing container and skirmish aside as much of the filth as you could . Be indisputable to remove any glued - on rocks that may have been put in the top of the container with the plant .
Trim away any beat or mushy roots with a fresh yoke of shears . You might also need to abbreviate some of the roots in gild to ensure that it will fit in your selected container .
If you ’re recycle a container , strip it with a mixture of one part bleaching agent to nine parts piss . Then , place the plant life in the sporting container and fill in around it with fresh substratum .
Dracaena postulate a different type of substrate than a traditional species used in bonsai would . Instead , you want to select a substratum that ’s suitable for produce tropic plants .
Bonsai Boy has a tropical mixmade just for indoor bonsai .
Tropical Potting Mix
Now , lend some piss to settle the substrate and give your traumatized plant a drink .
Once you ’ve planted your novel addition , place it in an area where it will receive bright , indirect light . permit the soil to dry out between watering , but do n’t let it sit down in ironical soil for too long . Your plant will endure anything more than a few day with dry grease .
alimentation should chance twice a year , with the first program in the spring , and the second in the summer . Do n’t inseminate in the dusk or wintertime when your plant ’s development slows .
Any fertilizer formulated for bonsai will do . These fertilizers are made to slowly let go of nutrient into the substrate to keep your plant happy for several months .
Slow Release Fertilizer Pellets
Bonsai Boy carriesfour - ounce dish of dense - release pellet .
Be certain to pass over the leave of absence occasionally with a damp cloth to remove any detritus .
Shaping and Pruning
When you bring your Draco works home , it will either already be trained into configuration , or you will need to train it yourself .
Here ’s where the fun part happens .
Dracaena commonly grows with one stem and a tussock of leaves at the top . While you ca n’t create a complex canopy of arm as you’re able to with some other metal money , you’re able to cut the top off of a dragon Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and it will transmit out newfangled shoots .
That means you could leave it as - is with a unmarried stem and tuft , or cut it and develop several young stem , each with its own tussock of leave .
To top your plant , use a clean-living twosome of secateurs and make a straight cut at the altitude you opt . Keep your plant in a quick blot with indirect light andwater as you normally would . You should set out to see new outgrowth emerging within a few week .
Once the root forms new tuft , you may allow these to grow , or you also can top them to encourage more branching .
One of the really exciting chemical element of dracaena is that you may curve , braid , or release the stems into interesting chassis to suit your originative visual sense .
I ’ve seen twisting trunk , unity that form an “ S ” cast , and even specimens that zigzag . If you add more plant to the same container , you’re able to twist or braid the stems around each other .
Just keep in mind that in traditional bonsai , the apex of the tree terminate like a shot above the base of the plant . If you decide to wind and bend your trunks , essay to make certain they end directly above the tooth root .
Then again , bonsai is an art , so have at it and get creative !
To create a braid , start with a industrial plant that has three , four , five , or six stems . Gently twist or braid them in a way that attend pleasing to you . you may go for a more formal look and create a traditional three - part braid , or distort the stems randomly to make them look more innate .
If necessary , secure the stems at the top under the foliage with garden ties . You may also need to secure the stem low down the bole if they do n’t require to stay put .
I like Velcro ’s Garden Ties because they stay secure and they ’re easy to use and adjust , if necessary . Sound near to you ?
Home Depot carries50 - foot length . That may vocalise like a fate , but you ’ll no doubt find lots of way to habituate this handy clobber .
Velcro Garden Ties
To create crimp and twists , gently enclose a vernal , pliable tree trunk around a dowel pin or piece of Sir Henry Wood and tighten it with draw . You ’ll need to do this gradually , over several week or months .
Do n’t prove to create a dramatic shape all at once , because you prevail the risk of break the luggage compartment . If it feels like it is resisting , stop !
Soaking the theme ( not the roots ) in water for 30 moment can help to make it a bit more pliable . After soaking , allow the stem to indurate into shape .
You do n’t want toprune dracaenanecessarily , but be sure to trim away any yellowing or drained leave of absence . you may also trim to keep its tallness in confirmation as want .
Repotting
Dracaena has a lot cash in one’s chips for it as a bonsai . It can mature in scummy light , is able-bodied to quell indoors year - round , and does n’t require a lot of maintenance .
But there ’s just one exception : These plants originate quickly , and they ’ll postulate to be repotted or have their roots trimmed much more oftentimes than most other plants used traditionally to create this botanic artistry .
The process is the same as with any other species used in bonsai .
You ’ll need to remove the tree from its pot , knock or sweep by as much grunge as possible , and then trim back the roots so that they fit inside the pot without being so crowded that they press up against the side of meat of the container .
By stiffen the roots , you are helping the plant to delay a manageable size of it . Repot in the same potting mixture you used ab initio .
Species and Cultivars to Select
Dracaenais actually the name of a genus that admit tons of mintage , of which a smattering arecommonly grown as houseplants .
D. fragrans , D. deremensis , D. marginata , D. sanderiana , andD. surculosaare the most usual , and any plant from these specie can be made into bonsai .
Marginataplants make particularly good specimens and there are several different cultivar you may opt from , include ‘ Colorama , ’ ‘ Tarzan of the Apes , ’ and ‘ Tricolor . ’
‘ Tarzan of the Apes ’ has exceptionally peaky , dense , and compact leaves , which wait particularly prissy on a petite container works .
‘ Colorama ’ stand out with its ruby-red - pinkish striped foliage , while ‘ Tricolor ’ has yellow , dark-green , and pinkish leafage .
Managing Pests and Disease
Any plague or disease that can bear upon dracaena houseplants can harm your bonsai .
Aphids , mealybugs , scale , andspider mitesare all pestilence to watch for . Keep an eye out for piano rot and leaf spots as well .
Ourdracaena pest guideanddisease guidehave more details on spotting and stop over these issue .
Perfect for Beginners
For a industrial plant that can create such a striking showing , dracaena does n’t ask for a lot .
That make it ideal if you ’re just starting your journeying with the nontextual matter form , and even experient practician can learn something from this humbled - fuss wonder .
If this templet gave you the confidence you needed to produce your dracaena bonsai , you might desire toexpand your knowledge of the artby hold in these guide next :
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Kristine Lofgren
