QUESTION:
My dracaena is finally hitting the ceiling and I don’t know how to properly trim him. It seems like it would terrible to just cut it off and leave a blunt top. Can you tell me what is the proper way?
ANSWER:
Hi Reenie,
The best way to trim a tall dracaena is to cut the main stem. Be sure there are one or more leaf nodes (white or brown bumps on the stem) on the portion you cut off. The new roots for the cutting develop from the leaf nodes. Although the plant will look sad and a little strange for about a month, new growth will develop from the leaf nodes directly below the cut in the stem and the plant will look beautiful again in a few months. Cut far enough down on the stem so that you will not have to repeat this process for several years. You can use the cutting to propagate a new plant. I like to place the cutting in a container of water and allow it to develop roots. If your cutting is too large, you can divide it in half. Remember to remove the leaves from the bottom 1/3 of the cuttings before putting them in water. Place the cutting in a warm area. Since it’s summer, roots will start to develop quickly. When the roots have grown to be at least 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) you can plant the cuttings in a small pot of loose soil. You can read all my care tips on how to care for a dracaena lemon lime in the Popular Houseplant section of the website.
Dracaena plants are considered to be poisonous to cats and dogs by the ASPCA. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in my book Don’t Feed Me to Your Cat: A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants.