How to Prune Madagascar Dragon Trees
The Madagascar dragon tree is a tropical to subtropical plant bearing green leaves marked with white margins. The tree loses leaves as the stem grows, producing a slender trunk with old leaf scars. The plant keeps all the foliar growth at the top of the stem in a rosette and begins to look spindly over time. Madagascar dragon tree is easy to grow as a houseplant and requires little special care. Pruning is not necessary, but cutting off a stem will increase the growth of leaves at the cut area. The cut forces a thicker, more dense form by redirecting the plant's energy into foliar growth. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tool sharpener
- Hand pruners
- Loppers
- Rooting hormone
- Pot
- Peat moss
- Plant mister
- Clear plastic bag
Instructions
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Sharpen your pruning tools before you begin. Hold the blade at a 45-degree angle and swipe it across the tool sharpener until it feels sharp. Check by carefully running your thumb perpendicularly across the blade with a light stroke.
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2
Cut a stem back to a point where you would like to see new growth. Pruning is best done in spring or early summer. Trimming back a branch in this manner will not cause branching. Instead, the method will form new foliar growth so you have some dimension on the plant.
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Remove the remainder of the stems if you wish to make foliage lower. Make clean cuts that are not ragged. Sharp cuts with smooth edges encourage callusing and prevent the introduction of insects and disease.
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Save the cut stems and dip the ends in a rooting hormone. Plant the cut ends in a pot filled with peat moss and mist until the peat is damp. Place a bag over the pot and put it in a 65-degree F or warmer room in indirect light.
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Keep the cutting moist but not wet and remove the plastic daily to give the plant some air. After approximately two weeks, the cutting will have formed roots and can be potted in potting soil mix.
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