Subject: Help on cutting large houseplant

From: [email-masked]
Date: 4 Apr 1995 11:12:36 -0400

(I'm a real novice, so bear with me on the jargon...)

I have a plant which may (?) be a dracaena.  It was enormous: maybe 10 feet
tall with about a 2" trunk at the base.  In the fall when I was moving, the
top half snapped off under it's own tremendous weight.  I left the plant for
dead in my foyer and within about 3 months it started to sprout new growth all
about the point where it had broken off! (the point of breakage was just above
the dead/live growth part of the tree).

Here's my dilemma:  the thing is still about six feet tall.  If the tree is
still viable as it seems, I would like to cut it at about 2-3 feet.  Hopefully
the branching out would eventually give me a bush-like plant, rather than the
"sequoia" of houseplants!

If I cut it that low, will it live?  Should I treat the cut point with
anything to prevent rot?  Is it too late in the growing season?  To include
some facts: I'm in Pennsylvania and the plant is about 10 years old.

I really appreciate any advice.  Sorry that I could not provide better
technical information.

Thanks,
Mike

Michael Alaimo - USDA, ARS, ERRC
    (Custodian Emeritus, Max *Plonk* Institut)
        work email to: [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (WEIR ANDREW L)
Date: 4 Apr 95 22:47:04 GMT

Well, I can only tell you that I repeatedly cut a draecena back to do just
this and it seemed to do fine. I cut the one major stem down to about 6 inches
above the soil line, got two new shoots coming off it, cut those back after
a few months, etc. Mine was a draecena marginata, about two years old (or,
rather, two years out of the nursery). How an older plant will handle the 
stress, I don't know. But if its that or toss the plant, go ahead and try it.
As for your other questions, I didn't treat the cuts with anything, nor did I
pay any attentin to the growing season particularly. It was summer in D.C.
if that helps.

Cheers

Andy

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From: [email-masked] (WEIR ANDREW L)
Date: 4 Apr 95 22:47:04 GMT

Cheers

Andy

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From: [email-masked] (WEIR ANDREW L)
Date: 4 Apr 95 22:47:04 GMT

Cheers

Andy

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From: [email-masked] (killand)
Date: 5 Apr 1995 21:30:09 GMT

>>the dead/live growth part of the tree).

HI Mike You can cut back a Draeceana.  But, I suggest air layering
as a first resort.  This is due to the fact that the stem is tough
as it gets closer to the roots.  so you have a viable plant in case the
poprtion below the pruning does not produce a viabble pair of shoots.

Any good House plant book will help you out :-)

Derryl Killan