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]