Question

Sunburt Head  
Massangeana Rescue   QUESTION: Hi,I purchased a massangeana(two canes with two heads on each) 10 weeks ago. The heads had been watered directing in the crowns and left out in the sun. As a result,sunburn and three of the four heads had rotted. On seeing this poor massangeana for sale at a very reduced price, I decided to rescue it.
The smaller canes heads were to far gone so I cut the actual cane 2 inches below where the heads had sprouted and sealed the top of the cane with wax.
The taller cane had 1 head which seemed ok, so I left it to grow(see picture) but the other head had to be cut where it branched.
 10 weeks on..... and I can see swellings on the smaller cut cane where new buds are trying to emerge.....but the taller cane with only 1 head is now dormant....no new growth,no signs of  bud development..nothing.  It is not showing any signs of rot though.
 I am thinking that in order to induce growth and new bud development I might cut the taller cane down an inch or two.... just like I done with the smaller cane, but this  would leave my massangeana completely headless(eek).....am i being to hasty....would this taller cane..in time...recover...and maybe sprout a new head and resume growth in its original remaining head. What would be the best way to care for the plant to induce new growth if i did cut the cane?
 Is it to late in the season to be doing such drastic work? Spring is at its end and as I live in the UK we have a far from tropical climate.
 I can't seem to decide on what to do, your help would be much appreciated.

Kind Regards, Peter

ANSWER: Hi Peter,

First off, your Dracaena massangeana is a tropical plant and non-seasonal so you don't have to worry about seasonal timing.

You seem to care a lot about this project, so I recommend that you not be hasty. Specifically, give the emerging buds on the shorter cane a chance to develop new leaf growth. Sometimes emergent buds abort before they develop. This is a test of the root system and its health, which is still a question mark.

Once the emergent buds have developed well, then it is safe to experiment with the taller cane. Rather than cutting off the entire top of the cane, including the existing head, I recommend that you try something that nurseries do. Make 3 horizontal cuts about a half cm deep and 3 cms long approximately one, two and three inches from the top and staggered around the sides. The cuts should be clean and about a quarter cm wide. A power saw makes a nice clean cut and does it quickly. Otherwise use a hand saw.

These cuts through the cambium layer often trigger the growth of new heads if the roots are healthy. This has the obvious advantage of keeping the existing head intact. This technique is usually done in nurseries at the time that canes are rooting and are in carefully controlled environments, so I cannot promise it will work for you. But I think it is worth a try before taking more drastic action.

I have written articles on Corn Plant care that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who emails a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


Please Grow   QUESTION: Hi..thanks for your swift,informative response. I would be more than happy to try the horizontal cutting technique first.This may well save the existing cane head. Please bare with me as I have a few more questions.
Would I make these cuts directly below the cut heads scar(see original picture) or horizontal to it?
 Would I be correct in saying that the root system is infact two separate plants, albeit within one pot. That being so, how would the potential bud growth on this smaller cane indicate that the taller cane has good roots? Maybe I'm being impatient and just want to get sawing my plant to get new growth :0
 I am bit confused as massangeanas being non-seasonal....will daylight hours not effect the growth of these plants here in the UK...I mean 18hrs in summer as opposed to 7 hrs in winter.
 And finally, how long would a bud take to develop from first poking out of the trunk.(see picture)

Thanks for your time.

Kind Regards, Peter

Answer
Hi Peter,

Thanks for the top ratings. Much appreciated!

Good questions; sorry I wasn't more clear originally. Yes, make the cuts starting about an inch below the existing stem They should be horizontal or parallel to the ground. I see in the photo you submitted that you can see previous diagonal cuts made at the nursery that have healed over. That will give you an idea as to how it is done. The cuts can be diagonal or horizontal, but not vertical.

Although the individual canes started out as separate cuttings, their root stems are now so well entwined and integrated throughout the rootball that they are really one plant. The roots are the key to a plants health so if new heads emerge on one cane then that is a good sign that the entire root system is healthy. I suspect they are healthy because it was the heads that were exposed to the elements and adversely affected, not the roots. However, because it is a rescue plant, you cannot be sure if the soil and roots were properly watered and maintained prior to your rescue.

You can certainly go ahead and make a cut or two now, but it would be safer and more prudent to wait. That's your call as long as you understand the risk.

Plants that are native to temperate zone climates usually have a dormant or semi-dormant period during the colder months. For those plants, seasonal timing is important for pruning, fertilizing, watering etc. Although it is true that tropical indoor plant species in northern climates do receive less light in winter and do grow more slowly, that has no impact on when they can be pruned or repotted.

There is no way to predict how long it will take for the bud to develop visible leaves. Yours has just now started to swell, but there is no bud break yet. It could be a month away before you see a bit of green poking through the bark. After that it could take 3 to 6 months or longer for leaves to open up. Don't hold me to these estimates, but I'm sure it will take longer than you would like. Although that may affect your decision to do some cutting now, don't let that time-table cause you to try to force the buds by repotting or fertilizing or applying hormones. There are no short cuts here.

~Will