Question

Broken branch   QUESTION: I have a Kentia Palm (I think that's the name)and one of the 'shoots' from a main branch is almost broken off. I was going to cut it off and place in some water our should I just cut it and place in the pot? Not sure if I can save it or not. Hopefully I can! Its a fairly new growth and is about 14 inches in length. Silly me, I tossed some laundry downstairs and hit my plant by mistake....devastated! See attached picture. I have it propped against the wall so it doesn't fall over!
Thanks for your help.
Peggy

ANSWER: Hi Peggy,

Good that you posted a photo because your plant is a Dracaena reflexa and is not at all related to a Kentia Palm. Without having the correct ID I would have given you entirely different advice!

Don't be devastated! Pruning off the broken stem may actually be a good thing. I can see enough of your plant to know that it would benefit from selective pruning. That means that the tallest and barest stems should be pruned back by several feet or more. Because new leaf growth is always at the ends of stems, pruning helps promote new growth lower down on the stems. New growth will emerge just below the point where you make the pruning cut so that is how you control new growth and the ultimate appearance of the plant.

Dracaena reflexa cuttings are not easy to root. It is best to use just the last 4-6 inches of the stem tip as a cutting. Insert several tip cuttings in a small pot filled with damp potting mix and then place the whole thing inside a good-sized clear plastic bag. Blow up the plastic with your CO2 and seal it tight. Place it in a warm place that gets lots of indirect sunlight. New roots take 6-8 weeks to develop at which point you can gradually open and remove the plastic.

I have written articles on pruning and on propagation that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected]. Both articles explain all of this in greater detail than I can provide here.

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

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at  www.HorticulturalHelp.com




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

QUESTION: That's it!! Dracaena. I'm also glad I added a photo for you. What you see in the photo looks pretty good. What you don't see is about 4 - 5 feet of bare stems with a few leaves at the tip! Over time the leaves have come off. I have 3 plants like this. They are looking a little scraggly (kinda goofy looking too). Thanks for the pruning info! Now I can make them pretty again.
Thank you Will!

Answer
Thanks for the top ratings and nomination, Peggy. Much appreciated!

I have seen enough D. reflexas like yours to be able to imagine what yours looked like from the photo you provided. Good luck with the pruning. I suggest that you start by pruning just a couple of the barest stems so you can see how it works.

~Will