Question
Dear Diana,
          I have a 20 year old Madagascar Dragon tree which is now 7feet tall and is outgrowing its home.Before I find it a new home can it be cut down or pruned and regenerate itself?

                      Thank you.

Answer
Dear William,

Well done for having kept your Dragon tree growing for so many years.  Mine are coming up to 17 years old so maybe I will make 20 years too!

There are several things you can do - if your plant is very leggy which it probably is after all these years then you can cut off the crown, dip in rooting powder and plant in potting compost. You can take stem cuttings from the remaining stem or instead of cutting off the crown you could air layer which will take several weeks before roots appear, then cut off and plant.

From one plant, whichever you do of the above alternatives, you could have several new plants growing within a couple of months.

Me?  I'm too sentimental to do any of those things - when the time comes I will repot my plants into larger pots and hope they keep going! I really don't want to take the chance that I might lose them although if several stem cuttings are taken this shouldn't happen.  But perhaps I am just a big coward!!

Good Luck

Diana






Dear William,

So if anything goes wrong you won't be to blame??!!!  Seems you are the same as me then!!

Diana