Question
house plant/tree
Age- 25years, pot diameter 12inches. Watered twice weekly. I think window faces south. City water-yes. Plant height approx.8 feet.Please help. Plant recived when my son died. I would like to shorten the narrow trunk and re-pot without killing. Photo sent.
AnswerSusan,
Your plant is commonly known as a Corn plant or Dracaena Massangeana.
The Corn plant require very little care. The Corn plant has long leaves stemming from a wooden cane like stalk. The variegated leaves resemble corn foliage thus the name. The foliage using contains a yellow or cr鑝e center with dark green borders.
The Corn plant enjoys low light, making it perfect for corners and hallways. The Corn plant requires moderate watering. Water thoroughly once every 7 - 10 days or when the soil is dry to touch down 1 inch into the soil. The roots of the Corn plant are located close to the canes. It is also a very shallow root system, therefore when watering, place the water near the base of each cane to be sure the roots are able to absorb the water. If the leaves begin to drop or yellow, try watering the plant less frequently. You could be over watering it. Do not water it with City water that has flouride or chlorine as this plant hates those chemicals and will get brown dead spots in the leaves from both chemicals. If you hav those chemicals in your water you can use distilled water or you can leave the water sit in an open bucket for 48 hours prior to using it so the chemicals will dissipate into the air leaving the water usable.
The Corn plant tends to be resistant to many of the pests that other houseplants encounter. If your Corn plant does become infected with bugs or mites, spraying a soapy mixture of water and dish soap over the plant should take care of the problem.
To shorten the corn plant you can air layer it about a foot below the tips of the leaves. For air layering instructions go to the following website: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/ornamentals/airlayer/airlayer.html
When you reemove the air layered top off you can put it in a separate pot or plant it in the same pot beside the base of the original plant. You can also cut off a section of the empty cane, be sure to keep straight which end of the cane was toward the soil and dip that end in rooting hormone then also insert that in soil beside the original plant. That seection of cane will root and produce a new top and the od base will also produce new sprouts. Your pot willl look nice with 2-3 plants growing in the same pot. If you have more questions feel free to write again. Good luck.
Darlene
