Question
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Followup To
Question -
I have had a Draecena Fragrans for about 30 years.  About 15 years ago, it began flowering each year and, after the wonderfully fragrant flower stalk dies, the green part of the plant grown about another foot.

It's getting too tall for the room and I am wondering if there is a way to prune the top so that it will still flower but it won't take another 15 years for it to recover from the pruning.
Answer -
Hi Madalyn,

Age and seasonal changes in daylight seem to be the key factors in getting Dracaena fragrans to flower. Pruning might cause a temporary delay in flowering, but no more than a year or two. Besides, if it is outgrowing its space, then there really is no choice but to prune.

Be sure not to repot, relocate, or change your watering routine for your Dracaena.

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

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

If this information has been helpful, please remember to give me an AllExperts rating and nomination.


Thanks, Will. Yes, the answer was helpful.  This may seem a simple question but...do I just saw off the top of the plant to prune it?  Should I cover the "wound" with anything?

Madalyn


Answer
Hi Madalyn,

If your Dracaena fragrans is the "cane" type, then you should not attempt to saw through the cane. (The cane is a very thick, bark-covered stem that has already been cut off and has a "head" of leaves growing from the top.)

If this is what you have, then it is the green stems that grow from the cane that should be cut back, not the cane itself.

If yours is not a cane type, then the stems can be cut off anywhere, using sharp pruners, not a saw.

In either case, it is not necessary to treat the wound in any manner; it will heal itself.

Will