Magenta Dracaena propagation

Hello!

I have some Magenta Dracaena that are growing well, and I'm curious about how to propagate them, and what will happen when/if I start taking cuttings. I got these two plants back in June when they were really small from HD and they lived indoors in Rhode Island. Now I've moved to Florida and they're outside - and imagine they're going to start growing like crazy since they're in a more natural habitat, but staying as potted plants.

I prefer how the one on the left in the picture appears to be all leaf spray from the ground up, whereas the one on the right has a bit of a "stalk with leaf tuft". I see a lot of pictures of Dracaena that show them as "stalk with tuft" plants - and was wondering if they basically all get "stalky" eventually, or if that might be a result from taking cuttings. I know that many plants start to bush or branch out when bits are pinched off or cuttings are made - so I might not want to take cuttings anyway, if it might change the current growth pattern of the plant. I think the plant would look lovely if it grew to be a four-foot spray.

Anyway, could someone more familiar with Dracaenas please help shed some light on these for me? If you could especially explain how to take a stem cutting from the plant, or air-layering... I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!
Rose

Rose, I am not that familiar with propagating the dracaenas. However, I can see that if you take a cutting of the plant, i.e. cut the center out of it, you are going to ruin the plant's looks Unless, you can use sections of the entire stalk for cuttings, and then maybe the original plant would bush from the base. Thereby possibly getting what you would like, the "spray".

Did the second plant come out from the root of the first plant? Did it come off of the stock at the soil line? I would say that that is the way you might propagate it, by taking off the, what you are calling "leaf tuft".

Just my observation.

Jeanette

A few months ago I accidentally broke one of my two stalks and while devastated I "googled" and found out they can be propagated the same as any healthy cuttings. I took the broken stem and cut it into three pieces. The top part "tuff" I cut down about six inches, root toned it and replanted it in one of my little " coke bottle " terraniums. I did the same with the second six inches of "tuff" and the remaining "bare" stalk. I now have not only the three pieces I rooted up but the broken "Stalk" has two sets of "Tuffs" on it and a whole new very healthy looking plant growing between the main "stalk" and the broken one. Maybe a fluke, maybe just lucky but is growing and looking so healthy I keep staring at the other part of the plant that didn't break, HHHHUUUUMMMM. Don't think I could break it on purpose since it is over four feet tall and has over 60 leaves on it. Plus when I do give it that look it kinda of leans away from me. On the top two pieces I don't think I lose more than three leaves during their entire growing prosess so the root tone must have not only help the establish roots but kept them from losing their leaves.

Very interesting withad, I am not sure what you mean by "the other part of the plant that didn';t break:"? I thought that was the one that was growing the new tuffs. "A whole new healthy plant growing between the main stalk and the broken one." I thought that was the one left in the pot. OR are you talking about the other tuff?

LOL, guess I shouldn't get into something I am not growing.

Jeanette

My original plant had two stalks, one broke off about 6" from the bottom, that one also has new " tuffs" and between it and the part of the plant that didn't break is where a whole new plant is growing. Plus I have the three pieces that I cut up from the second "stalk" that broke off.

Sounds like you have a lot of plants there withad.

I have a pretty big one, about 6 foot but all the ends are turning brown. cut them off or am I not giving it what it needs?