gardening blog
A couple of evenings ago I discovered that I had over-watered our Dracaena that was tucked away in a corner of the sitting-room; it was actually stood in water in the pot! This is no good for any houseplant, as it can make the root ball rot. So I put it outside to let it drain, and also to get more air and light. It is now out of the nice pot that it’s in in the house, and in a sheltered part of the patio (photo 1) possibly for a few weeks or maybe even until September.
I know that now the danger of hard frosts has passed this should be absolutely fine for the Dracaena. Also, I’m fairly confident it will do well outside because two years ago I pruned it quite hard as it had become rather leggy and unattractive. I put it outdoors and after some weeks new shoots appeared (see photo 2) and it has looked better ever since. In fact, for many houseplants it is actually beneficial to give them a spell outside during the summer months. It would be even better for them if we had some rain! Many houseplants love a good, summer soak, so when you do your watering, give the whole plant a ‘shower’ at times (best done in the evening when the sunlight is not too strong). Indoors, once a week seems good for our Dracaena, but I will water it a bit more outside. Plants vary in their watering needs, so it’s best to keep an eye on them whether they’re outside or in. In terms of position, a plant that has been used to being indoors needs to acclimatise to being outdoors. Both temperature and light are the main factors to bear in mind, so your plant needs to be introduced to the differences slowly. If the nights are still very cool, take the plant back in at night at first. And it is best to put the plant in shade at first - some may need to remain in shade; others may cope with stronger sunlight once they have been out for some time. It does depend on what the plant is, and what care instructions are advised for each individual plant. And don’t forget to take them in before the weather turns cold! When you are wondering what conditions to provide for your houseplants or garden plants, a rule of thumb is to emulate the environment they would grow in naturally. For example, Rosemary and Bay Trees do well in a hot, sunny spot as they are Mediterranean-type plants. Ferns tend to need moist, shady conditions as they would naturally grow in woodland. Orchids need slightly different treatment, as in the wild they are epiphytes, growing on trees and getting their nutrients from them. Cacti grow in deserts and alpines grow on mountainsides…the list is endless! Common names for Dracaenas are ‘ribbon plant’ and ‘dragon tree’. They originate from tropical places such as Madagascar and the Canary Islands – hence ours thriving outdoors in our warmest months. I think ours is Dracaena marginata, but the massive one that apparently grows at Icod in Tenerife is the Dracaena draco. Its dark red resin is called “dragon’s blood” and in the 18th century was used to varnish the best Italian violins. I hope you have found this blog helpful. It may raise more questions – growing details for plants can be quite specific, and either myself or other gardeners who know about plants can point you in the right direction. Obviously there are a lot of good sources online too, the RHS’s website being one of them. For this blog I’ve used for my sources two old books which I dip into from time to time: Peter McHoy (ed.) 1982: The Encyclopedia of Houseplants, Octopus Books Ltd., London Lorus and Margery Milne 1967: Living Plants of the World, Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd., London
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AuthorHi, I'm Jo. This is where I'll be posting my observations about my gardening life and gardening advice. Please enyoy! And if there's anything you would like to ask me about gardening I will try to answer your questions. Archives
March 2021
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