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Today is :
Archives (2001)
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Grow dracaena godseffiana the easy way
by Thea Kristina M. Pabuayon
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October-December
2001
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and more Filipinos have taken interest in foliage plants,
both for their profit potential and their aesthetic value.
One of the most in demand and also considered as the best
indoor plant is the Dracaena godseffiana, a
spreading and shrubby plant popularly used in flower arrangements
and florist greens.
Dracaenas are made up of many varieties
with sizes ranging from small tabletop varieties to plants
20 feet tall. They are known for their colorful leaves that
often vary from emerald to gray green and sometimes with white
or yellow stripes or yellow cream spots. In the local market,
the D. godseffiana is sold in three varieties: the
'Gold dust' whose leaves are specked with small, cream colored
spots; the 'Milky way' that has wide bands of white running
at the middle of its leaves; and the yellow and green specked
'Florida beauty'.
To further promote the production of this plant,
researchers from the Institute of Plant Breeding in UPLB and
the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural
Resources Research and Development (PCARRD)developed mass
propagation techniques for the D. godseffiana under
its Integrated Ornamental Horticulture R&D Program.
Easy growing with plastic
The kulob and plastic tent methods are two techniques
recommended in growing D. godseffiana. These methods
were proven effective in attaining extensive rooting even
without the use of rooting hormones.
In the kulob method, a polypropylene
plastic bag is used to enclose the plant. Initially, a rooting
medium composed of pure coconut coir dust or an equal combination
of sand and coir dust is placed in a 4x4 plastic pot. Stick
the cuttings (four to five maximum) 2 cm deep in the medium;
make sure that these are watered beforehand. The whole pot
is then enclosed with the plastic bag and sealed with a rubber
band to ensure that moisture is steadily maintained. The plastic
tent method is a modification of the kulob method. It consists
of a 4x1 m bed structure that is raised 2 ft above the ground
and enclosed with six polyvinyl sheets. The tent is recommended
for large-scale production.
Transplanting
The cuttings should have established their roots after three
to four weeks and should be ready for transplanting. To use
the cuttings as stock plants, transfer them individually or
in groups of two to three to a 6x6x11 plastic bag containing
any of these growing media: garden soil and coconut coir dust
with 1:1ratio or garden soil, coconut coir dust and sand with
1:1:1 ratio. Avoid exposing the plants to full sunlight as
this my damage the leaves. Complete fertilizer should be applied
thrice a month, urea on the fourth week, and slow release
fertilizer, such as Multicoat, every quarter. Moderate and
consistent watering must be done daily during the dry season
and thrice a week during wet months.
As indoor plotted plants, the cuttings must
be transferred individually or in groups of two or three to
a 4x4 plastic pot containing any of these non-soil growing
media: coconut coir dust; sand and coir dust with 1:1 ratio;
or sawdust and burnt rice hull with 1:1 ratio. The plants
must be kept in a partially shaded area for one week after
which it should be transferred to a shaded area for another
week. Like all plants, it requires sufficient natural light
and water to keep it healthy. Unlike the stock plants though,
indoor cuttings don't need as much fertilizer except for urea
application twice a month to enhance leaf color. 
(Source: PCARRD Information Bulletin No.
137a/2000: Mass propagation of Dracaena godseffiana 'Florida
Beauty' by Dr. Simeona Siar and Mr. Herminio Jalotjot, Jr.,
IPB, UPLB. For more information, please contact: Dr. Joy Eusebio,
Director, Crops Research Division, PCARRD, Los Baños,
Laguna, Tel. No. (049)536-0014 to 0020.)
More Articles:
Vol. 3 No. 4 October-December 2001
»»
Outstanding technologies identified in nat'l R&D week
»» Thailand,
Philippines convene for agri cooperation
»»
Prospects for the ornamental industry in the new millennium
»» UPLB
scientists develop new hybrids of Philippine ornamentals
»» New management
techniques for exportable foliage plants
»» In
focus: a date with the "king of cut flowers"
»» Brighten
your homes with aglaonema
»» King
in red and green
»» Cashing
in with the 'lucky bamboo'
»» Turfgrasses:
the preferred ground cover
»» Catching
the invisible enemy with ELISA
»» Grow
dracaena godseffiana the easy way
»» Bromeliads:
the exotic plant
»» Wag that
fish-tail fern
»» Mass
propagating the 'doņas' through kulob system
»» Beauveria
mold bioinsecticide: safer control against orchid pests
»» Orchids
and mycorrhiza: a lesson from the wild
»» Controlling
white rust in chrysanthemums
»» Ways to
enhance palm seed germination
»» Prolonging
the vase life of cut flowers with ethylene adsorbent and Florafresh
»»
Mass producing the fragrant kamuning
»» The
national RDE program for ornamental crops
»» GMA
presents 2001 Gawad Saka awards
[More
2001 Articles]
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