Corn Plant (Dracaena Fragrans) Care and Growing Guide
The Corn plant, originally grown in tropical Africa, has become a popular decoration plant around the world: it can be found at work, in entertainment venues, and in people's homes. Its large oily green leaves, growing in distinct layers, give a sense of vitality, of course, this is only if the premise of proper care can be seen. What I want to share with you today is how to grow and care for the fragrant corn plant.
Corn Plant Quick Info
| Botanical/Scientific Name | Dracaena Fragrans |
| Common Name | Corn plant |
| Uses | Popular houseplant |
| Origin | Mexico by native peoples |
| Light Care | Best in light shade or indirect or filtered sunlight |
| Soil Care | Soil should be kept consistently moist, |
| Temperature Care | 75 to 80 degrees F and 65 to 70 degrees F during the night |
| Humidity Care | Between 40 to 50 percent |
| Watering | Watered once every one to two weeks |
| Pruning Care | Trim off green branches or shoots |
| Fertilizer Care | Balanced (20-20-20) liquid fertilizer monthly |
| Propagation | Cuttings |
| Toxic | Toxic to dogs and cats |
| Flower Color | Pink colored buds into masses of white flowers |
Corn plant is one of the best trees for pots
When does Corn Plant Bloom & Harvest
The corn plant can blossom. If we want the corn plant to blossom, we need to grow it for a long time. Sometimes it takes about ten years to blossom. However, as long as it is well maintained after the first flowering, it will bloom in the future. The flowering period of corn plant is not very long, only about 20-30 days. Generally, it blooms from January to February, but it is also related to the propagation environment. Sometimes it doesn't bloom until March and April.Corn Plant Care in Detail
Corn Plant Humidity Requirements
Although corn plant needs more water in the growth process, it also has strong drought resistance ability. It will not dry for several days. However, to grow healthily, it must have sufficient water. Corn plant grows vigorously in summer and autumn, consumes more water, has low temperature in winter and spring, grows slowly, needs less water, and burns water according to the principle of basin soil, watering must be watered with rain Snow water is better.Corn plant likes a warm and humid environment all the year round. The maintenance location has high temperature and air humidity all the year round, and receives more light every day. The flowers of corn plant are generally white green, pink or purple, and they look very chic.
Corn Plant Repotting
Because the plants are tall and have developed roots, especially the cylindrical planting is higher at any time, we can use a deep basin with a diameter of 30-40 cm when changing the basin at corn plant. Corn plant likes slightly acidic and fertile soil. The matrix can be prepared from humus soil, peat soil, river sand or perlite to avoid clay. It is usually turned every 2 to 3 years.Corn Plant Pest & Disease Control
Corn plant likes high temperature and high humidity environment, and the suitable growth temperature is 20 ~ 28 ℃. When the climate is suitable, it can grow all year round and is not cold resistant. Plants enter dormancy at 13 degrees and the safe temperature in winter is 10 degrees. When the temperature is lower than 5 ℃, the leaves become soft and curly, and the leaves have yellowish brown patches. When the leaves are in serious condition, the whole leaves and plants die. If the leaves die, but the bark is scratched, the skin is still green, indicating that the stem is not dead. If you have enough scattered light, the root will grow. Because the cortex already exists, you should avoid being strong and turn the leaves yellow. Green leaf species are resistant to negative harvest, otherwise the leaves of corn plant will turn yellow. The leaf color and shading should be carried out from May to September to cover the sun's sunshine.- Leaf spot: it mainly damages the leaves of corn plant. The diseased plants shall be removed in time, and the plants shall be sprayed with benomyl or chlorothalonil for treatment.
- Anthracnose: the corn plant disease will make the leaves appear diseased, and eventually lead to leaf death. At the early stage of onset of corn plant, we can spray the diseased plants with 100g, shibaogong or tantrane.
- Sugarcane flat moth: the larvae will eat up and down in the cortex of the wooden column. We can spray diseased plants with Omethoate EC to prevent and control this corn plant disease.
Soil for Corn Plant
If you want to make your Corn plant grow better, you should try to choose the soil suitable for it to grow. When caring for corn plant, it is best to use loose, fertile sandy loam soil. The drainage of the soil is also not good, and can prevent root rot due to water. Ir can be mixed with peat soil, river sand preparation use, can add the right amount of bone meal.
Corn Plant Watering
Corn plant drought resistance is strong. When we grow and care for corn plants, watering should not be too much, keep the pot soil semi-dry and semi-wet state the best, and can be watered once every 7 days or so. Low temperature to control watering, so as not to occur root rot phenomenon. In addition, the northern climate is dry, you can use the way of spraying water to the foliage to increase the environmental humidity.
Corn Plant Light Requirements
Corn plant like light. When growing a corn plant, let it receive more light in spring and autumn and winter, but in summer, we must avoid exposure to the sun. Otherwise the color and lustre of the leaf can become pale, even the phenomenon of yellow leaf.
Corn Plant Temperature Care
When we grow and care for corn plant, to create a warm environment for the plants to grow, try to adjust the temperature to the appropriate range, generally between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius is the best. The temperature of winter is not too low, otherwise it will be possible to produce frostbite, the breeding temperature in winter is best maintained at more than 10℃.
Fertilizer for Corn Plant
Potted Corn plant should be controlled fertilization, seedlings can be used for 15 days or so; Corn plant can be applied about 60 days of slow - effect fertilizer once. When caring for corn plant, fertilizing potted Corn plants is done with thin fertilizer to make the plant more ornamental. In addition, when the temperature is low in winter, fertilization should be stopped.
Corn Plant Pruning
In potted Corn plant, we should pay attention to pruning the aging leaves at the lower part of the plant in order to maintain its beauty. Turn the pot and change the soil once a year for the young Corn plant. Turn the pot and change the soil once a year or two for the molded Corn plant. It is better to replace Corn plant in early spring. When replacing Corn plant, part of the permanent soil should be removed, and part of the old and injured roots should be thinned appropriately.
Corn Plant - one of the best indoor trees
Corn Plant Propagation from Cutting
Corn plant propagation from cutting is dominant. According to the thickness of materials, it can be divided into thin branch cutting and column cutting. Corn plant can also spread in high-altitude areas. Corn plant branch cutting: usually combined with pruning, the cuttings are cut into about 10cm stem segments and directly inserted into the matrix. If the base of the cuttings is treated with growth hormone, the roots can be taken early. When the temperature is maintained at 25 ~ 30 ℃ and the environment is wet, the new roots can germinate within about 1 month. Corn plant columnar cutting: it refers to cutting tree segments with stem diameter of 6-10cm or even 10cm or more, sawing the length of cuttings as needed, waxing the incision at the upper end of cuttings, and disinfecting the lower end and rod. Finally, cut into clean river sand, keep it moist, cover 45% ~ 75% of sunshine, and sprout and take root after 4-5 weeks.
Read More: How to Propagate Corn Plant
Corn Plant Benefits
- Corn plant is a traditional Chinese medicine. Its trunk is strong, its sword-shaped leaves are green and shiny, and the whole tree is full of vitality. Corn plant is a popular foliage plant nowadays.
- Corn plant is a very popular indoor large-scale potted flower and tree. The ornamental value of it will be placed in a wide living room, study and living room, which gives us a lot of ornamental value. Corn plant has elegant, simple style and southern style. Corn plant is a new generation of world-famous indoor foliage plant with beautiful plant shape and regular ornamental value.
- Corn plant is a beautiful green plant. It can decompose carbon dioxide in our indoor air. It can absorb carbon dioxide in the air, convert it into oxygen and emit it. It will be the most effective plant for us to purify the air and clean the environment. In addition, this corn plant will decompose some radiation sources indoors, We can reduce the radiation emitted by modern electronic products and maintain good health.