aa2by2 said: ... i have a mature corn plant, it is spindly looking. a tall stalk with leaves at the top, sort of lollipop looking.
question: is there a way to cause the plant to grow new leaves on the stalk portion? nicking it perhaps?
Hi, "Aa", and welcome to ATP!
I didn't find any helpful growing advice here, but there are photos and a list of people who are growing it.
Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
Is your plant less leafy than
@SongofJoy 's? Maybe that is just how they grow when large.
@DogsNDaylilies and
@purpleinopp, do you have suggestions for how to get a "lollipop-shaped" Dracaena to grow leaves lower on the stems?
If you live in the Northern hemisphere, I wouldn't try to stimulate new growth in Winter. The plant needs to be more dormant in Winter.
Some things I would consider, pending advice from someone with more of a clue would be:
1. Has it been re-potted every several years, with root pruning? Really RE-potted, not just moved to a bigger pot with all the old roots intact? If not, it could be seriously root-bound. Only thin, new roots can take up much nutrition.
2. Did you fertilize it in spring and summer, like a little bit every two weeks? (It needs less fertilizer in winter.) Over-fertilizing is a good way to kill potted plants, but they do need some fertilizer.
3. Does it get sunlight or bright artificial light?
4. I often see those "Lucky bamboo" plants chopped off short and growing new stalks from the base. MAYBE a severe pruning would stimulate new growth. It would take a long time for the "tree" to grow back, but you would have leaves near the base during that time.
5. If the plant propagates from stem cuttings or root division, you could start some new plants that will be leafy rather then stem-y.
P.S. If you go to "Your Profile", and enter your location, it will appear in the upper-right corner of every post. Then we won't always be asking: "Where do you live? What Hardiness Zone?" We have members ALL over the world!
http://garden.org/users/member...
"Your Profile" is reached from the upper-left corner of any ATP page - the two small white ovals that look like an outline of head-and-shoulders. Then "ยป Change your public profile" .
And a photo of the plant in question always draws people in. You might even submit a well-focused photo to the Plant database.
