How to Prune and Propagate a Dracena Janet Craig Plant

Hello Judy,
I have a Dracena Janet Craig Plant that I took from my grandfather’s funeral service over 20 years ago, it was about 5′ until this past year when all of a sudden it shot up to my vaulted ceiling! I want to cut it in half and put the new top into a new pot to have two plants or the same pot. I need to cut the top off because it has no where to go now? Please tell me the best way to handle this surgery without killing the original plant. thank you!

Hi Kathleen,

Here are some tips on how to prune and propagate a dracaena. The surgery to reduce the height of a Dracaena Craig is simple. Use a very sharp scissors or knife and cut off as much as you want from the top of the main stalk. Your dracaena will send out new growth directly below the cut so keep in mind what you want the plant to look like when you are finished. I always suggest cutting off at least the top 1/3 of the plant.

Cut the stalk you removed into 5″-8″ sections with at least 3 or 4 leaves on each section if possible. Allow the cut ends of the dracaena stalks to dry out over night. Note what is the top and bottom of each section so they can be planted correctly. Plant the sections in small containers, with drip holes in the bottom, of very fine potting soil. Give the cuttings a small amount of water if the soil gets very dry. Once rooted, you can plant the stalk sections back into the original pot to make the plant fuller or start new plants.