The Effects of Environmental Factors, Stem Caliper, and Pruning Height on Axillary Bud Development in Dracaena ‘Waikiki' and Dracaena ‘Ruth Luka' Grown from Stem Cuttings

While it is common industry practice to grow multiple cuttings of Dracaena in one pot, the number of branches produced by each cutting will greatly affect the finished appearance of the plant. We studied the ability of rooted stem cuttings of each plant to produce multiple shoots when pruned to various heights, using newly introduced varieties ‘Waikiki’ and ‘Ruth Luka’.  Rooted cuttings were pruned to 5.08 cm, 15.24 cm, or 25.4 cm (2, 6, or 10 inches) in height and were grown under 60% or 30% shade. Stem caliper of cuttings was measured at pot rim height and again at 5.08 cm, 15.24 cm, or 25.4 cm.  The experiments were set up with six plants per treatment within each block and two randomized blocks of plants. Greenhouse environmental conditions for light and temperature were measured both by the greenhouse weather station and by several HOBO pendant recorders placed among the plants. All Dracaena ‘Waikiki’ pruned to 5.08 cm produced two bud breaks per plant when grown at 60% shade. At 15.24 cm, 83% produced two breaks and 17% only one break.  At 25.4 cm, 50% of plants produced two breaks and 50% produced one break per plant. In the 30% shade experiment, 50% of ‘Waikiki’ pruned to 5.08 cm produced two shoots while 50% produced only one.  At 15.24 cm, 67% produced two breaks while 33% produced only one.  At 25.4 cm, 50% of plants produced two shoots while 50% produced only one. Unpruned cuttings under either shade regime did not produce side shoots. Dracaena ‘Ruth Luka’ grown at 60% shade and pruned to 5.08 cm produced only one bud break on 92% of plants; 8% produced two breaks.  For plants pruned at 15.24 cm or 25.4 cm, 83% produced one break and 17% produced two breaks. With ‘Ruth Luka’ grown under 30% shade and pruned to 5.08 cm, 8% produced 4 shoots, 8% produced 3 shoots, 33% produced two, and 50% produced one.  At 15.24 cm, 33% produced two shoots and 67% produced only one.  At 25.4 cm, 50% produced two shoots and 50% produced one shoot. Unpruned cuttings under either shade regime did not produce side shoots.