Propagating Dracaena - How to Prune and Propagate a "Corn Plant" 

Hi Rosa, that's a great question! The first time I pruned this dracaena, most of the stems grew two plumes, but this time they are only growing one. Last time I pruned it, I left some of the leaves on the stems, and I think that helped the plant make more food through photosynthesis. I'm going to leave a few leaves on the next time I prune it and see if it makes a difference again. Thanks for pointing that out!

Wow you must have quite an old plant! It sounds like the original plant produced a pup and then died. Have you checked to see if the healthy stem has its own roots? If it does, I would prune off all of the dead parts first. You can then trim the healthy remaining stem at any height, as long as you leave at least a few inches above the soil. Good luck with your pruning! Let me know how it goes. :)

@@ShootsLeaves thank you! I havent tried it yet.. Hoping to try soon!

Cool! It sounds like your plant is really happy 😊

I have the same question! My plant is at least 10years old and has beautiful long healthy leaves but the stem is SO skinny. I've never pruned it other than removing dead leaves. Im so scared to chop her but i think thats what thicken the trunk...maybe?

⁠​⁠​⁠@@MsKricket101hi, you should be scared. I experimented with snipping parts off my two dracaena plants and it was a total disaster.. I cut the top off one of three branches, at a 45° angle, it just shrivelled up. No more leaves. I believe my error was cutting far below the leaf line, at a point where the branch was too woody. Have you repotted it ever? Maybe you could look at the root system, trim off dead, and place the bottom of the stem deeper in the soil. They seem to like cramped pots. I gave mine very little water which made the stem feel tougher and might’ve thickened it.

Wow, such a tall plant! I've found that the stalks get bigger and thicker with more sunlight, so you may want to try moving the plant to a sunnier place.

@@ShootsLeaves thanks for your reply very interesting. That explains why my corn plants got so thick. I put them right up to the window andI blasted them with sun light. I always resisted the urge to give them the slightest sip of water too. Do u know if the same idea applies to eg monstera plant? Probably not right? I’ve seen huge monstera stems, thick as logs almost.

I was really worried about trimming my plant for the first time for that same reason, but the plant will do fine if you cut the stem! My plant didn't have any leaves left the first time I trimmed it back and it grew back well.

Yes, you can plant the cuttings directly into soil. I like to propagate in water so I can see whether roots are growing to know if it’s been successful, but you can plant directly into soil, too!

Thanks@@ShootsLeaves

You definitely can. I don’t see the point in adding the extra step of placing them in water. I just plonk the cut stem back in the same planter until I get a shape/size I like. It’s can be a problem when they take over your house- along with the ever-reproducing spider plants! Maybe it’s time for a free neighborhood plant giveaway???

@@somerandomguy3499Thanks for your reply. Some say yes and some say no, so I wanted to hear from someone with experience. My plant is 15 years old and about 60 inches tall so it needs reshaping but I really don't want to kill it.

Hi! It sounds like the leaves from the top of the stalk died and now new leaves are growing from the bottom of the same stalk. In my experience, that happens because the stalk has become damaged. It’s happened to my plant, too. I think it’s worth trying to propagate and see what happens! You could cut at least a few inches above the new growth and see if the stalk grows roots.