The Mass Cane Plant is a refreshing addition to the indoor environment. Mass cane is known as Dracaena fragrans or Corn plants. The plant is unique, attractive, and has easy care requirements. Mass cane indoor plant have stems like canes.
Contents
What Is The Mass Cane Plant?
– Profile
- Scientific name: Dracaena fragrans
- Common name: Mass cane, Corn plant, Massangeana cane, Mass cane floor plant
- Family: Asparagaceae
- Genus: Dracaena
The name Dracaenas comes from the Greek word meaning female dragon. It has about 170 species of flowering plants. The species name, fragrans means the intensely-scented flower.
Mass cane or corn plant is a native to West Africa, Zambia, and Tanzania. Mass Cane Plants live in the tropical forests; they grow where humidity is relatively high.
How to Care for the Mass Cane Plant
The plant is easy to grow if you know what it needs. It also forgives if you ignore it because of its hardy nature. Let us look at what you need to provide your Mass Cane Plant to keep it happy.
– Soil Requirements
Mass Cane Plant requires certain soil conditions that are important for the plant to grow. The factors that plants need for their growth are soil type, pH levels, and nutrients. Mass Cane Plants need well-drained soil. Take a pot with holes at its bottom to plant them. Mass Cane Plants should be grown in a potting mix with high nutrients, such as clay.
– Light Requirements
Mass cane or corn plants require bright but indirect exposure to sunlight. The light should not fall directly to the plant because it damages the leaves of the plant.
If the plant gets low light, it will also cause the growth of the Mass Cane Plant to slow down.
– Water Requirements
The watering of a mass cane depends on the presence of sunlight. If you put your mass cane plant in bright light, the plant will need more water because bright light water gets evaporated. You need to check the soil before watering your plant. The soil should be slightly dry to slightly saturated.
Overwatering is not suitable for mass cane growth.
– Temperature Requirement
The mass cane plant prefers to be kept in a home with warmer temperatures. The optimal temperature for a mass cane plant is between 60 to 75 F. The Mass Cane Plant can tolerate higher temperatures.
The plant grows better when the temperature falls below 53 F. The leaves damage when the temperature is low. During summer keep the plant out of windows so that it can get direct sunlight. You can filter the light with the help of a curtain.
When the mass cane or corn plant is in a hot environment, it causes the leaves to curl inwards on themselves, or the leaves shift their direction towards the shaded areas. If this is happening, change the position of your plant and put the plant in a suitable spot.
– Humidity Requirement
The mass cane plant needs a high level of humidity. The consequences of low humidity cause the leaves to become brown.
The solution of low humidity is misting the plant to get it better.
– Fertilizer Requirement
The Mass cane plant flower is small. Flowering happens quite rarely, that is only once a year. The plants need fertilizers for flowers during the right season and to improve the quality of foliage.
Bright and direct sunlight causes bleaching of the leaves. Use some specific fertilizers.
– How to Propagate the Mass Cane Plant
Propagation of the Mass Cane Plants is easy and stress-free. Propagate your mass cane, at the start of spring. It is because the original plant grows in the spring season. The cutting will, therefore, continue to be better during this time.
The plant produces shoots that can be grown into the new parent plant. The mass cane plant can be propagated by:
- Cane cuttings
- Division
– Growth
The Mass Cane Plant growth rate is slow. Mass Cane Plants comprise succulent shrubs and trees. When a large area is given for the plant to grow, it can reach a height of 15 feet and 3 inches in width.
Mass cane or corn plants can be grown from seed. Good quality Mass Cane Plant seeds are hard to find. If you get good quality seeds you can grow many new plants. Here is how you can quickly start your plants from sowing seeds:
- Soak the seeds for three to five days before planting
- Take a small pot and fill it with 75 percent with seed mix
- Water the Mass cane soil mix and place three to four seeds on top of it. You have to cover the seeds with a thin layer of potting soil
- Cover the pot with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm location so that the plant will receive indirect sunlight
- After four to six weeks, you can see the seedlings emerging
- Remove the plastic wrap and wait for the seedlings to develop two leaves at least before you transplant
– Potting
The mass cane plant should be repotted, after every few years. Repotting should be done because the roots outgrow the pot. Mass Cane Plant is a tough plant, tugging may harm the plant. The soil must not be packed tightly because this prevents drainage and aeration.
The mass cane plant grows well on soggy or waterlogged soil. The plant should get a sufficient amount of water when they are under bright and direct sunlight. The water gets evaporated under bright sunlight. Overwatering is harmful to the plant because the leaves wilt when given too much water.
– Propagation Methods
In mass cane plants, there are two methods of propagation:
1. Division: In this process, the adult plant is cut apart into smaller ones. The new growth starts from one of them.
2. Cane cutting: The other method of propagation is through cane cuttings. This method is similar to stem cuttings with few differences.
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Propagation Through Cane Cuttings
- The best time for mass cane propagation is during the warmer months
- The plant selected for propagation should have buds located on the stems and healthy foliage growth
- Take scissors and make two or three cuts along the stem, each about three inches in length.
- Cut the stem below the horizontal groove
- Plant the cuttings into a pot with fresh potting mix
- Water the pot and the new sample and allow the soil to be fully saturated
- Check your plant every few weeks. If the soil has dried out, water them because new growth needs sufficient moisture to grow
- When you see the roots, you have to transfer them to a new pot
– Pest and Disease
Different pests attack Mass Cane Plants. They are mealy bugs, spider mites, scale insects, and thrips. Pests suck the sap and result in getting brown tips on the leaves. The invasion of insects to the plant may cause discoloration on the leaves or affect the growth of the plant.
You can get rid of these pests by applying soapy water to the leaves. You can use insecticides for problems.
The mass cane plant may undergo some diseases. These different diseases attack the leaves or roots of your plant. The most prevalent problems are:
-
Spot disease (appearance of spots on leaves)
A yellow and red-colored outline appears around the edges of the leaf. The solution to this problem is to prune the infected foliage and use a copper fungicide.
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Root rot
Overwatering causes the roots to rot. The stalks also get rotten by giving too much water to the plant. As soon as you catch the disease in the early stage, immediately give your plant a treatment. If not treated, these damages are irreversible.
– Mass Cane Pruning
Mass Cane Plants don’t require much pruning. The upper part of the plant needs a little bit of trimming. You can make horizontal and straight cuts from the top of the plant. Remove dead or dead leaves. Prune to get healthy growth of the plant.
The Mass Cane Plant Problems
The mass cane plant or corn plant requires low maintenance. They are slow growers. There are different problems that the plant faces during its growth phase.
Let us look at the problems faced by the Mass cane plant in detail:
– Plant Tilting
Your mass cane plant may grow in a twisted way to avoid direct contact with the sun. It can also take place when you are not watering your plant. Brace up the plant to avoid tilted growth. Place the pot in a place where they will get indirect, bright light.
Water the plant and ensure that it saturates every part of the soil.
– Brown Spots on Leaves
When the older foliage gets brown spots on them, it is a problematic situation for the plant. Spots on the leaves are due to the excess amount of salt in the soil. You can solve this problem by carefully transferring the Mass cane or your corn plant to a new container with fresh soil.
Ensure that the potting mix in the pot has less amount of sodium present.
– The Mass Cane Leaves Turning Brown
When the foliage gets brown colored, it is a big concern for the well-being of your plant. The cause of the browning of leaves is due to over or under watching of the plant. This problem takes place when the plant is experiencing some level of toxicity.
Regularly check your plant for discoloration. Give water to your plant according to its needs. You can transfer the plant to another pot and stop using any fertilizer.
– Stalks are Wrinkled
Check the stalk or lower part of the plant. Wrinkling is a result of underwatering the plant. If there is less moisture content, the plant wilts. You should thoroughly water the plant so that the soil gets damp.
– Leggy Stems
In the older Mass canes or corn plants, the growth of the plant gets out of control. The stalks overgrow. They look like an overly grown tree. Cut the overly grown stalk to retain its decorative look.
– Yellow Foliage
The leaves of mass canes or corn plants sometimes become yellow. The cause of yellowing of leaves is by acclamation, underwatering, or age.
You should remove the yellow leaves of the corn plant. Split the leaf from the middle and tear them from the center back. Peel off the two segments of the leaf.
– Rotten Stems
Sometimes the stalks of the Mass canes plants get rotten or mushy. Overwatering rots the stalk. Mass Cane Plants have multiple stalks. The tallest one grows deep in the pot, and the shortest roots grow closest to the soil surface.
Do not overwater the plant and replace the rooted stalk immediately.
Tips to Keep the Mass Plant Healthy
Mass cane or corn plants need less care. Beginners should grow them. Here are some tips which you should follow to grow a healthy mass cane or corn plant:
- The light and rich is ideal for the healthy growth of a plant
- Water your plant once a week so that the soil will not remain soggy
- Place your plant in a place where it will get plenty of bright, indirect light
- Growth of the plant stops when the temperature falls
- You can use fertilizers. Make sure that the fertilizer used should have fluoride or baron. High levels of such chemicals turn the leaves brown
Frequently Asked Questions About the Mass Cane Plant
1. Is a Mass Cane Plant toxic?
The plant is toxic. Ingestion of these plants can cause vomiting, an upset stomach, appetite loss, and an overabundance of saliva production.
These conditions are not life-threatening.
2. How long does the Mass Cane Plant live?
The Mass cane leaves last for a few years before new growth takes over. The plant has a longer shelf life, living between five and ten years. The life span of a plant depends on the condition of the plant.
3. What are some benefits of the Mass Cane Plant?
Mass Cane Plant is an air purifier. The mass cane plant has got some healing effects for headaches, respiratory problems, and kidney disease.
4. When should I repot my plant?
Mass cane or corn plants are slow growers. They prefer to be root-bound. Repot your mass cane or corn plant once its roots fill the container or cones out from the pot, which happens after every two or three years.
5. Are there different varieties of Mass Cane Plants?
There are different varieties of mass cane or corn plants.
- Dracaena fragrans Massangeana have dark green leaves with a yellow-lime stripe in the middle
2.Dracaena fragrans Lindenii have yellowish leaves and a dark green stripe
- Dracaena fragrans Victoria contains white stripes in the middle of its leaves
6. Does corn plant like misting?
As the mass cane or corn plants are the natives of a tropical environment, mass cane plants need a moderate level of humidity to grow well. You should mist the plant daily with water. It keeps the plant clean and healthy.
Another method to keep the humidity levels suitable for your plant is to fill a drip tray with pebbles and water. Place the pot on it. The water that evaporates raises the humidity level around the plant.
Conclusion
The Mass canes or corn plants are perfect houseplants. Mass cane, known as Dracaena fragrans or Corn plant, is a unique and decorative indoor plant. It has specific needs that we discussed in our guide; let us review it:
- The Mass Cane Plants are slow growers. Their growth stops in winter
- When a large area is given for the plant to grow, it can reach a height of 15 feet
- The plant has a longer shelf life, living between five and ten years
- They are natives of the tropical region, love to grow well in high humid conditions
- They grow best in indirect bright sunlight. Extreme direct heat is harmful to its growth
- Mass Cane Plants need well-drained soil
- They are toxic when ingested by animals and humans and cause health issues
- They are air purification plants
- Mass Cane Plants should be grown in a potting mix with high nutrients
- They propagate through seeds, division, or mass cane cutting
- Overwatering is harmful to them, which causes different diseases like the plant-like yellowing of leaves, the appearance of spots on them, and root rot
- Repot your mass cane or corn plant once its roots fill the container or cones out from the pot
- When the foliage gets brown colored, it’s a big concern for the well-being of your plant
- Mass Cane Plants are tolerant plants; they don’t require much pruning
- Mist the plant to give the surrounding a humid atmosphere
We hope that the growing guide inspires you to grow this air-purifying plant at home without any trouble. Happy Growing!
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