The Tale of Bobby John

   We cover all topics here at zollstudios. The spark to change this site over to a blog format came to me in the steamy abyss of a very late night shower. All the years of searching the web for building specs and design solutions roared between my ears. How many unique searches had I done thoroughly to no avail. Tonight I cover a topic that left me wanting more direct information. How to prune your tropical houseplants. You did not see that coming.
    Houseplants are awesome and if you haven't heard they greatly improve indoor air quality. Zollstudios has fifteen large tropical plants. I blame being a child of the 1970's. The majority are sturdy, dependable troopers, "the Snake Plant," and "the Dragon Tree."
   After managing the exterior grounds for several years, I noticed my indoor trees were reaching the ceiling. As stated, I could not readily find the permission to lop off the tops of my beloved plants. One small post mentioned the trimming, but with no substantial details.

Detail of New Growth

"Bobby John" After Pruning

   The target of my concern was "Bobby John." We have had him since we moved to Montana, and with his prominent position in our dining room window, he soon maxed out at 8' tall. He is one badass Dracaena Marginata. Not only was his height an issue but all the new growth was in the top 18 inches. With plenty of large tree pruning under my belt, I was not afraid to go for it. But this seemed drastic, how do I cut him to barren lanky stalks with no foliage. Simply enough, you just go for it and they will sprout new nodes.
   The greatest benefit is the lush infill that occurs after a couple months. I want you to have the courage to sculpt your elder tropical trees. If you are adventurous enough, you can even root the cuttings into new plants.
   If you are up to the challenge, I highly recommend nice, well-maintained pruning sheers. This will do the least amount of damage with a clean cut. While we're at it, I would like to give an honorable mention to the classic Miracle-Gro potting soil. I attribute much of my success to this soil and minimal watering. However, on the flipside I would avoid Miracle-Gro Moisture Control like the effin' plague. That stuff leads to root rot in tropicals and is bad voodoo. No sponsorship here.
   If you found this post via your favorite search engine, I hope this gives you the courage to prune your overgrown Dragon Tree.