On most varieties stems will, quite naturally, become leafless and woody in time. When this happens and the plant is no longer attractive the stems should be cut to within a few inches from their base. Keep the potful of stumps as they usually grow again from the base. The stems can then be cut up into sections some 2 to 3 in. in length.

After dusting the ends with rooting powder the cuttings should be pressed horizontally into a seed box filled with moist peat until the pieces of stem are almost covered. Any growth buds (small swellings on the stem) that can be seen should be uppermost. As soon as the first two leaves have opened, pot into 31-in. size pots. Many dracaenas (D. Redcdge in particular), and philodendrons with larger leaves can also he propagated in exactly the same way.

Dracaena massangeana is one of the more impressive foliage plants though space demanding, but good value if the room can be afforded. When freely planted in beds of compost or when growing in their natural habitat they become quite substantial plants.

Any house plant grower who can acquire an old stem of one of these more mature plants can intrigue his friends by propagating stout stems several inches in diameter on the window-sill with few problems.

To produce acceptable plants from such a parent the cutting should be removed with about 5 in. of hare stem attached. With a sharp knife make notches along the stem in five or six places that will be below soil level when the cutting is inserted, and treat the notches and severed end of the stem with a rooting powder. Prepare a potful of J.1.P.2 compost pressed down fairly firmly and make a reasonably large hole with a dibber into which moist sphagnum peat should be gently pressed in with the dibher.

The cutting is then inserted in the peat far enough for the leaves to come into contact with the surface of the compost. Cover the pot with a polythene bag. You may be quite surprised at the good results and the amount of root that develops, not only from the severed end, but all the way along the section of stem that is below soil level at the points where notches were made.