How to Grow and Care Fortune Plant Explained

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It is said that growing a Fortune plant in your home, office or anywhere else brings luck and good fortune. Well, it is time to check if that saying is true or not. We shall be looking in this article at how to grow fortune plants. 

Fortune Plant Scientific Name

The commonly known fortune plant has the scientific name Dracaena Sanderiana. This plant can be easily grown in any condition. You can easily grow in small containers, in water, or in the soil. This houseplant has long stems. The best part is that you can give any kind of shape to this plant like a braid or a swirl or any design you want. 

Fortune Plant

Let’s Talk about this plant. This plant belongs to the Dracaena genus and it is an African native plant. There is also another scientific name for a fortune plant which is Dracaena Braunni but the most commonly known name is the prior one. This plant falls in the succulent category and it is a very well-known houseplant. 

You may also have heard about this plant bringing good fortune to where it is planted. Especially in China, this plant is the symbol of good luck. In ancient Chinese philosophy, feng shui, this plant is given as a gift to promote positive energy and good health, love, and growth. 

Number Of Stalks Have Different Meanings 

The interesting thing about the fortune plant is that the number of stalks on your plant has different meanings according to feng shui. 

Is the fortune plant lucky?

2 stalks of fortune plants are for love and luck. 3 stalks will make you happy, with long life and wealth. 4 stalks bring negative energy and are symbolized as bad luck. 5 stalks would make you emotionally, mentally, consciously, spiritually, and physically healthy. 

Similarly, 6 stalks would bring wealth, 7 stalks for good health. 8 stalks are for growth and fertility, 9 for luck, and 10 for a perfect life. 

Well, you can plant and experience if any of this is actually true or not, but I can certainly assure you of its health benefits. Moreover, it will make your living space more cheerful. 

How to Grow a Fortune Plant

fortune plant images
fortune plant images

The Fortune plant can be grown easily from cuttings, in the soil or you can use a good quality compost to grow it in small containers. Both of these methods are commonly used and are the most effective. 

First of all, you need to get the cuttings from a healthy mother fortune plant. Use sharp scissors or pruners to get the cutting from the main stalk. The cutting you are taking must have a minimum of one leaf joint. 

Now that you have your cuttings of the plant, it’s time to start the growing process. This plant grows well in water so you can start growing it in a small container filled with water. If the container is transparent you can easily watch the roots growing. Once the roots appear you can transplant them into the soil or you may let them grow in water. 

Fortune Plant Care

There are some factors that need to be taken care of while growing a fortune plant. Light, water, feed, humidity temperature, etc need to be adjusted according to the plant’s needs. We are going to discuss each one of these factors in detail.

Choosing the Container

First thing is to choose the right sized container for your plant. A fully mature plant would grow up to 1 foot to 3 feet tall and about a couple of feet wide. But you can keep this plant to your required length by pruning. So this plant can be grown in small containers accordingly. 

Fortune plants can easily be grown in water only. For that purpose, you need a small glass or jar. If you are growing the plant in soil then the container size may vary. But make sure that the container should have plenty of drainage holes.

SOIL PREPARATION

The only requirement for the soil is its good drainage. Fortune plants will only survive in soil having good drainage. To make soil have good drainage, you can add perlite and sand to your potting mix. This will make sure that water does not make your soil loamy or soaking. 

You can also use small pebbles to grow them. Fill your container with these pebbles and plant the cutting. After that fill the container with water. Make sure that the roots of the cuttings are fully submerged in water. 

Does the Fortune plant need Sunlight?

Fortune plants are actually light-tolerant plants. This makes them perfect indoor houseplants. You need to provide them with indirect light. It may be indirect sunlight or from any other source like room lights or glow lights designed specifically for indoor plants. 

Where do I put my fortune plant?

Keeping the fortune plant in bright light will prove beneficial in its growth. But that bright light should never be direct sunlight. Bright and direct sunlight would cause damage to your plant by scorching the leaves. Another major problem you might face in this case is the production of algae in the water. 

How Often Should I Water My Fortune Plant?

fortune plants images

The watering needs of your fortune plant depend upon which medium you are growing it in. If growing in soil, you need to keep the soil moist all the time. Especially in the growing season, you have to keep the conditions moist for your fortune plant. In winter you need to slow down the watering. Check the top layer of soil before watering. 

If you are growing a fortune plant in water, there are some other important factors to keep in mind. First of all, you have to use fresh, clean, and distilled water. Remember that fortune plants are sensitive to chlorine and other chemicals. So I would never recommend using tap water as it may contain harmful chemicals for this plant. 

Make sure that the roots of your plant are completely dipped in water. You also need to change the water once a week. Try to clean the container or jar in which you are growing.  If the container is filled with pebbles, it should also be cleaned during the water changing time. 

TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY NEEDS

Both temperature and humidity are important factors in a plant’s growth. Fortune plants need warm temperatures. This plant will do best in temperatures from 16 degrees centigrade to 24 degrees centigrade. That is between 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature below that will affect the plant’s growth. 

Don’t place the plant near air conditioners or vents. The other factor is humidity. The good thing is you don’t have to worry about humidity as the fortune plant grows best in normal room conditions. 

FERTILIZING THE FORTUNE PLANT

If you are growing the plant in soil, you need to add a small amount of fertilizer with normal strength to your soil. It is better to use fertilizers once a month. 

When growing the plant in water it is not really important to fertilize the plant. But if you still feel the need, use a very weak liquid fertilizer for your plant. Add fertilizer every couple of months. This will provide your plant with enough nutrients it needs. 

PRUNING THE PLANT

In order to keep your plant to the desired length and shape, pruning plays an important role. If not pruned, the plant can grow in an irregular shape. Pruning also helps in the healthier growth of your plant. 

You may notice your plant becoming top-heavy if you haven’t pruned the plant for a longer time. You need to trim the undesired parts of your plant. Never cut the main stalk of your plant. It is not recommended.  

Use sterile pruners for cutting the offshoots. If you don’t want any further growth from the place where you have cut the plant. All you need to do is to dip that part in paraffin. This would stop any further growth. 

SHAPING THE FORTUNE PLANT 

If you are thinking to shape your fortune plant with the help of pruning, you might be wrong. It’s not actually the trimming process that gives your fortune plant an attractive shape rather it’s the light source that shapes the plant

This process can be time taking and needs patience. So it could be a little bit harder. But you need to use a light source to give directions to the plant stalks. The best thing to do is to place the plant in a box that has three sides. Rotating the plant accordingly will give your fortune plant a spiraling shape.  

CAUTION ABOUT THE FORTUNE PLANT 

Dracaena Sanderiana and many other plants of the Dracaena family are toxic. So make sure no one consumes the fortune plant, nor your pets. 

Best Varieties Of Fortune Plant 

There are a couple of best-known varieties of fortune plants. Known by their scientific names. The Dracaena Sanderiana Victory and Dracaena Sanderiana Gold. Try to grow any of these two varieties whenever you are planning to grow this plant

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References

https://www.hunker.com/12001266/how-to-take-care-of-fortune-plants

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Wajahat Badar

I am an enthusiastic and passionate gardener who is interested in both traditional and modern methods of plantation and improving home living. Living green is the revolutionary lifestyle that all nature lovers require.

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