The Best Soil for a Dracaena

Soil pH

• Dracaena plants thrive in neutral soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Soil with a pH higher than 6.5 has too much available fluoride, which can damage dracaena plants. Potting soil bags usually list the pH level of the soil so you can verify the alkalinity. Alternatively, use a home testing kit to verify the pH level of the soil if it's unlisted, you make your own potting soil, or you are growing dracaena in an outdoor bed.

Soil Ingredients

• Most commercial potting soils that fall within the necessary pH level work well for dracaena but avoid those that contain perlite. Perlite, which resembles small round foam balls, is made of superheated minerals and releases fluoride into the soil. Most soil mixtures contain peat, shredded bark, vermiculite, compost or a mixture of these ingredients. Soil containing rich loam and organic matter also works well for dracaena as long as it drains well and doesn't compact easily.

Container Needs

• The best soil is only as good as its container when you are growing dracaena in pots. Dracaena thrives in well-drained soil that doesn't become soggy or waterlogged, yet remains moist and doesn't dry out quickly. Any type of container works well if it has at least one bottom drainage hole for the excess moisture to drain from the soil. Select a container with a detachable drip tray so you can empty the excess water from the tray after each irrigation.

Water and Nutrients

• Dracaena soil requires watering when the top of the soil begins to feel dry, using distilled water if your tap water contains fluoride. The plants also need some humidity. Filling the drip tray with small pebbles and adding water to the tray until it sits beneath the top surface of the pebbles elevates the humidity around the plant through evaporation. Even the best soil requires occasional fertilization as the dracaena uses up the original nutrients. Avoid superphosphate fertilizers because these are high in fluoride. Instead, use a soluble all-purpose houseplant fertilizer with low phosphorus, such as a 24-8-16 blend, once a month in spring and summer.