How to Grow Marginata Dracaena Plants

Keep marginatas in a location where they receive at least four hours of direct sunlight or bright, indirect sunlight. They should be in a location that has at least 75-foot candles of light, like areas that are a few feet away from a southern, eastern or western window. Outdoors they will grow in almost any light from full sun to dense shade.

Plant in a fertile, well-draining organic soil mixture with a pH between pH of 6 and 6.5. Dragon trees tolerate almost any type of soil, but prefer moist soils. If repotting, any commercial potting soil mixture will do.

Keep plants in areas where the temperature averages between 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and is only about 10 degrees cooler at night. They can be kept outdoors in USDA zones 10b and 11 or placed outdoors during the summer in cooler zones.

Water when the top inch of soil becomes dry to the touch. Water thoroughly allowing the water to drain out the bottom of the pot. For best results, use distilled water because it does not contain fluoride. Dracaena are sensitive to fluoride and it can cause the leaves to turn yellow or become scorched. Avoid overwatering. Red-edge dracaena like high humidity and will benefit from occasional misting with water, especially when the humidity levels are below 30 percent.

Fertilize every 12 weeks during the spring and summer with a fertilizer high in nitrogen and potash. A fertilizer with a 3-1-2 (N-P2O5-K2O) ratio such as 19-6-12 fertilizer is a good choice. If using a standard fertilizer with a 1-1-1 ratio, fertilize every four weeks. If leaf tips and margins burn or become yellow, you are fertilizing too heavily.

Trim and bag any leaves that are heavily-infested with spider mites, a common problem for dragon trees when grown inside. Then wipe the rest of the leaves with a soft, damp cloth or hose off the plants in a sink or shower.

Spray plant with an insecticide safe for plants that contains pyrethrins to treat mealy bugs and scale. These pests can also be removed using a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol.

Watch for signs of leaf spot diseases, which can be a problem for dracaena grown outdoors. Although there are several types of leaf spot disease, caused by different types of fungi, they are easy to spot as they cause discolored spots on the leaves. Treat leaf spot with a fungicide safe for house plants according to the label's directions.