How to Grow Marginata

Transplant Dracaena marginata plants from their nursery container into a permanent planter 2 inches bigger. Fill the new, larger container with a soil mixture of 1 part sand, 1 part peat moss and 2 parts potting soil.

Position the Dracaena marginata near a large window where it will receive at least five hours of light a day. Try to find a spot with indirect sunlight since direct sun diminishes the reddish tinge along the edges of the leaves.

Keep temperatures around the plant above 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and 55 F in winter. Limit exposure to cold drafts during the winter months since the plant will drop its leaves.

Water Dracaena marginata plants to a depth of 1 inch once a week during the summer. Decrease water to 1 inch every 10 to 15 days in the winter. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings regardless of the season.

Feed Dracaena marginata with balanced, 10-10-10 ratio fertilizer once a month from late March until early September. Follow the directions printed on the label but apply the fertilizer at half-strength to avoid burning the roots.

Prune Dracaena marginata plants whenever dead, damaged foliage appears or if one of the trunks stops producing foliage. Cut off the dead leaves at their point of origin using pruning shears. Remove nonproductive trunks 2 inches above the soil using the pruning shears.

Treat spider mite infestations by placing the Dracaena marginata in the shower and spraying it with cold water to knock the pests loose. Place the plant near an open window to dry naturally after spraying it with water.

Top-dress Dracaena marginata plants each spring to revitalize the soil. Replace the top 2 inches of soil in the planter with fresh soil. Use the soil mixture described in Step 1 for top-dressing. Water the plant well afterward.

Repot Dracaena marginata every few years to replenish the soil and to provide more room for root production. Move the plant into a new, 2-inch-larger container filled with the soil mix described in Step 1.