Indoor Care for a Dracaena Marginata

Growing Conditions

• Dracaenas are tolerant of a wide range of conditions, but do best in bright, indirect light. Position them near a window facing east or south for healthiest growth. Overwatering will cause your dracaena to drop its leaves or rot. Water thoroughly until runoff comes out of the drain holes of the pot, then allow the soil to dry to the touch before watering again. Wipe the leaves monthly with a damp cloth, or set the plant outside and rinse the leaves with a hose.

Propogation

• You can propagate dragon tree and provide new plants for yourself or a friend. Take a three-inch cutting from the stem of the plant, removing leaves from the tip. Dip the base of the cutting in rooting hormone, which can be purchased at any nursery, and then push the base of the cutting into a container filled with potting soil. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked. When leaves start to appear at the top of the stem, feed with a liquid fertilizer, following package directions.

Special Care

• Brown leaf tips indicate your dracaena needs more humidity. Mist with water three to four times per week, or stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles. Fertilize once a month with a liquid fertilizer diluted to half the recommended strength, but do not fertilize during the winter months when the plant is not actively growing. If you want to keep the plant short or force it to become bushier, you can cut the top off a stem to the desired length. Within a few weeks, you will see two new stems start to grow from the pruning site.

Problems

• If the entire leaf edges turn brown and crinkled, this usually indicates over-fertilizing or burning from fluoride in the water. Use distilled water for watering and cut back on fertilizer to every other month. It is normal for the bottom leaves on the stems to drop off as they age, but if excessive leaf drop occurs, it may be due to the plant being too dry or in a spot that is too hot. Spider mites, tiny insects that spin fine webs under the leaves and suck its juices, can be a problem on dracaena. Spray with a pesticide specifically made for indoor plants.