Fertilizing Pineapple Dracaena

Pineapple Dracaena

• Pineapple dracaenas have pointed leaves that are radially arranged around a stiff, central stem, with one to several stems produced by each plant. Examples include the variety "Warneckii" (Dracaena deremensis "Warneckii"), also called striped dracaena because its sharply pointed, light green leaves have darker green margins. The cultivar "Janet Craig" (Dracaena deremensis "Janet Craig') has broad, glossy green leaves that cover its erect stems. This variety can grow up to 10 feet tall, but the variant called "Compacta" is shorter, growing about 6 feet tall. Rainbow dracaena (Dracaena marginata "Tricolor") has thin, sharply pointed leaves with alternating red, white and green stripes and can become 15 feet tall when mature.

Fertilizing

• Although a pineapple dracaena plant is tough and requires little special care, it responds to a regular fertilizing program with robust, healthy growth. The plant grows actively during the spring and summer months, which is the best time to give it extra nutrients. You can feed the plant once a month with a balanced commercial fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 formula, diluted at a rate of 1/4 teaspoon per gallon, but check the product label for additional directions. As an alternative, mix a slow-release, granular fertilizer marketed for houseplants into the soil around the base of the plant, using about 1 teaspoon for an 8-inch pot, but check your product for additional instructions. Two or three applications of this type of fertilizer, about six weeks apart, covers the entire growing season.

Foliar Feeding

• If a plant is slow to produce new growth in early spring, you can supplement regular feeding and give it a quick boost by providing nutrients directly through its leaves, a process called foliar feeding. To avoid the possibility of burning the leaves with chemicals, use a natural product such as fish or seaweed emulsion, which also supplies trace elements not found in many commercial products. Dilute the emulsion at a rate of 1/2 teaspoon per gallon, checking the product label for any additional directions. Applying the liquid with a sprayer or mister works well, but avoid spraying the plant in strong sunlight, which might scorch wet leaves.

Other Care

• A pineapple dracaena grows best in daytime temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees F., with nighttime temperatures about 10 degrees lower. Because it's a tropical native, the plant prefers a humid environment and does well when grown on a tray containing wet pebbles or misted every day or two, especially during winter when heated indoor air tends to be dry. If a plant grows extra-tall, you can trim its stems back, which stimulates new leaves to grow at the cutting point. This is best done early in spring, when new growth is ready to start.