Caring for a Dracaena Spike Indoors

Light

• Although dracaena spike tolerates low light, the plant performs best in an average, well-lit room with about four hours of direct sunlight per day. Avoid hot, intense light, which may scorch the plant' foliage. Instead, place the plant 4 to 8 feet from a window or next to a bright window with light filtered by a sheer curtain.

Water

• Improper watering -- either too much or too little -- is the main reason a dracaena spike, or other houseplant, fails to thrive. Overly dry soil may cause the plant to wilt and drop its leaves while soggy soil often causes the stem and roots to rot, which is usually fatal. As a general rule, dracaena spike needs water when the top 1/2 inch of its potting soil feels dry to the touch. Never water the plant if the top of its soil still feels moist from the previous watering. Provide water until it drips through the pot's drainage hole, and then let the pot drain thoroughly before returning the plant to its drainage tray or saucer. Alternatively, place the pot on a layer of pebbles or gravel to raise the drainage hole above the water level.

Fertilizer

• Dracaena spike benefits from a monthly feeding, using a general-purpose, water-soluble fertilizer with a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio such as 5-10-5 or 7-7-7. Mix 1 teaspoon of the fertilizer with 1 gallon of water, and then water the plant with the solution. Withhold fertilizer during fall and winter because dracaena requires a period of dormancy and slow growth.

Repotting Procedure

• Repot the dracaena spike whenever it outgrows its container. Roots growing from the container's drainage hole is a sign that it's time to repot the plant. Also, a badly root-bound plant requires frequent watering; the plant doesn't absorb water because its roots are so tightly packed that water runs straight through the pot's drainage hole. When repotting, place the plant in a container one size larger than its current container; a container that is too large often holds too much soil moisture and may cause the plant to rot. Fill the container with a well-drained potting mixture, such as a good-quality commercial potting soil or a homemade blend with ingredients such as equal parts peat moss, perlite and vermiculite. The dracaena spike should be planted at the same soil depth it was in its previous pot. Planting it too deeply may cause the plant to rot.