If you plan to introduce some greens in your indoor space, dracaena plants are your best option. These demi-tropical plants are low maintenance and look beautiful.
However, if you don’t monitor your watering regime or introduce your dracaena plant to too much sunlight, it might eventually die. So you must know how to save a dying dracaena plant to avoid that.
Besides, though these plants don’t require much care, bug infestation and change in humidity levels can also adversely affect the plant. But don’t you worry; in this article, we have covered all you need to know to protect your dracaena plant.
Table of Contents
Can you save a dying dracaena?
While dracaenas are planted for their ornamental features, they definitely don’t look good dying. Thankfully, there are ways using which you can save your dracaena plant.
- Keeping it away from direct sunlight: To save the dracaena plant, you first need to keep it away from blazing sunlight. The same rule applies even if you are using artificial lights.
- Monitor the water: Though dracaena plants love moist soil, they don’t do well with a lot of water. Thus monitor the water content in the roots and avoid watering continuously.
- Fertilizer: Unlike many other plants, dracaena plants can perform very well without fertilizing. So if you notice signs in the plant after fertilization, it may be due to over-fertilizing. In such a case, wash away the excess fertilizer.
How to save a dying dracaena plant?
Dracaena plants are by nature low maintenance; thus, any harm that might come to the plant’s maybe due to over care. Under such circumstances, you might see signs of poor health on the plant, and it might be drying. However, there are ways to salvage the situation.
Let’s learn how to save a dying dracaena plant!
Use the proper watering method
Check to see if the leaves of your dracaena plant are turning yellow or loopy. If it is so, you have to correct your watering method.
Please note that the water requirement of this plant is far less than that of other house plants. Simply misting the soil or leaves should be enough. Under no circumstance should the soil get soggy as it might decay the roots and result in the sagging of leaves.
On the flip side, underwatering the plant has its problems. While the plant will survive for a while, you will notice the yellowing of the leaves, which eventually turn crispy brown. The best thing to do is identify the ideal watering routine and stick to it.
Alter the humidity level
Ideally, dracaena plants require a humidity level of 40% – 50%, making them the perfect indoor plant. However, if you use a heater during the winter, the humidity levels drop, so it’s best to shift the plant close to the window during those months.
Similarly, using an air conditioner during the summer might result in the same issues, thus changing the plant’s location accordingly.
You can use a humidifier to maintain the humidity levels to some extent. Misting the leaves often should increase the humidity levels of the plant to some extent.
Repot the plant if required
If your dracaena plant shows signs of poor health, check for root rot. If the roots are blacked, they might be decaying. You can subtly trim the rotting parts of the roots and preserve the healthy ones.
Once cut, repot the plant into a new pot with rich loamy soil. You can also use peat for better drainage. Make sure the new pot has enough holes to facilitate proper drainage. Proper drainage is essential as too much water can rot the roots again.
Using proper soil and water
Dracaena plants grow the best in peat-based soil; this is mainly for the soil’s sufficient water retention and drainage capacity. The dracaena plant roots don’t rot in this soil type.
Another advantage of this soil is that it does not remain soggy and ensures proper drainage, which is ideal for plant growth. As for the pots, make sure that it has at least one hole for proper drainage; otherwise, the roots will rot. If you’re keen to learn how to save a dying dracaena plant, the you shouldn’t ignore this.
Control infestation
Dracaena plants are prone to scale insect infestation; thus, it’s essential to look around for armored-looking things between 1/8 to ½ of an inch on the stem or the plant’s leaves.
The color of these insects varies; however, if you find these, know that your plant is suffering from scale infestation.
Thankfully, treating this infestation is easy. Mix a tablespoon of dishwashing soap with one spoon of water and spray it on the plant once a week. This household solution should keep the infestation at bay and help your plant grow back healthy.
Other infestations
Spider mites are another insect that impacts the growth of dracaena plants. The plant’s small brown and yellow spots are evidence of spider mites’ presence and can significantly affect your dracaena plant.
Since these mites are not easily visible to the naked eyes, you can try the following technique. Wipe the leaves with a white paper towel, and then look for red or yellow spots on the towel.
If you find spider mites, you have to prevent them from returning, which can be done by rendering an inhabiting environment for them. Spider mites mostly thrive on dry and dusty leaves. Thus, mist the underside of the leaves once a week; this should increase the humidity levels and drive away from the mites.
Bonus: If your dracaena plant has spider mites, keep it away from other plants, lest it spreads to your entire garden.
Environment change
Your dracaena’s leaves tip may be browning for many reasons; one of them can be high or low humidity levels. Overwatering, as mentioned above, can be another reason.
Besides, changes in the regular growing situation of the plant can lead to abnormalities, and to solve the issue, you have to identify the specific change.
For starters, if the leaves turn brown after changing the watering schedule, stick to the one you used earlier. Similarly, adjust the humidity levels to ensure an optimum plant growth environment.
Besides the methods mentioned above, your watering schedule and exposure to sunlight must also be monitored to keep your dracaena plant in the pink of health.
What does an overwatered dracaena look like?
You know that nothing can be worse than overwatering your dracaena plant. However, how do you realize that your plant has been overwatered? The obvious signs are soft brown leaves or a soft trunk.
Once you see these signs, you need to save your plant from root rot. For that, you can follow the tips mentioned below:
- Rinse the roots.
- Cut the blackened parts of the roots.
- Prune the rotten leaves and stems.
- Replace or clean your pot.
- Replant the dracaena.
- Take proper care of the plant.
Dracaena plants don’t like soggy wet soil; thus, root rotting can happen quickly if you don’t monitor the watering process. Ideally, you should water your dracaena plants every 10-14 days to keep the soil moist at just the required level.
However, how do you know when to water your dracaena plant? Ideally, you should do it only when the so feels dry to touch. At such times water the plants thoroughly or till the water escapes the drainage holes.
How much sunlight does a dracaena need?
Next to water, light is the following requirement for the plant to grow. Dracaena plants like medium to bright sunlight and indirect sunlight. However, they can grow in low sunlight as well. However, if you notice brown spots on the leaves or if the leaves turn pale, it might be due to excess light.
In keeping with the light, you can place your dracaena plant near a sunny window or have a sheer curtain placed on the window. Ideally, you should keep it in the shade away from scorching sunlight.
How do I know if my dracaena has root rot?
Dracaena plants mostly have bright yellow or orange roots and are springy; it’s the ideal situation when they are healthy. However, if the roots start to rot, they get mushy, darkened, or even tum black. Sometimes roots with the outer layering can come off if tugged, showing signs of severe rotting. A musty, unpleasant smell often accompanies this.
Conclusion:
Growing a home garden and having indoor plants in your home is refreshing and changes the look of your apartment, and dracaena plants definitely are the first choice for their ease of maintenance.
However, even if these plants are mostly low maintenance, they might require some care. This article has highlighted all you need to ensure the best health for your dracaena plants by learning how to save a dying dracaena plant.
